Veteran table tennis star Sharath Kamal has been named by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as India’s flagbearer for the upcoming Paris Olympics this year.

Meanwhile, Olympic bronze medallist MC Mary Kom has been named as India’s chef de mission for the mega-event. Shiva Keshavan, the winter Olympian has been appointed as the deputy chef de mission for Paris. 

India achieved seven medals in the deferred Tokyo Olympics last time.

“We are delighted to have such a distinguished and capable team of officials leading our contingent for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Their expertise, dedication, and passion for sports will undoubtedly inspire our athletes to achieve their best and make the nation proud,” IOA President PT Usha said in a statement released on Thursday.

The IOA also announced other appointments for India’s contingent for the Paris Olympics.

Rifle shooter Gagan Narang, who won the bronze medal in the 10m air rifle event at the 2012 London Olympics, has been placed in charge of overseeing the shooting village operations for the Paris Olympics. Shooting, which brought India its first individual Olympic medal at Beijing 2008, has not seen an Indian medalling at the Olympics since London 2012.

Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, who has operated upon many Indian Olympic stars including Neeraj Chopra and Vinesh Phogat, has been appointed as the Chief Medical Officer responsible for the health and well-being of Indian athletes throughout the Games.