"He is our prime hope" - IOA President PT Usha shows her belief in Neeraj Chopra for securing a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024
PT Usha - India's "Payyoli Express" and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president has recently shared her views on who is going to be a definite medal winner for the country.
"I will definitely say Neeraj. He is our prime hope. We are hopeful in athletics, boxing, shooting, badminton and weightlifting. I will not say an exact number. I do not want to pressure our athletes. Let them fight for medals in good spirits. Let us hope they will make us proud," PT Usha said in an interview with Jomichen Jose in Paris. [H/t: The Week]
A total of 117 teams of athletes have been sent to Paris for the Olympics. This is India's second-largest contingent to an Olympic event. During the previous edition held in Tokyo, India had sent 121 participants to the big stage. The number clearly shows the seriousness India has taken towards the Olympics and other sports in the country.
India has multiple contenders for medals including PV Sindhu in Badminton, Vinesh Phogat in wrestling, and Nikhat Zareen in boxing. These three athletes have done well for themselves in the recent tournament and will be motivated to continue their rhythm.
Usha also shared that the Indian contingent is coming with a well-trained support staff. Moreover, during the Olympics, the Indian athletes will have mental conditioning coaches and sleep therapists to tackle any issue.
PT Usha and her active participation in Indian Sports
India's golden girl, PT Usha, is known for her achievements on the track. She has achieved numerous medals in different tournaments across the globe. After her retirement in 2000 from active sports, she made her comeback in the same field in the administration role.
After staying away from the spotlight for almost 22 years, she came back in December 2022 and was elected as the president of IOA. The elections took place and there was no one to oppose her, as she also became the first women president of the apex organization.
The IOA president has also been part of the Indian political system. In July 2022, she was nominated by former President of India Ram Nath Kovind for the Rajya Sabha as a member of parliament. In December 2022, PT Usha became vice-chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and the first nominated MP to be in the Vice Chairperson panel.