New Delhi, Jul 15: Going by statistics, it will be very difficult for India's lone judoka Garima Chaudhary to even end up with a top-five finish leave alone a medal at the London Olympics.
But in contact sports, there are times when lesser known individuals have punched above their weight to spring surprises and the 22-year-old Meerut girl will try to do the same in the 63kg weight category.
Not many people, even the die-hard partisan Indian fans in London, would like to put their money on someone who is world No 88 but Davids beating the proverbial Goliaths of the game always makes for intriguing stories.
“It is a dream come true for me but it doesn't stop here. My aim is to return home with an Olympic medal. The 24 judokas competing in my weight are more or less of the same calibre.
“In recent months, I defeated some of the top judokas from Belarus and Australia in the World Cup and they will all be there in London,” says Garima.
Garima earned her qualification after finishing seventh at the Asian Judo Championship in Tashkent. She logged home 34 points from various international competitions and broke through the qualification barrier.
She may not have set the international stage on fire but she did enough to earn points at the World Cup in Warsaw and the World Championship in Paris which ensured a smooth passage to London for her.
But in contact sports, there are times when lesser known individuals have punched above their weight to spring surprises and the 22-year-old Meerut girl will try to do the same in the 63kg weight category.
Not many people, even the die-hard partisan Indian fans in London, would like to put their money on someone who is world No 88 but Davids beating the proverbial Goliaths of the game always makes for intriguing stories.
“It is a dream come true for me but it doesn't stop here. My aim is to return home with an Olympic medal. The 24 judokas competing in my weight are more or less of the same calibre.
“In recent months, I defeated some of the top judokas from Belarus and Australia in the World Cup and they will all be there in London,” says Garima.
Garima earned her qualification after finishing seventh at the Asian Judo Championship in Tashkent. She logged home 34 points from various international competitions and broke through the qualification barrier.
She may not have set the international stage on fire but she did enough to earn points at the World Cup in Warsaw and the World Championship in Paris which ensured a smooth passage to London for her.
