Friday, 18 October 2024
Friday, 18 October 2024
As the Paris Olympics 2024 approaches, India prepares to send its largest-ever contingent to the world's biggest sporting event. From July 24 to August 11, a total of 117 Indian athletes – 70 men and 47 women – will compete across various disciplines, aiming to surpass the nation's showing at the Tokyo Olympics and the recent Asian Games.
India's Olympic journey begins on July 25 with the individual archery round, while the first shot at a medal comes on July 27 in the 10m air rifle event. With a total of 35 Olympic medals in its history, including historic golds by Abhinav Bindra in 2008 and Neeraj Chopra in 2020, India is poised for what could be its most successful Olympics yet.
Sports 18 and Sports 18+ are set to bring the Paris Olympics live and exclusive to Indian audiences. Those who are preferring to stream, can watch all the action live in the JioCinema app.
Let's take a closer look at some of the key athletes and events to watch:
Neeraj Chopra - Men's Javelin Throw (August 6)
Neeraj Chopra, India's golden boy of athletics, will defend his Olympic title on August 6. Since his historic gold in Tokyo, Chopra has dominated the javelin throw scene, consistently performing well in international events. He's yet to cross the 90m mark, a milestone he'll be targeting in Paris. As India's best hope for gold, all eyes will be on Chopra when he takes to the field.
Kishore Kumar Jena- Men's Javelin Throw (August 6)
Competing alongside Chopra is Kishore Kumar Jena, a rising star in javelin. An Asian Games silver medalist, Jena holds the second-longest throw by an Indian. Often overshadowed by Chopra, Jena's presence adds depth to India's javelin prospects.
Deepika Kumari- Women's Individual Archery (July 25)
Deepika Kumari, one of India's top archers, will compete in the Women's Individual round on July 25. Despite India never winning an Olympic medal in archery, Kumari's experience and skill make her a strong contender to break this drought.
PV Sindhu-Women's Singles Badminton (from July 27)
PV Sindhu, the only Indian to win two individual Olympic medals, starts her campaign on July 27 at 12:50 pm IST. She's drawn in a group with Kristin Kuuba of Estonia and Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq of the Maldives. If successful, she could face reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei in the quarter-finals. Despite recent form issues, Sindhu's ability to perform in major tournaments makes her a medal prospect.
HS Prannoy- Men's Singles Badminton (from July 27)
HS Prannoy, seeded 13th, is making his Olympic debut at 32. He's drawn in Group K with Le Duc Phat of Vietnam and Germany's Fabian Roth. Prannoy's recent form, including a bronze at both the Asian Games and World Championships, makes him a player to watch. The badminton group stage starts on July 27 at 12:50 pm IST.
Mirabai Chanu- Women's 49 kg Weightlifting (August 7)
Mirabai Chanu, silver medalist from Tokyo and gold medalist at the 2017 World Championships, will compete in the 49 kg weightlifting event on August 7. Her consistent performances in recent years place her among the favorites in her category.
Lovlina Borgohain- Women's 75kg Boxing (from July 27)
Lovlina Borgohain, bronze medalist in Tokyo in the 69 kg category, has moved up to the 75kg class. She won gold at the World Championships last year in this new weight class, showing impressive adaptation. Boxing events start on July 27 at 7 pm IST, and Borgohain will be aiming to upgrade her bronze to a higher color.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty- Men's Doubles Badminton (from July 27)
The World No.1 duo in men's doubles badminton, Rankireddy and Shetty enter the Olympics with recent victories at the French Open and Thailand Open. They represent one of India's strongest medal prospects in badminton. Their campaign begins on July 27 at 12:50 pm IST.
Nikhat Zareen- Women's 50 kg Boxing (from July 27)
Two-time World Champion Nikhat Zareen is a strong contender in the 50kg boxing category. Her recent performances have made her one of India's top medal hopefuls. Known for her fierce boxing style, Zareen will begin her Olympic journey when boxing events start on July 27 at 7 pm IST.
Lakshya Sen- Men's Singles Badminton (from July 27)
At 22, Lakshya Sen is making his Olympic debut. Unseeded and ranked 19th, he faces a tough challenge against world No. 3 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in Group L. Sen's youth and recent form, including his status as a former World Junior No.1 and gold medals at the Asian Junior Championships and Summer Youth Olympics, make him an interesting prospect. His Olympic journey begins on July 27 at 12:50 pm IST.
Other athletes and events to watch out for:
