The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024 saw a grand arrival for India, with star shuttler PV Sindhu and seasoned table tennis player Sharath Kamal proudly leading the Indian contingent of 78 athletes and officials during the Parade of Nations on the River Seine.
Despite a rainy Parisian evening, the excitement among India’s athletes and officials remained undiminished as they paraded in specially designed traditional attire, waving to the cheering crowd. The enthusiasm of the Indian team was palpable, adding a vibrant touch to the ceremony.
The ceremony featured a memorable appearance by French football legend Zinedine Zidane, who, in a pre-recorded video, carried the Olympic flame from Stade de France, marking the start of the opening festivities.
The Parade of Nations began with the first 18 delegations introduced from the Pont d’Austerlitz, with Greece leading the way. The Greek team featured NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and race walker Antigoni Ntrismpioti as flagbearers, proudly showcasing their national pride.
Lady Gaga delivered a captivating performance of “Mon Truc en Plumes,” an original song by French ballet dancer and actress Zizi Jeanmaire, on a grand staircase. Her performance added a touch of elegance to the evening. Heavy metal band Gojira electrified the audience with their performance, followed by opera singer Marina Viotti.
India’s 117-strong contingent, which includes 70 men and 47 women, will compete across 16 sports disciplines and 69 events, aiming for 95 medals. The sports disciplines range from archery and athletics to table tennis and tennis.
The Indian team’s first chance at a medal will come during the mixed team air rifle matches at the National Shooting Centre in Chateauroux on Saturday. Indian shooters Sandeep Singh/Elavenil Valarivan and Arjun Babuta/Ramita Jindal will compete, with Manu Bhaker also participating in individual pistol events and the 10m air pistol mixed team competition.
Prominent Indian athletes making their mark in the Parade of Nations Included
Archery: Deepika Kumari, Tarundeep Rai
Badminton: PV Sindhu
Boxing: Lovlina Borgohain
Equestrian: Anush Agarwalla
Golf: Shubhankar Sharma
Hockey: Krishan Pathak, Nilakanta Sharma, Jugraj Singh
Judo: Tulika Mann
Sailing: Vishnu Saravanan, Nethra Kumanan
Shooting: Anjum Moudgil, Sift Kaur Samra, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Anish
Swimming: Srihari Nataraj, Dhinidhi Desinghu
Table Tennis: Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra
Tennis: Rohan Bopanna, Sumit Nagal, Sriram Balaji
As the Parade of Nations continued, the excitement for India’s upcoming events and potential medal victories grew, marking a memorable start to the Paris Olympics 2024.
