CWG: India can win three more golds

New Delhi: While the Indian shooters failed to finish with a flourish on Wednesday, the boxers kept their date with destiny as India and England went in for a neck and neck battle for the second place in the medal's tally.

England already has 37 gold medals, while India is at 36. And it promises to be a photo-finish on Thursday with India still in with a chance to win three more golds and truly make the Games 'the best ever'. England, on the other hand, will be seen in action in three title rounds. Right now, it's too close to call.

Here's an update of what went right and what went wrong on Wednesday for India:

Shooters failed to find the bulls eye. Heena Sidhu led right through before settling for silver in the 10m Air Pistol event, while 2006 Games' hero Samresh Jung managed a bronze in the 25m standard Pistol event. And for the first time Gagan Narang cracked under pressure and failed to qualify for the final in the 50 metres Rifle Prone category.

However, India's boxers kept their promise and won gold in all the three catgories title bouts that they made it to.

While Suranjoy Singh got a walkover in the 52 kg gold medal fight, Manoj Kumar beat Bradley Saunders of England in the 64 kg category.

Paramjeet Samota then beat Tariq Abdul Haqq of Trinidad and Tobago in the 91+ kg finals to win India's third boxing gold on Wednesday.

Table Tennis - Sharath Kamal and Subhajit Saha won a pulsating contest in the men's doubles finals to add another gold to India's tally.

The Indian duo beat Gao Ning and Yang Zi of Singapore: 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 5-11, 11-8.

On Thursday all eyes will be on world number three Saina Nehwal who will be the overwhelming favourite in the women's singles final against Mew Choo Wong of Malaysia.

India will also be hoping for another badminton gold in the women's doubles event when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa take on Singapore's Sari Shinta Mulia and Yao Lei.

On the other hand the Indian men's hockey team will need a herculian effort to overcome the Aussies in the finals on Thursday.

The Indians were comprehensively beaten 2-5 by the Australians in the ongoing Commonwealth Games and had earlier lost by the same margin in the hockey World Cup held earlier this year at New Delhi.

The expectations this morning

After some hair-raising and heart-warming wins in Hockey and Athletics on Tuesday, India's sportspersons take the field all set to garner greater glory as the hosts eye another 11 gold medals in the final two days of the Commonwealth Games.

India's shooters will hope for a final flourish with at least two Gold medal chances on Wednesday with Heena Sidhu the favourite to win the Women's 10m Air Pistol event, and Gagan Narang eyeing his fifth yellow metal in the 50m Rifle Prone event. Melbourne Games' hero Samresh Jung, who is participating only in two events this time, will hope to hit the bulls eye in the 25m Standard Pistol individual event.

Even though India's boxers have disappointed the fans, there are still three in the fray in the title rounds. Suranjoy Singh in the 52kg category, Manoj Kumar in the 64kg and Paramjeet Samota in the 91kg category will look to outpunch their opponents and add another three gold medals to India's tally this evening.

India can also expect two more gold from their shuttlers who have been in supreme form throughout the competition.

Saina Nehwal will take on Mew Choo Wong in the final of the women's singles event, while the pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will look to seal the gold in the women's doubles event.

India's paddlers too are within striking distance of a couple of gold medals with Achanta Sharath Kamal and Soumyadeep Roy both in the semis of the men's singles event, while Poulomi Ghatak and Mouma Das are in the semi-final of the women's doubles event.

The big medal match though is slated for Thursday when India take on Australia in the final of the Men's hockey event. This is one game and one medal that will really put the icing on the cake for India. And for once, the organisers' much-mouthed statement that 'this will be best games ever', might just actually come true.