Achanta Sharath Kamal and PV Sindhu to Lead India at Paris Olympics 2024
Achanta Sharath Kamal, a table tennis legend and multi-time Commonwealth and Asian Games medalist, is excited to be India’s flag-bearer at the Paris Olympics 2024. He expressed his eagerness to hold the Indian flag during the opening ceremony on July 26 and is confident that the Indian contingent will secure a double-digit tally of medals this time.
Speaking at the player draft of the fifth season of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), Kamal said, “I cannot wait for July 26 when I hold the flag in the hand to lead the contingent. I could not believe when it was announced. But the whole table tennis community was happy that a table tennis player is going to lead the contingent.”
Two-time Olympic medallist and 2019 World Champion in badminton PV Sindhu will be India’s female flag-bearer alongside Kamal. Gagan Narang has been chosen to replace MC Mary Kom as the Chef-de-Mission of the Indian contingent.
Kamal is confident that the Indian contingent will achieve a double-digit medal tally, citing recent strong performances by athletes in various international events. “A lot of good performances have come recently in various sports. Every athlete is putting his best in international events. This time we will bring medals in double digits and will beat the world’s best in several sports,” he said.
The Paris Olympics 2024 will start on July 26 and conclude on August 11. India aims to surpass its tally of seven medals from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
On the fifth season of UTT, Kamal noted that the competition has provided Indian players with valuable exposure and improved their understanding of top-level table tennis. “As players, we have got some fine exposure, being able to play against foreign players, train with them, understand top-level table tennis. This has given us a lot of confidence while playing against some of the best in the world. The future generations will also benefit from this,” he concluded.
UTT is set to gear up for an exciting new season in Chennai, starting on August 22 and concluding on September 7 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium. The league has expanded to include eight teams, providing a platform for young Indian paddlers to showcase their talent. The new teams, Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots, will join the competition, which will now be divided into two groups of four teams each. Each team will maintain a roster of six players, including two foreign players, and compete in five ties during the league stage.
