Olympic gold medalists Harmanpreet Singh and Lovlina Borgohain will carry the Indian flag at the Asian Games opening ceremony in Hangzhou on September 23.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), according to reports, opted to use joint flag bearers for the continental competition. The Indian team boasted a record 655 competitors competing in 39 different sports in the Games, which were delayed by a year because to the Covid-19 epidemic.
“The IOA has determined that the Indian delegation at the Asian Games would be led by two flag bearers. So, the men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and boxer Lovlina Borgohain will participate,” the source stated.
The current world champion in women’s 75 kg boxing, Lovlina, will be aiming for a gold medal to guarantee her spot in the Paris Olympics. In boxing, there are up to 34 Olympic quotas available for both men and women. The Assam fighter had previously taken home a bronze medal in the 69 kg welterweight division in the Tokyo Games.
Leading the Indian men’s squad in the tournament and competing for a gold medal to guarantee automatic qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games, Harmanpreet is one of the top drag-flickers in all of hockey.
Neeraj Chopra, the current Olympic and world champion javelin thrower, carried the Indian team’s flag in Jakarta five years ago.
