Olympics 2024: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and table tennis ace Achanta Sharath Kamal will be India's flag-bearers for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024, IOA president PT Usha confirmed on Monday, July 8. The body president also confirmed that Olympic medallist Gagan Narang will replace Mary Kom as India's Chef-de-Mission for the Games.
Narang's promotion from the deputy CDM post comes after Mar Kom resigned from the post. PT Usha confirmed the developments through a press release. "I was looking for an Olympic medallist to lead our contingent and my young colleague is an apt replacement for Mary Kom," PT Usha said in a press release.
She also confirmed Sindhu, the only Indian female with two Olympic medals, as the flag bearer alongside Sharath. "I am also delighted to announce that India's only woman to win two Olympic medals, PV Sindhu, as the female flag-bearer alongside table tennis ace A Sharath Kamal in the opening ceremony," Usha said.
Six-time world champion and Olympic medallist Mary Kom had stepped down from the position a few months ago in April, citing personal reasons. She said she was left with no choice but to step down owing to compelling personal reasons. The pugilist was named CDM by the IOA in March this year.
The Indian Olympic body had named Kamal as India's flag bearer for the Games in March but delayed the decision on picking the female athlete alongside him. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had changed its protocol in 2020 to allow one female athlete alongside a male athlete from each participating NOC to be the flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the Summer Games.
For the last Olympics in Tokyo, Mary Kom and former hockey captain Manpreet Singh were India's flag bearers. "I am confident that our athletes are well prepared to deliver the best results for India in Paris 2024 Olympic Games," Usha added in her statement. Notably, more than 100 athletes from India have qualified for the Paris Games, which will kick start on July 26.
