Paris Olympics 2024: Players from Punjab who could win medals

Punjab has produced many Olympians over the years. A vast majority of the names that come to mind are from the hockey field, but there's also the likes of Milkha Singh, Avneet Sidhu, who continue to inspire the next generation of world-beaters.

With the race for Paris Olympics qualification berths heating up, many prospects from the state stand ready to give it their all in pursuit of sporting glory. Here, we have listed out players from Punjab who have the best shot at securing a podium finish in Paris next July:

#1 Harmanpreet Singh and Co.

Over the years, Punjab has produced one star hockey player after the other. Unsurprisingly then, the biggest shot that players from the state have at an Olympic medal comes from the sport.

The revival of Indian hockey over the last five years or so has been nothing short of spectacular. The men’s team winning the bronze medal in Tokyo was a defining moment as it brought tangible results to show for the vastly-improved quality of the team.

Even then, players from Punjab dominated the roster. Led by Manpreet Singh, the then captain, the team featured a number of players from Punjab — Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Hardik Singh, Mandeep Singh, Shamsher Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh.

Many of them continue to be a part of the team, which is now led by Harmanpreet. Barring the poor ninth place finish at the World Cup, the men’s side has posted consistent performances — including the Asian Games gold — pushing their ranking up to No. 3. They could well be on their way to another Olympic medal.

#2 Gurjit Kaur and Reena Khokhar

In the form of Gurjit Kaur, the Indian women’s hockey team found a star drag-flick specialist — an asset that was visibly lacking in the side.

The Tokyo Olympics were a game-changer for the Amritsar-born player, who shone in India’s inspiring run to the bronze medal match. Heartbreak was in store for the women’s side as they missed out on a podium finish by a whisker, losing to England in the play-off.

The team has since shown immense grit as they continue to improve — now sitting a best-ever No. 6 in the world rankings.

The women may have missed out on a direct qualification mark after the Asian Games debacle, but they were quick to bounce back with a gold in the Asian Championship Trophy.

Besides Gurjit, Reena Khokar, another Punjab born player is a part of the core squad — which definitely has what it takes to beat the best in the world.

#3 Sift Kaur

Sift Kaur had her big breakthrough at this year’s Asian Games, when she set a new world record in the Women's 50 metre Rifle Three Positions competition en-route to the gold medal.

Born in Punjab’s Faridkot, Kaur dropped out of medical school to pursue a career in shooting. The youngster tasted immediate success by bagging medals at the Junior World Cup before transitioning into the big league.

Kaur’s main discipline is highly-competitive, with countrywoman Shriyanka Sadangi also vying for a medal in the event. That said, with the world record to her name, Kaur will head to Paris as one of the favorites on paper.

#4 Arjun Babuta

Another young shooter from Punjab, Arjun Babuta, will be presenting his challenge in Paris — having secured a 10m Air Rifle berth after a strong showing at this year’s Asian Shooting Championships.

Just like Sift Kaur, Babuta tasted success at a young age by bagging a gold at the Junior World Cup in 2016. He backed it up with a gold at the 2021 World University Games and while his results on the senior circuit have not been at the same level, he has a lot of potential.

The fact that Babuta gave Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Sheng Lihao a run for his money at the Asian Championships stands testament to his talent. The 24-year-old has gained experience of playing on the big stage in recent months and could well spring a surprise in Paris