Only two more days to go for the Paris Olympics to begin. A few Indian athletes have already reached the host city while others are in the final leg of preparations for the biggest sporting festival in the world.
Here’s everything you need to know about India’s campaign at the Paris Olympics 2024:
When are the Paris Olympics starting?
The opening ceremony is scheduled on July 26, (starting at 11.30 PM IST) but India will officially begin their campaign on July 25 with archery qualifications.
The closing ceremony is on August 11.
What’s the Olympics 2024 schedule?
The events at the Paris Olympics will roughly start around 11 AM IST and will continue into the morning of the next day. Most of the big events will be in the evenings.
Here’s how you can plan your daily schedule based on Indian athletes and their events: How to plan your Olympics schedule: Key dates, medal events, star athletes
How many Indian athletes are participating in the Paris Olympics?
As many as 117 Indian athletes will be in action in Paris. The Indian squad is made of 70 male and 47 women athletes across 16 sports disciplines. The contingent also includes 140 support staff and officials.
Athletics has the largest representation from India with 29 athletes followed by shooting at 21 and hockey at 19.
Here’s the full list of Indian athletes at the Paris Olympics: Full list of India’s contingent going to Paris
INDIA’S OLYMPIC MEDAL TALLY | INDIA AT PARIS OLYMPICS | LATEST OLYMPIC NEWS
What happened at the previous Olympics — Tokyo 2020?
India had their best-ever Olympic campaign in Tokyo, winning seven medals, including a gold, two silvers and four bronze medals. Neeraj Chopra was the star of the Games for India, becoming only the second individual gold medallist from the country.
For a quick recap, here’s more on the Tokyo Seven — India’s medal-winners from the 2020 Olympics: The Tokyo Seven: India’s medal-winners from the 2020 Olympics
What changed in Indian sport from Tokyo 2020 to Paris 2024?
Three years on from Tokyo, plenty has changed but also a few things remain the same. Medal winners return for more, there are redemption seekers, a couple of big names missing and new athletes are hoping to achieve glory in their Olympic debut.
For a complete picture of what has changed for India in the last three years, read this: Tokyo 2021 to Paris 2024: What has changed for India at the Olympics?
Who are the big medal hopes for India?
There are usual suspects like Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu and PV Sindhu who won medals in Tokyo. Chopra will want to add one more Olympic gold in Paris while Sindhu will push to win her third individual Olympic medal, a historic first for India.
Here’s more on India’s best medal prospects in Paris, also including athletes from wrestling, boxing, hockey, shooting and more: Who are India’s best medal prospects in Paris?
Who are the biggest rivals for Indian athletes at the Paris Olympics?
Standing on the Olympic podium will not be easy. Indian athletes will have to beat the best to earn the medal. While Chopra has to overcome the challenge from the likes of Jakub Vadlejch and Arshad Nadeem, Mirabai will battle with China’s serial winner Hou Zhihui for the gold.
Here’s more on India’s top rivals, which include the likes of Akari Fujinami, Chen Yu Fei, the Australian men’s hockey team and more: Who are the top rivals for India’s medal hopes in Paris?
How many Olympic medals did India win and who has won the most?
India has won 35 medals at the Olympics and they found most success in hockey where they won 12 medals, mostly due to the men’s team efforts from 1928-1936 and 1948-64.
Norman Pritchard was India’s first-ever Olympic medallist back in 1900 while two hockey players have earned four Olympic medals in the past.
Here’s more on India’s medal history at the Olympics and also all the medals they have won in the past: Who has won the most Olympic medals for India? | Every medal India has won at the Olympics
Who are the big international stars at the Paris Olympics 2024?
There’s the great Rafael Nadal, who’ll be in action in Paris, a city where he won multiple French Open titles. He will play both singles and doubles. There’s also the iconic gymnast Simone Biles. Ma Long, the Chinese table tennis legend, will hope to add more medals to his already significant tally.
There are more and you can read all about them here: International stars to watch out for at Olympics 2024: Nadal, Ledecky, Duplantis, Biles
What are the best international rivalries to watch out for?
On the very first day of the Olympics, there’s the race of the century in the women’s 400m freestyle swimming, involving legendary Katie Ledecky, Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus and teenage superstar Summer McIntosh.
There could be a repeat of Gianmarco Tamberi vs Mutaz Essa Barshim in the men’s high jump. Also in tennis, the men’s final could come down to Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
Here’s more on international rivalries to watch out for at the Olympics: International rivalries to watch out for at Olympics 2024: Ledecky vs Titmus vs McIntosh, Djokovic vs Alcaraz and more
Where is the Paris Olympics opening ceremony?
For the first time in the history of the Summer Games, the opening ceremony will not be held in a stadium. The parade of the nations will take place as a boat parade along the Seine river and official protocol along with the final show will happen at Trocadero, which is an area across the river.
The closing ceremony, however, will be held at the Stade de France.
Who will be India’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony?
Indian table tennis legend Sharath Kamal and two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu will be the flag bearers for India.
Meanwhile, JSW Inspire designed India’s playing kit for the Olympics and the ceremonial dress was designed by Tarun Tahiliani, a fashion designer who co-owns Tasva with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail group. The shoes and travel gear are from Puma.
Who is the mascot and what’s the motto of the Games?
The Phryges, two anthropomorphic Phrygian caps, are the official mascot of the Games. The Phrygian cap is a conical cap with the apex bent, which is a symbol of freedom and liberty in France. The two mascots share a motto: “Alone we go faster, but together we go further”.
The Games motto is: “Games wide open” (in French: Ouvrons grand les Jeux).
What are the new sports at this Olympics?
The Paris Olympics will feature 329 events in 32 sports. Only one sport is making its debut, which is breaking. Skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing make their return from Tokyo 2020.
How many nations are participating in the Paris Olympics?
As many as 206 nations are sending at least one athlete to the Games. Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the IOC has suspended the Olympic committees of Russia and Belarus. Their athletes will instead compete as neutrals — Individual Neutral Athletes — without national identification. These neutral athletes must be approved by each sport’s global federation and then the IOC panel.
What are the venues for the Paris Olympics?
The majority of the Olympic venues are in Paris, however, a few sporting events will take place in other cities.
The handball finals will be held in Lille, sailing events will be in Marseille and surfing will happen in a village called Teahupo’o, which is on the island of Tahiti, part of French Polynesia. Football matches will be hosted in five cities — Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, Nice and Saint-Etienne — apart from Paris.
The biggest stadium is the Stade de France which will host athletics and Rugby Sevens. The famous Roland Garros will of course host tennis matches. The Palace of Versailles, a former royal residence, will host equestrian and modern pentathlon events. At the foot of the iconic Eiffel Tower, a temporary arena has been built for beach volleyball events. The historic Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, which hosted Olympic events 100 years back in 1924, has been chosen to host the hockey match.
Where can I watch the Paris Olympics in India?
In India, the Games will be shown on Sports 18 TV channels and streamed LIVE on Jio Cinema. For in-depth and round-the-clock coverage, you can follow along with us at ESPN.in
