India has announced a 322-athlete squad for the Commonwealth Games

The clash will take place in the British city from July 28 to August 8, and the Asian country’s representatives will try to improve on their performance at the previous Gold Coast 2018 Games, where they finished third behind traditional powers Australia and England.

IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said the competition will be world-class but the athletes from his country are well prepared.

In a statement, the head of the sports body thanked the government, particularly the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the local sports authority, for their support to athletes and federations.

Key names in the team include Neeraj Chopra, Olympic javelin champion at Tokyo 2020; Pusarla Venkata Sindhu won the women’s individual badminton world champion at Basel 2019, Olympic silver at Rio de Janeiro 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020.

Likewise, Saikom Meerabai Sanu won silver in the 49 kg weightlifting event at Tokyo 2020, world gold in Anaheim in 2017 and bronze in the 69 kg boxer Lovelina Borgohain in Tokyo 2020.

65-kg freestyle wrestler Bajrang Punia, bronze medalist at Tokyo 2020 and three-time world medallist, as well as fellow freelancer Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Olympic runner-up at 57kg, are also part of the entourage.

National athletes will compete in 15 sports categories and four parasport categories.

Boxing, Badminton, Hockey, Weightlifting, Debut Women’s Cricket and Wrestling are some of the specialties in which India hopes to do well; However the athletics, cycling, swimming and table tennis teams are also strong for the upcoming challenge.

A number of Indian competitors have arrived in Birmingham in recent days, while others participating in various world championships will arrive directly at the stadium, while other groups will depart from New Delhi in the coming days.

rgh/abm