Athletes fit and ready to deliver India's best haul in Paris Olympics

For the time, India will have a 140-strong support staff accompanying its athletes to the Olympics. From nutritionists, cooks and psychologists to sleep therapists, they will be led by Dinshaw Pardiwala, the chief medical officer, who will ensure the 117-member contingent is fit and ready to perch itself on top of the podium.

The posse of doctors will also be embarking on an injury service surveillance programme and mental conditioning of athletes.

“Through our data-scouting team, we will be assessing how and why the injuries took place and whether it could have been prevented,”  Pardiwala explains. “We will also be monitoring the mental aspect to understand whether there should be any tweaks in our process.”

As the two-week sporting extravaganza begins Friday, with a gala opening ceremony at the scenic Seine River, India will be looking to top its previous medal tally of seven at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021 because of the pandemic).

The current contingent includes previous Olympic winners like javelin champion Neeraj Chopra and boxer Lovlina Borgohain.

Ahead of the Games, president of the Indian Olympic Association, PT Usha, exuded confidence in India attaining a “double-digit medal tally” in Paris.

What has fuelled Usha’s expectations is the fact that India is sending its biggest shooting contingent to the Games.

Can India’s shooters hit bullseye?

With 21 shooters, who earned quotas in air rifle, pistol, and shotgun events, India and China are the only two countries to earn all their Olympic quotas in Paris.

It is a testament to India’s consistent rise in this sport.

This time, the National Rifle Association of India decided to junk the practice of sending only quota winners to the Olympics. Instead, the athletes were picked based on competitive trials.

It will not be much of a surprise if one gets to witness multiple podium finishes for India at the state-of-the-art Chateauroux shooting range, which is a three-hour drive from Paris.

This will also be the first time that India will be sending more female shooters (11) than men (10) at the quadrennial multisport event, underscoring the steady uptick and the culmination of a century-long progression in women’s participation in the Games.

It was Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore who brought home the first medal in shooting – a silver at the 2004 Athens Games. Since then, India has won four medals, including one gold, two silvers and one bronze.

WATCH: Paris Olympics 2024: 10 countries with most Olympic medals

 

The French capital secured the 2024 Olympics eight years ago, after numerous failed bids.

Apart from the main stadium where the athletics, and track and field events are scheduled, the rest of the events will take place across the city, with the opening ceremony to be staged on flotillas across the Seine.

Here’s an interesting nugget to illustrate how the French prefer to do things differently.

Each Olympic medal is made with pieces of iron from part of the iconic Eiffel Tower that were replaced over the years during renovation, according to Olympics.com.

The French authorities have summoned the services of luxury jewellery maker Chaumet to design these medals.

The Paris Olympics, or for that matter, any major sporting event can act as a great unifier.

The upcoming Games can provide much-needed joie de vivre to France, which has been upended in recent times by political turmoil.

“Forget the politics, relish the spectacle,” was French President Emmanuel Macron’s message to Parisians as the city of lights geared up to host its first summer Olympic Games in a century.

Let the Games begin.

Aiming Big: India's shooting contingent since 2000 Sydney Olympics

Games	Rifle	Pistol	Shotgun	Total competitors	Men	Women
2000 Sydney	2	0	1	3	2	1
2004 Athens	5	0	3	8	5	3
2008 Beijing	5	1	3	9	7	2
2012 London	4	4	3	11	7	4
2016 Rio de Janeiro	5	4	3	12	9	3
2020 Tokyo	8	5	2	15	8	7
2024 Paris	8	7	6	21	10	11

India in Paris 

A 117-member Indian contingent will descend upon Paris for the Summer Olympic Games. It includes 70 male and 47 female athletes. They will participate in 16 sporting disciplines, including archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, golf, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, wrestling and weightlifting. Over 20 per cent athletes are from Haryana.