New Delhi: Twenty four (24) Armed Forces personnel are among the 117 Indian athletes who are all set to make the nation proud at the Paris Olympics, beginning July 26, 2024. Among these 24 athletes, 22 are men, including star Javelin Thrower Subedar Neeraj Chopra, and two are women, which marks the maiden participation of female Service athletes at the Olympics.
Subedar Neeraj Chopra, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Gold medalist, will again vie for top honours as his participation in the Paris Olympics comes on the back of exceptional performances which earned him a Gold medal each at the 2023 Asian Games, 2023 World Athletics Championship, 2024 Diamond League, and 2024 Paavo Nurmi Games.
2022 Commonwealth Games Bronze medalist Havildar Jaismine Lamboria and 2023 Asian Wrestling Championships Bronze medalist CPO Reetika Hooda are the two women Service personnel who are taking part in the Games for the first time, and aim to create history. They will feature in Boxing and Wrestling respectively.
Sub Amit Panghal (Boxing); CPO Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot-Put); Sub Avinash Mukund Sable (3000m Steeplechase); CPO Muhammed Anas Yahiya, PO(GW) Muhammed Ajmal, Sub Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan & JWO Mijo Chacko Kurian (4X400M Men’s Relay); JWO Abdulla Aboobacker (Triple Jump); Sub Tarundeep Rai & Sub Dhiraj Bommadevara (Archery) and Nb Sub Sandeep Singh (Shooting) are also among the Service personnel who would aim to bring laurels to the country. The full list of Service players is as follows:-
| Discipline | Rank & Name | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sub Dhiraj Bommadevara | Recurve Indl & Team |
| Sub Tarundeep Rai | ||
| Sub Pravin Ramesh Jadhav | ||
| Athletics | SSR Akshdeep Singh | 20Km RW |
| PO Vikas Singh | 20Km RW | |
| SSR Paramjeet Bisht | 20Km RW | |
| PO Suraj Panwar | Race Walking Mixed Marathon | |
| Sub Avinash Sable | 3000M SC | |
| Sub Maj Neeraj Chopra | Javelin throw | |
| CPO Tajinderpal Singh Toor | Men’s Shot Put | |
| JWO Abdulla Aboobacker | Men’s Triple Jump | |
| Hav Sarvesh Kushare | Men’s High Jump | |
| CPO Muhammed Anas Yahiya | 4X400M Men’s Relay | |
| PO(GW) Muhammed Ajmal | 4X400M Men’s Relay | |
| Sub Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan | 4X400M Men’s Relay | |
| JWO Mijo Chacko Kurian | 4X400M Men’s Relay | |
| Boxing | Sub Amit Panghal | Men’s flyweight |
| Hav Jaismine Lamboria | Women’s featherweight | |
| Hockey | CPO Jugraj Singh | Men’s Hockey Reserve |
| Rowing | Spr Balraj Panwar | M1X (Men’s Single Scull) |
| Sailing | Sub Vishnu Saravanan | Men’s One Person Dinghy |
| Shooting | Nb Sub Sandeep Singh | 10m Air Rifle |
| Tennis | Nb Sub Sriram Balaji | Men’s Doubles |
| Wrestling | CPO Reetika Hooda | Women’s 76 Kg (Freestyle) |
Apart from 24 athletes, five officials are also heading to Paris to take part in the Olympics. The details are given below:
| Discipline | Name | Role |
| Boxing | Lt Col Kabilan Sai Ashok | Referee & Judge |
| Boxing | Sub CA Katappa | Coach |
| Archery | Sub Sonam Tshering Bhutia | Coach |
| Sailing | Hav CS Delai | Tech Official |
| Sailing | Nk PV Sharad | Physio |
The participation of the Service personnel at the Paris Olympics underscores the Armed Forces’ commitment to promoting sporting excellence and fostering a culture of athleticism, while enhancing the sports consciousness across the nation. As the country gears up to witness the performances of these athletes, it stands united in extending best wishes and unwavering support to each participant.
