India’s journey in the Paris Olympics will commence on July 25, featuring 117 athletes competing in 69 medal events across 16 sports. A prominent 29-member athletics team, led by Neeraj Chopra, will form a significant part of the contingent heading to France. Additionally, a 21-member shooting team, the largest ever sent by India to the Olympics, will participate, surpassing the 15 shooters sent to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The archers, including notable names like Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai, will be the first Indians in action, competing in the individual ranking rounds on July 25, a day before the opening ceremony.
India’s first medal opportunity will be in the mixed team air rifle event on July 27 at the National Shooting Centre in Chateauroux, with two Indian teams, Sandeep Singh/Elavenil Valarivan and Arjun Babuta/Ramita Jindal, vying for medals. Manu Bhaker will compete in two individual pistol events and the 10m air pistol mixed team competition.
Reigning Olympic and World champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will compete in August, with men’s javelin throw qualifiers on July 6 and the final two days later.
PV Sindhu, aiming for a third Olympic medal, will compete in badminton events from July 27 to August 5. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, a silver medalist from Tokyo 2020, will compete in the women’s 49 kg category on August 7. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain, a bronze medalist from Tokyo, and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen, making her Olympic debut, will be in action from July 27 to August 10.
India will compete in archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, equestrian, golf, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, and tennis. The Olympics will conclude on August 11, with India aiming to surpass its seven-medal tally from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which included one gold, two silver, and four bronze medals.
