Paris, July 26: In the Indian segment of the Athletes’ Parade at the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games here on Friday, 78 athletes and officials from 12 disciplines, whose teams are in France, will be led by PV Sindhu and Achanta Sharath Kamal, the two flagbearers.
As many members of the Contingent have competitions on Saturday morning, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has respected their decision to prioritise preparation and not participate in the Opening Ceremony.
Rower Balraj Panwar, who has his race on Saturday morning, is one of the people who have been excused from taking part in the Parade. The air rifle and air pistol teams, who also have events on Saturday, have chosen not to attend the opening ceremony.
On the inaugural day of competitions on Saturday, India will compete in shooting, badminton, table tennis, rowing, archery, and hockey.
The weightlifting, wrestling, and athletics groups will miss the opening ceremony as they have not yet arrived in Paris. Everybody who has volunteered to participate will be included in the Parade.
During the opening ceremony, prominent athletes from the 12 sports that will participate in the Parade of the Nations are:
Archery: Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai; Badminton: PV Sindhu; Boxing: Lovlina Borgohain; Equestrian: Anush Agarwalla; Golf: Shubhankar Sharma; Hockey: Krishan Pathak, Nilakanta Sharma and Jugraj Singh; Judo: Tulika Mann; Sailing: Vishnu Saravanan and Nethra Kumanan; Shooting: Anjum Moudgil, Sift Kaur Samra, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Anish; Swimming: Srihari Nataraj, Dhinidhi Desinghu; Table Tennis: Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra and Tennis: Rohan Bopanna, Sumit Nagal and Sriram Balaji.
On Friday night, the Opening Ceremony, which will take place along the Seine, will present fans with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see something truly special in Olympic history. This unique event will feature a stunning visual display, showcasing the rich history and culture of Paris, and will be a memorable start to the 2024 Olympic Games.
During the parade, some 100 boats with 10,500 athletes on board are expected to float down the Seine. These boats, also known as ‘athlete barges ‘, will be a part of the larger spectacle. The larger of the 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) represented in the parade will have boats to themselves, while the smaller ones will share boats.
During the parade, some 100 boats with 10,500 athletes on board are expected to float down the Seine. The larger of the 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) represented in the parade will have boats to themselves, while the smaller ones will share boats.
–IANS
