Wrestler Sakshi Malik, who won India’s first medal in the Rio Olympics, has been announced as the country’s flag-bearer at tonight’s closing ceremony.
The announcement came after India’s last medal hope Yogeshwar Dutt lost 0-3 to Ganzorig Mandakhnaran in the qualifying of the 65kg freestyle wrestling.
Sakshi, who had become the first woman wrestler in India to win an Olympic medal with her bronze in the 58kg freestyle, became the obvious choice as India’s only other medallist PV Sindhu, who bagged a silver in women’s singles badminton, left for Hyderabad on Saturday.
N Ramachandran, President of the Indian Olympic Association, visited the Olympic Village and wished the two medallists and their coaches.
The Games will close a circle with Olympic flame being extinguished and apart from the melancholy the organisers have promised to show the best of Brazil.
According to Rio 2016 communications director Mario Andrara, 41,233 tickets were sold for the Closing Ceremony at the Maracana.
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