Paris Olympics 2024: Chef-de-Mission Gagan Narang greets table tennis and swimming teams in France
With the Paris Olympics 2024 closer than ever, Team India's swimming and table tennis contingents reached the French capital on Sunday, July 21, and were greeted by India’s Chef-de-Mission Gagan Narang on the way to the Olympic Village.
In an Instagram post shared by the Indian Olympic Association, the two-person swimming contingent and the eight-person strong table tennis contingent can be seen arriving in Paris.
In the pictures, Narang can be seen greeting members of the table tennis contingent, as well as the youngest member of the entire Indian contingent – 14-year-old Dhinidhi Desinghu. Several fans can also be seen cheering the Indian table tennis team’s arrival in the French capital.
“Table tennis and swimming contingent greeted by our Chef de Mission @gaganarang as they make their way to the athletes village! Merci Beaucoup fans in Paris, for the wholesome welcome to our table tennis contingent,” the caption to the post read.
The swimming and table tennis teams of India will start their Olympic journey on July 27, one day after the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024.
Who is a part of India’s swimming and table tennis teams for the Paris Olympics 2024?
India has sent a two-person swimming team to the Paris Olympics 2024. It includes 23-year-old Srihari Nataraj and 14-year-old starlet Dhinidhi Desinghu. While Srihari, a veteran of the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games, will participate in the men’s 100m backstroke event, the wonderkind Dhinidhi will compete in the women’s 200m freestyle.
The small swimming contingent for India is because no Indian swimmer was able to meet the Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) or the Olympic Consideration Time (OCT) in any qualifying event. The Swimming Federation of India (SFI) decided to use the Universality quota to send Srihari Nataraj and Dhinidhi Desinghu to the Paris Olympics 2024.
Meanwhile, the table tennis team contingent of India contains eight players, including two backup players. The men’s team includes soon-to-be five-time Olympian Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, and Manav Thakkar, while the women’s team includes Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Kamath. G Sathiyan and Ayhika Mukherjee will be the reserve players.