India’s Olympic contingent for the Paris Games is their second-largest ever, with 117 athletes representing the nation across 16 disciplines. This includes 29 athletes in athletics and 21 in shooting, the largest contingents in those sports for India at the Olympics.
Among the 117 athletes, 72 are making their Olympic debut, while veterans like Sharath Kamal (table tennis), Rohan Bopanna (tennis), PV Sindhu (badminton), and Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting) will be competing in their third or more Olympics.
India’s medal hopes rest on the shoulders of several athletes, including Neeraj Chopra (javelin), Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (men’s doubles badminton), PV Sindhu (women’s singles badminton), the Indian women’s archery team, the Indian men’s archery team, the Indian men’s hockey team, Sift Kaur Samra (shooting), Manu Bhaker (shooting), Nikhat Zareen (boxing), and Antim Panghal (wrestling).
India has won 35 Olympic medals in total, with 12 coming from team sports and 134 athletes winning individual or team medals. Only three Indians have won multiple Olympic medals: Norman Pritchard, Sushil Kumar, and PV Sindhu.
The Paris Olympics will be a crucial test for India’s athletes, who will be aiming to surpass their best-ever medal haul of seven from the Tokyo Games. With a strong contingent and high expectations, India will be hoping to make history in Paris.
