Saturday, 21 September 2024
Saturday, 21 September 2024
There are two ways to look at India’s Paris Olympics 2024 report card. One is that the country has notched up its third-best performance at a single edition of the Games. The other is that a nation of 1.4 billion came 71st in the medal tally.
When the Paris Olympics began in July, double-digit medals seemed within reach of a contingent of 117 athletes – more than just participants; contenders. When it ended on Sunday, India wrapped up with six medals, one short of the record set at Tokyo Olympics 2020. This is India’s third-best outing at an Olympic Games, following the highs of Tokyo 2021 (seven medals including one gold) and London 2012 (seven medals including two silvers).
Indian athletes competed across 16 sports in Paris: Archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, equestrian, golf, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, wrestling, table tennis and tennis.
India had seven fourth-places. "We’re so close—those fourth places show we’re in the mix, and with continued support, we can turn them into medals," two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra told reporters on Friday.
In sum, a familiar story. There was, however, one stellar performance. And no, we are not talking about Chopra winning silver even though four of his six attempts were foot faults, meaning he bagged silver with just two throws.
Hockey: A
The men’s team hockey clinched another bronze after the third-place finish in Tokyo, showing that the golden days of Indian hockey are back. Harmanpreet Singh led the charge as India’s top-scorer at Paris 2024 with 10 goals, while P.R. Sreejesh, ever reliable in the net, made crucial saves securing the team's path to a bronze medal. The women’s team also reached the semi-finals for the first time, but missed out on a medal.
Shooting: B Plus
India sent a 15-member Indian rifle and pistol squad and a shotgun team of six shooters to Paris. Manu Bhaker’s double bronze in the 10m air pistol and mixed team events reminded Indian fans of ace shooter Abhinav Bindra. Swapnil Kusale added to the tally with a bronze in the 50m rifle three positions. This is a bounce-back from Tokyo, where our shooters returned empty-handed after the success in London 2012.
Athletics: B
The 28-member athletics squad had just one glimmering medal, with Neeraj Chopra continuing to shine, securing a silver in javelin with a throw of 89.45m. This builds on his historic gold from Tokyo, proving that he's no one-hit wonder. Avinash Sable's entry into the 3000m steeplechase final was an Indian first, even though he finished 11th. The rest of the squad could not pull off anything, but Chopra’s stellar effort lifts the grade.
Wrestling: B Minus
Wrestling came into the Paris Olympics under a cloud of controversy, with protests casting a shadow over preparations. But Aman Sehrawat managed to snag a bronze in the 57 kg category. The disqualification of Vinesh Phogat for being overweight was a bitter pill to swallow, given her potential for gold.
Badminton: C
Seven ace shuttlers, with stellar past performances, were part of the Paris Olympics contingent. They displayed flashes of brilliance, with Lakshya Sen missing a medal and finishing in fourth place. He also became the first Indian shuttler to reach the semi-finals in a men's badminton event at the Olympics. H.S. Prannoy's early exit was a shock, P.V. Sindhu had a disappointing run, the men’s doubles duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy made it to the quarter-finals. These mark progress from previous Olympics but the lack of medals drags down the grade.
Equestrian: C
Anush Agarwalla qualified and performed in individual dressage — India’s first in this discipline. This builds on the strides made by Fouaad Mirza in Tokyo 2020, marking an improvement for Indian equestrian sports.
Weightlifting: C
Mirabai Chanu, the sole athlete competing in this sport, missed a bronze by just 1kg, a small margin that hurts after her silver in the Tokyo Olympics. While her fourth-place finish shows consistency, it’s a reminder of how tight the competition has become at the Olympics.
Sailing: C
Sailing was another sport where India showed steady progress, with Vishnu Saravanan and Nethra Kumanan improving their finishes from Tokyo. It’s a slow but steady climb in a sport that has been tough for India.
Boxing: D
Boxing at Paris 2024 was a letdown. Despite fielding world champions like Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain, the six-member team returned empty-handed. This marks a sharp decline from the bronze secured in Tokyo 2020 and the highs of London 2012. Indian boxing needs a fresh strategy to bounce back in Los Angeles 2028.
Archery: D
Archery is a sport where India has often shown potential. Despite a strong lineup featuring six seasoned archers, there are no medals. Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat finished fourth in the mixed team event to secure India’s best result in archery at the Olympics. Medal hopeful Deepika Kumari could not live up to expectations.
Table Tennis: D
In table tennis, we saw some progress with Manika Batra, who seeded 18th in the women’s singles event and became the first Indian table tennis player to progress to the pre-quarterfinals of the Olympic Games. Baby steps forward, but the road to winning an Olympic medal in table tennis remains steep.
Rowing: D
Rowing saw a slight improvement with Balraj Panwar finishing 23rd in men’s single sculls, better than Tokyo 2020 where we didn’t even qualify. But we’re still a long way from matching the high of Rio 2016.
Golf: E
Golf, too, was a bag full of disappointments, with Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar, Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar all failing to achieve respectable positions. After Aditi Ashok’s near-miss for bronze in Tokyo, this is a step back.
Tennis: E
Tennis was one of India’s lowest points in Paris. A stark contrast from Rio 2016, where we came close to a mixed doubles medal. Rohan Bopanna, N. Sriram Balaji, and Sumit Nagal all three faced early exits. It’s clear that Indian tennis needs more preparation to compete on the Olympic stage.
Swimming: E
Swimming remains a struggle for India. Despite efforts by athletes like Srihari Nataraj and Dhinidhi Desinghu, we didn’t see significant improvement.
Judo: E
Judo didn’t deliver for India in Paris, with Tulika Maan exiting in the first round. It’s a step back from Tokyo, where we saw some progress.
Ambani-isation: A+
This is one area where India made stupendous progress. For the first time in an Olympics, there was an ‘India House’ built by a business group. And it was Nita Ambani who declared that India wants to host the 2036 Olympics. Applause!
