Sporting Star from #Gujarat for #Asian #Games 2014

Sporting Star from #Gujarat for #Asian #Games 2014 

Five Gujaratis will be part of the 516-strong Indian contingent for the Asian Games which will begin in Incheon, South Korea in 10 days.

Spearheading the Gujaratis' hopes will be Anand-based shooter Lajja Gauswami, who has qualified in her pet event 50m threeposition rifle event and 50m rifle prone position. A bronze-medal winning show at the 2014 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Glasgow in the former event will certainly keep Lajja motivated to earn more laurels for the state and the country.

Also, leading from the front in the courts of tennis will be Ahmedabad's Ankita Raina, who, in absence of Sania Mirza, will have to live up to her India number one ranking and seal a medal for the nation.

The experienced Surat-based paddler Harmeet Desai is one of the five boys who would like to put their disappointing show at the CWG behind them and try to salvage some pride. However, their tasks will be cut out as getting past the formidable Chinese TT team is not going to be easy.

Two swimmers also made the cut for the Games. The 24-year-old Surti Anshul Kothari, who was part of the Indian team for the 2010 CWG and Asian Games, will be trying his luck in his pet events 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly. He will also be part of the Indian men's team in the 100m relay event.

The baby of the swimming squad is Ahmeda bad's Neil Con tractor who, at 17, is the youngest member of the team. Neil will be competing in 100m and 200m freestyle events and will also be in the team for the 100m and 200m relay events.

Missing out on a chance despite having a record-breaking season is young Maana Patel who is not in the Asiad-bound team as the PMO did not approve the women's swimming team.