The cream of Indian sports was in vibrant colours as the Olympics bound athletes were given a hearty send-off by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the Capital on Sunday. The unveiling of the ceremonial and competition kit saw the athletes catch the eye in their sparkling attire, even as they were assured of the “blessings and good wishes” of the entire nation, especially in the address by the Sports Minister, Mansukh Mandavia and the Petroleum Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri. The President of the IOA, PT Usha announced a full-fledged medical recovery system at the Athletes Village for India apart from a “Home away from Home” set up by the Reliance Foundation to help the Indian athletes feel at home in Paris.
Acknowledging that the Indian athletes have all the resources and facilities at their disposal in pursuit of excellence in the Olympics, Usha said, “we have no doubt that you will make us proud in Paris. The entire nation stands behind you”. Hockey players Jarmanpreet Singh and Nilakanta Sharma, shooters Shreyasi Singh and Anjum Moudgil dazzled on stage in the Olympic ceremonial dress, designed by Tarun Tahiliani.
The dress would be worn by the contingent during the opening ceremony. Shooters Anish Bhanwala, Vijayveer Sidhu, Sandeep Singh, Rhythm Sangwan, swimmer Srihari Nataraj, wrester Reetika Hooda, hockey players Jugraj Singh and Krishan Pathak gave a glimpse of the “playing kit”, designed by JSW Sports. The Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri recalled .
