Unprecedented River Seine Spectacle Kicks Off Paris Olympics
For the first time in Olympic history, the Opening Ceremony took place outdoors on the River Seine. Spectacularly, over 300,000 spectators gathered along the riverbanks to watch the parade of 10,500 athletes and performers sailing the 6km stretch on boats. India's flag bearers were two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and table tennis legend Sharath Kamal, marking his fifth Olympic appearance.
On the sports front, India's archery teams performed exceptionally during the initial stages. By ranking third and fourth, respectively, the men's and women's teams directly advanced to the quarterfinals. The Indian men's team placed third behind South Korea and France, a fortunate outcome as they avoid meeting Olympic frontrunners South Korea in the upcoming round. They are now just two wins away from clinching Olympic medals.
The Indian women's team secured the fourth spot by scoring 1983 points, trailing behind South Korea, China, and Mexico. India's next challenge in the quarterfinals will be against the victors of the France-Netherlands match. A win here could set them up for a stressful semifinal face-off with South Korea.
In the individual category, men's archer Dhiraj finished fourth with 681 points, followed by Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav. Among women, Ankita exhibited her season's best performance by finishing in 11th position, followed by Bhajan Kaur and Deepika Kumari. All of the day’s action can be relived via provided live coverage.
