As the Asian Games 2018 is all set to kick off from August 18 to September 2, we take a look at some of the sports where our Indian contingent can shine and can win laurels for the country. Take a look:
India has a great chance in Athletics. In Javelin, Haryana's Neeraj Chopra, who won gold for India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, once again has his eyes on Gold. Another hope in Athletics is Hima Das. Hima created history last month by becoming the first Indian to win a track gold at a Junior World Championship. Then there is Seema Poonia, who has won gold at the 2014 Asian Games.
In Badminton, India has high hopes on P V Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, K Srikanth, H S Prannoy and B Sai Praneeth. All of them are exceptionally good and has won many laurels for the country in past.
In Boxing, our hopes are on Haryana lad Vikas Krishan Yadav, a gold medalist at the 2010 Asian Games followed by a bronze at Incheon. He has also won gold at this year's Commonwealth Games and he is in great form.
In Gymnastics all eyes will be on Dipa Karmakar. After a two-year long injury layoff, Karmakar announced her comeback with gold in World Challenge Cup in Turkey last month. Anything less than gold will be underwhelming for the 'vault of death' queen.
Hockey is another sport where India has high hopes as Indian Hockey is riding high on recent success. Though there will be stiff competition still Indian Hockey has high spirits.
India has won the Kabaddi gold at every Asiad since the sport was included at Beijing in 1990. Kabaddi was added to the women's draw four years ago where India bagged gold. Expect them to come back with gold again, both men and women.
Indian hopes will ride on Manu Bhaker who won gold in the women's 10 m air pistol event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Heena Sidhu who has also been among the medals, winning gold in the women's 25-metre air pistol event and silver in the women's 10-metre air pistol event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
India won a record four medals in Incheon including a men's team gold. Saurav Ghosal, Joshna Chinappa, and Dipika Pallikal will lead the campaign in which India is expected to win medals in all four categories.
In Table Tennis, hopes are really high as Manika Batra singlehandedly led the Indian team to a coveted gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She will once again carry a billion hopes of a medal from table tennis. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran bagged a team gold, a men's doubles silver (with Achanta Sharath Kamal) and a mixed doubles bronze (Manika Batra) at this year's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. So they have set their eyes on Gold in 2018 Asian Games.
Two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar will hope to win gold at the Asian Games. Bajrang Punia is another gold medal contender in the 65kg freestyle category. In his last seven tournament outings, Punia finished on the podium on all seven occasions, of which five were right on top.