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Tokyo 2020: Mary Kom, Manpreet Singh to be India's flag-bearers at the Olympics opening ceremony

Tokyo 2020: lympic Association (IOA) announced the flag-bearers for the upcoming edition.

Tokyo 2020: Mary Kom, Manpreet Singh to be Indias flag-bearers at the Olympics opening ceremony

Bengaluru, July 5: The Tokyo Olympics is just round the corner and on Monday the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced the flag-bearers for the upcoming edition.

For the first time, India will have two flag-bearers - one male and one female. Celebrated boxer MC Mary Kom and India's men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh will be the flag bearers for the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Games.

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Meanwhile, wrestler Bajrang Punia, one off India's biggest medal contendors, will be the flag bearer for the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on August 8th.

As reported in PTI, the IOA communicated the decision to the Organising Committee of the Tokyo 2020 Games. To ensure gender parity, the IOA have ensured one male and one female flag bearer for the country. This was recently informed by IOA chief chief Narinder Batra.

After being named as one of the flag-bearers, Mary Kom told PTI, "It would be a huge huge moment for me given that it is my last Olympics. Who knows I might even get emotionally overwhelmed.

"I am truly honoured to get this opportunity of leading the team out during the opening ceremony and I thank the sports ministry and IOA for naming me. It would be added motivation for me. I promise to do my best for a medal," the six-time world champion added.

In the previous edition, the Rio Games, Abhinav Bindra, India's lone individual Olympic gold-medallist was the flag bearer for the opening ceremony.

The Tokyo Games, which had been postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, is scheduled to begin on July 23, while the curtains will drop on August 8th. Over 100 Indian athletes would be gunning for podium finishes at the showpiece event set to unfold in Tokyo.

At its executive board meeting last year, the International Olympic Committee had made provisions for flag-bearers from both genders at the opening ceremony.

"...the IOC Executive Board also decided that there should be - for the first time ever - at least one female and one male athlete in every one of the 206 teams and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team participating at the Games of the Olympiad," IOC chief Thomas Bach had said.

(With inputs from PTI)

Story first published: Monday, July 5, 2021, 19:41 [IST]
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