Ace Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was seen wishing the Indian athletes all the very best as they prep for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The Games will begin on 26 July and will see a total of 118 Indian athletes taking part in various disciplines.
To motivate them and wish them good luck, Kohli appealed to the country's supporters to back the country's Olympic team. He wants them to accompany the athletes as "they inch closer to the podium with dogged determination".
Kohli stated that it is time for India to be acknowledged as a major force in international sports in a little over a minute-long social media video that included some sportsmen headed to Paris, including javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and boxing prospect Nishant Dev.
"There was a time when the world could only think of India as a land of snake charmers and elephants. Over time, that has changed. Today we are known to the world as the largest democracy, a global tech hub”.
We are known for cricket and Bollywood, for start-up unicorns, and as the fastest-growing economy in the world. So, what is the next big thing for this great nation? Well, that will be more gold, more silver, and more bronze," Kohli said in a video shared on his socials.
He continued by addressing Indian sports supporters, pleading with them to cheer on the 118 athletes who would be trying to surpass the nation's record of seven medals won at the previous Games in Tokyo.
"Our brothers and sisters are headed to Paris, hungry for medals. A billion of us will watch them nervous and excited as our athletes set foot in the tracks, fields, courts, and rings.
Every neighborhood, every corner of India will hear a chorus of voices chanting 'India, India, India'. Join me in remembering their faces as they inch closer to the podium with the dogged determination to wave the Tiranga with pride. Jai Hind and good luck India," Kohli signed off.
The majority of the Indian athletes are now training overseas and will travel from their separate sites to the French capital, according to PTI.
Meanwhile, Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra, who will defend his crown in Paris, thanked Virat Kohli for his wishes.
He replied to Kohli’s post and stated: “Thank you for your support, @imVkohli bhai.”
