Tokyo Olympics: 5 potential flag bearers for India in opening ceremony

Despite shooters in the near past have mostly been the flag bearers of India at the Olympics featuring Rajvardhan Singh Rathore and Abhinav Bindra in consecutive occasions, India will be spoilt for choices when it comes to picking up the flag in the opening ceremony.

Here we take the top 5 potential flag bearers for India at the Olympics:

PV Sindhu (Badminton)

PV Sindhu has been the face of India Sports, especially in the Olympics after her silver medal finish in Rio 2016. The entire nation was glued on to the television for a non-cricket event for a change which makes her the perfect candidate to lead the Indian team into the games.

She already was the 2018 Commonwealth games flag bearer, and could be picked as part of the tradition of making flag bearers of past Olympic results, and comes fresh into the games with a successful Swiss Open campaign.

Mary Kom (Boxing)

Mary Kom represents the vanguard of Indian sports after her bronze medal finish in London 2012, which also was one of the most successful outings for the Indian nation at the games.

Kom is not at her usual form and has faced early exits in several world and asian events in the recent past, but still is the metamorphic flagbearer of Indian Sports. She recently won the Silver in Asian Championships and has World Championship laurels in 2018 and 2019.

Bajrang Punia (Wrestling)

Bajrang Punia is a serious gold medal contender for India in Wrestling. Punia has been consistent in the big stages in the run up to the games and has made podium finishes in the Asian and World Championships in the last three years.

He bagged the gold in the Asian and Commonwealth games and will be upbeat for his maiden Olympics call up.

Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting)

Mirabai Chanu is yet another serious medal prospect for India. Chanu's biggest achievement so far was the Gold Medal finish in the World Championships in 2017 in the 48kg category.

Chanu pushed above her weight recently by lifting a clean and jerk of 119kg in the Asian Championships and is in some fine run of results.

Manpreet Singh (Hockey)

The Indian Hockey team captain will have his task cut out as he leads his side to retain the lost glory of Indian Hockey at the games despite being a sport in which India has been the most successful.

Singh was part of the winning Indian sides at the Asian Games, Asian Championships and World League and primarily plays as a halfback.

Special Mention: Neeraj Chopra (Athletics)

One of the many athletes ticking all the right boxes is Neeraj Chopra. Chopra rose through the ranks of the Army and has been up there in the world stage of javelin throw.

Chopra has acclaimed gold medals at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Championships and World Junior Championships. He holds the Indian record of 88.07m for Javelin Throw as he qualified for the Olympics.