Expectation is a heavy burden at a multi-sport Games, and several Indian athletes who arrived in Nagoya as genuine medal favourites have seen their campaigns end without a podium finish.
## Manu Bhaker
As a two-time Paris Olympic medallist, Bhaker entered the women’s 10m air pistol competition as one of India’s clearest individual medal hopes. She qualified third but finished fifth in the final, just 0.8 points outside the medal positions. Her full campaign is detailed in our dedicated results update.
## PV Sindhu and India’s Women’s Badminton Team
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu carried heavy expectations into the women’s team badminton event. Despite winning her opening game against three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi, the team ultimately lost 3-1 to hosts Japan in the quarterfinals, ending their campaign without a medal.
## Elavenil Valarivan in the Mixed Team Event
Already a double medallist at these Games through her individual and team silvers in the 10m air rifle, Elavenil Valarivan entered the mixed team final alongside Parth Mane as one of the favourites, having qualified second. The pair finished fourth, a result explored in full in our dedicated feature on that campaign.
## Why Favourite Status Raises the Stakes
Athletes and teams who arrive with strong recent form or established reputations face a different kind of pressure than underdogs, where even a narrow miss can feel like a significant underachievement relative to expectations. This is distinct from a simple missed medal, since favourites are judged against their own potential rather than the field as a whole.
## Context for These Results
For a broader look at how these near-misses fit into India’s overall campaign, see our features on India’s fourth-place finishes and the biggest disappointments of the Games so far.
## What’s Still to Come
With individual events still ongoing in several of these disciplines, some of these favourites retain chances to salvage their campaigns before the Games conclude on October 4.