The Scottish athletes chose Kirsty Gilmour, their best ever women’s badminton player, whose stature grew even more, when in November 2021, she revealed that she was gay, becoming the first top star in her sport to do so. The other choice was Micky Yule, a para athlete
Manpreet Singh
It is the officials in most countries who choose their flagbearers for the opening and closing ceremonies, but Scotland left it to the fellow athletes. Some say it has been done in the past too, but what stood out was the choices the Scots made.
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The Scottish athletes chose Kirsty Gilmour, their best ever women’s badminton player, whose stature grew even more, when in November 2021, she revealed that she was gay, becoming the first top star in her sport to do so. She has since been applauded by all Scottish and international badminton fans.
The other choice was Micky Yule, a para athlete. Yule was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) whilst serving with the British Army in Afghanistan in 2010 and required more than 40 operations, being left as a double amputee.
A power-lifter before the amputations, Yule came back to sport in 2011 and represented Scotland at the 2014 Games in Glasgow and was fourth. He was once again fourth in Gold Coast 2018. So, he is searching for his first medal. Yule was also sixth in his Paralympic debut in 2016, but won a bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were held in 2021.
‘I am over the moon’
Gilmour told the media: “I am over the moon to have been selected by my fellow athletes to carry the flag for Scotland.
Representing Scotland has always been a huge honour but to be named flagbearer for a Games so close to home is amazing.
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“What makes this even more special is that I will be walking alongside Micky who is an inspirational athlete and I have no doubt it will a very special moment for both of us.”
“For me personally, I am also the first openly gay athlete to carry the flag for Scotland—a huge honour for me and for everyone in the LGBTQ community world over,” added Gilmour.
IOA name Manpreet too
Indian Olympic Association officials sat through two meetings—they did not know that they could choose two flagbearers—to come up with the name of badminton superstar PV Sindhu, a bronze medallist in 2014 and silver medallist (she lost to Saina Nehwal in the final) in 2018. Sindhu is a double Olympic medallist and five times World Championship medallist including gold in 2019.
Manpreet Singh was the captain of the Indian hockey team at Tokyo, where India ended their 41-year-long medal drought with a bronze. He was also captain when failed to find a place on the podium at the 2018 Golf Coast Commonwealth Games. Australia have won the gold each of the six times hockey has been held at Commonwealth Games.
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