India's Olympic highs and lows

By V.Krishnaswamy
Correspondent in Athens

The Indian media had no inkling of things to come as spirits flowed and Greek girls danced to Bollywood remixes at an Indian restaurant in central Athens on Wednesday night.

Shooter Rathore was India's only silver lining

The Jaipur Palace, named after India's historic northern city, has been chosen to celebrate the country's first individual silver medal at an Olympic Games.

Shooter Rajyavardhan Rathore, who hails from Jaipur, wore his shining medal as he mingled with the crowd. He signed autographs, posed for pictures and shook hands.

For the past year, he had trained with the fervour of a Buddhist monk.

He finished second to friend and old rival, Sheikh Ahmed Al Makhtoum, who he had beaten in a competition in the Czech Republic less than a month ago.

Short-lived joy

His first reaction after snaring the silver medal - he gunned down 179 of the 200 clay birds thrown across his line of vision at the Markopoulos Shooting Range - was: "This is not just my medal. It belongs to India."

Rathore is a true patriot: a soldier who guards the borders and was once shot in the leg.

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati crashed out of the semis

India's celebrations were, however, short-lived.

Thursday morning brought in the bad news and a dubious first: Pratima Kumari had become the first Indian athlete to test positive in an Olympics drugs test.

As the day wore on, news washed up of a second weightlifter - Sanamacha Chanu - who had tested positive too.

On the field, there was further reason for despair.

Star tennis doubles duo Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes crashed out of the men's doubles semi-finals, losing to German pair, Nicolas Keifer and Rainier Schuettler.

When the week began, the former world No 1 doubles pair, looked well set on picking up the gold.

They seemed to be getting better with each match and confessed to be fired up by Rathore's silver.

Continuing jinx

In their earlier matches they have beaten pairings featuring the world's No 2 singles player, Andy Roddick and world No 1, Roger Federer.

Pratima Kumari - the first Indian to test positive at the Olympics

For Paes and Bhupathi there is still a chance of redemption in the form of a bronze medal in the play-off.

India's Thursday woes climaxed with Australian hockey forward Michael Brennan scored a last-gasp goal with 15 seconds to go for the hooter.

Australia 4, India 3, and the living daylights had been knocked out of the Indian hockey campaign.

India have not reached an Olympic hockey semi-finals since 1984 - the jinx continues.

On the other hand, Pakistani supporters here have cause for cheer - their hockey team has bounced back and is in fine fettle.

After an initial setback against Germany - losing 1-2 - the team, egged on by its boisterous fans who pack the stands, came back marvellously, walloping Egypt 7-0, and thrashing Korea 3-0.

There have been other let-downs for India as well.

Take the shooters, for example.

Anjali Vedpathak, after two years of hype and hope, came a cropper in both her air and sports rifle events.

Other shooters Suma Shirur and Abhinav Bindra did make the final eight of their event, but did not come anywhere close to a medal.

The sailing duo, Malav Shroff and Sumeet Patel, rower KP Paulose and judoka Akram Shah came, competed and hardly made a ripple.

Feeble hopes

The archers were modest in their individual achievements, and promised a better showing in team events.

Only one of the four boxers, Diwakar Prasad, created an impression by winning a bout.

In badminton and table tennis, India's representatives bowed out early.

Next week Indian hopes rest on long jumper Anju Bobby George, a world championships bronze medallist in 2003.

Hopes are also pinned on the Indian women's 4 x 400m relay squad, which could make the final eight.

But now after the experiences of the first week, all that Indians will be praying for a less eventful one, even if it is medal-less.

After all, a performance sheet of a medal and a doping scandal can hardly bolster the reputation of one the world's largest nations at the world's biggest sporting show.