Will India surpass its best-ever result at an Olympic event in Tokyo 2020, which took place in 2021, in Paris?
A team of over 120 athletes competing in various sports will represent India. Both seasoned veterans and first-time Olympians are represented in this varied group.
Let's examine the top ten medal-chasing Indian athletes:
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India's talented javelin thrower made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by taking home a gold medal, earning the country's first-ever Olympic medal in athletics, and realising a long-cherished ambition. This Haryana athlete is about to create history once more as the summer games in Paris draw near. After winning a gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland with a remarkable throw of 85.97 metres, Chopra is now looking to create history by being the first athlete from India to win gold in two consecutive Olympics, positioning herself as the country's top candidate for both a medal and the gold.
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PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist and ace shuttler from India, has always been one of the team's best athletes. The 29-year-old shuttler is the first female athlete from India to win two Olympic medals: a bronze in Tokyo 2020 and a silver in Rio de Janeiro 2016. In addition, Sindhu created history in 2019 by being the first female Indian winner of the BWF World Championship.
But Sindhu's road hasn't been easy this year. She suffered setbacks after recovering from a knee injury in February, including two defeats in Malaysia's Badminton Asia Team Championships. Her misfortunes persisted as she lost in the Malaysia Masters finals in May 2024 and was eliminated early from the round of 16 of the 2024 Singapore Open. She was unexpectedly eliminated in the first round of the Indonesia Open in June. Despite recent losses, Sindhu, renowned for her tenacity and comebacks, is still India's gold contender.
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Lovlina Borgohain, a national champion and bronze medallist from the Tokyo Olympics, is now rated fourth in the world and is a major medal contender for her country. Gold in the 2023 World Boxing Championships, silver at the 2022 Asian Games, and bronze at the 2018 and 2019 Women's World Boxing Championships are just a few of her remarkable accomplishments. At the 2022 Asian Boxing Championships, she won gold as well.
With her silver medal from the Grand Prix in the Czech Republic in June of this year, Lovlina proved to be a fierce competitor and force to be reckoned with at the next tournament in Paris.
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India's talented badminton team, led by Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, is ranked third in the world and is a strong medal contender. Even though they were eliminated early from the Tokyo Games, their performance has improved since then.
They were key players in India's 2022 Thomas Cup victory; they then went on to win gold at the Commonwealth Games and bronze at the World Badminton Championships. The pair won the Indonesian Open, Badminton Asian Championship, and Swiss Open in 2023 to extend their winning run. The pair won the French Open in March 2024, and in May they triumphed in the Thailand Open.
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Nikhat Zareen, a two-time world champion boxer, is preparing for her Olympic debut and is expected to challenge for the top spot. Nikhat is a competitive athlete who competes in the 51 kg weight class. She won gold at the famous Strandja Memorial Tournament in Bulgaria in 2019 and silver in the tournament's 75th edition in February 2024. Her competitive advantage is further shown by her recent triumph at the Elorda Cup in May. The 28-year-old, who is now training in Germany with fellow Indian boxers, shows promise as an Olympic competitor in Paris.
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Antim Panghal ranked sixth in the world, earned her Olympic quota in the previous year's World Championships by winning bronze in the women's 53kg division. With gold from the 2022 and 2023 Under-20 global championships, bronze from the 2023 Asian Games, and silver from the 2023 Asian Wrestling Championships, Antim is a strong favourite to win a medal in the next competition in Paris.
The 19-year-old wrestler decided not to compete in the Asian Wrestling Championships in 2024 to concentrate entirely on her Summer Games preparations.
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Manu Bhaker, who is competing in her second Olympics, is excited about Paris because of her past success and experience. The 22-year-old has subsequently thrived, most notably winning gold in the women's 25m pistol team event at the Asian Games, despite anxiety impacting her qualification round in Tokyo. By placing fifth in the women's 25-meter pistol competition at the Asian Shooting Championships 2023 in Changwon, in October, she also guaranteed India's Olympic quota.
Women's 10m air pistol and women's 25m pistol are two individual events in which Bhaker competes, making her the only competitor with the potential to win multiple medals.
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The silver medallist in weightlifting from the Tokyo Olympics, Mirabai Chanu, is determined to make a significant comeback at the Paris Olympics even if she has struggled with ailments throughout 2023. She finished sixth in the 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships and almost missed the podium in the 2023 Asian Games due to a thigh ailment.
Mirabai Chanu, who won two gold and one silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, is presently preparing at NIS Patiala intending to make a spectacular comeback in Paris and secure her place among India's top candidates for Olympic success.
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At the 2022 Asian Games, 23-year-old shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar stood out for India as the top performance, winning four medals: gold in the men's 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3P team events, as well as silver and bronze in the 50m rifle 3P and 10m air rifle individual events.
One of India's most prospective medal hopefuls, Tomar is scheduled to compete in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions individual category at the next summer tournament.
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The Indian men's hockey team defeated Germany to win the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, snapping a 41-year medal drought in the sport. This year, motivated by their 2022 Asian Games gold, the team, captained by Harmanpreet Singh and supported by veteran custodian PR Sreejesh, is back to end a 44-year drought and win an Olympic gold.
Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: List of qualified Indian players
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