Get, Set, Go(ld)

A glimpse into the mind, heart, and journey of the Indian athletes who are ready to take the centre stage at the Olympics this year.

- Maahi Shah

Nothing brings a country of 1.4 billion people together more than the love for sports. From the goosebumps-invoking chants of India, India' that echo across a stadium when we win to the radio silence in every corner of the country when we lose-sports has been a perennial part of passionate dinner table conversations and tea time tête-à-tête. Truth be told, we wouldn't have it any other way.

In 2008, when ace shooter Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian to win a gold at the Beijing Olympics, the games sparked more than just a fleeting interest among sports enthusiasts and athletes alike.

What was once a country obsessed with cricket has witnessed quite a remarkable shift in the last two decades, with keen attention paid to the Olympic Games and the many sports that are part of it. In 2020, the Indian contingent consisted of 124 athletes, making it the largest the country ever sent to the Games. The athletes at the Games are those who know what it takes to be champions. They make sacrifices, take struggle in their stride, and exhibit an unwavering dedication to get to where they want to be. For them, giving up has never been an option—and it never will be.

As an audience, we are infinitely proud of who they are, all that they have achieved and everything they aspire to be.

Cosmo India interacted with the athletes who are eager to see the Indian flag hoisted against the background of the national anthem, as they step onto the podium to receive a medal at the Paris Olympic Summer Games this year. These sportspersons let us in on how they build resilience in the face of inevitable hurdles, display perseverance beyond passion, and their incomparable feeling of being able to represent India.