A unique spectacle welcomed the athletes as they embarked on their journey for glory. India was robustly present in the event as a total of 78 athletes took part in the Opening Ceremony. Badminton star PV Sindhu and Table Tennis player Sharath Kamal were the flagbearers for India. Apart from the duo, several other star Indian names were also in attendance. But one notable name which was missing from the list in Neeraj Chopra, India's Golden Boy. The Javelin thrower won the Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, and the nation has huge hopes on him to replicate the same in this edition of the competition. Chopra is one of the favourites to clinch Gold this year and has been sweating it out big time ahead of the litmus test. But he will be missing the ceremony. Why was Neeraj Chopra absent in Olympics 2024 Opening Ceremony? Neeraj Chopra has been putting in the hard yards ahead of his much-anticipated appearance at the Paris Olympics 2024. Training under his coach's supervision in Turkey, he has followed a rigorous regime to prepare for the big event. The 26-year-old athlete has been training in Antalya, Turkey, perfecting his skills under his coach's watchful eyes. That is the reason for his absence in the opening ceremony. The champion athlete had been dealing with an adductor niggle over the past few months. However, his German coach Klaus Bartonietz assured that Neeraj's niggle "is fine" now.