3 sports where Indians can pull off an upset at Paris Olympics 2024
The Paris Olympics 2024 is just 55 days away and the Indian contingent is gearing up well to ensure the nation secures a significant number of medals this time. India have won a decent number of medals in the Olympics till now - 35, which includes 10 golds, nine silvers, and 16 bronze medals.
In this upcoming Summer Olympics, India have fielded some athletes across various categories where they can win a medal. However, some athletes can be labeled as underdogs for the mega event. In this article, we will discuss not about athletes but rather a few events where Indians can pull off an upset at the Paris Olympics 2024.
#1 Equestrian
Trained by former Olympics gold-medallist Hubertus Schmidt, India’s only athlete at the equestrian event is Anush Agarwalla. Hailing from Kolkata, Agarwalla took up the sport formally at the age of eight. Later on, he relocated to Germany and started honing his skills under the mentorship of Schmidt. Eventually, he went on to become India’s youngest Grand Prix rider and made his way to the World Equestrian Championships.
This is Agarwalla’s maiden Olympics campaign and he will be aiming to stun some eyes by his brilliance.
#2 Archery
Only one Indian has qualified for now in the Archery event at the Paris Olympics and that is 22-year-old Dhiraj Bommadevara. More athletes will be entering the fray after the Archery World Cup Qualifiers. The youngster came to the limelight after the Indian contingent secured a silver medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.
During his career, he has taken part in World Cups and World Championships across the world and even won bronze at the men’s individual event in the World Cups held in Guatemala and Paris in 2021. Dhiraj is perhaps the most underrated athlete from India to take part in the Paris Olympics, but surely he’ll be vying for a medal to make his country proud.
#3 Table Tennis
India have a decorated table tennis contingent, comprising Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Kamath. However, looking at the prowess of other nations, India are certainly underdogs in this sport.
But, athletes like Manika Batra and Sharath Kamal, who will also be part of the singles event apart from the doubles, are highly hopeful. Fans can anticipate them to bag at least a bronze, if not gold or silver at the Summer Games.