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320 Indians hope to better 1986 show at Asian Games

Harpal Singh Bedi in Bangkok

The confidence and hopes of the Indian contingent are high, but can it be translated into medals at the 13th Asian Games which opens in the Thai capital on Sunday.

The 320-member contingent, the second largest since the 1986 Games, will take part in 23 of the 36 disciplines at the event and has set the target of getting the country its biggest-ever medal haul.

India should be among the front runners for the gold in billiards and snooker which are being introduced as a medal sport at an Asian Games for the first time.

World champions Geet Sethi and Ashok Shandilya will spearhead the Indian challenge in billiards and snooker and chief coach Arvind Savoor is very optimistic. ''We should strike a gold in the team and individual events,'' he said. Thirty medals are at stake in the debutant discipline.

India is being represented by two women players in squash -- national champion Mekhla Subedar and Sohini Kumari. The competition is very tough and their chances of being among the medals are rather remote.

For the first time a three-member Indian women's golf team comprising Nonita Lal Qureshi, Parnita Grewal and Urvashi Sodhi is taking part in the Games and given their current form, they should be among the medal-winners.

The Indian women finished third in the Queen Sirikit Cup held here early this year.

National champion Harmeet Kahlon will lead the four-member challenge in the men's golf event. Interestingly, the team includes Amit Luthra, who was a member of the gold medal-winning team when golf made its debut in the Asian Games in 1982 in New Delhi.

The other two members of the team are Digvijay Singh and Amit Dube while the team's non-playing captain is Laxman Singh who was also part of the 1982 squad.

''We have a good chance to win a medal,'' said Laxman Singh after his players went through a rigorous training session.

Though women's football was introduced in the last Asian Games, India is taking part in this event for the first time, hoping that the team will make it to the last four grade.

The country's gold medal prospects have suffered a slight setback in tennis with its ace, Asia's top ranked player, Leander Paes pulling out due to injury. Paes is still nursing an ankle injury suffered during the world doubles championship last month.

However, Mahesh Bhupathi's current form as reflected in the just concluded Asian Championship at Delhi where he led India to victory, puts the team very much in the reckoning for medals.

In athletics, which will see a 28-member Indian squad taking part, all eyes are on P T Usha. The 35-year-old runner, taking part in her record fifth Asian Games, is carrying a hamstring injury and it might effect the team's chances in the women's relay where India hopes for at least a silver.

The Indians will depend on their throwers for medals in athletics. The throwers have usually done well for the country in the Asian Games.

Nirupama Vaidyanathan is the Indian hope in the women's tennis event with Manisha Malhotra, Sai Jayalakshmy and Uzma Khan giving her company.

Another medal-winning prospect is the kabbadi team. India won gold at the Beijing and Hiroshima Games in this event.

The team was embroiled in controversy as two factions held their own camps. A last-minute patch-up by the Indian Olympic Association led to a ten-member team's participation.

The Indian volleyball team is taking part in the Games after 12 years, hoping to reach the semifinals. ''Volleyball is a medal winning prospect and that is why we have cleared it,'' says IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi.

But for most Indians, the most watched event will be hockey. Only once in the history of the Asian Games has India won a gold medal, at Bangkok in 1966.

Coach M K Kaushik is confident his team will ''repeat 1966,'' adding,''I think the law of averages should work in our favour this time. We have a balanced side which, I think, is a serious title contender.''

The women's hockey team, which finished last in the World Cup earlier this year, also hopes to be among the medals. ''We are a good side as far as Asia is concerned,'' feels team manager Rupa Saini.

In badminton, winning a medal would be a tall order for the Indian shuttlers -- Gopi Chand and Aparna Popat -- as they will be pitted against the South Asian tigers.

India won two bronze medals in the Asian Games team events in 1974 and 1986.

Commonwealth gold medal winners Jaspal Rana, Mansher singh and Roopa Unnikrishnan are the Indian medal hopes in shooting. The 16- member shooting squad has promising youngsters like Manavjit Singh, Zorawar Singh and Gaurav Sondhi.

''The shooters have trained well and if they perform according to their current form, we will have a rich haul of medals'' chief coach Sunny Thomas said.

Another strong medal prospect is the women's weightlifters squad. Kunjurani Devi, Sanamacha Chanu and Karnam Malleswari are certainties to win medals. Also among the medal winning prospects are Prathima Kumari and Ujwala Mane.

Only two men weightlifters will represent India at the Games -- Satish Rai and A K Pandian -- both of whom won medals at the last Commonwealth Games.

After a gap of eight years, India will take part in the swimming competition. A seven-member team including five women will be seen in action. Not much is expected from these swimmers as only Sebastian Xavier who clocked 22.89 in the 50 metres freestyle qualified for the Games as per the IOA's criteria. Even that is nowhere near the medal-winning timings at the Games.

India's chances in wrestling do not look bright either. Though the wrestlers have been coached by Erkha Bayar of Mongolia, it will be difficult for them to grapple with the strong challenge from the Iranians and Mongolians.

The new look Indian archery team will find it hard to win medals too. Veterans like Limba Ram and Lalrem Sanga are not in the squad and the challenge is spearheaded by Satyadev Prasad, Skaljang Dorji and Mangal Singh.

UNI