Abhinav Bindra, India’s first individual Olympic gold medalist, expressed mixed emotions about India’s performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. While acknowledging the team’s achievement in matching its London 2012 medal haul, Bindra lamented the absence of a gold medal.
India sent a 117-member contingent to Paris, hoping to surpass its previous best Olympic performance in Tokyo. However, the team returned with six medals: five bronze and one silver. Bindra believes this result falls short of expectations, particularly in terms of gold medals.
“The Olympics is an incredibly challenging platform to perform on,” Bindra said. “External and internal expectations can hinder athletes from letting go and performing at their best.”
India’s campaign began promisingly with Manu Bhaker winning two bronze medals in shooting. Swapnil Kusale added a third bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3 position. However, the badminton, boxing, and archery contingents failed to deliver medals.
In the final days of the Games, Neeraj Chopra won a silver medal in javelin throw, while the men’s hockey team and wrestler Aman Sehrawat clinched bronze. Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification prevented India from potentially winning a gold medal in wrestling.
Despite the disappointment, Bindra emphasized the importance of continued investment in Olympic sports. “We must consolidate the gains that have been made and work harder to get there,” he said.
Bindra believes that India’s athletes have performed well overall, but the lack of gold medals remains a concern. He urged athletes to focus on their own performance rather than external expectations.
