India’s campaign at the 2024 Summer Olympics

It’s curtains on the 2024 Paris Olympics.
From France’s decision to host the opening ceremony and events in the polluted Seine, to the government’s ban on its athletes wearing the hijab while competing, the country drew flak for controversies that overshadowed its preparations for the event.
The outrage against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, fueled by widespread misinformation about her gender on the internet, the banning of Russian and Belarussian flags and anthems, the participation of Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza, and the wave of polarization across Europe created a deeply charged atmosphere.
But whether it was Yusuf Dikeç’s viral silver medal-winning moment, the first all-Black podium in gymnastics, a new ‘Fastest Man in the World,’ the Refugee Olympic Team winning their first medal, multiple record-breaking performances and photo-finish wins, the Olympics was not without its usual buzz.
For India, this Olympics stood out for a series of brilliant individual performances, especially from Neeraj Chopra, Manu Bhaker, Swapnil Kusale, Sarabjot Singh, Aman Sehrawat, and Vinesh Phogat, apart from the hockey team that claimed the bronze for a second consecutive Olympics.

A dive into the standout moments for India:

Vinesh Phogat’s fight for gold
An Olympic medal was within reach for wrestler Vinesh Phogat as she defeated opponents back-to-back to reach the finals, but a disqualification over her weight in the ultimate match dashed the hopes of a billion people.
After defeating defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan — who had previously been unbeaten for 82 bouts — as well as Ukrainian and Cuban rivals, all within a day, she secured a place in the women’s 50 kg wrestling final.
The journey of India’s first female Olympic wrestling finalist was cut short when she failed to make weight for the gold medal match against the US’ Sarah Hildebrandt and despite drastic measures to shed the extra grams, she was disqualified, dashing her Olympic hopes of a medal.
Phogat received a lot of love and congratulations from athletes and fans from all over the world, as they also took turns to criticize the regulations.
She has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) challenging her disqualification from the tournament.

Neeraj Chopra’s silver lining
India’s “golden boy” finished with a silver in the men’s javelin throw at Paris’ Stade de France, with a 89.45m throw, as cheers erupted across the country.
This marked Chopra’s second Olympic medal, following his gold-winning throw at the Tokyo Olympics.
Chopra’s friend and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem claimed the top spot with a 92.97m throw, setting a new Olympic record.

India’s hockey masterclass
Led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, the Indian hockey team clinched their second consecutive bronze medal, following up on their historic Tokyo 2020 win that had ended a 41-year medal drought in hockey for India.
The team’s impressive performances throughout the qualifying rounds with New Zealand, Ireland, defending Olympic champions Belgium, and Australia and Argentina, both former champions, paved the way for this podium finish.

Manu Bhaker’s straight shots
Shooter Manu Bhaker had a stellar Olympics, clinching bronze medals in both the women’s 10m air pistol and the mixed team 10m air pistol events, becoming the only Indian in the history of independent India to claim two medals in a single Olympics.
However, her campaign ended on a bittersweet note as she narrowly missed a third medal, finishing fourth in the 25m pistol final despite qualifying second.

Swapnil Kusale’s bronze bullet
Pune’s Swapnil Kusale raised the bar at the Olympics for the Indian contingent, fueled by the stellar momentum of the back-to-back bronze medals in shooting, as he claimed the bronze medal in the 50m rifle three positions.
This marked India’s third Olympic medal this time around, and the first ever in this event.

Sarabjot Singh’s second-coming
After a disappointing 9th rank in the men’s 10m air pistol event, Sarabjot Singh went on to perform splendidly in the mixed team 10m air pistol event where he, along with Bhaker, claimed the bronze medal.

Aman Sehrawat’s bout for bronze
Twenty-one-year-old Under-23 World champion Sehrawat was the lone Indian male wrestler to qualify for the Paris Games and he did not disappoint, winning the bronze play-off 13-5 at the Champ de Mars Arena.
At 21 years and 24 days, Sehrawat is the youngest Indian to win an Olympic medal. Shuttler P.V. Sindhu was 21 years 1 month and 14 days old when she won silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics.