Towards Paris 2024: India's Ambitious Olympic And Paralympic Goals

In preparation for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024, several prominent Indian athletes gathered at the Major Dhyanchand National Stadium.

The event, organised by the Delhi Sports Journalist Association (DSJA) in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), featured Olympic bronze medallist Ashok Dhyanchand, Asian Games gold medallist Ronjan Sodhi, Commonwealth Games gold winner Akhil Kumar, and others.

Hon'ble Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, attended the session alongside Sujata Chaturvedi, Secretary of Sports, Sandip Pradhan, DG of SAI, DSJA president Abhishek Tripathi, DSJA secretary Sabi Hussain, and Commodore PK Garg, CEO of Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Members of DSJA's Apex Committee were also present.

Focus on India's Sporting Future

Dr Mandaviya emphasised the importance of platforms like this for discussions about India's sporting future. He stated, "The new age India has seen a lot of progress but this is just the beginning. By 2047, when we complete 100 years of Independence, we aspire to be among the leaders in sports in the world and hence, it is important to have platforms such as this for an elaborate discussion." He wished all athletes success for the upcoming events.

Devendra Jhajharia shared his journey and optimism for India's performance. He said, "In 2004, when I went to the Athens Paralympics, I spent money from my own pocket. I went and won the gold and also broke the world record. Since then, there has been a lot of progress in Indian sports." As PCI president now, he is confident about surpassing a 25-medal tally at Paris.

Journalists' Role in Capturing Emotions

DSJA president Abhishek Tripathi expressed his delight at being part of such an esteemed gathering. He remarked on the collaboration between DSJA and SAI as significant for athlete preparations ahead of Paris 2024. He acknowledged Neeraj Chopra's gold medal as a positive step towards improving performance at future events.

Sabi Hussain echoed these sentiments by highlighting how winning medals stirs emotions across the nation. He added that journalists are eager to cover Indian athletes achieving their best-ever medal tally in Paris while proudly flying the national flag.

'Pathway to Paris' Booklet Launch

During this occasion, Dr Mandaviya launched a booklet titled 'Pathway to Paris', outlining India's journey towards Olympics 2024. A total of 117 athletes will represent India in Paris from July 26 to August 11 for the Olympic Games and from August 28 to September 8 for the Paralympic Games.

The interactive session allowed athletes like Ashok Dhyanchand and Ronjan Sodhi to discuss India's readiness for Paris 2024. Their insights provided valuable perspectives on what lies ahead for Indian sports on this global stage.

The event underscored India's commitment to excelling in international sports arenas. With support from various stakeholders including government officials and journalists alike, there is a collective hope that Indian athletes will achieve remarkable success at both Olympics and Paralympics next year.