Elavenil Valarivan in action© AFP
Ahead of the shooting contingent's campaign at the Paris Olympics 2024, parents of Indian shooters Elavenil Valarivan and Ramita Jindal expressed hope that the athletes will come back home with medals and also talked about their preparations. After a glittering opening ceremony, the Indian contingent will be in action in seven different sports on Saturday including shooting, hockey, badminton and tennis. In shooting, the 10 m air rifle mixed team qualification is scheduled for 12:30 pm, which will see the teams of Sandeep Singh/Elavenil Valarivan and Arjun Babuta/Ramita Jindal in action. The medal rounds will take place at 2 pm.
The shooting action will continue with the 10 m air pistol men's and women's qualifiers scheduled for 2 pm and 4 pm respectively.
The air pistol qualifiers will feature stars like Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Cheema, Manu Bhaker and Rhythm Sangwan in action. After some consistent shows in national and international events leading up to the Olympics, Team India would be strong contenders for a medal in every category.
Speaking about his daughter's preparation and hopes, Elavenil's father, R Valarivan said she has prepared well.
"We expect that she will bring glory to India. She is participating in the Olympics for the second time. She had gone to Tokyo but missed the medal. She has prepared really well. Coaches are also very confident about her victory. The Indian government has given very good exposure and training for the Indian shooting team," Valarivan told ANI.
Elavenil's mother K Saroja Valarivan, also said the athlete has been practicing well hard for three-four years and is stronger and steadier than before.
"We are expecting a medal from her. The whole team looks really strong and the central and state governments have supported them well through Target Olympic Podium Scheme and they have left no stone unturned."
In Haryana, Ramita's parents, Sonika and Arvind, expressed confidence about her good performance.
A 'Mahayagya' was held by the residents of Ladwa in Kurukshetra, praying for Ramita's success in the Olympics.
Arvind told ANI that his daughter kept improving her game with every match.
"I thank all the residents of Ladwa for performing 'Mahayagya' for her victory...She will surely win the Gold medal for India. She will no doubt receive the blessings of all and God will listen to all of us. She kept improving as she played her matches. She won two medals in Asian Games. Our blessings are with her, she is not only our daughter, but also of the entire India," he said.
Mother of Ramita, Sonika, also thanked the residents of Ladwa for their wishes. "She will give her 100 per cent and win a medal for India," Sonika said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)