20 days to Paris Olympics 2024: Who are India's top 10 medal contenders?

The Paris Olympics 2024 will get underway from June 26.

With just 20 days left for the Paris Olympics 2024, the excitement has been increasing day by day and the fans can’t wait for the Olympics to begin. So, in this article, we will talk about India’s top 10 medal prospects at Paris. But before that let’s look at India’s history at Paris Olympics.

India first participated at the Olympics in 1900 where Norman Pritchard won two silver medals. The country then had to wait for another 20 years before competing again at the Summer Games. India failed to win a medal in the 1920 edition.

Also Read: List of Indian athletes who have already secured qualification for Paris Olympics 2024

Since then, India has participated in every edition of the Olympics. India went on to win six consecutive gold in men’s hockey and the hockey team was unbeatable. KD Jadhav won the first wrestling medal for India in 1952 when he clinched bronze. Leander Paes won bronze in 1986. Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal when she won bronze in 2000 Olympics in weightlifting.

In 2008, India eventually got its first individual Olympic champion in the form of Abhinav Bindra. In the same edition, India won three medals. Then came the 2012 London Olympics where the country won a record six medals (2 Silver, 4 Bronze).

The 2016 Olympics that followed was however a disappointment with India winning just two medals, courtesy of PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik. At the last Olympics in Tokyo, India produced its best medal performance with a total of seven medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 bronze). Neeraj Chopra won the first athletics medal for India, and he did it in style by winning the gold.

In the same edition in 2021, PV Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win multiple medals at the Olympics. India will aim to enter the double-digit medal tally in Paris Olympics, which will get underway from June 26.

India’s top medal contenders at Paris Olympics 2024

#10 Nishant Dev

Nishant Dev can end a 16-year drought of Indian male boxers medalling at the Olympics. An Indian male boxer last won a medal in 2008 when Vijender Singh bagged a bronze. Inconsistencies have hurt the Indian male boxers for most Olympic editions and despite several winning World Championships medals, they have failed to replicate that performance at the Olympics.

However, Nishant Dev is in excellent form this time and is one of the brightest medal prospects for the country in Paris. The Haryana born Nishant came into the limelight after winning a bronze at the 2023 World Championships in the 71 kg category. He showed great determination and spirit to win the bronze medal.

Also Read: Nishant Dev becomes first Indian male boxer to qualify for Paris Olympics 2024

#9 Anshu Malik

The 2021 World Champion Anshu Malik will be another medal bet for India at Paris. Anshu who hails from Haryana has done extremely well in age-group wrestling and will look to win a medal in her second Olympic campaign. She would hope to use her Tokyo experience to do well in Paris in the women’s freestyle 57kg category.

In the recently concluded Budapest ranking series, Anshu Malik won the silver medal. En route, she defeated 2023 World C’ships silver medalist Anastasia Nichita of Moldova (6-5). Anshu also defeated 59kg World Champion Zhang Qi of China and is looking in great form.

Her participation at Paris nearly took a jolt after she suffered a shoulder strain in training, but the scan showed no injury. Anshu’s father has also assured reporters that she has already started her training and that there is nothing to worry.

#8 Manu Bhaker

The only Indian who will be competing in three events, Manu will carry the burden of high expectation from her countrymen. Manu Bhaker will compete women’s 10m Air Pistol, 25m Air Pistol and is also part of the 10m Air Pistol mixed team alongside Sarabjot Singh.

Now set to embark on her second Olympic appearance, Manu will be among India’s top medal prospects at Paris. In Tokyo, she failed to qualify for the finals after her equipment malfunctioned and she would want to avoid that in Paris as she aims to win India’s first shooting medal after 12 years.

Also Read: Manu Bhaker headlines India’s 15-member Rifle and Pistol shooting team for Paris Olympics 2024

#7 10m Air Pistol mixed team

One of the best medal bets for the Indian shooting contingent is the 10m Air Pistol mixed team. Indian contingent of Manu-Sarabjot and Rhythm Sangwan-Arjun Cheema would like to do well especially with this being one of the events where China doesn’t dominate. There is also a possibility both Indian pairs medalling in this event.

