Indian flag hoisted at CWG Village on eve of Opening Ceremony in Birmingham
Birmingham (UK), July 28: The Indian flag was hoisted at the CWG Village in Birmingham on the eve of the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2022.
On Thursday, several athletes including the hockey men's and women's teams of India took part in the flag-hoisting ceremony at the CWG Village. Team India's Chef de Mission, Rajesh Bhandari, hoisted the flag in the presence of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Acting President Anil Khanna, IOA Treasurer Anandeshwar Panday, Anil Dhupar, the Deputy Chef de Mission for the Games, and other IOA officials.
Earlier on Wednesday, Indian star shuttler and Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and hockey men's team captain Manpreet Singh were named the Indian contingent's flagbearers at the Opening Ceremony.
"It is a great honour to be bestowed with the responsibility to lead the contingent and hold the flag at such an august gathering. I am extremely happy and I wish all my fellow contingent all the best for the Games. I would like to thank IOA also for choosing me as the flag bearer," said Sindhu.
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Apart from Sindhu, two other highly deserving athletes were considered to be Team India's Flagbearer: weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who are both Olympic medallists.
Meanwhile, the decision to name Singh, who led India's men's hockey team to a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last year, as the second Flagbearer for the occasion came after the IOA was informed by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee that each nation must name two Flagbearers - one male and one female - for the Opening Ceremony.
Anil Khanna, Acting President of the IOA said: "Manpreet Singh ended Indian hockey's 41-year Olympic medal drought with a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics last year. He is one of the finest athletes to have ever represented India on the international stage. We are delighted to name him and Sindhu as the two Flagbearers who will lead the Indian contingent out at the Parade of Nations tomorrow during the Opening Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games."
In addition, Rajesh Bhandari, Team India Chef de Mission for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, declared that the Indian contingent will be limited to 164 participants in the Parade of Nations during the Opening Ceremony on July 28, 2022.
The Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 will take place from July 28 to August 8, 2022. India will be represented by 215 athletes who will compete in 141 events across 19 sports.
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-PTC News
