Double Olympic medalist badminton ace PV Sindhu and Indian men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh were named the country’s flag-bearers for the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Birmingham.
While Sindhu’s name was announced from a shortlist of three athletes, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) added Manpreet as the second flag bearer after being informed by the organizers that there would be two male flag bearers and one female for each nation must have.
Manpreet had led the Indian men’s hockey team to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
“The decision to name Mr Singh as the second Flagbearer for the said occasion was arrived at after the IOA was intimated by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee that two Flagbearers, one male and one female, must be named by each nation for the Opening Ceremony,” IOA said in a release.
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who was also the defending champion at the Commonwealth Games, having won a gold medal in the Gold Coast four years ago, was expected to be the flag bearer.
But a back injury forced him to pull out after the World Championships silver medal. The Indian Olympic Association chose Sindhu as the flag bearer from the three-man shortlist.
“It’s a great honour to be bestowed to lead the contingent and hold the flag at such an august gathering. I am thrilled and wish all my fellow contingent the best for the Games. I would like to thank IOA also for choosing me as the Flag Bearer,” Sindhu said.
Initially, boxer Amit Panghal and paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal were shortlisted, but the committee chose Manpreet for the honour.
“Mr Manpreet Singh ended Indian hockey’s 41-year Olympic medal drought with a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics last year. He is one of the finest athletes to have ever represented India on the international stage,” acting IOA president Anil Khanna said.
The 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games has the largest contingent of female athletes in the history of the Games.
Team India Chef de Mission at Birmingham, Bhandari, said a maximum of 164 participants could take part from the Indian contingent in the Parade of Nations in the Opening Ceremony.
“The count of 164 will include athletes and team officials. The final list will be drawn up by this evening, gauging the availability of the athletes,” Bhandari said. A total of 215 athletes from India will be competing at the Commonwealth Games.