Can India surpass Beijing medal tally in London?

BANGALORE: The Indian flag flies proud at the Olympic Village in London, and the Indian contingent comprising 81 athletes and other officials, is already in Old Blighty, getting ready for the grandest sports spectacle to unfold this Friday.
The question that will be foremost in most minds is how will India fare in the medal hunt, and whether the Indian sweepstakes at the Games glitter with gold, sparkle with silver, or be consoled with bronze.
Will we retain our Beijing medal tally, or can we hope to get luckier in London? A study done recently predicts a medal count of five for India and a ranking of 39 on the list. What does the city think?
Nisha Millet, Swimmer and former Olympian
This year, we have the highest chances of clinching a lot of medals. India has never won a medal in archery, but World No. 1 archer Deepika Kumari, who is just 18, will definitely win us a medal. I am looking forward to seeing Leander Paes at the Olympics. He is very inspirational and this might be the last time he's playing. But I don't think we will win a medal in tennis. There has been too much drama.
Ashish Ballal, Hockey Player and Former Olympian
India doesn't stand a chance in hockey. If we get to the top 6, it would be like winning a gold medal. We rank 10th in the world right now, so our focus should be to beat the top six countries in hockey. But India has a sure shot at tennis. Though there has been much drama surrounding the sport, it will be Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi's last Olympics and they will do it for themselves. They know what it takes to win a medal.
Ashwini Nachappa, Former sprinter and Arjuna Award Awardee
India's chances definitely look good. Since 2000, we have come back with medals. I guess we would bag at least six medals this time. The athletes have got immense support from the sports ministry in terms of training. We have young talent emerging, and we have some of the world's best boxers on the team. Mary Kom is a five-time world champion in boxing. With such a squad, India has a high chance of making people proud.
Rehan Poncha, Swimmer and former Olympian
I wouldn't be surprised if the medal tally doubles in London from what it was last time around. The Olympic squad has been training hard. Saina Nehwal's run-up to the Olympics has been good, and even wrestler Sushil Kumar stands a good chance. I wouldn't want to put a number to it, but I think the Indian contingent is looking good.
Charu Sharma, Sports commentator
I don't want to sound pessimistic or cynical, but I'm being a realist. This time the Indian government has reportedly spent `20 crore, but that doesn't guarantee us a medal because other nations have spent much more on their athletes' training. The media tends to hype things, but I think we will have a tally of 3 medals from tennis, badminton and one other arbitrary medal. And this is good for a non-sporting country like ours.