Indian shuttlers favourites at Commonwealth Games: Aparna Popat

Indian hockey Olympian Viren Rasquinha (left), former shooter Anjali Bhagwat and ex-shuttler Aparna Popat (right) during an event to wish good luck to the Commonwealth Games-bound Indian contingent at the Mumbai Press Club yesterday. pic/Ashish Raje

Former nine-time national champion Aparna Popat is confident that India's badminton contingent will win the maximum number of gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4 to 15. "As far as badminton is concerned, definitely we are the favourites. What stands out is that we are not just favourites in the singles where Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy have being doing well, but across all events," Popat, 40, said during a press conference organised by official broadcasters Sony and the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai at the Mumbai Press Club yesterday.

"We have got champions in women's doubles, men's doubles and the mixed doubles. The mixed doubles team has been showing some good promise, so we will not only come back with individual medals but will also win gold medals in the doubles," she added. Meanwhile, former India hockey skipper Viren Rasquinha felt the Australian men are the favourites to bag the hockey gold.

"For bronze and silver, it will be a very tough fight between New Zealand, Great Britain and India. All these teams are on par with each other. Those two-three match days will matter a lot," said Rasquinha. The Olympian reckoned that India's eves will face stiff competition from teams like Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand.

"It will be an interesting fight. In the Asian Championship, the Indian women won and their performance was far better that that of the men's teamn. For the women, China, Japan, Koren were all ranked higher than India and the Indian team ended up beating all of them.

"The Indian women are doing well, but it is hard to predict because they have not played against Australia and some of the other big countries. In women's hockey, Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand are very strong. In fact, Great Britain are the Olympic Champions," added Rasquinha.

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