Editorial : A golden hue: On India’s CWG medals haul

The Olympics has a global allure and the Asian Games basks(आनंद उठाना) in itscontinental(महाद्वीपीय) spread(विस्तार/प्रचारित होना). Compared to these two, the Commonwealth Games may look like an unflattering(अनाकर्षक) vestige(झुकाव/प्रभाव) of Britain’s colonial past. Yet there is no denying the CWG’s relevance(योग्यता/प्रस्तुतता) as a stepping stone to greater sporting glory(गर्व/प्रतिष्ठा). For India, the relatively limited competition means it remains a frontrunner. This was underlined over the last fortnight at the Gold Coast in Australia, where India won 66 medals and improved on the haul of 64 from the 2014 edition at Glasgow. Importantly, the number of golds rose from 15 to 26. In wrestling, weightlifting,

shooting, boxing, badminton and particularly(विशेष रूप से) table tennis, India dominated(बोलबाला है।/श्रेष्ठ होना). There were world-class efforts from the Indians. Five-time world boxing champion Mary Kom, two-time Olympic medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar, world champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, 2016 world junior javelin champion Neeraj Chopra and teen shooting sensations(सनसनी/अनुभव) Manu Bhaker and Anish Bhanwala produced splendid(शानदार) performances to clinch(कड़ी /पकड) gold. In badminton, the unexpected gold in the mixed team event, the much-anticipated(प्रत्याशित) women’s final featuring(प्रकट करना/विशिष्ट होना) P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, and the emergence(बाहर निकलना) of some doublescombinations(युक्ति/मिश्रण) were the high points. From the table tennis arena, India provided the biggest surprises. It won a medal in all seven events — an unprecedented(बेमिसाल/अपूर्व) sweep of team golds and a historic gold in the women’s singles for Manika Batra, highlighting the hard work done also by the coaching and support team. The 22-year-old Delhi player returned with four medals, including two golds, and proved to be India’s most valuable(मूल्यवान/महत्वपूर्ण) player.

However, India’s b took a beating when A.V. Rakesh Babu and K.T. Irfan were packed off from the Games for violation(उल्लंघन/बाधा) of the ‘no needle’ policy after needles were found in their rooms. This aberration(विपथन /पतन) must not go unaddressed against the backdrop of successes of other Indian athletes. With the next Asian Games scheduled in August-September in Jakarta, Indonesia, India is expected to build on the gains from the Gold Coast. Based(आधारित) on the quality of recent performances, India could improve upon its 2014 tally of11 gold, 10 silver and 36 bronze medals. Considering(ध्यान में रखते हुए/इस विचार से) the Asian standards of table tennis, badminton, shooting, wrestling, weightlifting and field events in athletics, it will be over-optimistic(आशावादी) to expect a gold haul anywhere close to what the Indians managed from the Gold Coast. Chopra, Chanu, Sushil, the badminton players in singles, besides select shooters, will hope to do well. But India will certainly(निस्संदेह) try to register a better show in hockey where the men’s team will defend its Asian Games title, and automatically qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Till then, the CWG has held a mirror up to Indian sport and found a refreshing reflection(प्रतिबिंब/विचार).

Important Vocabulary

1.Basks(आनंद उठाना)
Synonyms: laze, loll, lounge, relax, sunbathe
Antonyms: cover, hide

2.Spread(विस्तार)
Synonyms: advance, advancement, dissemination, escalation, increase
Antonyms: halt, stop, abridgment, compression, decrease

3.Relevance(योग्यता)
Synonyms: applicability, importance, purpose, application, appositeness

4.Featuring(प्रकट करना/विशिष्ट होना)
Synonyms: displaying, headlining, highlighting, presenting, promoting

5.Vestige(झुकाव/प्रभाव)
Synonyms: glimmer, relic, remnant, residue, evidence, hint
Antonyms: information, lot

6.Reputation(प्रतिष्ठा/मान
Synonyms: character, fame, honor, influence, name
Antonyms: unimportance, disapproval, disbelief, disfavor, dislike

7.Reflection(प्रतिबिंब/विचार)
Synonyms: consideration, contemplation, idea, impression, meditation
Antonyms: disdain, disregard, heedlessness, neglect, thoughtlessness

8.Unprecedented(बेमिसाल/अपूर्व)
Synonyms: bizarre, extraordinary, fantastic, miraculous, new
Antonyms: bad, common, commonplace, customary, familiar

9.Glory(गर्व/प्रतिष्ठा).
Synonyms: celebrity, dignity, grandeur, greatness, honor
Antonyms: ill repute, insignificance, lowliness, unimportance, blame

10.Sensations(सनसनी/अनुभव)
Synonyms: emotion, impression, passion, sense, sensitivity
Antonyms: physicality, unconsciousness