Commonwealth Games 2022: Neeraj Chopra or PV Sindhu, who will be India’s flag-bearer in opening ceremony?

The Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra might reach Birmingham at a much later date since his Javelin event qualification round is scheduled to be held on August 5.

PV Sindhu (left) and Neeraj Chopra. (Source: Twitter)

A total of 215 athletes from India will be competing at the Commonwealth Games 2022 starting on Thursday (July 28). Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who will be defending his javelin title in Birmingham, is expected to be first-choice to be India’s flag-bearer for the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) but his schedule for arrival in CWG village still remains uncertain.

Neeraj Chopra is also the reigning champion in the Commonwealth Games having won the gold in 2018 at Gold Coast. The 24-year old was also the flag-bearer during the 2018 Asian Games at Jakarta and it was expected that the IOA will once again name the athlete as the flag-bearer at Birmingham.

The Indian javelin star might reach Birmingham at a much later date since his Javelin event qualification round is scheduled to be held on August 5.

Next stop Birmingham [?][?]

Cheer for [?] Neeraj Chopra at #B2022, starting 28 July across DD Sports (DD Free Dish) pic.twitter.com/0Bzy7TQoot — Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) July 25, 2022

“We will be checking Neeraj Chopra’s itinerary. Today his competition has finished, in next 24 hours we will decide who will be India’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony,” Anil Khanna, acting president of IOA was quoted as saying by InsideSport website.

If Neeraj Chopra makes himself unavailable then the IOA is expected to give this duty to two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu.

The shuttlers have reached the Games village since their events will begin from the first day. It is to be noted that Sindhu was the flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast. She won the silver medal in women’s singles in that edition and will now look to add the Gold medal to her medal collection.

Apart from Sindhu other names like Tokyo Olympic Silver medallists wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya and weighlifters Mirabai Chanu or boxer Lovlina Borgohain who won the Tokyo Olympic Bronze medal and reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen also have a chance to be selected as the flag-bearer.

Neeraj Chopra added yet another feather to his hat as he became the first Indian man to win a medal in the World Athletics Championships. He clinched silver in Javelin throw with a best throw of 88.13 m in the Javelin throw final, which was held at Eugene in Oregon, USA. Chopra is a favourite to win his second successive gold medal at the CWG 2022.

Bisheshwar Nandi named women’s gymnastic team coach for CWG

Gymnastics coach Bisheshwar Nandi, who guided Dipa Karmakar to a historic fourth place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has been named coach of the Indian women’s team for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in place of controversial Rohit Jaiswal.

Jaiswal, who was earlier designated as the women’s team coach, was dropped from the CWG-bound team after he was accused by gymnast Aruna Budda Reddy for videographing her without her consent. “I’ve done my biometrics a day before and am expecting my visa to arrive by tomorrow. I will join the team by July 29,” Nandi told news agency PTI from the national camp in New Delhi.

Jaiswal’s exclusion could be a setback for her ward and India medal hopeful Pranati Nayak but Nandi said he would take care of every team member. “It would not be an issue as I’ve known them for many years now. Also, I’ve my ward Protistha Samanta whom I’ve trained over the years and she is also quite promising after her World Cup stint in Egypt and Azerbaijan earlier this year,” he added.

Indian Gymnastics Squad:

Men’s: Satyajit Mondal, Yogeshwar Singh and Saif Tamboli.

Women’s: Pranati Nayak, Ruthuja Nataraj, Protishta Samanta, Bavleen Kaur.

(with PTI inputs)