Veteran table tennis star Achanta Sharath Kamal and ace badminton player PV Sindhu proudly led the Indian contingent as flagbearers during the historic opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics on the Seine River on Saturday.
This event, labelled the Parade of Nations, saw athletes parading along the iconic Seine River instead of the traditional stadium setting.
The Indian men sported elegant kurta bundi sets, while the women dazzled in matching saris, both ensembles reflecting the tricolour of India's flag.
The outfits featured traditional ikat-inspired prints and Banarasi brocade, designed by renowned fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani.
For PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, this marked her third appearance at the Games. "I am super proud to be here at Olympic Village. This will be my third Olympics, and I am really excited for the competition to begin. At the same time, I will be the flagbearer for the Indian contingent, and I am super proud... I will be holding the bigger flag at the opening ceremony and I hope, with the same excitement, I do well in the competition and get a medal back to India," Sindhu shared ahead of the ceremony.
Sharath Kamal, a two-time Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist, is set to participate in his fifth and final Olympics. He expressed his excitement, stating, "It's been a moment that I've been dreaming and visualising about for the last 3-4 months. 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, I would say."
The opening ceremony was a first in Olympic history, held outside a stadium, with athletes travelling on approximately 100 boats along the Seine.
This floating parade passed through some of Paris's most iconic locations, including Notre Dame, Pont des Arts, and Pont Neuf.
The parade began from the Austerlitz bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes and concluded at the Trocadéro, where the remaining elements of Olympic protocol and final shows took place.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, India sent its largest-ever contingent of 124 athletes, who delivered the country's best performance with seven medals, including a historic gold by Neeraj Chopra in men's javelin throw.
For the Paris 2024 Olympics, India has sent 117 athletes—70 men and 47 women—competing in 69 medal events across 16 sports, including archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, equestrian, golf, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, and tennis.
Tennis legend Rohan Bopanna, 44, is the oldest athlete in the contingent, while 14-year-old swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu is the youngest.
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