The rise of girls in Commonwealth Games 2018

As the Commonwealth Games 2018 came to an end at Gold Coast in Australia, Indian medal tally stood at 66 out of which 28 of the country’s medals were won by women. The winning tally of women at the Glasgow 2014 was 15 out of 64 and 13 out of 38 during Delhi 2010 Games. This year, the women of the nation won 12 out of the 26 gold medals during the Commonwealth Games 2018. If compared in terms of percentage, women won 46% of the gold medals this year while compared to 34% in 2010.

Women athletes started grabbing the headlines with the 2010 Delhi Games when players like Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta, Heena Sidhu and Deepika Kumari won in various categories. In this year’s CWG, India had high hopes from her young fleet of athletes such as weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, table tennis player and shooter Manu Bhaker. It quite made sense when Mirabai Chanu bagged the first gold for the country in Gold Coast, Australia during the Commonwealth Games 2018.while the last medal too was won by Saina Nehwal.

In many ways these significant rise in the medal tally for women athletes signify the access to opportunities for women at a global platform. It also is the first step for those few women who dared to talk a walk into the unknown and managed to inspire an entire generation of people in the country.