One Year To Go for Paris 2024: Neeraj Chopra, Indian hockey teams floating on high expectations as Olympics beckon
While Neeraj Chopra is excited about the parade of nations on River Seine, PT Usha is expecting a bagful of Indian medals in Paris.
Exactly one year from today, on July 26, 2024, the Paris 2024 Olympics officially gets underway in the French capital.
The countdown to next year’s Summer Games, thus, has very much begun and along with the rest of the world, Indian athletes, too, are looking forward to next year’s grand spectacle in the City of Lights with great expectation.
Indian javelin ace Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic champion, is especially excited about the opening ceremony, which will be one-of-a-kind.
The Paris 2024 opening ceremony will be set against the backdrop of the historic host city but instead of the traditional stadium setting, the ceremony will be held on the River Seine, which cuts across the heart of the city. Paris 2024 will be the first Olympic Games to open on water
The historic Olympic parade of nations at Paris 2024 will see a total of 162 boats carrying the delegations down a 6-km course running from Pont d’Austerlitz to Trocadero. Open to the public, around 600,000 spectators are expected to attend the unique curtain raiser.
“I’ve heard that this year’s parade of nations will be on ships. It’s a unique concept and it’ll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’d love to be part of it if I can,” Neeraj Chopra told Olympics.com
Besides defending his own men’s javelin throw crown in Paris, Neeraj Chopra is also thrilled with the inclusion of breaking in the Olympics itinerary. Breaking or breakdancing will make its Olympic debut at Paris 2024.
“It’s a sport which is easy on the eyes. The music, the moves - it’s really fun and entertaining to watch. If I get time from my competition and training, I’ll definitely try to take out some time to watch the B-boys and girls in action,” Chopra stated.
The Indian ace also revealed he is a fan of skateboarding, which will also be a part of the Paris 2024 sports list.
Neeraj Chopra’s fellow Indian athletics legend and Olympian PT Usha also chimed in with her thoughts on the upcoming Paris Olympics.
“Looking forward to next year’s Olympic Games in Paris - a spectacular tournament in a beautiful city. I hope that our Indian athletes will shine bright and bring home many medals. Sending my best wishes to everyone,” Usha, who currently serves as the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said.
After formidable showings at Tokyo 2020, the Indian men’s and hockey teams are also looking forward to Paris 2024. The Indian men’s team won bronze in Tokyo to end an 41-year-long medal drought for Indian hockey at the Olympics while the women finished fourth.
The upcoming Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, the People's Republic of China, will provide both the Indian men and women’s hockey teams an opportunity to book early tickets to Paris. Gold medallists from both the hockey tournaments at Hangzhou will book direct berths to Paris 2024.
“The players are more motivated and determined than ever before. All the players in the team know that we have to win the gold medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games to earn direct qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and we will give our everything on the field,” Indian women’s hockey team captain Savita Punia said.
“We have important matches coming up as we inch closer to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. These matches will be crucial for us as we prepare for the all-important Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled later this year. We are aware of what is at stake and we are not taking anything for granted,” men’s team skipper Harmanpreet Singh added.
The Indian men’s hockey team will play in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 in Chennai from August 3 to 12, where they will be competing against South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan and China.
The Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou starts from September 23.