Paris bound Indian athletes buoyant at IOA ceremonial send-off
New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Sunday unveiled Team India’s playing kit in the send-off ceremony held at the Ashoka Hotel, here on Sunday.
The ceremonial dress designed by Tarun Tahiliani-owned TASVA and performance shoe and travel gear by PUMA were on show during a ramp-walk by the confident athletes.
In her welcome address, IOA president P.T Usha said she had drawn on her experience as an athlete in ensuring that India’s athletes would not be short of sports science support in Paris 2024. “We have drawn up a very athlete-centric plan to support our athletes to perform at their peak in Paris,” she said.
“We have assembled a strong team under Dinshaw Pardiwala’s leadership. It includes sports medicine experts, wellness specialists, nutritionists, physiotherapists and a sleep scientist,” Usha said. “For the first time, IOA will also give a participation allowance to the athletes and the coaching and support staff. I am confident India will come back from Paris with its best showing in any Olympics.”
India will be sending a contingent of close to 120 athletes to the Olympics, including an Athletics team led by defending champion in the men’s javelin Neeraj Chopra, a 21-member Shooting team and a 16-member men’s Hockey team.