Sharath Kamal named India's flag-bearer for Paris Olympics; MC Mary Kom to serve as chef de mission

Achanta Sharath Kamal was on Thursday announced as India’s flag-bearer for the opening ceremony of this year’s Summer Olympics in Paris with boxing legend MC Mary Kom set to serve as chef de mission of the Indian contingent.

The 41-year-old Sharath Kamal, who is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion in table tennis, symbolises “the unity and spirit of our contingent as they compete on the Olympic stage”, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in a statement while making the announcement.

The IOA has not yet named a female flag bearer but sources said that the sports body will not “compromise” on gender equality and will select a woman athlete later since many quotas for the Games, starting 26 July, are yet to be filled.

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“There is no change in policy. We will wait for official confirmation of qualifications for women athletes before announcing the name. There won’t be any compromise on that,” said the IOA source.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had changed its protocol in 2020 to allow one female and and one male athlete of each NOC to bear the flag jointly during the opening ceremony of the Summer Games.

Mary Kom and former hockey skipper Manpreet Singh were India’s flag bearers at the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Games. Hockey player Harmanpreet Singh and boxer Lovlina Borgohain were India’s flag bearers at the Hangzhou Asian Games, last year.

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Sharath Kamal expressed his elation at getting selected for the honour.

“It has been an unbelievable three weeks. From not even sure of Olympic berth to playing the way I did in Singapore last week, jumping 54 spots in the rankings to being named India’s flag bearer,” Kamal told PTI.

“It is the biggest honour and fairytale stuff considering it is going to be my fifth and last Olympics. Also, not many TT players have got that honour, globally. I just got a call from IOA and I could not believe it.”

Kamal was India’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony of 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where he won three gold medals.

Recently, the Indian men's and women's team had qualified for the team events of Olympics for the first time by the virtue of their rankings.

Six-time World Champion Mary Kom, bronze medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, will be assisted by luger Shiva Keshavan, who has been appointed  as the deputy chef de mission.

“Mary Kom’s unparalleled dedication to sports and inspiring journey makes her a natural choice to guide and mentor our athletes at the Olympics,” IOA said.

“Keshavan, a former Olympian in luge, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to support the team’s management and coordination efforts.”

Gagan Narang, an Olympic bronze medallist in rifle shooting, will oversee India’s operations at the shooting range, which is very far from the main venues.

India will be sending their largest-ever shooting contingent to Paris with 19 quotas already in pocket.

“His (Narang’s) meticulous approach and understanding of athletes’ needs will ensure a conducive environment for our shooters,” the statement added.

“These appointments represent a blend of experience, expertise, and leadership that will contribute significantly to the success of our athletes on the global stage, the statement added.

Commenting on the appointments, IOA president PT Usha, said, “We are delighted to have such a distinguished and capable team of officials leading our contingent for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Their expertise, dedication and passion for sports will undoubtedly inspire our athletes to achieve their best and make the nation proud.”

With PTI inputs