As the Games continue, all eyes will be on India’s athletes as they aim to make their mark and bring home medals...
Digital Desk: The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris kicked off with a unique opening ceremony on Friday night, although it did not unfold exactly as the organizers had envisioned. Despite some challenges, the ceremony showcased Paris’s culture and people in a vibrant display.
One notable aspect was the inclusion of 'Hindi' among six other languages in infographics celebrating influential French women in a segment dubbed ‘sisterhood’. Indian athletes made a significant appearance, with two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and table tennis legend A Sharath Kamal leading the Indian contingent. Dressed in traditional sarees and kurta-pajamas in the national flag’s colors, 78 Indian athletes and officials participated in the event.
As the Games progressed, the Indian team prepared to embark on their medal quest on Saturday, July 27. Indian shooters Ramita Jindal, Arjun Babuta, Elavenil Valarivan, and Sandeep Singh are set to compete in the 10m air rifle mixed team event. Qualification rounds begin at 12:30 PM IST at the National Shooting Center in Chateauroux, with the top two teams advancing to the gold medal match, and the third and fourth-placed teams competing for bronze at 2:00 PM IST.
India’s last Olympic shooting medals were won at the London 2012 Games, and the country has yet to secure an Olympic shooting team medal. Later in the day, Manu Bhaker and Rhythm Sangwan will compete in the 10m air pistol women’s qualification round, while Arjun Singh Cheema and Sarabjot Singh will participate in the men’s 10m air pistol qualification round.
In hockey, the Indian men’s team, which won bronze at Tokyo 2020, will face New Zealand in their Pool B opener at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium.
India holds the record for the most successful men’s hockey team at the Olympics, with 12 medals. The team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, needs to finish in the top four of Pool B, which includes strong teams like Belgium, Australia, Argentina, and Ireland, to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Indian badminton players are also in action. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, ranked world No. 3, will play against French duo Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar. Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen, ranked world No. 18, will compete in his men’s singles Group L match against Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon, ranked world No. 41. In women’s doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, ranked world No. 19, will face South Korea’s Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong, ranked world No. 8.
Tennis players Rohan Bopanna and his partner N Sriram Balaji will compete against Fabien Reboul and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France in the round of 32. In table tennis, Harmeet Desai will face Jordan’s Zaid Abo Yaman in the men’s singles preliminary round. Balraj Panwar, India’s sole rowing representative, will race in the men’s single sculls heats.
Boxer Preeti Pawar will take on Vietnam’s Thi Kim Anh in the women’s 54kg round of 32.
Here is the schedule for the Indian events on July 27:
Shooting
12:30 PM IST: 10m air rifle mixed team qualification (Ramita Jindal, Arjun Babuta, Elavenil Valarivan, Sandeep Singh)
2:00 PM IST: Medal rounds for 10m air rifle mixed team (subject to qualification)
2:00 PM IST: 10m air pistol men’s qualification (Arjun Singh Cheema, Sarabjot Singh)
4:00 PM IST: 10m air pistol women’s qualification (Manu Bhaker, Rhythm Sangwan)
Badminton
7:10 PM IST: Men’s singles Group L (Lakshya Sen vs. Kevin Cordon)
8:00 PM IST: Men’s doubles Group C (Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty vs. Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar)
11:50 PM IST: Women’s doubles Group C (Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa vs. Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong)
Tennis
3:30 PM IST: Men’s doubles round of 32 (N Sriram Balaji and Rohan Bopanna vs. Fabien Reboul and Edouard Roger-Vasselin)
Table Tennis
7:15 PM IST: Men’s singles preliminary round (Harmeet Desai vs. Zaid Abo Yaman)
Hockey
9:00 PM IST: Men’s Pool B match (India vs. New Zealand)
Boxing
12:02 AM IST (July 28): Women’s 54kg round of 32 (Preeti Pawar vs. Vo Thi Kim Anh)
As the Games continue, all eyes will be on India’s athletes as they aim to make their mark and bring home medals.
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