'Women athletes have been at the forefront of India’s Olympic success': Reliance Foundation chair Nita Ambani

Reliance Foundation chairperson and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Nita Ambani honoured India’s female athletes and para-athletes who made the country proud in the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics recently.

Female athletes played important roles in India’s campaign in both events. Shooter Manu Bhaker made history by becoming the first Indian post-Independence to win multiple medals in the same edition of the Olympics.

As for the Paralympics, women accounted for 11 of the record 29 medals that India won, including a second consecutive Olympic gold for shooter Avani Lekhara. Additionally Preethi Pal won bronze in women’s 100 and 200-metre races in the T35 category, becoming the first Indian to win track medals at the Paralympics.

Speaking at the ‘United In Triumph Awards’ honouring India’s Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic medallists, Ambani commented on how far the female athletes had come, especially in the Paralympics in which not a single woman had represented India in the London 2012 Games.

“Women athletes have been at the forefront of India’s Olympic success. Even in Paralympics, we have grown from having zero female para-athletes at the London Games in 2012 to now nearly 40 per cent female representation in Paris this year,” Ambani said during the event.

“Their successes are even more special because of the difficulties women face in pursuing professional sport. It’s a long and difficult journey for girls to get recognised in sports. They’re now sending out a strong message to the little girls who are watching, a message that they are unstoppable and that nothing is impossible for them.

“May millions of young Indian girls and boys follow in your footsteps and take Indian sport to even greater heights globally,” she added.

While India set a new record in terms of medals won in the Paralympics, winning 10 more than they did in the Tokyo Games three years ago, they fell short of matching their best-ever Olympic performance by just one medal, finishing with a total of six — two silver and four bronze.