Nita Ambani, the Reliance Foundation Chairperson and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, has hailed India’s female athletes for their successful performance at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024. 

Manu Bhaker bagged a team and one individual bronze medal each, becoming the first Indian shooter to bag two medals at an Olympic Games while Paralympic shooter Avani Lekhara bagged her second consecutive gold and double bronze medallist Preethi Pal became the first Indian to win track & field medals at the Paralympics.

Interestingly, women athletes bagged 11 out of the record 29 medals that the Indian contingent clinched at the Paralympics.

“Women athletes have been at the forefront of India’s Olympic success. Even in Paralympics, we have grown from having zero female para-athletes at the London Games in 2012 to now nearly 40 per cent female representation in Paris this year,” Ambani said at the ‘United In Triumph Awards’ honouring India’s Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic medallists.

“Their successes are even more special because of the difficulties women face in pursuing professional sport. It’s a long and difficult journey for girls to get recognised in sports. They’re now sending out a strong message to the little girls who are watching, a message that they are unstoppable and that nothing is impossible for them.

“May millions of young Indian girls and boys follow in your footsteps and take Indian sport to even greater heights globally,” she added.

The event, held in Mumbai, honored the unifying spirit of sports by bringing together 140 Olympians and Paralympians for the first time under one roof, celebrating their success and remarkable journeys with a focus on unity and inclusivity.