NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli, the current Indian cricket superstar, has 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" in the quadrennial extravaganza that starts in Paris from July 26.
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," he said.
"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," he added.
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 be watching them nervous and excited as our athletes set foot in the tracks and fields and courts and rings.
"Every neighbourhood, 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 of waving the Tiranga with pride. Jai Hind and good luck India," Kohli, who is currently in London on a break after India's T20 World Cup triumph in the West Indies last month, said in his monologue.
The majority of the Indian athletes are now training overseas and will travel from their separate sites to the French capital, according to PTI.
Aside from the anticipation of a second consecutive podium finish from Chopra, who made history with his javelin throw gold in Tokyo, India's medal hopes will depend on shooting, badminton, wrestling, and boxing.
