India will send 117 athletes to the upcoming Paris Olympics, along with 140 support staff and officials.
Out of these, 72 have been approved at government expense to meet the needs of the travelling athletes.
However, shot-putter Abha Khatua, who qualified through world rankings, has been excluded without explanation after World Athletics did not include her name on the list of Olympic participants.
It is still unclear whether her absence is due to injury, a doping violation, or some other technical issue. The remaining contingent, led by former shooter Gagan Narang as the chef-de-mission, has been approved as expected. Narang also serves as a vice president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
"The permissible limit for stay of support personnel in the Games Village against accreditation as per norms of the Paris Organising Committee for the 2024 Olympic Games is 67 including 11 1OA Contingent Officials, which includes five Medical Team Members," stated a letter from the ministry to IOA President PT Usha, explaining the ratio of support staff allowed as per the size of the contingent.
"For catering to the requirements of the athletes, additional coaches and other support staff numbering 72 have been approved at the cost to the Government, and arrangements for their stay have been made in Hotels/in locations outside the Games Village," it added.
Despite Khatua not being present, the largest group in the contingent will be athletics, consisting of 29 individuals (11 women and 18 men). Following closely behind are shooting with 21 members and hockey with 19.
Eight athletes will represent table tennis, while badminton will feature seven competitors, including two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu.
Wrestling, archery, and boxing will each have six representatives, followed by golf with four, tennis with three, swimming with two, and sailing with two. Additionally, there will be one representative each for equestrian, judo, rowing, and weightlifting.
The second-largest shooting contingent consists of 11 women and 10 men, while table tennis will have four players in each category. Mirabai Chanu, the Tokyo Olympic silver medallist, will be the sole weightlifter in the contingent and will compete in the women's 49kg category.
During the Tokyo Olympics, India had a 119-member contingent and achieved its best-ever performance with seven medals, including the historic javelin throw gold by Neeraj Chopra. Neeraj Chopra will be in Paris to defend his medal.
Additionally, the contingent will consist of 21 officials, 11 of whom will stay at the Games Village. This includes Narang, two Deputy Chef de Mission, a Press Attache, two Headquarters Officials, and five medical team members.
The remaining 10 officials, comprising of eight medical team members, a social media attache, and a team official, will be accommodated in hotels outside the Games Village, with the government covering the cost.
Shooting, with 18 staff members, will have the largest support team, consisting of one High-Performance Director and six coaches, who will reside at the Games Village, while the remaining 11 (four coaches, four physios, two psychologists, and one strength and conditioning expert) will be housed in hotels.
Athletics will be supported by 17 staff members, followed by wrestling (12), boxing (11), hockey (10), table tennis (9), badminton (9), golf (7), equestrian (5), archery (4), sailing (4), weightlifting (4) tennis (3), swimming (2), and judo (1).
The ministry's letter also mentioned that Air Commodore Prashant Arya, Air Attache at the Embassy of India in Paris, will serve as the Olympic Attache. He will have accreditation and will visit the Games Village and competition venues to address any issues requiring assistance and intervention from the Embassy.
The golf tournament is scheduled to take place at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, approximately 42km from Paris. To facilitate smooth travel and practice logistics, the Indian golf team will be accommodated in a hotel close to the venue rather than the Games Village.
"...accordingly arrangements for accommodation for members of the Golf Team, including players, coaches, physio and caddy at the request of the Golf players and Indian Golf Union have been made in a Hotel near the competition venue," the ministry said in its letter.
To avoid embarrassment about doping in Paris, the government has asked the IOA and concerned federations to take appropriate measures.
"The IOA, SAI, National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and concerned National Sports Federations may take appropriate measures for conducting the dope tests. IOA may also ensure the fitness of the team/individual sportsperson before their departure," it said.
Besides, the Paris Organising Committee will provide three cars for the Indian contingent without drivers.
"Embassy of India at Paris has been requested to assist in identification and temporary employment for these drivers," the ministry letter stated.
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