India's medal hopes in judo will rest on the shoulders of Olympic-debutant Avtar Singh, who qualified for the men's middleweight (90 kg) category by virtue of his ranking in 2016. Singh won gold at the 2016 South Asian Games in India, and followed it up with a semi-final finish at the Asian Judo Championship in Uzbekistan in April 2016. These performances helped him become the first judoka in the men's middleweight category to qualify for the Olympics since Rajinder Kumar Dhanger in 1992.
Rower Dattu Bhokanal will become the fourth consecutive Indian to participate in the men's single sculls event at the Rio Olympics. Bhokanal qualified for Rio by finishing second in the Asia-Oceania qualification regatta in Korea earlier this year, and will be hoping to better the performances of fellow servicemen Bajrang Lal Takhar (2008) and Sawarn Singh (2012), both of whom have been medallists at the Asian Games. Bhokanal himself picked up a silver at the Asian Championships in China in 2015.
Neither of India's two swimmers - Sajan Prakash and Shivani Kataria - made it to Rio by meeting the Olympic qualification time. The two young swimmers have been training in Thailand as part of the Indian swimming federation's scholarship scheme. While Prakash picked up three golds and a silver in events spanning freestyle and the butterfly (the event he will be competing at in Rio will be the 200m butterfly) at the South Asian Games in Guwahati in 2016, Shivani was the most successful swimmer across the board, with her six medals including four golds, one silver and one bronze apiece. India, whose first swimmer at the Games was Kolkata's Nalin Malik in Los Angeles 84 years ago, have had swimmers who have won individual heats in the past but a qualification for the semi-finals would be a significant first should it come in Rio.
The team
Swimming:
Sajan Prakash (200m butterfly)
Shivani Kataria (200m freestyle)
Rowing:
Dattu Bhokanal - Men's single sculls
Judo:
Avtar Singh - Men's 90 kg
The key dates
Swimming, Rowing
August 6-13
Judo
August 6-12
How they got there
The Swimming Federation of India selected Prakash and Kataria to represent the country at Rio via the Universality rule, which allows one male and one female competitor to participate provided the swimmer has participated in the last World Championship.
Bhokanal secured a Rio berth after winning silver in the men's single sculls event at the 2016 FISA Asian and Oceania Olympic Qualification Regatta in Hong Kong in April.
Singh won a continental quota via his world ranking (79th) to qualify for the Olympics in the 90kg category.
What they say
Shivani Kataria:
I realised I was the first female swimmer since 2004 to represent India at the Olympics. I want to use this opportunity to motivate and encourage more girls to take up the sport and pursue it professionally.
Avtar Singh:
At the big stage, experience counts and I'm confident to tackle the challenges. I cannot predict anything but I promise that I won't disappoint.
Extras
All the participants, in their respective categories, would be making their debut in the Olympics.
India's track record
*India is yet to win a medal in either of the three sports..