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Paris Olympics 2024: Promising Indian Women Athletes To Watch Out

Indian athletes are all set to demonstrate their impeccable sporting prowess at the upcoming Paris Olympics. Here is a list of women athletes poised to make the nation proud at the much-awaited international tournament.

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Tanya Savkoor
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Tulika Maan, Parul Chaudhary, Nethra Kumanan, Tanisha Crasto, Ashwini Ponnappa, Nikhat Zareen

Indian athletes are all set to demonstrate their impeccable sporting prowess at the Paris Olympics. Sporting communities have been meticulously prepping to bring their 'A' game and make the nation proud. This can be seen in the splendid zealous spirit portrayed at qualifying events across different sports, from track and field to martial arts. Conquering all gender barriers and other societal obstacles, women in sports have showcased incomparable athleticism to qualify for the Olympics. Here is a list of the women athletes who have made it to the Paris Games 2024.

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Archery

Deepika Kumari

Archery legend Deepika Kumari from Jharkhand has qualified for her fourth time at the Olympics. Confident in the Indian contingent's chances at the Paris Games, the seasoned athlete told JioCinema's The Dreamers in an interview, "The strength of any team lies in its communication and combination. It’s essential to support each other in various situations. We talked a lot and discussed how to handle different scenarios. Clear communication, especially in tough situations, is a huge strength for us."

Bhajan Kaur

Bhajan Kaur secured India's first women's individual recurve archery berth for the Paris Olympics 2024. On June 16, the 18-year-old secured a gold medal at the final world qualifying tournament in Antalya. Kaur is the second Indian archer to qualify for the Paris Games, following Dhiraj Bommadevara in the men's event.

Ankita Bhakat

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The 26-year-old archer started her career in 2017 and has made a big name for herself in the Indian sports landscape. She is making her Olympic debut at the Paris Games 2024. Coached by Baek Woong Ki at the national level and Lim Chae Woong at the club level, Bhakat has represented India at the World Championships, where she won Gold in the under-21 category, and the Asian Games, where she won Bronze.

Swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu

As a kid, Dhinidhi Desinghu 'hated' water and refused to enter a pool. However, her parents encouraged her to learn swimming so she could make more friends in the class. Fast forward to 2024, she is a swimming prodigy representing India at the Paris Games. The 14-year-old is the youngest athlete in the Indian contingent and was selected in the Women's 200m category through the university quota. The Bengaluru-native athlete has also participated in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China and is already preparing for the LA 2028 Games.

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Badminton

PV Sindhu

PV Sindhu will be the female flagbearer of the Indian contingent at the Paris Games 2024. The 29-year-old Badminton legend will be playing representing India in the Women's Singles match. Sindhu is the only Indian woman athlete to have won two Olympic medals. She grabbed the silver medal in the women's singles at the 2016 Rio Olympics and followed that with a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Tanisha Crasto- Ashwini Ponnappa (Doubles)

The duo of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa was selected for the badminton doubles at the Paris Olympics in April 2024. They were ranked 20th overall in the Race to Paris index and are the 12th eligible pair for the Olympic berth. Despite an age gap of over 13 years, the pair has emerged as one of India's best doubles players.

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Sailor Nethra Kumanan

Chennai-origin sailor Nethra Kumanan booked a berth to Paris in April 2024, under the Emerging Nations Program banner at the Last Chance Regatta, an Olympic qualifier, in Hyeres, France. The Emerging Nations Program by the organisation World Sailing reserves a place for sailors from lesser-known sailing nations to make an impact at the top level. Kumanan is the first woman from India to ever qualify for the Olympics, as she competed in the Tokyo Games three years ago and managed 67 net points to finish fifth on the overall leaderboard. 

Wrestling

Antim Panghal: 53kg

Antim Panghal's tale has been a remarkable journey of perseverance and success. The Haryana-native athlete was named 'Antim' meaning 'final', hoping she would be the last daughter born in the family. Today, she is one of the country's best wrestlers who is now representing India at the Paris Olympics. Panghal was India's first-ever Under-20 world wrestling champion. She was conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2023.

Vinesh Phogat: 50kg

After overcoming numerous battles over the past two years, Vinesh Phogat is set to bring glory to Indian wrestling at the Paris Games. Born in Haryana, the wrestler's family broke several barriers to let her pursue a dream in sports, one that was believed to be solely for men. Geeta and Babita Phogat's cousin, Vinesh belongs to a family of legendary athletes who have made the nation proud at several international events like the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games. 

Anshu Malik: 57kg

Anhu Malik made history as the first woman to win a medal for India in the women's 57 kg category at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships held in Oslo, Norway and is now set to achieve laurels at the Olympics. At the 2021 Asian Championships, the 22-year-old athlete from Haryana won a gold medal in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Anshu Malik reportedly belongs to a family steeped in athleticism. She is the daughter of international wrestler Dharamvir Malik.

