Not every Indian competing at the 2024 Olympics were to be a part of the Opening Ceremony, of course. However, everyone took part in the festivities in their own way.
The six kilometre parade route lasted about 45 minutes inside a four-hour ceremony. India’s athletes had indulged a lot longer in the festivities
The time between donning their orange, white and green kurtas and sarees, making their way out of the athletes’ village, queueing up for security checks and the journey itself lasted upwards of six hours.
The contingent was mostly standing for much of that time. They came prepared with energy bars and bottles of water to keep the pangs of hunger and thirst at bay.
There was also a steady downpour throughout the ceremony, with most athletes from across countries dressed in transparent ponchos over their ceremonial wear.
The Indian men’s badminton team stayed away from the ceremony. Despite this, the members of both hockey and badminton squads put on their ceremonial wear and posed for pictures at the Games Village
Balraj Panwar, who will be competing in the men’s singles sculls rowing event early on Saturday, opted out as did the Indian hockey team who will be playing New Zealand on Saturday evening.
Veterans like Tarundeep Rai made it a point to not miss out. ““These are not just my last Olympics but also my last competition, I’m experiencing everything for the final time in my life.”