Asian Games 2023: Harmanpreet Singh, Lovlina Borgohain named India's flagbearers for opening ceremony

New Delhi: Hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and Olympic medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain will be the flag-bearers of the Indian contingent during the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou on 23 September.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) took the decision on Wednesday to have joint flag-bearers for the continental showpiece.

A total of 655 Indian athletes are competing in the Asian Games this time, which is the largest contingent ever.

“We arrived at the decision after much deliberation today,” Indian contingent Chef de Mission Bhupender Singh Bajwa told PTI.

“This time we will have two flag-bearers leading the contingent at the Asian Games — hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and boxer Lovlina Borgohain,” added Bajwa, who is also Wushu Association of India chief.

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Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra had done the honours at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.

Lovlina had won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the 69kg category. This year, she won gold in 75kg category at the World Women’s Boxing Championship in New Delhi.

Harmanpreet is one of the best drag-flickers in the world and was part of the team that won the historic bronze at the Tokyo Games, breaking the more than four-decade-long Indian hockey team’s medal drought in the Olympics.

The Indian men’s hockey team would be aiming for a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games to secure automatic qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Bajwa will be assisted at the Asian Games by four deputy chefs de mission as the job entails a lot of responsibility.

Bajwa is also the chairman of the Indian Olympic Association-constituted ad-hoc committee for wrestling.