5 Indian athletes whose strength will be crucial to their medal hopes

The Olympics are the pinnacle of every athlete’s career and it is the dream of most top athletes to end their career with at least one Olympic medal. As fans, we all hope to see our favourite athletes do well but it is very difficult to imagine ourselves in their position.

Strength and stamina are two facets athletes will need to be in complete control of to ensure they perform as well as possible. Remaining calm in critical moments is also something every sportsman needs to take care of as those moments make all the difference to the eventual outcome.

With the Indian contingent soon beginning their campaign, here’s a look at five members who will need to showcase their strength in order to secure a medal –

Vikas Krishan

The 23-year-old boxer from Bhiwani in Haryana is one of India’s three-member strong boxing contingent at Rio and will be looking to prove his pedigree.

He has been drawn against Charles Conwell of the United States, and will use his experience to take himself past the opening round. Krishan, who is ranked sixth in the world, will need to take out the best from the world to ensure himself of a medal finish.

A gut-wrenching verdict at London 2012 saw him getting knocked out despite winning 13-11 on points, when the Indian was penalised for holding fouls which had gone unpunished during the bout.

Four years have passed since, and Vikas is in a much better position as a boxer. He qualified for the Olympics after clinching Bronze at the 2016 World Olympic Qualifiers.

Now having switched to middleweight, the JSW Sports Excellence Program boxer will be looking to use his speed to great effect. His lightweight record was brilliant as he had won Gold at the 2010 Asian Games.

He then switched to middleweight (75 kg)category, the same in which Vijender Singh won the Bronze at the 2008 Olympics. Considering that Vijender comes from the same boxing club as Vikas, and that both of them compete in the same category, the expectation is that Vikas will return with a medal.

It will take great mental strength and physical superiority for Vikas Krishan to forget his 2012 nightmare and win a medal for the nation this time around.