Sharath chosen as flagbearer for Paris, Mary chef de mission

New Delhi, March 21

Veteran table tennis player and reigning CWG champion Sharath Kamal will be India’s flagbearer at the Paris Olympics while legendary boxer MC Mary Kom was today appointed the chef de mission of the country’s contingent.

The 41-year-old table tennis player symbolises “the unity and spirit of our contingent as they compete on the Olympic stage”, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in a statement.

“It has been an unbelievable three weeks,” Kamal said. “From not even sure of an Olympics berth to playing the way I did in Singapore last week, jumping 54 spots in the rankings, to being named India’s flagbearer,” he added. Kamal was India’s flagbearer at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Birmingham CWG, where he won three gold medals.

Six-time world champion Mary Kom, bronze medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, will be assisted by luger Shiva Keshavan, who has been appointed the deputy chef de mission.

Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang will oversee India’s operations at the shooting range, which is afar from the main venues.