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India Aims for China-like Olympic Success

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By Mehul Srivastava

India Aims for China-like Olympic Success

Abhinav Bindra's solitary gold medal at Beijing has ended an Olympic gold-medal drought for India. He is the only Indian to win an individual gold—the last time India brought home a gold was for field hockey in 1980, before Bindra was born.

But India's neglect of the Olympics, and of athletes, may be coming to an end. The country is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and in 2020, has hopes to host the Olympics. Unlike China, India's plans for the Commonwealth Games may hit popular and judicial hurdles. The Games village is behind schedule and over budget, as environmental groups spar with the government and the courts to protect the banks of the Yamuna, a sacred tributary of the Ganges River. For more on India's sports ambition, read on.