Don’t lose faith. India’s women athletes are still pillars of hope in the Rio Olympics

Let’s face it, we’re all quite disappointed, whether we’re sports fans or not. It’s the third day of the Rio Olympics and India still doesn’t have a medal to show for it. When, last night, 2008 Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra missed a bronze by just a point, our hearts sank.

But cheer up. There’s a whole bunch of women yet to compete who could still bring home the glory.

After Prakash Padukone, Saina Nehwal was the first Indian to rank as World No. 1 in badminton. She was also the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships, she won a Bronze for India in the 2008 London Olympics, and this time, if official reports are to be believed, she is at the peak of her form. Perhaps this badminton star will win the first medal for India at Rio.

Also read: At Rio 2016: Three women sprinters to watch out for

Hoping to ace the singles round: Sania Mirza ( Picture Credit: indiatoday.in)

Let’s not forget our tennis star, Sania Mirza. She is still confident of a medal in the singles rounds, even after her loss in the first round of the women's doubles when she played alongside inexperienced teammate Prathana Thombare. Mirza’s chances are even higher now that many of her competitors are pulling out due to health concerns. We will next see her play mixed doubles with Rohan Bopanna.

PV Sindhu: Her aggression could be her advantage ( Picture Credit: timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

PV Sindhu was the first Indian women's singles player to win a medal at the World Badminton Championships, and this year at Rio, we have great hopes that she will repeat the feat, given that she is the first Indian woman to represent India in the Olympics at badminton singles.

Also read: At Rio 2016: Three Indian badminton stars to look out for

Hoping for Olympics glory: Dipa Karmakar ( Picture Credit: rediff.com)

Dipa Karmakar has already made us proud by being the first Indian to qualify for a gymnastics final round. Her exceptional performance at the vault made her instant hit with the audience as well as the judges.

Looks like woman power will lead India this Olympics. We’re sure they won’t let us down.

Feature Image Credit: sportskeeda.com