Only The Fish's Eye

Boxing:

***

Four of India's five boxers at the Beijing Games are from Bhiwani Boxing Club in Haryana. If the draw does not pit them against tough opponents in the early rounds, Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar are among those who can reach out for the medals. "What else do I want? I am the happiest person on earth and am waiting for them to win the country's first Olympic boxing medals," says their club coach Jagdish Singh.

Ageing tennis maestros Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will remain Ind-ian favourites for a gold, notwithstanding their squabbles off the court. Their fans will hope that Lee-Hesh will rediscover the on-court chemistry that made them household names in India in 1999. When they finally came together for a pre-Olympic competition—the Ordina Open last month in the Netherlands— they did reach the final.

It was a shock that the men's team did not qualify for the archery competition. It was left to Mangal Singh Champia to qualify when he got silver in the Asian Championship. He could still mount a challenge but India will have to bank on its women archers to deliver the goods. National champion Laishram Bombayla Devi, Dola Banerjee and Vardeneni Pranitha have the potential to power India to the final of the team event.

So next time you hear the lament, "A billion Indians and yet...#", you may well say, "One of them might finally just make it count." Beijing beckons.