As the Paris Olympics 2024 drew to a close, India celebrated a series of extraordinary achievements highlighted by Manu Bhaker’s historic double bronze win, the Indian hockey team’s bronze medal triumph, and Neeraj Chopra’s silver medal victory.
Each of these remarkable performances amplified widespread enthusiasm, sparking over 20M conversations online, including more than 740K mentions centered around India. With the assistance of Sprinklr Insights, Sprinklr has compiled a report which gives one a glimpse into the vibrant conversations among Indian fans, capturing the pride and passion that fueled the nation’s support for its athletes at one of the world’s greatest sporting events.
While fans embraced the Olympic fever, brands too joined in the excitement with online conversations. Samsung was the most mentioned brand in online conversations about the 2024 Paris Olympics both in India and globally, with over 420K mentions in India from July 26 to August 11 and 195K mentions globally during the closing week.
Following Samsung at the second position was Visa with over 116K mentions across social media in India, closely followed by Orange at the third rung and Toyota at fourth with nearly 88K+ and 82K+ mentions respectively.
Globally, the closing week saw Omega and Decathlon occupy the second and third positions as trending sponsors, with Visa and Orange resurfacing in the fourth and fifth spots respectively.
Indian Athletes Shine as Fan Support Echoes Beyond Borders
Globally, Indian athletes claimed five of the top ten trending spots in the lead-up to the finals. Vinesh Phogat (#1) and Neeraj Chopra (#2) emerged as the most popular contenders, followed by PR Sreejesh (#7), Manu Bhaker (#9), and Harmanpreet Singh (#10) in the closing week. Amongst the most popular Indian athletes, Vinesh Phogat retained her leading spot with over 40K mentions, followed by Swapnil Kusale and PR Sreejesh with over 20K mentions each.
While Indian fans roared the loudest in the country, generating over 119K mentions, support also poured in from around the world, with Indian communities in the USA, Australia, Bahrain, UAE, and the UK joining the celebration.
Star markswoman Manu Bhaker joined the ranks of seasoned athletes and Olympic medalists like Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu, garnering widespread acclaim on social media for her remarkable double bronze victory. Bhaker’s achievements sparked over 156K mentions, while Chopra and Sindhu followed with 59K and 25K mentions, respectively.
In a poignant twist, Vinesh Phogat’s journey stirred intense emotions online—from her historic moment as the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympic final, to her subsequent retirement announcement, sparking over 57K mentions across social media.
This wave of digital support underscored the collective excitement and national pride driving India’s Olympic passion, as fans came together to honor the dedication, efforts, triumphs, and setbacks, all in equal measures, for contending Indian athletes.
Women Athletes Command the Spotlight, Led by Manu Bhaker’s Historic Triumphs
The 2024 Olympics marked a defining moment for Indian sports, with women athletes emerging as the true stars of the games. Making up 40% of the Indian contingent, they not only represented the nation with pride but also delivered some of its most memorable performances. Leading the charge was markswoman Manu Bhaker, who etched her name in history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two Olympic medals in a single edition. Her extraordinary feat captivated the nation, igniting over 150K conversations online.
Hockey Takes the Lead as India’s Most Popular Olympic Sport
India’s passion for sports was unmistakably on display throughout the 2024 Olympics. Team India’s bronze medal in Hockey ignited a wave of excitement, elevating the national sport to the top spot as the most discussed category in the country with over 150K mentions. This was followed closely by Shooting with Manu Bhaker’s Bronze win which culminated in nearly 100K mentions for the sport – with Badminton, Wrestling and Athletics rounding out the top five.
