CWG 2022 Opening Ceremony – India’s Flag Bearer CWG: The Commonwealth Games are set to begin at Birmingham with the opening ceremony scheduled to be held on 28th July. With less than 3 days to go for the multi-sport event to kickstart, all the athletes have started to reach the tournament venue, however the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is yet to name India’s flag-bearer for the opening ceremony. Follow CWG 2022 LIVE Updates with InsideSport.IN
CWG 2022 Opening Ceremony: Neeraj Chopra or PV Sindhu, who will be India’s flag bearer in CWG 2022 OPENING CEREMONY, messy IOA yet to finalize the name: Follow LIVE
India’s Flag Bearer CWG – Neeraj Chopra vs PV Sindhu? 215 athletes, both able bodied and para athletes will be representing India at the Commonwealth Games this year. While it was expected that the IOA will name Neeraj Chopra as the flag-bearer, still there is no clarity on who will hold the Indian flag aloft and lead the Indian contingent during the opening ceremony.
Neeraj Chopra who is the reigning Olympic champion in Javelin throw is also the reigning champion in the Commonwealth Games having won the gold in 2018 at Gold Coast.
The 24-year old was also the flag-bearer during the 2018 Asian Games at Jakarta and it was expected that the IOA will once again name the athlete as the flag-bearer at Birmingham.
However, it remains to be seen whether Neeraj would be available during the opening ceremony as he might reach Birmingham at a much later date since his Javelin throw qualification round is scheduled to be conducted only on 5th August 2022.
“We will be checking Neeraj Chopra’s itinerary. Today his competition has finished, in next 24 hours we will decide who will be India’s FLAG BEARER at the MARCH-PAST,” said Dr. Anil Khanna, Acting President, IOA to InsideSport.
If Neeraj Chopra makes himself unavailable then the IOA is expected to give the flag-bearing duty to two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu.
The Badminton players have reached the Games village since their events will begin from the first day. It is to be noted that Sindhu was the flag-bearer at the opening cermony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast. She won the silver medal in Women’s singles in that edition and will now look to add the Gold medal to her medal collection.
Apart from Sindhu other names like Tokyo Olympic Silver medallists wrestler RaviKumar Dahiya and weighlifters Mirabai Chanu or boxer Lovlina Borgohain who won the Tokyo Olympic Bronze medal and reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen also have a chance to be selected as the flag-bearer.
Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra, recently added yet another feather to his hat as he became the first Indian man to win a medal in the World Athletics Championships.
He clinched silver in Javelin throw with a best throw of 88.13 m in the Javelin throw final, which was held at Eugene in Oregon, USA. Chopra is a favourite to win his second successive gold medal at the CWG 2022.
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