Paris Olympics 2024 Week 1 Wrap: Gagan Narang Lauds Indian Contingent's Stellar Show

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It's been just over a week at the highly-anticipated Paris Olympics 2024 and the Indian shooting contingent has surpassed expectations, securing three bronze medals so far.

While the Shooting contingent has given India all three medals in the first week of the quadrennial competition there have also been some notable contributions from athletes in other disciplines along with shooting, where they came tantalisingly close to clinching a medal.

Manu Bhaker, Swapnil Kusale Make India Proud in Paris

Manu Bhaker, despite narrowly missing out on a third medal in the women's 25m pistol shooting on Saturday (August 3), will return home with two bronze medals-the first Indian to achieve such a feat at a single Olympic Games since Independence.

Bhaker clinched bronze in the Women's 10m Air Pistol event and another bronze in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed-Team event alongside Sarabjot Singh. Twenty-year-old shooter Ramita Jindal became only the second Indian female shooter after Suma Shirur to reach the final in a rifle event but missed out on a medal.

Swapnil Kusale also contributed to India's medal tally with a stunning bronze-winning performance in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event. "It has been an emotional first week in Paris, with shooting giving us a head start in the medal tally. I am overwhelmed with happiness to see Manu, Sarabjot, and Swapnil win medals," said India's Chef-de-Mission for the Paris Olympics and former Olympic bronze medallist, Gagan Narang.

Narang reminisced about competing alongside Swapnil in the 2017 Commonwealth Championship in Gold Coast, where Kusale clinched a bronze medal. "It is truly emotional to see him reaching this level and achieving his dream of winning an Olympic medal for India, especially on the same day I won mine in 2012 in London. It almost feels like destiny," he added.

"I am so proud of Arjun Babuta as well, who finished fourth in the tough 10m Air Rifle event. This is perhaps the greatest show by Indian shooters in the history of the Games," Narang further said.

Indian Athletes Who Left A Mark in 1st Week at Paris Olympics

Indian athletes have also made notable achievements in other sports. Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula created history by reaching the Round of 16 in Table Tennis.

In archery, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat finished fourth in the mixed-team event, securing India's best result in archery at the Summer Games. Though they lost the bronze medal match against the USA, their performance was commendable.

"I am delighted to see our athletes rising to the occasion and delivering outstanding performances. My heartiest congratulations to all the medal winners and major achievers in Paris so far. Their performances have shown how much India has grown as a sporting nation over the past decade. I am confident that we are going to win more medals in Paris," Narang said.

Indian Hockey Team Steals the Show

The Indian Men's Hockey Team defeated Australia in the group stage, their first Olympic win against the former champions since the 1972 Munich Olympics. They will face Great Britain in the quarterfinals on Sunday (August 4).

While celebrating these successes, Narang emphasised the importance of acknowledging the efforts of all Olympians. "As an athlete, it is everyone's dream to compete at the Olympics, but only a few earn the opportunity after years of hard work.

"The margins in the Olympics are so small that there's often no difference in preparation between the first and eighth place. While winning medals is important, it is equally important to acknowledge our athletes' efforts and sacrifices. As a nation, we must celebrate all our Olympians irrespective of the results," he stated.

Performance Of India Shuttlers and Boxers in Week 1

India's top medal prospects in badminton-two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and the dynamic pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty-were eliminated from the tournament on Thursday (August 1) after hard-fought battles.

Promising boxer Preeti Sai Panwar was also eliminated in the women's 54 kg Round of 16 against Colombia's Yeni Marcela Arias Castaneda. Nikhat Zareen - the two-time world champion - started off well in her debut Olympics but bowed out after losing to China's Wu Yu, a very strong opponent, in a hard-fought contest in round of 16.

Narang hails collective effort of Indian athletes

Narang praised all the athletes for their performances, noting that their experiences in Paris will motivate them to strive for greater achievements. "I have had my fair share of disappointments in major tournaments. But every time I was unable to achieve the result I desired, I was motivated to do even better and I worked hard for it. All the athletes who were unable to win a medal will have a fire burning brighter in them and will be inspired to perform even better," he said.

"I am confident all our Indian athletes are capable of winning medals. They have already made the nation proud by reaching this far in their careers and have sparked a sporting revolution in the country, inspiring the next generation of athletes to dream big," he signed off.