A total of 112 Indian athletes (5 reserve players) are set to compete in 69 different medal events at the Paris Olympics 2024. A glittering opening ceremony is set to take place today at Seine River and the Games will officially get underway from July 27 as India is aiming its best medal haul this time around. India had won seven medals, their best effort, at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 (played in 2021 due to COVID-19). Meanwhile, Paralympic medallist and IAS officer Suhas Lalinakere is backing the Badminton contingent of the team to bring glory to the nation while speaking to India TV.
For the unversed, Suhas won the silver medal for India at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics (played in 2021). He feels India's men's doubles players Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy who have been in the best of forms recently in the sport, can win a medal for the country this time around. In the last two Olympic Games, only PV Sindhu has been winning the medal for India in Badminton. She won silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and then won bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games five years later.
"I am very much hopeful that India will win a medal in the men's doubles event in badminton this time. I will be surprised if the Satwik-Chirag duo doesn't win a medal in Paris," Suhas said. Satwik and Chirag, not long ago, were ranked number one in the world. They have won a lot of tournaments together and returned with a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games as well. They also won a historic gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year while also being part of the winning group in the team event.
As far as Sindhu is concerned, she is eyeing her historic third consecutive Olympic medal but hasn't been in great form of late with injuries also troubling her constantly. When asked about Sindhu and her recent form, Suhas Lalinakere reckoned that form doesn't hold much importance and it is all about how an athlete performs on the match day. However, he also admitted that the road will be tough for India's star badminton player as she will progress ahead at the Paris Olympics.
"Things will get tougher for Sindhu as she will go deep in the Olympics. As far as her form is concerned, I think it doesn't hold greater significance and what is more important is your performance on the match day," Suhas further added. Suhas also wished the entire Indian contingent the best and hoped that the athletes would give their best performance at the Olympic Games this year. "I wish all the best to our Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics and hope that we will win a lot more medals this time around," Suhas said.
