'Fine Nine' Manika Manu Amoj among Delhi University's finest at Paris Games

Through swinging 70s, hip hop 80s and colourful 90s, Delhi University's marquee sporting spectacle would always be the Inter-College cricket final between St Stephen's and the Hindu with a clutch of international players representing both teams.

Come 2024, the times have changed and as the Olympic movement gained momentum in India, Delhi University's roster now comprises of decorated athletes of varied Olympic sports. And in India's 117-strong contingent, seven alumni and two current students of Delhi University will be vying for top honours at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

DU VC Yogesh Singh said that most of the top women shooters of the country who will be aiming bull's eye are either current or former students of DU's top colleges. In fact there will be half a dozen of them among 11 women shooters in the contingent.

Ramita Jindal, who will take part in the 10m Air Rifle event is a B.Com final year student of Hansraj College while compatriot Rhythm Sangwan is studying English (Hons) at Lady Shri Ram College

Rhythm's illustrious senior from college is pistol shooter Manu Bhaker, who completed her graduation in Political Science while Shreyasi Singh, who has also dabbled in politics as BJP MLA in Bihar Assembly, did her BA programme from Hansraj College in 2012

Trap shooter Maheshwari Chauhan did her Philosophy (Hons) from Lady Shri Ram in 2017 while Rajeshwari Kumari, pursuing the same event, was a BA programme student of Sri Venkateshwar College in 2010.Rajshwari is daughter of acting president of Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Randhir Singh and from the royal family of Patiala.
 

Probably, the brightest star among the posse of DU athletes is table tennis player Manika Batra, an Asian Games bronze medallist, multiple CWG medallist. She did her Sociology (Hons) from DU's Jesus & Mary College, informed DU Sports Director Anil Kumar Kalkal. In track and field, there is quarter-miler Amoj Jacob, who is an integral part of 4x400m men's relay team, who did his B.Com from Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College between 2016 to 2019.

Kalkal further informed that apart from these eight players, Jaspal Rana, who is going to Olympics as Manu Bhaker's personal coach, was also a student of Sri Aurobindo College. Out of the nine players participating this time, three players Manu Bhaker, Amoj Jacob and Manika Batra have also participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kalkal said.
While wishing all the participants, Vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh expressed hope that they perform commendably and win medals for the country.