Paris Olympics Begins India Aims for Historic Medal Haul

Paris, July 26: The Paris Olympics has begun, with athletes from around the world gathering to compete for glory. As powerhouses like the US, China, and South Korea aim to dominate the medal tally, India is poised to make its mark with a strong contingent of 117 athletes.

The Indian team, comprising 70 men and 47 women, will participate in 16 sports disciplines and compete for 95 medals across 69 events. Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and multi-time Olympic, Commonwealth, and Asian Games medalist Achanta Sharath Kamal will lead the Indian contingent as flag-bearers.

Indian fans have flocked to Paris to support their athletes. Sarvanan, a Tamil Nadu native living in England, expressed his excitement: “We wish them all the very best. We are looking for more and more medals.” Another fan, Saundarya, shared her hopes for standout performances from Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu.

India aims to surpass its previous best of seven medals, achieved at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The nation’s first shot at a medal comes on July 27 in the mixed team air rifle event. All eyes will be on Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic and World champion javelin thrower, whose event qualifiers begin on August 6.

Other medal prospects include PV Sindhu in badminton and Mirabai Chanu in weightlifting. With a diverse array of talents across archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, and more, India hopes to script history by reaching double digits in its medal count for the first time at an Olympics.

As the Games begin, the world watches to see if India can build on its recent sporting successes and cement its place among the athletic elite on the global stage.