Nobody can deny that carrying the nation’s flag at a global event like the Olympics is a matter of pride. The Olympics are surely the pinnacle of sports events, where athletes aim to win Olympic medals.
From Abhinav Bindra to Leander Paes, there have been many past Indian Olympians who have achieved the honor of carrying the Indian tricolor at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics. In this article, we are going to see every athlete who achieved the honor of being a flag bearer for India at the Olympics.
Indian Flag Bearers at the Olympics
| Year (Since 2000) | Opening Flag Bearers | Closing Flag Bearers |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 Sydney Olympics | Leander Paes (Tennis) | Karnam Malleswari (Weightlifting) |
| 2004 Athens Olympics | Anju Bobby George (Athletics) | Anju Bobby George (Athletics) |
| 2008 Beijing Olympics | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Shooting) | Sushil Kumar (Wrestling) |
| 2012 London Olympics | Sushil Kumar (Wrestling) | Mary Kom (Boxing) |
| 2016 Rio Olympics | Abhinav Bindra (Shooting) | Sakshi Malik (Wrestling) |
| 2020 Tokyo Olympics | Mary Kom (Boxing) | Bajrang Punia (Wrestling) |
| 2024 Paris Olympics | Sharath Kamal (Table Tennis) | Yet to be decided |
Who was India’s first flag bearer at the Olympics?
Going backward, the first Indian to carry the flag at the Olympics opening ceremony was 400m sprinter Purnima Banerjee at the 1920 Belgium Olympics. Digging deeper, we find that after independence in 1947, the first Indian athlete who carried the flag with pride post-independence at the 1948 London Olympics was Dr. Talimeren Ao, the first captain of the men’s Indian football team.
Who will be India’s flag bearer at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Recently, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced that veteran table tennis player, Khel Ratna awardee, and known as a Commonwealth Games specialist, Sharath Kamal will be India’s flag bearer at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.
