Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker to be India's flag bearer at closing ceremony in Paris
Paris (PTI): Star shooter Manu Bhaker, who created history by winning two bronze medals at the Paris Games, is set to be India's flag bearer at the Olympic closing ceremony here on Sunday.
Manu opened India's medal account at the ongoing Games by winning a bronze in individual 10m air pistol event, becoming the first markswoman from the country to win an Olympic medal.
She then joined forces with Sarabjot Singh to bag the 10m air pistol mixed team bronze.
"Yes, Manu has been chosen to be the flag bearer. She has done exceptionally well and deserves the honour," an IOA official told PTI.
The 22-year-old shooter from Haryana had earlier said it would be an honour to be India's as flag bearer.
"There are many in the contingent who are more deserving but it will be a real honour, if I am asked to," Manu had told PTI.
IOA has not named a male flag bearer yet but are likely announce one in the coming days.
Besides Manu's two medals, fellow shooter Swapnil Kushale clinched India's third medal also a bronze in the men's 50m Rifle Three Positions.
Shuttler Lakshya Sen will fight for bronze on Monday and the men's hockey team has also got closer to a medal by reaching the semifinals.
Nisha Dahiya will start India wrestlers' campaign today when she takes the mat in women's 68kg event. Reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will begin his campaign on August 6.
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