Nisha Dahiya: 68kg

Despite a recent collarbone injury, Nisha Dahiya is poised to win a medal for India at the Paris Olympics in the 68kg women's wrestling event. The 25-year-old from Haryana qualified for the Games at the World Olympic qualifiers in Istanbul in May 2024 when defeated Romania's Alexandra Anghel in the 68 kg semifinals. Dahiya won a silver medal in the 2023 Asian Wrestling Championships.

Reetika Hooda: 76kg

Haryana-native Reetika Hooda was born to a humble family involved in agriculture. Her keen interest in sports led her to conquer many hardships to achieve glory in wrestling. She made history as the first-ever female U23 Wrestling World Champion in November 2023. Hooda also won a bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023. She earned her Paris quota at the 2024 Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament in Kyrgyzstan.

Table Tennis

Manika Batra

Manika Batra will headline the Indian women's table tennis team at the Paris Olympics. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardee started her journey in the sport when she was just four years old. She made history at the 2020 Tokyo Games, becoming the first Indian paddler to reach the third round at the Olympics in a singles event. The 29-year-old ace athlete had also qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

Sreeja Akula

Sreeja Akula is India's #1 player who recently achieved the remarkable milestone of becoming the first Indian paddler to secure a WTT Contender Singles Title at the WTT Contender Lagos 2023. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the 25-year-old secured a gold in the mixed doubles event with veteran player Sharath Kamal. The Hyderabad-native athlete received an Arjuna Award in 2022.

Archana Kamath

While 24-year-old Archana Kamath is debuting at the Olympics, she too has several accolades to her name. The Bengaluru-raised athlete was born to a family of doctors and academicians but decided on an unconventional career route. At age 14, she became the youngest Indian paddler to win an Under-21 singles title. She also won the gold medal at the 2023 National Games of India in women's singles.

Ayhika Mukherjee (Reserves)

Ayhika Mukherjee was part of the Indian contingent at the 2022 Asian Games, where she and Sutirtha Mukherjee teamed up to win a bronze in the doubles event in Hangzhou, China. She was also part of the 2018 Asian Games. The 27-year-old made history at the World Table Tennis Team Championships 2024 when she beat the undefeated world #1 player, Sun Yingsha from China. 

Weighltifter Mirabai Chanu 

Mirabai Chanu made history at the Tokyo Games 2020 as the first Indian weightlifter to win a silver in Olympic history. Not just that, the 29-year-old also ended India's 21-year wait for a medal in weightlifting. She is now poised to grab another model for the country at Paris 2024 as the only weightlifter to qualify. The athlete from Manipur has earned a spot in the 49 kg women's category. Chanu is a Padma awardee and a Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna recipient.

Athletics

Jyothi Yarraji: Hurdles

Jyothi Yarraji made history as she became the first Indian to qualify for the Olympic Women's 100-metre hurdles through the world ranking quota. In May 2024, the national record holder clocked an impressive 12.87 seconds at the Harry Schulting Games in Vught, Netherlands. While she failed to meet the Olympic qualifying time of 12.77 seconds, her impressive performance and consistency secured her the 34th place in the 40-member qualification list released by the World Athletics on July 2.  

Priyanka Goswami: Racewalk, marathon race walk mixed relay

Pioneering Indian racewalker Priyanka Goswami qualified for the Paris Olympics Women's 20km category. In April 2024 at the 18th in the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya, Turkiye, he and Akshdeep Singh registered a timing of 3:05:03 to finish inside the top 20. The marathon mixed relay event is a new category making its debut at the Paris Olympics and Goswami will be teaming up with Suraj Panwar. In 2022, Priyanka Goswami made history as the first Indian woman to win a medal for race walk after clinching silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Parul Chaudhary: Steeplechase

In August 2023, Parul Chaudhary booked her place in the Paris Olympics and set a new national record as she secured the 11th in the women's 3000m steeplechase finals at the World Athletics Championships in Hungary. She showcased her prowess by clocking an individual best time of 9:24.29 seconds.

Kiran Pahal: Women's 400m race

On June 27, 2024, 23-year-old athlete Kiran Pahal made history as she clocked the second-best timing in Women's 400m in India, clocking an impressive 50.92 seconds at the inter-state Athletics Championships in Panchkula. This significance booked her a berth at the Paris Olympics and also marked her career-best performance.

Annu Rani: Women’s Javelin Throw

Annu Ran, an eight-time national champion Annu Rani and pioneering Asian Games gold medallist, will represent India in women's javelin throw at the Paris Games. The 31-year-old athlete from Uttar Pradesh holds the women's national record for a 63.82m attempt, which she set at the Indian Open Javelin Throw Competition held in 2022. 

