Indian athletes dazzle in Olympic attire during ceremonial send-off by the IOA

The cream of Indian sports was in attendance as the Olympics bound athletes were given a hearty send-off by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) here on Sunday.

The cream of Indian sports was in attendance as the Olympics bound athletes were given a hearty send-off by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) here on Sunday.

The unveiling of the ceremonial and competition kit saw the athletes catch the eye in their sparkling attire. They were assured of the “blessings and good wishes” of the entire nation, especially in the address by the Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

The president of IOA, P.T. 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.

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.

Minister Hardeep recalled the nation’s celebration of the T20 World Cup cricket triumph and expressed confidence that the Indian athletes would handle the “great expectations with great determination to win more Olympic medals” than ever before.