7 Malayali athletes compete in Paris Olympics; no female representation from Kerala
Paris: Seven members of the Indian contingent taking part in the Paris Olympics are from Kerala. However, no female athletes from the state have qualified for the Olympics.
Here’s a look at the stars from the state :
P R Sreejesh
This will be Sreejesh's fourth and final Olympics. The 36-year-old goalkeeper from Ernakulam aims to improve on his previous performances, having previously represented India in Tokyo with hopes of turning bronze into gold in hockey. Sreejesh has also announced that he will retire from international hockey after the Games.
H.S. Prannoy
Making his debut at the Olympics, the badminton star from Thiruvananthapuram is ranked 13th in the world. Despite facing health issues and food poisoning during recent world championships, Prannoy hopes to deliver a strong performance.
Muhammed Anas Yahiya
Known as the 'Nilamel Express,' Anas is competing in his third Olympics. The Kollam native, who previously shone in the 400m at the Rio Olympics and the Asian Games, aims to make an impact in the 4x400m relay and mixed relay events.
Abdulla Aboobacker
A native of Kozhikode, Abdulla, who won a medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, will compete in the triple jump. He has been training at the Indian camp in Bengaluru and will return to Paris on August 7.
Muhammad Ajmal
Ajmal is also part of the 4x400m relay team and is making his Olympic debut. The Kottayam native was a member of the gold-winning team at the last Asian Games.
Amoj Jacob
Amoj, who resides in New Delhi but has roots in Kerala, returns to the men’s 4x400m relay team after representing India in the Tokyo Olympics. After initially showing promise with a couple of medals at the 2016 Asian Junior Championships, Amoj faced a series of injuries following the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. Despite these setbacks, he made a strong comeback and was a key member of the Indian relay team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Mijo Chacko Kurian
Hailing from Panambur in Karnataka and of Kerala descent, clinched a gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the 2023 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. Inducted into the Indian Air Force under the sports quota in 2019, Mijo secured silver at the 2023 Asian Championships in Bangkok and competed at the World Athletics Championships in Hungary.