Wednesday 30 / October / 2024
Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, Jay Shah, announced on Sunday that the board will be supporting India's Paris Olympics 2024 contingent by providing Rs 8.5 crores to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for the campaign.
The Paris 2024 Olympics will start from July 26 onwards in Paris.
Shah took to X to announce the move and also wished the Indian contingent luck.
The Paris Olympics 2024 will start on July 26 and conclude on August 11. India will look to outdo its tally of seven medals from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which included a gold, two silver, and four bronze medals.
A total of 117 athletes from India will be competing across 20 disciplines at the Paris Olympics.
Currently in Paris, the Indian teams competing in rowing, archery, and men's hockey competitions are some of the groups that have arrived.
As the first teams arrived in the Olympic Village in Paris, India's Chef-De-Mission Gagan Narang expressed that the contingent is upbeat and eager to begin their campaign and also said that each and every athlete has the ability to not only compete, but also surpass some of the best in the world.
"I arrived here in Paris on Thursday night and have taken stock of the arrangements inside the Games Village for the Indian contingent. Archery and rowing were the first Indian teams to arrive on Friday and have comfortably checked-in. The athletes are slowing settling in and are exploring the village," stated 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist Narang as per a press release.
He further stated that the mood is one of excitement and anticipation. "The mood is certainly upbeat. We have the Indian men's hockey team arriving on Saturday. Surely, I am reminded of my hay days at the Olympics as an athlete. While there is a lot of excitement, athletes will also want to get some game time on the competition arenas. We want to make sure the athletes' have everything they need ahead of the start of their respective events."
"It is a matter of great pride for me to see the growing number of medal contenders in the Indian contingent. Each and every athlete in our contingent is capable of not only being on-par with the best athletes in the world, but can also surpass them and bring laurels to the nation. Having a strong contingent puts India on the hot seat as we gear up for Paris," he concluded his point.
Meanwhile, in cricket, India secured the ICC T20 World Cup by defeating South Africa in a thrilling final by seven runs, with Virat Kohli (76), Axar Patel (47 and one wicket), Jasprit Bumrah (2/18) and Hardik Pandya (3/20) shining in the title clash, helping India score 176/7 and defend the target of 177 in a nerve-wracking defence.
