Paris 2024: India's Unprecedented Olympic Performance

India's campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which began on July 25, has been marked by a series of historic achievements and record-breaking performances. A total of 112 Indian athletes are competing in 69 medal events across 16 sports, including archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, equestrian, golf, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, wrestling, table tennis, and tennis. The athletics team, led by Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, boasts the largest Indian representation with a 29-member squad. In shooting, India has fielded its largest-ever contingent of 21 shooters.

One of the standout performers at the Paris 2024 Olympics has been shooter Manu Bhaker. She created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal. Bhaker won the bronze in the women's 10m air pistol event on July 28. A day before, she stormed into the final of the same event, becoming the first Indian woman since Athens 2004 to qualify for the Olympic finals in shooting. Bhaker's achievements didn't stop there. Along with Sarabjot Singh, she became the first Indian shooting pair to win an Olympic medal in shooting at Paris 2024. The pair defeated the Republic of Korea's Oh Ye Jin and Wonho Lee 16-10 in the bronze medal match. This victory marked India's sixth Olympic medal in shooting.

Another notable achievement came from Manika Batra, who became the first Indian table tennis player to progress to the pre-quarterfinals of the Olympic Games at Paris 2024. She started her campaign with a win over world No. 103 Anna Hursey of Great Britain in the round of 64 and then advanced to the pre-quarterfinals after upsetting France 's Prithika Pavade in the round of 32. Olympic debutant Sreeja Akula joined Batra in the round of 16 with a win over Sweden's Christina Kallberg and Singapore's Zeng Jian. In the men's 50m rifle 3 positions, Swapnil Kusale won the bronze medal, taking India's medals tally in shooting at Paris 2024 to three. This was the first time India had won three medals in one sport at any edition of the Games. The previous best was two in shooting at the London 2012 Olympics.

In archery, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat finished fourth in the mixed team event, securing India's best result in archery at the Olympics. They lost 6-2 in the bronze medal match against the USA's Brady Ellison and Casey Kaufhold, narrowly missing what could have been a historic maiden podium finish. The Indian men's hockey team, led by skipper Harmanpreet Singh, beat Tokyo 2020 silver medallists Australia 3-2 in a group game. This was India's first victory against Australia in hockey at the Olympics since Munich 1972.

The Paris 2024 Olympics has been a historic event for India, with athletes setting new records and achieving significant milestones. The performances of these athletes have not only brought glory to the nation but also inspired millions of young Indians to pursue their dreams in sports. The achievements of these athletes, particularly Manu Bhaker's historic double medal win, have set a new benchmark for future Indian Olympians.