Commonwealth Games 2022 Day 5: India medal contenders to watch out for

Weightlifters, lawn bowls team, Badminton squad, table tennis, and other athletes might clinch medals on the fifth day of CWG 2022

Indian athletes at the 2022 Birmingham edition of the Commonwealth Games are on the right path, as they have got nine medals, and are hoping to win a bit more on Wednesday. While seven of the nine medals have come in the weightlifting category, India will create history in the Lawn Bowls if its wins the first silver or gold medal today.

On CWG 2022 Day 4, Indian Judokas Sushila Devi Likmabam and Vijay Kumar Yadav won silver and bronze medals in the 48 kg women's category and 60 kg men's category respectively. Harjinder Kaur also registered a win in the Women's 71 kg category weightlifting, bringing India their seventh medal in weightlifting.

Also Read | Commonwealth Games 2022 medal tally: Indian athletes to create history

As the tournament is progressing to its mid-stage, Indian supporters rely heavily on table tennis, lawn bowls, artistic gymnastics, badminton, weightlifting, and other sports. Here is a list of the best contenders to watch out for today. Check it out now.

Punam Yadav - Weightlifting - Women's 76kg category Finals

Punam Yadav won the gold medal in the women's 76 kg gold medal at the National Weighlifting Championships at the KIIT University, Bhubaneshwar. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Punam won a bronze medal for lifting a combined weight of 202kg (88+114). She also claimed gold for lifting a total of 222 kg (100+122) in the 69 kg division at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Vikas Thakur – Weightlifting - Men’s 96 kg Finals 

Vikas Thakur would be contesting for gold on the Day 5 of the CWG 2022. In February 2022, he won gold in the men's 96kg event in Singapore in CWG qualifiers.

So, there are high chances of Thakur clinching gold in the final. He triumphed in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games by winning silver and bronze respectively in the men's 85 kg category.

Usha Bannur Natesh Kumara – Weightlifting - Women’s 87kg Finals

Usha Bannur Natesh Kumara will be participating in the women's 87 kg category finals to follow the legacy of Indian weightlifters at the Commonwealth Games.

Indian Lawn Bowls team - Lawn Bowls – Women’s Fours Gold Medal Match

India would be up against South Africa for their first medal in the sport. Indian women's fours team registered a victory against New Zealand in the semi-finals to create history. Rupa Rina Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, Pinki, and Nayanmoni Saikia will be the first group in history to do it.

Indian Team - Table Tennis Men’s Final 

After defeating Nigeria in the semi-finals, India would be facing Singapore in the Table Tennis Men's finals. Indian Men's table team performance has been exceptionally good. The team has Harmeet Desai, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, and Achanta Sharath Kamal. 

Seema Punia - Women’s Discuss throw final 

All eyes would be on Seema Punia, who would be aiming for her fifth medal in the Commonwealth games. In the past four editions, she has three silver and one bronze medal, making her one of the favourites to clinch gold today.

Satyajit Mondal - Artistic Gymnastics - Men’s Vault Finals

Satyajit Mondal might win a medal when he will be up against the best artistic gymnasts across the globe. Hailing from West Bengal, Satyajit finished at fifth sport in the vault event on his international debut at the World Challenge Cup the previous month.

Badminton- Mixed Team finals

India would be against Malaysia in the Mixed Team finals. Badminton has been one of the most rewarding sports for Indian athletes in the last few years, and India would be hoping to clinch gold again. After defeating Singapore by 3-0, India will try to defend its title. The Indian Badminton mixed squad has Lakshya Sen, Ashwini Ponappa, B Sumeeth Reddy, Tressa Jollya, Chirag Shetty, Gayatri Gopichand, and PV Sindhu, making them the favorites.