Beijing, Aug. 7: Roger Federer’s Indian cheerleaders are entitled to feel betrayed. My young Swiss co-passenger on the flight to Beijing didn’t seem to have an inkling that India was taking part in the Olympics.

“Oh, you are from India!” she said, and was even more surprised to learn that Dhyan Chand’s country had been making it to the Games for 80 years.

The Chinese, mercifully, had no chance to miss the Indians in their midst: Sonia Gandhi visited the Olympic Village late in the evening.

The Congress president had arrived in Beijing today with son Rahul and daughter Priyanka at the Communist Party of China’s invitation to watch tomorrow’s opening ceremony. She met all the 57 Indian athletes and posed for photographs with them, and before leaving told India’s Olympic chief Suresh Kalmadi that whatever problems the athletes may face here must be addressed immediately.

Even before Sonia’s arrival, the Indians seemed to be in high spirits, talking, laughing and posing for photographs with just about anyone on the beautiful Village lawns, decorated with Chinese lanterns. All of them were smartly turned out in their sky blue blazers to watch the Tricolour being hoisted.

The mood seemed relaxed, the motto: “doing one’s best”.

Shooter Rajyavardhan Rathore, who lifted India out of the bronze age four years ago, said he had done his best-possible preparation.

“Couldn’t have done better. And that will remain my satisfaction, even if I lose,” said the country’s lone individual silver medallist in any Olympics, who will be India’s flag-bearer at tomorrow’s march past.

“The Opponents are all of a high level — you don’t reach the Olympics if you aren’t — but it ultimately boils down to how they shoot on a particular day. As for me, I remain the perennial underdog,” he laughed.

So should be Sania Mirza, her ranking slipping below 50 and Venus Williams her likely opponent if the Indian makes it past Iveta Benesova in Round I.

“Yeah, my injury is yet to be overcome,” Sania said, “but come on, it’s the Olympics! I have to try and give it my best, don’t I?”

So, who does she think would be her biggest hurdle?

“My biggest opponent is always tennis and none else,” she retorted. And how did her opponents rate her? “Well, that’s for them to answer.”

How about providing an answer or two herself to a few people — perhaps starting with an Olympics spectator from Federer’s country? Actually, no, I didn’t ask her that.