Paris Olympics 2024: Mirabai ready to lift weight of a nation, again

In the Paris Olympics, there are several disciplines in which India will be represented by just one or a few athletes. Some of them have a chance to win medals, while most will be competing to give their best in the biggest sporting event. Let’s take a look at the athletes in these disciplines.

Weightlifting

Mirabai Chanu  (pic, above), who won a silver medal for India on the opening day of the Tokyo Olympics, will be competing in her third consecutive Games. Despite recent injuries, she has recovered well from a hip injury she sustained during the Asian Games last year. She is determined to replicate her performance in the women’s 49kg weight class in Paris.

In April, Mirabai totalled 184kg upon her return to competition at the IWF World Cup after a five-month injury layoff. To secure a medal in the Olympics, she will need to lift more than 200kg. Although China’s Hou Zhihui is a strong favourite for the gold, the competition for the remaining two medals is expected to be tough among four athletes: Mirabai, Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao, the USA’s Jourdan Elizabeth Delacruz, and Romania’s Mihaela-Valentina Cambei, who are all capable of lifting around 200kg.

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Mirabai’s primary concern is to avoid further injuries to have a chance at winning her second Olympic medal on August 7.

Tennis

Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna, a top-10 doubles star, will be a key attraction at Stade Roland Garros. Earlier this year, Bopanna, the oldest man to win a Grand Slam, triumphed at the Australian Open with partner Matthew Ebden. He has chosen Sriram Balaji as his partner, considering Balaji’s expertise on clay courts and playing style, which may complement Bopanna’s. Another member of the tennis squad is singles player Sumit Nagal, who has demonstrated good form in previous Grand Slam tournaments and has achieved a career-best world ranking of 71. Nagal has also secured his spot in the Olympics for the second time after winning the Heilbronn Challenger and reaching the final of another Challenger event in Perugia.

The Indians will be in action between July 27 and August 4.

Golf

India has four experienced golfers for the upcoming Olympics, including two men (Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar) and two women (Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar). Aditi, participating in her third Olympics, is expected to perform well after finishing fourth at the Tokyo Games. With seven professional titles and an Asian Games silver under her belt, she is determined to improve her performance and make history.

Diksha, a Deaflympics gold medallist and a two-time Ladies European Tour winner, will also rely on her experience from the Tokyo Games to excel in the upcoming event. Sharma and Bhullar, both with multiple professional wins, are expected to adapt well to the competitive environment of the Games.

The competition will feature top stars such as Scottie Scheffler and Rory Mcllroy among men and Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu among women. The men’s event will commence on August 1, and the women’s event will start on August 7.

Sailing

Vishnu Saravanan and Nethra Kumanan will take part in men’s and women’s one-person dinghy, respectively, in the waters of Marseille. Both will take part in their second Olympics. Races 1–10 are scheduled for August 1, while the medal race is on August 7.

Swimming

Srihari Natraj and 14-year-old girl Dhinidhi Desinghu have been selected to represent India under the universality quota. Srihari (men’s 100m backstroke) will appear in his second Olympics, while Dhinidhi (women’s 200m freestyle) is all set to make her debut. Their heats have been scheduled for July 28.

Equestrian

Anush Agarwalla, a member of the Asian Games gold medal-winning team and an individual bronze medallist in dressage, will be the lone rider from the country. His event is on July 30, 31, and August 4.

Rowing

Balraj Panwar will be the only Indian representative in rowing. He will compete in the men’s single sculls category from July 27 onwards.

Judo

Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Tulika Maan, competing in women’s +78kg, will be the solitary Indian judoka in the Games. She will be seen in action on August 1.