NEERAJ CHOPRA
Who: Javelin thrower
Achievement: Gold in men’s javelin throw
Why we like him: With an impeccable track record and just 20 years of age, Neeraj Chopra had a dream debut at the Asian Games and has set a new Indian national record.
Tejinder Pal Singh Toor
Who: Shot-putter
Achievement: Gold in men’s shot put
Why we like him: After finishing eighth in the Commonwealth Games earlier this year, Toor’s determination and perseverance made him the best shot putter in Asia. At home his father battled cancer (he recently passed away) but Toor battled on. #TrueGrit
WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM
Achievement: Silver in women’s field hockey
Why we like them: Even though the 36-year-old wait for gold didn’t end, they impressed us with their game plan.
HIMA DAS
Who: Sprinter
Achievements: Gold in women’s 4x400m relay, silver in mixed 4x400m relay and silver in women’s 400m.
Why we like her: Clearly not letting go of her winning streak, the “Dhing Express” holds the Indian national record in 400m. We already see a glimpse of P.T. Usha in the young speedster.
SAURABH CHAUDHARY
Who: Sports shooter
Achievement: Gold in men’s 10m air pistol
Why we like him: India’s youngest gold medalist in Asiad history, 16-year-old Saurabh has been hitting all the right notes since the beginning of the year. This lad makes us feel bad about the times when we were 16 and all that was on our mind was bunking classes!
MEN’S SEPAK TAKRAW TEAM
Achievement: Bronze in men’s regu team
Why we like them: To get everyone talking about a lesser-known sport in a country obsessed with cricket is no mean feat. Thank you guys!
PRANAB BARDHAN and SHIBNATH DEY SARKAR
Who: Contact bridge players
Achievement: Gold in men’s pair
Why we like them: It’s never too late to work on our passion is what we learnt from this duo. Being two of the oldest members of the Indian contingent, Pranab and Shibnath not only bagged gold but also piqued our interest in playing bridge.
MANJIT SINGH
Who: Middle-distance runner
Achievement: Gold in 800m
Why we like him: Unemployed and unheralded, Manjit’s dream run is the perfect underdog story. He struck gold with his career-best timing.
AMIT PANGHAL
Who: Boxer
Achievement: Gold in men’s light flyweight
Why we like him: Amit Panghal’s gold proved to be the silver lining in India’s otherwise disappointing boxing campaign. This young gun from Haryana defeated Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov, who is known for his quick speed and jabs.
RAHI SARNOBAT
Who: Sports shooter
Achievement: Gold in women’s 25m pistol
Why we like her: From being the country’s first pistol shooter to win a gold at the World Cup to being the first Indian woman to shoot Asiad gold, Sarnobat has surely proved to be a trailblazer.
