The 2024 edition of the quadrennial global sporting spectacle, Olympics is set to begin on July 26 in the French capital city, Paris. As the 117-member Indian contingent gears up for the final leg of their preparation for the marquee tournament, all eyes are set on some of the big names representing the Indian tri-colour in the event. The top athletes in the Indian contingent will compete in 16 sports, and the Indian Ministry of Sports has invested a total of INR 470 Crore to support these athletes.
Breakdown of money spent by the Indian government on top athletes
Indian men’s hockey team
The Indian men’s hockey team is one of the top medal contenders for the nation in the marquee tournament. In the previous edition, the team ended a 41-year-long drought after winning the bronze. It would be interesting to see whether the team led by Harmanpreet Singh get a podium finish in Paris. The team trained at SAI NCOE, Bengaluru, and a total of ₹41.81 Crore have been invested by the government on them.
Neeraj Chopra
India’s ‘Golden boy’ will be expected to continue his gold medal run and his Tokyo Olympic glory in the upcoming season as well. Chopra won a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games, won the Diamond League final in 2022 and finished as runner-up in 2023. The youngster had his training base at SAI NSNIS Patiala/ Europe, and the Indian government has invested ₹5.72Crore on him.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty
Indian shuttlers who compete in men’s doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are one of the biggest medal hopes at Paris 2024. The shuttlers trained under the guidance of Pullela Gopichand at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, Telangana, and a total of ₹5.62 Crore have been invested.
PV Sindhu
Two-time Olympic medalist, PV Sindhu will aim to convert her previous silver and bronze in the yellow metal. Sindhu, India women badminton’s torchbearer has trained at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru and the Indian government has invested around ₹3.13 Crore on her.
S Mirabai Chanu
Indian weightlifter and 2020 Olympics silver medalist, Mirabai Chanu will aim to upgrade her previous medal. Chanu has suffered several injuries in the past 18 months and competed in just three competitions. Last season, Chanu became only the second Indian woman after PV Sindhu to win a silver at the Olympics. She trained at SAI NSNIS, Patiala, and a sum of ₹2.74 Crore has been invested on her.