“It’s a very proud moment for both of us” - PV Sindhu and Sharath Kamal on being India’s Paris 2024 Olympics flag bearers
With the Paris 2024 Olympics set to start on July 26, badminton ace PV Sindhu and veteran paddler A Sharath Kamal expressed their pride at being chosen as India’s official flag bearers for the opening ceremony.
Five-time Olympian Sharath Kamal and two-time Olympic gold medalist PV Sindhu will represent India at the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, which will take place on July 26 from 7:30 pm local time (11:00 pm IST).
For 42-year-old A Sharath Kamal, who will be appearing at his fifth and final Olympic Games in Paris, the joy of being the flag bearer of his country has been immense.
“[We're] waiting for the 26th of July when we'll be leading the Indian contingent on the opening ceremony in Paris. It's been a moment which, since the last 3-4 months I've been dreaming about [and] visualizing,” Sharath Kamal told the DD News .
“I'm pretty excited that I'm going to live that moment, and especially [that] I'm going to do that with PV Sindhu. So it's a fantastic moment.”
PV Sindhu, who will be aiming for a third consecutive Olympic medal in Paris, was also elated at the opportunity to represent her nation in the opening ceremony.
“I'm very happy to be the flag bearer also with fellow Indian [sportsperson] Sharath Kamal. It's a proud moment for both of us. It's a one-time opportunity for anyone to be a flag bearer and representing our country at the Olympics, standing there right in the front holding [the] Indian flag,” she said in the interview.
PV Sindhu happy to be India’s Paris 2024 Olympics flag bearer with ‘super senior’ Sharath Kamal
Along with the joy of being India’s Olympic flag bearer, PV Sindhu was also ecstatic at being accompanied by her ‘super senior’ Sharath Kamal.
“He [Sharath] is like a super senior to me. I've known him for a very, very long time, so it's always nice to be holding a flag with [him],” Sindhu said.
For Sindhu, the Paris 2024 Olympics would be a chance to etch her name in the history books, as she can win a ‘hattrick’ of Olympic medals. She has previously won a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics and a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Meanwhile, veteran table tennis star Sharath Kamal will be looking to win his first Olympic medal in Paris to add to his Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and Asian Championships medals tally.