India may have won just a solitary medal at Athens through Rajyavardhan Rathore's Double Trap Silver but the the 2004 Games are remembered as the turning point for the Indian sporting ecosystem. Medal contenders were not just limited to a single sport and there were many who were close including Anju Bobby George in Athletics. Athens also saw the Olympic bow of many sportspersons who would go on and achieve glory for India at subsequent editions of the Olympic Games.

WION Broadband Olympics Edition: Athens saw the Olympic bow of many sportpersons

Leander Paes ended India's 16-year wait for an Olympic medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 8 years later was on the cusp of a second medal. Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi had dominated World Tennis as a doubles pairing and reached the No. 1 ranking in 1999. Both won multiple Grand Slams in the 8 years between Atlanta and Athens and entered the draw as one of the favourites for Gold. The Indian Express though would return without a medal in heartbreaking fashion with Bhupathi and Paes losing a titanic Bronze medal match to Croatia's Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic.

WION Broadband Olympics Edition: Croatians end Indian express' medal hopes

anju-bobby

Anju Bobby, News on Anju Bobby, stories on Anju Bobby, articles on Anju Bobby, Anju Bobby stories at Wion, Anju Bobby news, Anju Bobby latest news

anju bobby

WION Broadband Olympics Edition: Athens saw the Olympic bow of many sportpersons

WION Broadband Olympics Edition: Croatians end Indian express' medal hopes