2 flag-bearers Harmanpreet, Lovlina to lead Indian contingent at Asian Games opening ceremony

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has decided to have two flag-bearers to lead the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2023, a report by PTI said on Wednesday.

The IOA has named Indian Hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Olympic medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain to be the flag-bearers at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou on September 23.

“We arrived at the decision after much deliberation today,” Indian contingent Chef de Mission Bhupender Singh Bajwa told PTI. “This time we will have two flag-bearers leading the contingent at the Asian Games -- hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and boxer Lovlina Borgohain.”

Total 655 Indian athletes are participating in the Asian Games this year, which is the largest contingent ever.

At the opening ceremony of the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra had done the honours.

Harmanpreet, one of the best drag-flickers in the world, was part of the Indian Hockey team that won the historic bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.

The Indian men's hockey team would be aiming for a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games to secure automatic qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Lovlina had won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the 69kg category. This year, she won gold in 75kg category at the World Women's Boxing Championship in New Delhi.

Olympic Council Of Asia's acting president Randhir Singh has said that India can win more medals in the Hangzhou Asian Games than the 70 it won in the last edition.

Singh, himself an Olympian shooter and former secretary general of IOA, wished the Indian athletes all the success in the Hangzhou Asian Games.

“I would like to wish the Indian team great success. And, (I hope) we have more and more medals than we had the last time, which I'm sure we will achieve,” Singh said in a video message on X.

(With inputs from PTI)