Sports

The city of Paris turned into a colossal amphitheatre, and the iconic river Seine served as a track for the athletes' parade as France showcased its cultural diversity, spirit of revolution, impeccable craftsmanship and architectural heritage in a riveting opening ceremony for the 33rd Olympic Games on Friday.

The spectacle started with a dreamy break from tradition as 'Parade of Nations' kicked off the proceedings in which athletes from 205 countries and one refugee team sailed down the Seine on boats despite heavy rain, in the run-up to and during the ceremony, threatening to play spoilsport. French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open, marking the formal beginning of competitions for the next 16 days.

After keeping it a secret till the end of the ceremony that lasted four hours, French judo great Teddy Riner and sprint legend Marie-Jose Perec jointly lit the Olympic cauldron, symbolic of the most gender-neutral Games. The cauldron was attached to a giant hot-air balloon, which lifted off into the Paris night. The highlight of the unconventional and daring opening ceremony was without doubt the athletes' march on the Seine river.

The sequence of arrivals followed the French alphabetical order. The first to arrive was the Greek contingent, for being the spiritual home of the Games, followed by the Refugee team. France, as host country, came last to a boisterous cheer from the home crowd.  The Indian contingent was led by two flag-bearers — two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and table tennis legend A Sharath Kamal and was 84th on the call sheet. The women in the contingent were draped in sarees, while the men sported the traditional 'kurta-pyjama' in the colours of the national flag.

A total of 78 Indian athletes and officials participated in the ceremony.

Led by the in-form Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat, India’s campaign at the Paris Olympics began on a positive note as the country’s archers secured a direct entry into the quarterfinals of both the men’s and women’s team events after finishing third and fourth respectively in the ranking round on Thursday.

Debutants Dhiraj and Ankita’s spectacular show in the qualifications helped India finish in the top four, giving them favourable draws to clinch an elusive Olympic medal in archery.

The top four in the team standings directly advance to the quarterfinals, while those ending between 5th and 12th play the Round of 16 fixtures. The Indian men’s team is seeded third, which means they will not feature in the same pool as the invincible Koreans in the next round. Now, both the Indian teams need just two wins for securing the Olympics medals.

Dhiraj, the world cup bronze-medallist, who defeated Tokyo Olympics silver winner Mauro Nespoli in Antalya, lived up to the expectations by finishing fourth in the individual round.

The duo of Ankita and Dhiraj, who was the star of the day with an excellent performance in the second half of his competition, will be seeded fifth in the mixed team round of 16 event. India’s mixed team finished at the fifth position with 1347 points. Dhiraj got 681 while Ankita scored 666 earlier in the day.

The mixed team score is determined by summing the best individual score from the women’s and men's individual event.

The Indian men’s team made it to the quarter-finals by finishing third in the ranking round with 2013 points. Dhiraj shone with a fourth-spot finish in individual section with 681 points. Appearing in his fourth Olympics, Tarundeep Rai ended 14th with 674 points while Pravin Jadhav finished 39th with 658 points.

Korea’s Woojin Kim and Je Deok Kim bagged the top two positions with scores of 688 and 682 respectively. Germany’s Florian Unruh was third with 681.

Earlier in the day, Games debutant Ankita left behind seasoned campaigners like Deepika Kumari to emerge as the best-placed Indian archer at 11th in the women’s individual qualifications as the country secured a quarterfinal spot by finishing fourth. The 26-year-old Ankita was the top-ranked Indian woman, followed by Bhajan Kaur (22nd with 559 points) and Deepika (23rd with 658 points).

India grabbed the fourth spot by scoring 1983 points. South Korea topped the standings with 2046 points. China finished runners-up while Mexico grabbed the third spot.

India will face the winner of the contest between France and Netherlands in the quarterfinals. If they clear the quarters, India could be headed for a semifinal showdown with heavyweights Korea.

The Korean women’s team has been invincible in the Olympics, winning a ninth straight medal in Tokyo three years ago.

In the individual section, Korea’s Lim Sihyeon smashed a world record score of 694 to top the standings, while her compatriot Suhyeon Nam scored 688 points to finish second. China's Yang Xiaolei was third with 673. Ankita, who hails from Bengal and represents Tata Academy, was the surprise package on the day from the Indian perspective, even as four-time Olympian Deepika faltered to return her worst ever qualification result at the Games.

Halfway through the men’s qualification round, India were placed sixth in the team event, with Rai on 14th, Dhiraj on 24th and Jadhav on 37th place respectively.

After that, India made a remarkable recovery and jumped to the third spot after set seven. The team then improved its position further by moving to second place after set nine. However, India dropped back to third after set 10 as South Korea maintained their hold of the top spot.