Ankita Dhyani: Women’s 5000m 

Uttarakhand native Ankita Dhyani made the Olympic cut earlier in July 2024 through the world ranking quota. The 5000m athlete claimed the 42nd spot on the qualification list published by World Athletics. The 22-year-old secured a bronze medal at the Asian Championships 2023. Her personal-best timing is 15 minutes, 28.08 seconds, recorded at the Track Fest in Los Angeles, USA in May 2024.

Vithya Ramraj, M R Poovamma, Jyothika Sri Dandi, and Subha Venkatesan ( Women’s 4x400m relay)

M R Poovamma represented India at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Jyothika Sri Dandi was a part of the Indian mixed 4×400 relay team that scripted a national record and won the gold medal at the first edition of the Asian Relay Championships earlier in 2024. Subha Venkatesan from Trichy, Tamil Nadu, trained at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu’s (SDAT) Centre in Chennai. Vithya Ramraj from Tamil Nadu won bronze at the Asian Games last year equalled a national record set by the veteran athlete PT Usha.

Prachi Choudhary (Reserves)

Prachi Choudhary has qualified for athletics at the Paris Olympics. She won a silver medal in the Women's 4 × 400 metres relay event at the 2022 Asian Games. She also participated in the women’s 4x400m in the 2024 Asian Relay Championships with Vithya Ramraj, M R Poovamma, and Rupal Chaudhary to finish second.

Judoka Tulika Maan

On June 25, Judo champion Tulika Maan became the 100th Indian to officially secure a spot at the Paris Olympics 2024. She grabbed the continental quota, reserved for athletes who secure the most points across all genders in the continent. Maan, who has racked up 1345 points from June 2022 to June 2024, ranking 36th, will compete in the +78kg category.

Shooting

Shreyasi Singh: Women's trap

On June 21, Shreyasi Singh was included in the 21-member Indian shooting squad that would compete in Paris Olympics. The experienced shooter and MLA of Jamui, Bihar, will be starting in the women's trap event at the Summer Games. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced the 32-year-old's selection after getting the go-ahead from the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), which accepted the NRAI's request for a quota swap.

Elavenil Valarivan: 10m air rifle, 10m air rifle mixed team

In January 2024, sport shooter Elavenil Valarivan grabbed a gold medal at the Asian Olympic qualifiers in Jakarta. In May, she and Ramita Jindal consolidated their position by placing 1-2 in women’s air rifle at the Olympic shooting trials at Madhya Pradesh Academy. Valarivan, from Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu, has represented India at the Tokyo Olympics.

Sift Kaur Samra: Women's 50m rifle 3 positions

Sift Kaur Samra has been into sport shooting since the age of 9. Today, she is a world record holder in the 50m Women's Rifle 3 Positions. The 22-year-old also secured India's first gold medal in shooting at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, China. She was also a part of the silver-medallist Indian contingent at the tournament. Samra dropped out of medical school to pursue her athletic career full-time. She is now pursuing a Bachelor of Physical Education and Sports. The Punjab-native athlete is now making her Olympic debut at the Paris Games 2024.

Rajeshwari Kumari: Women's trap

India's #1 trap shooter Rajeshwari Kumari was one of the first Indian athletes to qualify for the Paris Olympics. She earned her spot after finishing fifth in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship (All Events) in August 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan. At that event, she set a new national record score of 120, surpassing the previous score of 118 she had set by herself in the qualification round. 

Ramita Jindal: 10m air rifle, 10m air rifle mixed team, 

20-year-old won a silver medal in the Women's 10 metre air rifle team and a bronze medal in the 10m air rifle in the 2022 Asian Games and is poised for another medal at the Paris Olympics. In the Indian Olympic Selection Trials in 2024, she scored 636.4 points, 0.1 more than the world record. Jindal, who trains with Elavenil Valarivan in Chennai's Sports Science Centre, is a 2022 junior World Championships gold medallist. 

Manu Bhaker: 10m air pistol, 10m air pistol mixed team

Manu Bhaker will lead the Indian shooting contingent at the Paris Games. The 22-year-old narrowly missed a medal after her pistol malfunctioned at the Tokyo Olympics. However, she has set her target on glory this time around. The Haryana-native athlete spent 8-9 hours at the shooting range each day, preparing herself for the Games.

Bhaker had also qualified for the trap event but was swapped with Shreyasi Singh as she had already finished on top in both air pistol and sports pistol. Impressively, Bhaker has won a staggering 15 gold medals in her career so far at all levels. She won gold at the 2023 World Championships in Baku in the 25m pistol team event.

