Paris 2024 Olympics: Top 10 Indian medal prospects

Paris Olympics 2024 is set to be held from July 26 to August 11.

The Indian contingent will hope to better its performance of one gold, two silver and four bronze medals from three years ago in Tokyo.

Here are 10 athletes who are the biggest medal hopes of the nation this time in Paris:

Neeraj Chopra (men’s javelin throw)

Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra stands on the podium after winning the Men’s Javelin Throw final at Olympic Stadium on August 7, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra stands on the podium after winning the Men’s Javelin Throw final at Olympic Stadium on August 7, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Neeraj Chopra will look to defend his Olympic gold medal from Tokyo 2020. He had taken the top spot on the podium in the Japanese capital with a throw of 87.58m and created history as he became the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win gold at the Summer Games. Overall, he is the second Indian after shooter Abhinav Bindra to clinch an individual gold medal at the biggest stage.

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Since then, Neeraj has become the World and Diamond League champion, and also defended his Asian Games gold medal.

He has a massive personal best of 89.94m, while this year, his best throw has been 88.36m achieved in Doha.

Nikhat Zareen (Boxing - Women’s 50kg)

India’s Nikhat Zareen after winning gold medal in 50kg category at the 2023 IBA Women’s Boxing World Championships in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma/The Hindu

Boxer Nikhat Zareen is the reigning world and Commonwealth champion in women’s 50kg category.

On her Asian Games debut in Hangzhou last year, Nikhat won the bronze medal which booked her spot for Paris as the Asiad acted as one of the qualifying events.

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Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing - Women’s 75kg)

FILE PHOTO: Lovlina Borgohain. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

In her debut Olympics in Tokyo three years ago, Lovlina Borgohain secured a bronze medal in the women’s 64-69kg category. She became the third Indian boxer to win a medal at the Games after Vijender Singh and Mary Kom.

Since then, she has shifted to the middleweight category and found success in that as well, becoming the world champion at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2023 in New Delhi. Her silver medal-finish at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year ensured her qualification for Paris Olympics.

She recently took part in the Grand Prix - Czech Republic International Tournament - in her preparation for Paris where she will be one of the favourites.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (Badminton - Men’s Doubles)

FILE PHOTO: India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (right) and Chirag Shetty (left). | Photo Credit: AP

A major reason for India’s recent achievements in badminton has been the rise of the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The duo had a significant role in the country’s historic Thomas Cup triumph in 2022.

Not only has the pair been consistent on the BWF World Tour, clinching titles from Super 100 to Super 1000 level, but it has also been to places where no other Indian men’s doubles team has gone before - a World Championships bronze, an Asian Games gold, Asian Championships title and to top it all, the World No. 1 ranking too.

PV Sindhu (Badminton - Women’s Singles)

FILE PHOTO: Pusarla V. Sindhu. | Photo Credit: AP

Two of India’s three Olympic medals in badminton have been won by P V Sindhu. She clinched silver in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 before taking bronze in Tokyo.

The 29-year-old Sindhu has not looked at her imperious best since sustaining a stress fracture on her left ankle during the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

However, factors such as training under Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone, her experience from the last two campaigns and a favourable draw can help her make yet another deep run despite the lack of form.

Antim Panghal (Wrestling - Women’s 53kg)

FILE PHOTO: Antim Panghal. | Photo Credit: PTI

Antim Panghal is one of only two Indian wrestlers who have been seeded for Paris 2024.

World championships bronze medallist Antim has been seeded fourth in the 53kg category. She is a two-time World under-20 champion as well.

Last year, she clinched a silver medal in her senior Asian championships debut, defended her U-20 World title and then won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Belgrade. The feat in Serbia made her the first Indian wrestler to grab a quota for Paris Olympics. She also got a bronze medal at the Asian Games.

As per the draw, Antim will not meet Sweden’s two-time European champion Emma Malmgren (second seed), Japan’s Asian Games champion Akari Fujinami (third), Nigeria’s African champion Christiana Ogunsanya (sixth) and China’s Asian Games silver medallist Qianyu Pang (seventh) before the final.

Rohan Bopanna and N. Sriram Balaji (Tennis - Men’s Doubles)

FILE PHOTO: Rohan Bopanna (left) and N. Sriram Balaji (right). | Photo Credit: V. Sreenivasa Murthy/The Hindu

Rohan Bopanna and N. Sriram Balaji have a strong chance of grabbing India’s second Olympic medal in tennis when they compete in the men’s doubles event in Paris.

Leander Paes won a bronze medal in men’s singles in 1996 in Atlanta.

The 44-year-old Bopanna has had a tremendous season so far. Along with Matthew Ebden, he won his first-ever men’s doubles Grand Slam title at this year’s Australian Open, becoming the oldest ever male to achieve the feat. He also became the third Indian man after Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi to achieve the World No. 1 ranking in doubles.

By being one of the Top 10 players on the cutoff, Bopanna ensured his ticket to third Olympics of his career. He had to make a choice between Balaji and Yuki Bhambri and after consulting his coaches -- Scott Davidoff and Balachandran Mannikkath -- he eventually settled for the more “athletic and agile” Balaji as his doubles partner.

Both Bopanna and Balaji are doubles specialists. The tennis event for Paris Olympics will be held at Roland-Garros, the venue for French Open, and both Indians are quite comfortable playing on clay.

Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting - Women’s 49kg)

FILE PHOTO: Mirabai Chanu. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/The Hindu

Having won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu will be one of India’s biggest prospects in women’s 49kg category in Paris.

Less than a year ago, Mirabai returned to India in a wheelchair after sustaining a major injury at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. “If we have to compare it to anything, I think it would have to be what happened at the 2016 Rio Olympics,” said her coach Vijay Sharma when asked about the lowest moments in her career.

However, with the help of Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, an orthopaedic surgeon specialised in sports injuries, and Aaron Horschig, a strength and conditioning expert, Mirabai has made an inspiring comeback and is now training fiercely for the Paris Olympics.

Indian men’s hockey team

FILE PHOTO: Indian men’s hockey team. | Photo Credit: PTI

Indian men’s hockey team ended a 41-year wait for an Olympic medal when the side, then under coach Graham Reid and captain Manpreet Singh, won bronze medal in Tokyo in 2021.

Reid resigned soon after the Men in Blue failed to reach the quarterfinals the following year at home World Cup. Under new coach Craig Fulton and skipper Harmanpreet Singh, the team has focussed on strengthening its defence. Last year, it won the Asian Champions Trophy and by winning gold medal at the Asian Games, secured the spot for Paris.

The 16-member squad for Paris features veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and Manpreet, both of whom will be making their fourth Olympic appearance, and at the same time, five players who will make their Summer Games debut.

With New Zealand, Ireland, Belgium, Argentina and Australia in its group, India does have a tough task right from the beginning but podium-finish is a realistic possibility.

Sift Kaur Samra (Shooting - Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Position)

FILE PHOTO: Sift Kaur Samra. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR/The Hindu

Sift Kaur Samra came into the limelight when she set a new World Record of 469.6 points to win the gold medal in women’s 50m rifle 3 position event at the Asian Games.

The 22-year-old, who once wanted to be a doctor, put together a clinical display of shooting to beat China’s Zhang Qiongyue, who had just won gold at the 2023 World Championships.

Sift also topped the selection trials for the Olympics, showing that she is ready for the big stage.

Paris 2024 Olympics: Top 10 Indian medal prospects