India will face either Turkey or Colombia in the men’s quarterfinals.

Pacer Renuka Singh's three-wicket burst followed by Smriti Mandhana's brisk unbeaten fifty underlined India's ruthless performance as the defending champions walloped Bangladesh by 10 wickets and marched into their record-extending ninth women’s Asia Cup final, here on Friday.

India will face the winner of the second semifinal between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in the title clash on Sunday.

Shafali (26 not out, 28b, 2x4) and Mandhana (55 not out, 39b, 9x4, 1x6) were on song from the word go, as India overhauled the target of 81 without breaking a sweat. India ended up at 83 for no loss in 11 overs. Mandhana and Shafali's knocks were filled with trademark shots around the ground as India motored to 46 for no loss in the Power Play. India trotted to a victory that was a long-forgone conclusion once Bangladesh were limited 80 for eight.

Renuka (3/10) upfront and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav in the middle overs (3/14) rattled Bangladesh with excellent spells. Bangladesh hardly recovered from the deep wounds inflicted by Renuka in the first six overs.

Brief scores: Bangladesh 80 for 8 in 20 overs (Nigar Sultana 32; Renuka Singh Thakur 3/10, Radha Yadav 3/14) lost to by 10 wickets to India 83 for no loss in 11 overs (Smriti Mandhana 55 not out, Shafali Verma 26 not out.)

Newly-appointed Indian T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav says he has enjoyed being a leader on the field despite not dawning the captain’s hat, adding that he leant the tricks of the trade from different skippers over the years.

Suryakumar was appointed as India’s T20 captain last week ahead of Hardik Pandya after Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format.

Suryakumar’s first assignment will be the three-match T20 series against hosts Sri Lanka starting in Pallekele (Sri Lanka) on Saturday. “I have always enjoyed being a leader on the field even though I was not the captain. I have always learnt a lot of things from different captains. It’s a good feeling and a great responsibility,” the swashbuckling middle-order batter told ‘BCCI.TV’.

Indian cricket is set to embark on a new era under Suryakumar and new head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Both Suryakumar and Gambhir share a strong bond since Kolkata Knight Riders days as they played together in 2014 for the franchise. And Suryakumar, known for his aggressive batting and innovative shots, described his relationship with Gambhir as both special and strong.

“This relationship is special because in 2014 I played under him in KKR. It was special because from there only I got opportunities. The relationship is still strong. He (Gambhir) knows how I work, what is my mindset when I come to practice sessions. I also know how he tries to work as a coach. It’s all about the lovely relationship we have and very excited to see how it goes forward,” the Mumbai batter said.

For an elite athlete, nothing comes close to the high of winning an Olympic medal. But the lesser mortals, including fans and volunteers, chase the simpler joys of life during the two-week-long Summer Games and at the top of their wishlist is trading Olympic pins.

Some trade pins for money, others do it for the love of the exercise that has become an integral part of Olympic tradition.

Pin collecting and trading goes as far back as 1896 when the first modern Olympics were held. Therefore, it is not a surprise that Olympic pin traders are working overtime across venues of the Paris Games, which officially begin with an unprecedented opening ceremony on the river Seine on Friday evening.

The seasoned ones have camped themselves outside the Athletes Games Village, which is usually the hub of pin-trading activity with sportspersons, fans and volunteers looking to exchange their desired pieces of metal.

Among them are USA’s Brad Frank, who has been trading pins since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and sells them on E-Bay but not when he is attending the Games, so he claims. Giving him stiff competition are Ross Baxter from Canada and Yorick Spieker from Germany. Unlike Frank, 86-year-old Baxter and Spieker are not in the trading business for money.

Pin trading can be addictive and the pains that the likes of Frank, Baxter and Spieke take to enhance their collection is a testament to that.

“This is my 11th Olympics since Atlanta (including Summer and Winter games). I love to meet people from all over the world and experience the Olympic spirit,” said Frank. Frank was a teacher for 30 years until he found his calling in pin trading.

“My friend got 7,00,000 pins from the USA Olympic Committee in 1996. He told me to come and start trading and I have been trading pins ever since,” added Frank, who has had the honour of trading pins with Olympic legend Michael Phelps.

Also stationed at the Games Village entrance is Baxter, who made his trading debut in hometown of Calgary during the Winter Games in 1988 “I took to pin trading after I got one from a member of the Taiwanese team during the Calgary Games. That is how I started and I have covered 14 Olympics since then. Unlike Americans, I don’t do it for the money, I just love the exercise,” said Baxter, who wants to add more pins to his collection that runs into thousands.

