Indian Flag hoisted at CWG Village in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM: On the eve of the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2022, the Indian flag was hoisted at the CWG Village in Birmingham.

Several athletes, including the hockey men's and women's teams of India, took part in the flag-hoisting ceremony at the CWG Village on Thursday.

In the presence of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Acting President Anil Khanna, IOA Treasurer Anandeshwar Panday, Anil Dhupar, the Deputy Chef de Mission for the Games, and other IOA officials, Team India's Chef de Mission, Rajesh Bhandari, hoisted the flag in a ceremony filled with music and dance.

Earlier on Wednesday, Indian ace shuttler and Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and hockey men's team captain Manpreet Singh were announced as the two Flagbearers of the Indian contingent at the Opening Ceremony.

"It is a great honour to be bestowed with the responsibility to lead the contingent and hold the flag at such an august gathering. I am extremely happy and I wish all my fellow contingent all the best for the Games. I would like to thank IOA also for choosing me as the flag bearer," said Sindhu in a statement as per Badminton Association of India (BAI) Media.

Alongside Sindhu, who medalled at the Rio 2016 Olympics and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, two other highly deserving athletes were considered to be Team India's Flagbearer: weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who are both Olympic medallists.

Meanwhile, the decision to name Singh, who led the Indian men's hockey team to a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last year, as the second Flagbearer for the said occasion was arrived at after the IOA was intimated by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee that two Flagbearers - one male and one female - must be named by each nation for the Opening Ceremony.

IOA Acting President Anil Khanna: "Manpreet Singh ended Indian hockey's 41-year Olympic medal drought with a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics last year. He is one of the finest athletes to have ever represented India on the international stage. We are delighted to name him and Sindhu as the two Flagbearers who will lead the Indian contingent out at the Parade of Nations tomorrow during the Opening Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games."

In addition, Rajesh Bhandari, Team India Chef de Mission, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, announced that a maximum of 164 participants from the Indian contingent can take part in the Parade of Nations in the Opening Ceremony, scheduled for July 28, 2022.

The Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 is being held from July 28 to August 8. India will be represented by 215 athletes who will take part in 141 events across 19 sporting disciplines.