Rahul Dravid visits India House in Paris, extolls Manu Bhaker for Paris Olympics 2024 heroics

The inaugural India House at the Paris Olympics celebrated cricket's inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics with an exclusive panel discussion titled: 'Cricket at the Olympics - Dawn of a New Era.' The panel featured former India head coach Rahul Dravid, ICC CEO - Geoff Allardice, and CEO and Co-Founder of Dream Sport - Harsh Jain.

The highly-anticipated event was held on Sunday, July 28. Dravid interacted with the fans and also attended the tennis match between the Indian pair of Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji and the French duo of Gael Monfils and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

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India House aspires to serve as a home away from home for the Indian athletes who are competing at the Paris Olympics 2024. The venue offers them assistance and a space to rest and engage during the Games. Dravid took a tour of the India House and delivered his words of encouragement for the athletes who are trying to bring glory to the nation.

For the unversed, the India House is a collaborative effort by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and various other sponsors, seeking to create the most suitable environment for the athletes. Rahul Dravid's inspirational presence and his motivational words must have given a huge boost to the morale of the participants.

Overcoming disappointment of Tokyo and winning bronze here is phenomenal achievement for Manu Bhaker: Rahul Dravid

Manu Bhaker was left heartbroken due to a pistol malfunction during qualification at the Tokyo Olympics. However, she bounced back strongly to win a historic bronze in the ongoing edition of the Olympics. Bhaker became the first Indian woman shooter to bag an Olympic medal by finishing third in the 10m air pistol event. This opened India's account at the Paris Olympics.

"Manu's story is incredible after the disappointment of Tokyo Olympics, to come here and be able to get over that and compete and win a bronze is a phenomenal achievement," Dravid said during the panel discussion at India House.

Also Read: Twitter Reactions: Cricketers erupt in joy as Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh bring Bronze medal for India at Paris Olympics

On Tuesday, the Jhajjar-born became the first Indian to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics post-Independence. She won another bronze for India alongside Sarabjot Singh in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.