Anjum Moudgil: 50m rifle 3 positions

Punjab-native sport shooter Anjum Moudgil is not only an ace athlete but also a professional artist. She completed her graduation and post-graduation in humanities from DAV College in Chandigarh. The 20-year-old also has a Masters in sports psychology and is vocal about the mental health struggles of athletes. Moudgil has won several medals and awards for her sporting abilities, including the coveted Arjuna which she accepted in 2019.

Esha Singh: 25m pistol

19-year-old Esha Singh started shooting when she was just nine. Her interest was piqued when she would accompany her father to the shooting range in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, oblivious to the fact that she would represent India on the global stage one day. When she was just 13 years old, Singh became a national champion, defeating Manu Bhaker, Heena Sindhu, and more prolific athletes. She clinched the Olympic quota in the Asian shooting championship in Jakarta in January 2024.

Rhythm Sangwan: 10m air pistol, 10m air pistol mixed team

Rhythm Sangwan grew up loving numerous sports but committed herself to sport shooting when she was 13 years old. At 20 years old now, the English literature student is a national champion, a 2022 Asian Games medallist, and a hopeful Paris Olympic medallist. Sangwan belongs to Faridabad and has won many gold medals for India including one from the World Championships 2023 in the women’s 25m pistol team and four in the World Cup.

Raiza Dhillon: Skeet

Raiza Dhillon from Haryana made the Olympic quota after she won the skeet event at the Asia Olympic Qualifiers that took place in Kuwait. Dhillon is all set to be the first Indian to participate in the skeet event at the Paris Games. She took up the sport inspired by the guns her father and grandfather used for hunting. In 2019, Dhillon started skeet shooting professionally and worked tirelessly to represent her country's sporting prowess at international events.

Maheshwari Chauhan: Women's skeet, Skeet mixed team 

Chauhan has also secured a quota for the skeet shooting event and will compete in both individual and mixed categories. The 28-year-old from Rajasthan's Siyana is the first Indian to win an individual medal in women’s skeet at an international event. She secured a Paris 2024 quota at the ISSF Final Olympic Shotgun Qualification Championship in Doha, Qatar. Chauhan is supported by the non-profit organisation Olympic Gold Quest.

Boxing

Jaismine Lamboria

Jaismine Lamboria became the first woman from the Indian Army to qualify for the Olympics, as she defeated Marine Camara of Mali with a 5-0 scoreline in the qualifiers on June 2. She gained a quota in the women's 57 kg category, reclaiming India's spot after Parveen Hooda was suspended for a whereabouts failure in May 2024.

Lovlina Borgohain

Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain has her eyes set on gold at the Paris Games 2024. The Assamese athlete is the first female athlete and the second boxer from the State to make it to the Olympics. The 26-year-old won gold medals at the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships and the 2022 Asian Boxing Championships. She has represented India at the Asian Games 2022 and Commonwealth Games 2018. Borgohain also received the Arjuna Award in 2020.

Nikhat Zareen

Two-time World Champion Nikhat Zareen sealed her Paris Olympics quota in September 2023, after years of prepping for the day. The 27-year-old Asian Games bronze medallist has been one of India's most consistent boxers, as she has lost two bouts in her career so far. She is on a mission to be the first Indian woman boxer to win either Olympic gold or silver.

Preeti Pawar 

Haryana native Preeti Pawar took up boxing inspired by her parents, who are former athletes. The 20-year-old has represented India at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. She is the youngest member of the Indian boxing contingent at the Paris Olympics 2024. Apart from being an accomplished sportsperson, Pawar is also an avid artist who has reportedly been sketching for her fellow Indian Olympians whenever she finds the time between intense practice sessions and rest.

Golf

Aditi Ashok

Aditi Ashok is set to represent India for the third time at the Olympics. The Indian Golf Union, which oversees the qualification process, states that players are required to be among the top 60 in the world according to the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) to secure their spots. Ashok holds a commendable ranking of 46. Ashok secured fourth place at the previous Olympics at Tokyo in 2021, and already set a high bar for performance. 

Diksha Dagar

Diksha Dagar, who received the Arjuna Award in January, recently made history as the first Indian golfer to compete in 100 tournaments on the Ladies European Tour (LET). The 23-year-old who recently tied for the 24th position in the 2024 Amundi German Masters is now eyeing India's first medal in golf at the Le Golf National on August 1.

Dagar, who is hearing impaired, boasts a gold medal from the 2021 Summer Deaflympics and a silver from the 2017 Deaflympics. She is the only golfer in the world to secure two medals in the Deaflympics since the sport's induction in the tournament in 2017. Dagar also represented India at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. 

Indian women athletes women in sports India at Olympics Paris Olympics 2024
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