Yes, I know this is a cricket blog, and posting something unrelated might seem out of place. But as an Indian, I wanted to take this moment to reflect on India’s performance at the 2024 Olympics. And with cricket making its much-anticipated comeback in the LA 2028 Olympics, it felt like the perfect time to connect the dots and share this with you all. So, why not?
Well, we can say that India has had a fairly successful Olympics this year, but was it our best? We’ve seen better performances in the past. Let’s take a closer look at India’s performance at the 2024 Olympic Games held in Paris, also known as Paris 2024.
Manu Bhaker’s Historic Medals:
Manu Bhaker made history on Day 2 of the Olympic Games by becoming the first-ever Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal, securing the bronze in the Women’s 10M Air Pistol event. She continued her success by clinching another bronze in the Mixed Team 10M Air Pistol event alongside Sarabjot Singh.
Although Manu Bhaker narrowly missed out on adding a third bronze to her tally, finishing 4th in the 25M Air Pistol event, her remarkable achievements have made her a standout performer for India at these Olympics.
Swapnil Kusale’s Bronze in the 50M Rifle Event:
Swapnil Kusale didn’t disappoint, winning the bronze medal in the 50M Rifle event and extending India’s medal count to three. This victory also made history, as it marked India’s largest haul in a single sport at a single edition of the Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra’s Silver:
Neeraj Chopra, the man who made history with India’s first-ever Olympic gold in athletics at Tokyo 2020, added to his Olympic medal tally by securing a silver in Paris 2024. This time, he narrowly missed out on the gold, which was claimed by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who set a new Olympic record with a massive throw of 92.97 meters. Neeraj’s best throw reached 89.45 meters, earning him a well-deserved silver and further cementing his status as one of India’s greatest athletes.
Indian Men’s Hockey Team’s Bronze:
The Indian Men’s Hockey Team faced a heartbreaking moment when they narrowly missed out on a guaranteed gold or silver, conceding a late goal and losing 3-2 in the semifinals. However, the disappointment was short-lived as India rebounded in the bronze medal match against Spain, securing a 2-1 victory. This triumph not only matched their success from Tokyo 2020 but also served as a fitting tribute to the team’s stalwart goalkeeper, PR Sreejesh, who played a pivotal role in their continued excellence on the Olympic stage.
Aman Sehrawat’s Bronze:
Aman Sehrawat made history by becoming India’s youngest Olympic medalist, securing a bronze in the 57 kg wrestling category.
India has overall won 6 Medals at this years Olympics, 5 Bronze Medals a solitary silver medal. India could not clinch a gold this year, but with Cricket coming back into the Olympics games in 2028, hosted in Los Angeles also branded as LA28, India will definitely look to win a gold in the most loved sport in India.
India’s Olympics campaign this year was marked by moments of heartbreak. Lakshya Sen, despite his valiant efforts, lost both the semi-final and the bronze medal match in the men’s badminton singles category. Manu Bhaker narrowly missed out on securing her third medal, and Mirabai Chanu, competing in the 49 kg weightlifting event, also fell short of the podium.
Vinesh Phogat’s Heartbreak:
However, the most devastating loss came from Vinesh Phogat. The former world No. 1 entered the Olympics with a challenging draw, fighting her way to the semi-finals. In a dramatic match that seemed lost, Vinesh pulled off a miraculous victory. But the joy was short-lived.
After her semi-final match, Vinesh gained 2.7 kg. Despite working tirelessly through the night without any sleep, she was still 100 g over the weight limit on the day of her gold medal match. Tragically, she was disqualified, finishing in the last rank. Vinesh pleaded for a little more time to shed those 100 g, but her request was denied. The disqualification not only shattered her dreams but also broke the hearts of millions of Indians. Out of this heartbreak, Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement, sharing a poignant post that read:
माँ कुश्ती मेरे से जीत गई मैं हार गई माफ़ करना आपका सपना मेरी हिम्मत सब टूट चुके इससे ज़्यादा ताक़त नहीं रही अब।
Which translates to-
Mother, wrestling won against me, I lost. Forgive me as your dreams and my strength are broken. I do not have any more strength left in me. Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024.
This was one of the most heartbreaking moments of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
India nearly lost another medal as well, but Aman Sehrawat’s determination saved the day. Initially weighing 61.5 kg, which was 4.5 kg over the permissible limit for his wrestling category, Aman faced a daunting challenge. Like Vinesh Phogat, he worked tirelessly overnight, shedding an incredible 4.6 kg. By the time of the weigh-in, he was 100 g under the limit, allowing him to compete and ultimately secure his bronze medal. This was India’s run at this year’s Olympics certainly not our best, but far from our worst!
Who else is excited about cricket returning to the Olympics after 128 Years in LA 28?
I’ll be back with cricket posts very soon and a few good ones!
Until Next Time!
Thank You.
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