mid-day presents gold medal prospects at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games that begin in Australia today
Badminton
Kidambi Srikanth
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Last year was a dream for Kidambi Srikanth, who scooped four Super Series titles. The World No. 2 Srikanth, 25, top seeded in the men's singles this year, is a strong gold medal-winning contender. Srikanth, who spent a week in hospital with a brain fever before 2014 Glasgow, can emulate compatriot Parupalli Kashyap, who won gold
in Glasgow.
PV Sindhu
Rio Olympics silver medallist PV Sindhu has raised the bar with every performance. A yellow medal, though, has eluded the CWG top seed this year. She won bronze in 2014. Despite being struck by an ankle injury, Sindhu, 22, hopes to peak in time for her event. A gold medal would be the ultimate reward.
Squash
Women's doubles team
Dipika Pallikal
Ambassadors of the sport for almost a decade, Joshna Chinappa, 31, and Dipika Pallikal, 26, who won gold in women's doubles in 2014 Glasgow, are India's best bet for a squash medal again. Sans foreign coach Achraf El Karargui, the duo, who have heavily relied on the Egyptian, believe it's time to focus on the Games and defend their gold. World No. 14 Joshna is the top Indian in the women's draw, seeded eighth, while Dipika, world No. 18, is ninth.
Joshna Chinappa
Boxing
Vikas Krishan
On a successful comeback trail, Vikas Krishan, 26, has a lot of expectation riding on his back. With form on his side, Krishan, an Asian Games gold medallist, who will compete in the 75kg category at Gold Coast, will look to make a golden debut at the Commonwealth Games.
Wrestling
Sakshi Malik
Sakshi Malik bagged silver in Glasgow and two years later, she saw an end to India's medal drought at the Rio Olympics by winning bronze in the 58kg freestyle event. A lot of hopes are on Malik, 25, who will be looking to convert silver to gold this year.
Sushil Kumar
Veteran wrestler Sushil Kumar won gold medals in the 66kg and 74kg events at the 2010 and 2014 editions respectively. One of the most experienced wrestler, Sushil, who has also won five gold medals in all at the Commonwealth Wrestling championships, can make it a hat-trick of gold medals at CWG.
Men's hockey team
With only hosts Australia pitted as the ones who can spoil the party, this hockey team under Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne won the Asia Cup and bagged bronze in the FIH World Hockey League Finals last year. Despite finishing a meagre fifth spot in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup this year, the team are strong enough to break their gold medal jinx at the CWG. They came close, but failed to clear the final hurdle in 2010 Delhi and 2014 Glasgow.
Athletics-javelin
Neeraj Chopra
Top Indian athletes have singled him out as a 'once-in-a-lifetime' javelin thrower and Neeraj Chopra has justified high praise. Chopra, 20, who won the gold medal at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championship, will make his maiden Commonwealth Games appearance this year. He can make it golden as well.
Shooting
Jitu Rai
Pistol king Jitu Rai, 30, who won gold in the 50m event at Glasgow, bagged four golds and a bronze at International Shooting Sport Federation events last year. With such form, a shot at gold can be expected.
Gagan Narang
Four gold medals each in 2006 and 2010, one silver and one bronze in 2014, Gagan Narang can guarantee a podium finish. Narang, 34, who won silver in the 50m Rifle Prone event in Glasgow, will be the man to watch at Gold Coast.
Manu Bhaker
Teen sensation Manu Bhaker is currently at her peak after pocketing two gold medals in the women's 10m air pistol individual and mixed events at the ISSF World Cup in Mexico. Bhaker, 16, who became the youngest Indian to win gold at the World Cup, can make her debut CWG appearance memorable with gold.
Table tennis
Men's team
Sharath Kamal
The five-member TT men's team consisting Sharath Kamal, G Sathiyan, Harmeet Desai, Sanil Shetty and Anthony Amalraj are favourties to bag gold and put behind their lone silver that they won in the men's doubles at Glasgow. "I would be disappointed if we don't get the men's team gold. We are a fantastic side and are doing well too," veteran paddler Kamal told mid-day recently.
Harmeet Desai
Gnanasekaran Sathiyan
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