"We can win two to three medals in wrestling" - Yogeshwar Dutt backs Indian wrestlers to do well at Paris Olympics 2024
Former Indian Olympian wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt is confident of Indian wrestlers bagging at least two to three medals at the forthcoming Paris Olympics 2024, scheduled to start on July 26 and conclude on August 11.
India won two medals in wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Ravi Dahiya was the first to secure a silver medal in the 57 kg weight division while Bajrang Punia followed it up with a bronze medal in the 65 kg weight division.
Interestingly, Indian wrestlers have bagged medals in the past four editions of the Summer Games, and India is fielding six wrestlers this time- five females and one male - at the quadrennial event in Paris.
"In the last four Olympics, we have won medals in wrestling. This time as well, we will win a medal in the sport. Out of the six wrestlers who qualified for the Olympics, five are female, and one is male. We can win two to three medals in wrestling,” Yogeshwar Dutt told ANI.
“There are a lot of big names in the Indian contingent” - Yogeshwar Dutt
Neeraj Chopra scripted history at the Tokyo Olympics after securing India’s first-ever gold medal in athletics. Interestingly, it was the country’s first individual gold medal since the Beijing Olympics in 2008, bagged by Abhinav Bindra in Shooting.
Yogeshwar Dutt is confident of the Indian contingent performing well in the mega event, courtesy of star athletes like Neeraj Chopra, PV Sindhu, and Mirabai Chanu. A total of 113 athletes will represent India at the Paris Olympics 2024, including 66 male and 46 female athletes.
"Neeraj Chopra won gold last time, and the country expects gold from him this time as well. Before players went to Paris for the Olympics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked to them and motivated them to perform better. There are a lot of big names in the Indian contingent, like Neeraj Chopra, PV Sindhu and Mirabai Chanu. In hockey, there are expectations of a medal," Yogeshwar Dutt added.
Additionally, former Indian women’s hockey player and coach Rani Rampal backed the men’s hockey team to change the medal color from their previous outing in Tokyo.
"Last time, our men's team won a bronze, and this time, the country has high expectations from them that they will win a different medal. They have prepared a lot for that. We should support our team no matter what. We firmly believe that they will change the color of the medal," Rani told ANI.
Indian men's hockey team will be locking horns against New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Belgium, and Ireland in the group of death, Pool B.