How will the discus throw event make India shine at the Tokyo Olympics 2020?
Indian athletics has certainly improved a lot before the Tokyo Olympics. For the first time, there are many athletes who have more than a realistic chance at the Olympics. Neeraj Chopra, a lanky Subedar, is aiming for a historic Olympic gold medal in the javelin throw event. Alongside him is Tejinder Pal Singh Toor, a tall seaman from the Indian Navy, who is now a real threat to the established champions in the shot put. Then there is Kamalpreet Kaur, a Punjabi champion who is in serious contention for a historic Olympic medal in discus throw. Alongside her is veteran thrower Seema Punia, who has made it for her 4th consecutive Olympics. Let us find out. Like Tejinder Pal Singh Toor, Kamalpreet Kaur has shocked the nation with her prowess. Specializing in the discus throw event, Kamalpreet shot to fame when she broke the national record with a throw of 65.09 meters at the Federation Cup in March. This enabled her to make the cut for the Tokyo Olympics. However, to everyone's shock, in June, she bettered her own record with a huge throw of 66.59 meters at the Indian Grand Prix. This is phenomenal, since no Indian, not even Vikas Gowda, who threw a personal best of 66.28 meters, achieved this mark. Now if this throw is absolutely genuine, it puts Kamalpreet in serious contention for a historic Olympic medal. This is because in the Rio Olympics, such a throw would have been enough to secure a bronze medal. Had Kamalpreet thrown beyond this, she would have won a silver medal as well. Seema Punia - The Queen of Surprises  Seema Antil Punia [Centre] - The queen of surprises  Accompanying Kamalpreet is Seema Antil Punia, a veteran discus thrower who made it with a decent throw of 63.72 meters. However, that is no mark to judge her talent. On her day, Seema is capable of surprising even the best. If she consistently throws beyond 62 meters, Seema can proceed to the finals of women's discus throw. What both throwers need to keep in mind at the Tokyo Olympics  However, what both throwers need to keep in mind is to be consistent. Neeraj Chopra and Tejinder Pal Singh Toor have a realistic chance at the podium at the Tokyo Olympics. This is not just because they are talented. This is also because they are consistent in events. When Tejinder threw beyond the 21 meter mark in shot put, he threw 4 more shots in the same distance. It was to prove that his shots were not a fluke. Neeraj Chopra has fought for podium finishes in international competitions in javelin throw. He wanted consistency. The results show promise. That is the same Kamalpreet and Seema need as of now at the Tokyo Olympics. Edited by Rohit Mishra