Olympics 2024 is almost upon us and as we prepare for the biggest celebration of sport on the planet, here's our wishlist for Paris, the one thing we hope will happen over the next few weeks:
A medal for Vinesh Phogat
If Neeraj Chopra is the symbol of success and possibilities in this Olympics squad, Vinesh is the symbol of the worst an athlete has to endure to reach the top. A medal would be the most apt riposte to all those who harmed her physically, vilified her online or - and this is perhaps worst - ignored her and her case even when they could have changed the course of things.
- Jayaditya Gupta
National Records galore for the Indian contingent
Medals are wonderful, everybody loves medals and may there be plenty. But national records for Indians - particularly in the quantifiable disciplines - show us that in the biggest event of their lives so far, in the moment it mattered most, our athlete stretched and reached out and touched their absolute maximum. It will delight and please them, and create a new benchmark that's there to be busted. For themselves and those who follow in their footsteps. May Paris 2024 become Indian sport's moveable feast.
- Sharda Ugra
Manu Bhaker comes back with a medal
Post Tokyo, a then 19-yr-old Manu Bhaker faced up to a barrage of criticism that could have wrecked any teenager. At 22, that she will be a veteran of two Olympics post-Paris is impressive - one only hopes that she wins a medal this time, for two consecutive 'failures' may be hard to recover from.
- Sunaadh Sagar
A female Indian Olympic champion
Medals don't have a genders, but wouldn't it be nice to have an Indian woman win an Olympic gold for the for the first time? Indian sportswomen have been going Faster, Higher, Stronger in their respective fields over the last few years and to have it peak in an Olympic gold will be fitting.
- Zenia D'Cunha
Hockey reclaiming its Olympic heritage
A medal in Tokyo was great. But it's now been 44 years since a gold medal in a sport India once owned at the Olympics.
So my biggest wish is for Harmanpreet Singh's team to end the wait for India to be at the top of the hockey podium in Paris.
- Aaditya Narayan
Neeraj Chopra defends his Olympic gold
The expectations ahead of the Tokyo Games were minimal, but three years later Neeraj is firmly India's #1 medal hope. He goes to Paris on the back of a so-so season and a nagging muscle strain, but if he can overcome that and retain his Olympic gold, he will truly become the undisputed GOAT of Indian sport. A title that he fully deserves considering the sporting revolution he has set off.
- Shyam Vasudevan
India hit double digits
A double digit in terms of total medals won by the Indian athletes at the Paris Olympics will truly be a historic moment in Indian sports. But also, anything beyond 7, last time's total, would mean progress.
- Anish Anand
May surprise love abound
Every Olympics, India tends to have a love affair with one sport (or more) that we never expected to connect with. If it was Dipa Karmakar and Gymnastics in Rio, it was Aditi Ashok and Golf in Tokyo. While all eyes will be on the big game monsters, and rightly so, here's hoping someone (and more) pops up from an unexpected corner of Paris and captures our imagination.
- Anirudh Menon