5 Indian players aged 30+ who will make their debut at Paris Olympics 2024 ft. Harmeet Desai & HS Prannoy
Every four years at the Olympic Games, there are certain athletes who announce themselves as prodigies and make a name for themselves at a young age. Then, there are also those athletes who have done the hard yards for years before achieving their moment in the sun at a later stage in their lives and careers.
The positive side for such athletes is their experience and maturity, which helps them absorb the pressure of the big event and compete confidently.
The upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics will see a 117-member Indian contingent with a blend of youth and experience compete. Here's a look at some Indian athletes who will be making their Olympic debut at 30-plus years of age.
5 Indians who will make their debut aged 30+ at the Paris Olympics 2024
#1 HS Prannoy (Badminton)
32-year-old HS Prannoy makes his debut at the Paris Olympics 2024 ranked 13th in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) roster in men’s singles. Though a debutant, Prannoy has plenty of achievents to boast of with a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, silver and bronze in the Asian Games 2022 and a bronze in the 2023 World Championship.
The Delhi born shuttler is drawn in group K, alongside Fabian Roth of Germany and Le Duo Phat of Vietnam, and is expected to perform well to reach the Round of 16.
#2 Gaganjeet Bhullar (Golf)
Ace golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar will be making his Olympic debut at the age of 36. Bhullar has registered wins in over 25 competitions in a career spanning 18 years. The Arjuna Awardee was the first Indian to win a tournament on Challenger Tour.
Gaganjeet has been practicing at the Le Golf National- the Paris Olympics 2024 venue and will be competing at the quadrennial event alongside Shubhankar Sharma, a fellow Indian golfer.
#3 N. Sriram Balaji (Tennis)
Having clinched his maiden French open win in May 2024, 34-year-old Tennis player, N.Sriram Balaji is all set to announce himself at the Paris Olympics. Indian tennis ace Rohan Boppanna had chosen Balaji to be his partner at the games.
The Coimbatore born, Sriram had recently won the doubles title at a Challenger tournament held in Italy.
#4 Harmeet Desai (Table Tennis)
31-year-old table tennis ace Harmeet Desai is another athlete who is gearing to be a part of his maiden Olympics. Hailing from Gujarat, Harmeet led India to table tennis men’s team gold against Singapore at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
He also won two medals at the 2018 CWG and brought home a team bronze from the 2018 Asian Games. Ranked 64th in the world, Harmeet Desai is India’s highest-ranked men’s singles player and will be a part of the six-member Indian Olympic table tennis team for the Paris Olympics 2024.
#5 Prithviraj Tondaiman
Indian trap shooter, Prithviraj Tondaiman will be making his Olympic debut at the age of 37. The shooter had won the bronze in the men’s trap event at the 2023 ISSF World Cup Shotgun in Italy. Prithviraj who hails from Tamil Nadu, will be a part of the 21-member Indian shooting contingent at the Paris Olympics 2024.