The octogenarian proudly flaunts the only pin he has from India, which was given to him by a Doordarshan employee in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

“I would love to have more from India. Do you have one?” he asks politely. For Spieker from Germany, trading pins is all about passion. He traded his first pin as a 17-year-old student in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and he has attended most of the Olympics since then. When he is not trading, he heads a team of salesmen back home.

“I would never do this for the money, I already have enough,” summed up Spieker.

Long read 

Some would be carrying a huge burden of expectations, some others would look to spring a surprise and a few more would be eyeing the perfect closure to their glittering careers as the 117-strong Indian contingent aims for a better-than-before performance in the Olympic Games, starting today.

India returned from Tokyo with seven medals, and it is only natural that a double-digit performance is now desired in Paris. Except for wrestlers, who have waded through a highly controversial build-up, athletes in all disciplines have had no complaints about their preparations.

Whether it was training abroad or getting the best of facilities to sharpen their skills, there was planning in place.

But will the hard work, the strategies and the unbridled support translate into medals? It will be a Heculean task to match the Tokyo figures of seven medals, given that except for reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, not many are top contenders in their respective disciplines.

More than half of the 117-member contingent is from three sports - athletics (29), shooting (21) and hockey (19). Of these 69 athletes, 40 are debutants.

In other sports too, there are debutants like tennis player N Sriram Balaji and wrestler Reetika Hooda. They are not exactly inexperienced, but largely, India's campaign will be driven by the athletes, who will be competing on a stage this grand for the first time. Then there are the seasoned ones who would be expected to raise their game suitably.

Two-time medallist shuttler P V Sindhu, tennis player Rohan Bopanna, legendary table tennis player Sharath Kamal and hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh are certainly playing their last Olympics.

The hockey team has endured patchy form in the build-up to the Games, the boxers and wrestlers are lacking in real competition time. The shooters too have notched up mixed results heading into the Olympics. The track and field athletes, especially Avinash Sable, have done well of late, but compared to their global rivals, their performances don't seem enough to put them in the bracket of medal hopefuls.

For instance, steeplechaser Sable has been consistently bettering his national record. His best stands at 8:09.94 but there are seven international runners who have achieved better timing than that in the run-up to the Games.

Given this, Even making the finals will be considered a huge achievement. India’s hopes for podium finishes largely hinge on Neeraj, despite concerns around his adductor niggle, and the in-form badminton duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.

Only Sindhu (2016 Rio and 2012 Tokyo) and wrestler Sushil Kumar (2008 Beijing, 2012 London) have managed to win two consecutive medals.

Rankireddy and Chirag have grown into one of India's most formidable men's doubles teams and they are being seen as certain medal winners. Talking about Sindhu, she is not in the best of form and has also got a tough draw but if she can come through the initial rounds, the vast experience could help her make the medal round.

The men’s hockey team has been inconsistent. It lost all five games in Australia recently after a mixed run in the Pro League. It was a far cry from the Asian Games in Hangzhou where the team emerged champion.

It’s been a quiet build-up for the 21-member shooting contingent, the biggest ever, compared to London and Tokyo where stars such as Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary had raised medal hopes with their exceptional performances in the run-up to the Games. Even Divyansh Panwar and Elavenil Valarivan were hailed as future superstars but all of them have flattered to deceive.

There is hardly any spotlight on shooters but still Sift Kaur Samra (50m three position), Sandeep Singh (10m air rifle) and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (men's 50 m rifle) have it in them to end the 12-year wait for a medal.

Gagan Narang, who is now India's Chef de Mission, was the last Indian shooter to climb the podium when he won the 10m air rifle bronze in the 2012 London Games. The sport has delivered a medal for India in the last four editions. The hopes of winning four to five medals were raised for the Paris Games but the protest against the Wrestling Federation of India brought the sport to a standstill.

There was no national camp, and no competition for a long time. The qualified wrestlers have trained on their own at the centres of their choice -- both in India and abroad.

Fitness status of many is not known, but going into the Games, Anshu Malik, Antim Panghal and Aman Sehrawat are considered India's best bets. Reetika Hooda, the U-23 world champion, will be a dark dorse. The archers and TT players have qualified for the Games on the basis of their rankings. While it is a huge achievement for TT players, the same can't be said about the archers.

They have promised a lot in the past too but have not been able to deliver. The recent episode of their coach being denied the Games accreditation means the campaign has started on a negative note.

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, the Tokyo Games silver-medallist, has struggled with injury and form of late and is perhaps not in the best frame of mind. There are question marks if she will be able to repeat her success. Experienced boxer Nikhat Zareen and Nishant Dev will be watched keenly as their latest results have been encouraging. So far, India have won 35 medals at the Olympics with shooter Abhinav Bindra (2008) and Neeraj Chopra (2021) being the only two individual gold medal winners.