In a first, celebrated boxer M C Mary Kom and men’s hockey team skipper Manpreet Singh will be flag bearers at opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympics.
One of India’s biggest hopes, wrestler Bajrang Punia will be flag bearer at the closing ceremony on August 8.
India will have two flag bearers – one male and one female—to ensure gender parity, informed IOA President Narinder Batra.
“The flagbearers for the Indian contingent of Tokyo 2020 for the opening ceremony on July 23rd are Mary Kom and Manpreet Singh,” he said in an official letter.
“It would be a huge moment for me given that it is my last Olympics. Who knows I might even get emotionally overwhelmed,” said Mary Kom.
Further talking about the Games, Mary Kom said: “I will try and handle the pressure. It’s really important to perform well. I am working really hard and focusing on every aspect, will try to do my best at the Games.”
Batra also confirmed that the total contingent for the Olympics would be around 126 athletes and 75 officials, and as a result, the total contingent would be around 201.
The contingent comprises 56 percent of men and 44 percent of women. It has 76 quota places and will compete in about 85 medal positions.
The country’s lone individual Olympic gold-medallist Abhinav Bindra was the flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The Tokyo Games are scheduled to open on July 23 and over 100 Indian athletes would be gunning for podium finishes at the showpiece, which was postponed by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
