Nitin Chauhan of India is the first of his country to medal at a World Cup event in Europe. Chauhan took a silver medal at the European Open in Madrid after he had lost to Walide Khyar in the category U66kg. The Indian judo Champion was also a Commonwealth Junior Champion and multiple Indian Junior Champion in his country.
Especially Indian female athletes have always been stronger than the male athletes but Chauhan may be the first to make an impression. Shishila Devi Likmabam and Tulika Maan are names they may sound familiar, but it is less easy to sum up any Indian male athlete. With Chauhan’s performance, that may now change. Never an Indian athlete won a World Cup, Likmanbam came close twice, but Khyar gave the 22-year old Chauhan no chance to record another world class performance, still silver is unique for an Indian man.