Hurried Man’s Guide to India’s Asian Games Heroes

Indian athletes are making quite a fist of it at the Asian Games 2010.

Indian athletes are making quite a fist of it at the Asian Games 2010.

Tennis player Somdev Devvarman was the star of India’s Asian Games campaign. He won two golds, one in men’s singles, the other in men’s doubles with Sanam Singh as partner. The 25-year-old also had a hand in India winning the bronze in the team championship.

Pankaj Advani got India its first gold medal at the event, winning the billiards competition. The other gold medallists at the time of writing were Preeja Sreedharan (women’s 10,000m), Sudha Singh (women’s 3,000m steeplechase), Bajrang Lal Takhar (rowing, men’s single sculls) and Ronjan Sodhi (men’s double trap shooting).

Preeja Sreedharan, who is from Kerala, turned emotional speaking about the sacrifices made by her brother and mother. She lost her father early. Her brother dropped out of school after the eighth grade to be a carpenter. Her mother worked as a domestic help.
Sudha Singh, who comes from Rae Bareli, overcame her fear of hurdles to win the steeplechase, which has different kinds of hurdles. Bajrang Lal looked to Sachin Tendulkar for motivation as he won India’s first ever rowing gold in the Asian Games. At the previous edition in Doha, he had become the first Indian rower to win an Asian Games silver medal. “I don’t think I have become a hero by winning a medal,” he said. “The aim of every athlete should be to perform well for the country.”

Farokh Tarapore won a sailing silver at age 50, adding to the two golds and two bronzes he won in his previous seven Asiads.
Ashish Kumar won India’s first ever gymnastics medal when he took the bronze in the men’s floor event. Veerdhawal Khade got the country its first swimming medal in 24 years by winning the bronze in the men’s 50m butterfly race.

Asian Games 2010Farokh TaraporePankaj AdvaniPreeja SreedharanSomdev DevvarmanSudha Singh