India to win double digit medals at Paris Olympics, says IOC member Nita Ambani

After the highs of the Tokyo Olympics, where India won its best ever medal haul, the country can win double-digit medals in Paris, IOC member Nita Ambani said.

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She also said that the day when India will host the Summer Games is “not far away”.

In October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced India’s intention to bid for the 2036 Olympics, pledging to leave no stone unturned to realise the dream of 1.4 billion people.

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“We are going to do very well. Forty-seven percent of our athletes are girls. We are all for women power and for our young boys and girls, we support them and encourage them. I hope we can see double digit medal count for the first time. Go India, go, make India proud,” Nita said at the opening ceremony of India House in Paris.

A day after the Paris Olympics began with an open-air opening ceremony, India House, the first Olympic country house, hosted a star-studded opening ceremony. BCCI secretary Jay Shah and IOC officials and administrators were present.

“India has arrived. It is time for the flame first lit in Athens to light up the skies of our ancient land, India. The day is not far when India will host the Olympics. Let this be our collective resolve as we open India House,” she added.

“For the first time, India will have its own home at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It is a place where we will honour our athletes, celebrate their achievements and wish them well.

“We will celebrate our heritage and culture, with many artisans and cultural programs on the program. It will be a second home for our athletes.

When asked how she came up with the idea, she said, “When I went to Brazil, the Winter Olympics in Korea and then Tokyo, we didn’t have an India House.

“I felt that India, with its 1.4 billion people, needed a home of its own. That’s when I started thinking about having an India House at the Olympics so that our athletes and everyone else could see what the spirit of India really is.

“Considered as a symbol of India’s Olympic aspiration, we hope it becomes a home away from home for our athletes where we honour them and salute their achievements,” she added.