Paris Olympics 2024: India’s best medal hopes at Olympics - A sneak-peek into Indian medal prospects

The Paris Olympics 2024 is just one week away and India have finalised a 117-athlete strong contingent for the quadrennial Games. Led by Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic champion in javelin throw, India would be keen to breach the seven-medal figure mark that they achieved in the last Games at Tokyo and even possibly enter into doubles figures.

Here are some of the medal contenders for India at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw)

Neeraj Chopra is undoubtedly India’s best hope at the Paris Olympics 2024. His success on the world stage is unparalleled for an Indian athlete and he goes into the Summer Games on the back of some impressive performances at the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, World Championships and the Diamond League. He, however, has been a tad underwhelming this season after finishing second at Doha Diamond League and winning the Federation Cup and the Paavo Nurmi Games. However, his throws haven’t been convincing enough but the hope is that the reigning Olympic champion is saving the best for Paris.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (badminton)

The Indian badminton pair have been World No. 1 for a sometime now and that should hold them in good stead. They have become a force to reckon with on the badminton circuit. After a good Asian Games outing, the pair lost the Malaysia Open and the Indian Open but the duo bounced back by winning the French Open and Thailand Open. They have had their share of injuries but with Satwiksairaj recovering completely from a shoulder injury, the pair could end up on the podium at the Olympics.

PV Sindhu (badminton)

India’s another medal hope lies heavily on PV Sindhu’s shoulders. She already rewrote the history books when she became the first Indian female athlete to win back-to-back Olympic medals by winning the silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 and the bronze medal at Tokyo Olympics in 2020. However, her form in the ongoing season is a cause of worry as she has been without a title for a very long time. Her injury concerns also took some game time away but the Indian shuttler has always produced the best at big-ticket events.

Nikhat Zareen (boxing)

Nikhat Zareen is a two-time world champion and has only lost two bouts in the last two years, with one being a semifinal loss at the Asian Games that cost her a medal. She is in good form and has met most of her opponents regularly on the circuit. Her quick reflexes and movements make her one of the favourites to win a medal.

Manu Bhaker (shooting)

Manu Bhaker is competing in two events at the Paris Olympics 2024 – in the women’s 10m air pistol and the women’s 25m air pistol – and is another best hope to win a medal. She should put her Tokyo Olympics disappointment behind her, where she entered the fray as world no. 1 but failed to reach the medal rounds, and hope to continue doing what she has been doing. She aced the national selection trials and the way she handles the pressure of playing on the big stage will decide her medal prospects.

Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting)

Mirabai Chanu was India’s first medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, where she won the silver medal. She is one of the favourites to win a medal this time too but has also been struggling with injuries. She qualified for the Olympics in her first attempt but it was way short of the benchmark she had set for herself. If she needs to finish on the podium, she needs to dish out an impressive performance, much higher than what she has been doing this season.

Indian men’s hockey team

The Indian men’s hockey team broke a 41-year-old medal drought when they won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Once a force to reckon with, India slipped down with under-par performances and found themselves at the other end of the spectrum too by not qualifying for the Olympics in a few editions. However, looking ahead, what holds good for the Indian team is that they have multiple players in the squad who were a part of the bronze medal winning campaign. But, after having finished seventh in the FIH Pro League and having lost in many tournaments this season, the Indian team must work hard to get back on the podium.

Lovlina Borgohain (boxing)

Lovlina Borgohain won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics but that was in the 69kg category. However, at the Paris Olympics, she will compete in the 75kg category after her old event – the 69kg category – was taken out. She even won the gold medal at the world championships in 2023 and has got some consistent performances under her belt in the ongoing season and has adapted to her new weight category very well.

Antim Panghal (wrestling)

Antim Panghal is competing in her first Olympics. The Indian wrestler is a former world junior champion and won the bronze medal at the world championships last year. She is seeded fourth in her 53kg category and that means she will be able to reach the medal rounds with some consistent performances.

Aman Sehrawat (wrestling)

Aman is the World U-23 champion in 2022, won the Asian Championships last year and won the bronze medal at the Asian Games last year. He has been in good touch and is seeded sixth at Paris. He will however face tough challenges and given the way he has been playing this season, he needs to change gears to progress to the medal rounds. However, he is one medal hope that India can bank on.

Vinesh Phogat (wrestling)

Vinesh Phogat will participate in the 50kg category as her usual 53kg category quota was won by Antim Panghal. She has to lower her body weight to adapt to the 50kg category and that is a challenge, given how her body has responded in the past. She has got a good range of moves – both in attack and defence – but what is worrysome is her lack of game time against top wrestlers in the ongoing season. She, however, is one of the wrestlers to look out for and if she manages to not put a foot wrong, she could end up on the podium.

Aditi Ashok (golf)

Aditi Ashok stormed to fame when she narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. She has shown improvements in her game in the ongoing season and armed with good driving abilities and good accuracy she is one to most likely win a medal for India at the Paris Olympics 2024.