As the highly anticipated Paris 2024 Olympics approaches, India’s flag-bearers, Achanta Sharath Kamal and PV Sindhu, shared their excitement for the upcoming event.
PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist and 2019 World Champion in badminton, will serve as India’s female flag-bearer alongside veteran table tennis player Sharath Kamal. Gagan Narang will be the Chef-de-Mission for the Indian team.
Kamal expressed his enthusiasm about the event, revealing that he had been dreaming about this “fantastic moment” for three to four months. “Waiting for July 26th, when we will be leading the Indian contingent on the opening ceremony. It has been a moment for the past three to four months that I have been dreaming about and visualizing. So I am pretty excited about, and especially I am going to do that with PV Sindhu. So it is a fantastic moment, I will say,” Kamal mentioned in an IOA media video.
Star shuttler Sindhu, who regards Kamal as a senior and has known him for many years, described the occasion as a significant one for both of them. “I am very happy to be the flag-bearer with fellow Indian Sharath Kamal. It is a proud moment for both of us and is a one-time opportunity for anyone to be a flag-bearer and obviously represent our country at the Olympics. It is a very proud moment for both of us. He is like a super senior to me. I have known him for a long time,” she said.
Sindhu also added, “Me and Sharath Kamal will be holding the flag at the opening ceremony. I have known Sharath for a very long time, and he has been playing amazingly for so many years. This would be his fourth or fifth Olympics, I guess. It would be a great moment sharing the flag with him, super proud.”
Currently ranked World No. 12, Sindhu has been a prominent figure in Indian badminton, especially after winning a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, making her the first Indian badminton player to reach the final.
At the Paris Olympics, India will compete in both individual and team events in table tennis. In singles, Sharath Kamal and Harmeet Desai will represent the men, while Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula will compete in the women’s category. For the team events, Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, and Manav Thakkar will compete in the men’s team, and Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Kamath will feature in the women’s team.