Manu’s partner in the event, Sarabjot shot a score of 588 in the qualification round and went on to win the gold in the recently concluded ISSF World Cup in Munich.

#6 Antim Panghal

Antim Panghal, who won bronze in 53kg category at the 2023 World Championships is India’s best medal bet in wrestling at Paris Olympics 2024. Even not considering her top form, the recent withdrawal of Tokyo bronze medallist Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus, Antim’s path to the medal has become fairly easy.

The 19-year-old Indian will be seeded fourth at Paris and will be in the top half of the draw, meaning she will avoid the World Champion and the gold medal favourite Akari Fujinami of Japan until the finals. Antim will aim to utilise her opportunity to bag her maiden Olympic medal.

She is already an Asian Games medallist and has also won several junior titles in her career and would like to add an Olympic medal in her CV.

#5 Lovlina Borgohain

Bronze medallist at Tokyo, Lovlina Borgohain will not only eye her second Olympic medal but also improve the colour of the medal at Paris Olympics 2024. The three-time World Championships medallist has been in top form in recent years with medals at the Asian Games and Worlds.

At the Asian Games, she had to settle for silver after defeat to China’s Li Qian in the finals. She did beat the Chinese at the 2023 World Championships en route to gold but was beaten once again by the same opponent — who will also be her biggest rival at Paris — in June at the Grand Prix 2024 tournament in Czech Republic.

#4 Sift Kaur Samra

Sift Kaur Samra, who topped the selection trials to qualify for Paris Olympics in women’s 50m Air Rifle 3 Position event, is among India’s best medal hopes in shooting. The 23-year-old, a double medallist at Asian Games 2022, is also a good final shooter which makes her a gold medal contender.

Sift has shown tremendous form in the last couple of tournaments. Her performance at the Asian Games was extraordinary. She broke the World record with a score of 469.6. Her standing is also good which is a huge positive for India. In the recently concluded Munich ISSF World Cup, Sift won bronze.

#3 Nikhat Zareen

One of India’s biggest medal bets at the Paris Olympics, Nikhat Zareen, a two-time World Champion, has been training hard to fulfil her biggest goal. Having already achieved a quota place in the women’s 50kg category with her bronze medal win at the Asian Games, Zareen is a top-medal contender at Paris.

Nikhat’s strength is her attacking prowess which allows her to play freely. She also recently won silver in the Strandja Cup and gold at the Elorda Cup, a further proof of her being in top form in the run up to Paris.

#2 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty

The Brothers of Destruction are India’s best medal contenders in badminton at Paris Olympics 2024. Satwik-Chirag, the former World No. 1 duo, have been smashing records for India and has been part of many firsts in Indian badminton history. In seven BWF events this year, Satwik-Chirag havs won two and finished as runner-up in two tournaments.

One of their two tournament wins this season came at the French Open in Paris, where the Olympic badminton matches will take place.

Also Read: A look at Satwik-Chirag’s qualification for Paris Olympics 2024

Paris in a way has been the pair’s favourite hunting ground with the Indian duo reaching three finals at the French Open and winning twice. Having last competed in May, Satwik-Chirag will be fresh and ready for Paris as they eye a maiden Olympic medal.

#1 Neeraj Chopra

India’s Golden Boy, Neeraj Chopra, will defend his Tokyo gold medal at Paris Olympics 2024. His win at Tokyo in 2021 made Neeraj the first-ever Indian to win a medal in athletics at the Olympics. He will also hope to repeat that feat in Paris and will be the country’s biggest contender for gold.

This season, Neeraj, 24, has competed in three events and finished among the top three on all three occasions, while winning those of three competitions. Last year, Neeraj made history by winning the World Athletics Championships gold and also successfully defended his Asian Games gold in Hangzhou. At Paris, Neeraj will aim to become the first Indian to win multiple gold medals in individual categories.

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