It’s without a shadow of doubt that the Paris Olympics ceremony in first of its kind was held on the scenic river Seine unlike the traditional stadium showcasing France’s rich cultural tapestry. The added highlight of the opening ceremony was the inclusion of Hindi among the six languages chosen apparently due to rich diplomatic and cultural ties enjoyed by the two countries. With regard to our hockey performance, the last minute penalty goal by skipper Harmanpreet saved the day for India as our penalty corner conversion was exposed. Both the teams were equally poised with New Zealand drawing first blood. Hats off to our badminton squad which is showing grit and aggressive performance by facile wins during the early stages of the tournament which could be medal contenders. Congratulations to Manu Bhaker for winning India's first bronze medal in the 10m air pistol category. As the games progress we can pin hopes on the athletics and field events where our sprint quarter in the 400x4 relay team had qualified for the pre Olympics and our golden boy Neeraj Chopra notwithstanding our badminton stars.
