Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday gave his best wishes to India's Olympic-bound contingent and lauded them for continuing their preparations despite the many challenges posed by COVID-19.

Over 100 athletes from India have qualified for the Olympics, which was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event gets underway on July 23 amid strict health safety protocols.

"During the pandemic all of us have faced challenges, including our athletes. They didn't give up and continued with their preparation for the Olympics. I know they are gearing up to give their best performance in Tokyo Olympics," Tendulkar said in a video shared on his Twitter handle.

"There is milisecond's difference between win and loss and for that they have been putting in hard work for years and at this moment they need our support and wishes. Let's cheer for India."

Hockey captain Manpreet Singh and London Olympics bronze-medallist boxer M C Mary Kom will be India's flag-bearer during the opening ceremony.

Top wrestler Bajrang Punia has been named the country's flag-bearer for the closing ceremony on August 8.