With the Rio Olympics set to begin in 48 hours, all eyes will be on India’s 119-member contingent waiting to leave their mark on the grandest stage of them all. By sending its largest squad ever assembled for the Olympics Games, India will hope to garner as many medals as possible. However, in a squad that has the perfect mix of youth and experience, we take a look at five debutants who have the skill and caliber to bag the much sought-after Olympic medal.

Dutee Chand (Track and Field)

Dutee Chand is India’s second woman sprinter to qualify for 100m in the Olympics after PT Usha, who competed in the 100m and 200m at the 1980 Moscow Games. She is also the first Indian to reach the final of a global athletics 100 meters final in the 2013 World Youth Championships. The 20-year-old, who achieved the Olympic qualification mark in June, won a revolutionary case in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2015, after she was dropped from the national team for having high levels of testosterone in her body. Now with Rio within her sights, Chand has the hunger to outrun her opponents and also put Indian athletics on the map.

Jitu Rai (Shooting)

One of India’s biggest medal hopes, army man Jitu Rai is set to make his Olympic debut at the age of 29. After failing to make the Olympic team in 2012, Rai raised his game and put up a stellar show in 2014. In that year, Rai won medals at every event he took part in – the World Cup, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games – the kind of form that even saw him become world No 1. Heading into Rio, the shooter bagged silver in the 10m air pistol event at the World Cup. He is currently ranked second in the world in the 50m pistol and third in the 10m air pistol events. Rai is easily one of the most exciting debutants to watch out for.

Kidambi Srikanth (Badminton)

Badminton is one of the events in which India is hopeful of bagging a couple of medals at least and all eyes will be on Kidambi Srikanth, India’s top-ranked men's shuttler. The only men’s singles contender at Rio, the 23-year-old is seen as a strong medal prospect. With his attacking style of play and his calm temperament under pressure, he has the added advantage required to bag a medal. Given his track record of upsetting top players and under the guidance of Pullela Gopichand, Srikanth is set to dazzle in Brazil.

PV Sindhu (Badminton)

With Saina Nehwal headlining the Indian badminton team, not many hopes have been pinned on debutant PV Sindhu. The 21-year-old has the game that can help her win in Brazil provided she remains consistent in her show. Given her aggressive brand of badminton, she can topple the world’s best. Add to it, her constantly evolving net game and her devastating smash, she has the goods to go all the way. Heading for her maiden Olympics, Sindhu is aiming to script a memorable tale.

Dipa Karmakar (Gymnast)

It is going to be a dream debut if nothing else for Dipa Karmakar. India’s first woman gymnast to qualify in 52 years, the 22-year-old won gold at a test event ahead of the Olympics to bag a berth. Before 2016, 11 Indian men gymnasts had participated in the Olympics (two in 1952, three in 1956 and six in 1964). Flat-footed Karmakar was advised not to take up gymnastics. Clearly she had other plans. Karmakar became the first Indian woman gymnast to secure a medal when she won a bronze at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and followed it up with another bronze at the Asian Championships in Hiroshima. Given India’s track record in gymnastics, in which the country is yet to win a medal, all eyes will be on Karmakar when she takes the field come August 5.