Can Fouaad Mirza be India's Rohullah Nikpai?
While it may be too early to say so, Fouaad Mirza is an athlete who can perform for India what Rohullah Nikpai did for Afghanistan. Like Taekwondo, Equestrian is more of a status symbol than a serious sport in India. However, with the arrival of athletes like Fouaad Mirza, things can change for the better.
Ever heard of Rohullah Nikpai? Yes, the Afghan taekwondo player, who surprised one and all to win Afghanistan's first ever Olympic medal in taekwondo at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He went on to repeat his feat at the London Olympics in 2012.
So what has Fouaad Mirza done to be compared to Rohullah Nikpai?
Fouaad Mirza - The man who changed it all at the 2018 Asiad
Equestrian is considered more of an exhibition event for India rather than a seriously competitive event. India has competed at the Olympics only twice - at Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000.
However, for the first time in two decades, and for the first time as a private individual, an Indian is going to compete in the equestrian event.
Interestingly, it was Fouaad Mirza who had changed it all for India in the equestrian event at the Asian Games in 2018. India hadn't won it big at the equestrian event, even though it is ranked 4th in Asia ever since the sport was introduced at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.
However, Fouaad changed the equation, becoming the first individual medalist to win a silver medal in the men's eventing category. He also led the Indian team to a silver medal in the team eventing category.
This ended a 12 year old medal drought for India in the equestrian event overall, the last medal being a bronze medal from team eventing at Doha Asian Games in 2006.
But Fouaad Mirza didn't just stop at that. He also created history when he paved the way for India's qualification into the Tokyo Olympics' individual eventing category, a first in 20 years. The last time anyone made the cut from India was at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, when Imtiaz Anees qualified for the same.
What makes Fouaad Mirza India's Rohullah Nikpai?
So what makes Fouaad Mirza stand as a prospect capable enough of staging an upset like Afghanistan's Rohullah Nikpai?
Let it be known that winning a medal in equestrian at the Asian Games itself is not a cakewalk. As such, if Fouaad Mirza wins two silver medals, it is nothing short of a miracle, and he can go places, if he wants, at the Tokyo Olympics as well.
Like Rohullah Nikpai, the biggest advantage with Fouaad Mirza is that he has no baggage of expectations with him. As such, all he needs to do is to keep his wits by himself. If he manages to do it, the sky is the limit for him. The only probable obstacle is the lack of adequate experience on the biggest stage of them all.