Top 5 moments from India's campaign at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 ft. Neeraj Chopra gold
Embroiled by the global coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics made much news in the world of sports. Scheduled originally for 2020, the games were postponed and after a significant effort were conducted in 2021.
However, not everything surrounding the event was somber. For India, the Tokyo Olympics brought with it plenty of joy and reason to celebrate. India’s best-ever performance in the history of the Olympic games came at this very edition.
India made an appearance in Tokyo with its biggest-ever contingent and returned home from the event with a record seven medals. With one gold, two silver, and four bronze medals, India recorded it best outing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The hard work put in by the Indian athletes gave the country plenty of special moments to savor for years to come. Here is a look at some such precious moments.
Top 5 moments from India’s campaign at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
#5 Mirabai Chanu opens India’s account in Tokyo
Mirabai Chanu gave the country plenty to cheer and brought great optimism for the rest of the campaign by winning India its first medal on the first day of the Tokyo Olympics.
She won the silver medal in the women’s 49kg weightlifting category by lifting a total of 202 kg with 87 kg in the snatch and 115 kg in the Clean and Jerk. Doing so the 29-year-old became only the second Indian weightlifter to win a medal at the Olympics since Karnam Malleswari.
#4 Twice the glory in badminton for P.V. Sindhu
P.V. Sindhu gave the country not one but two precious moments of glory with an unprecedented double medal campaign. The top-ranked Indian shuttler had a great run and won the silver medal after losing to world No.1 Tai Tzu Ying in the semis.
She had a quick turnaround and beat China’s He Bingjiao in the bronze medal match to clinch two medals for the country.
#3 India roars back in field hockey
If there is a sport that has brought India the most glory at the prestigious games it is field hockey. The fans of the sport can never forget India’s golden run at the Olympics between 1928 to 1960, in which the Indian men’s field hockey team won six consecutive gold medals.
However, post the 1980 Games, the country went on a 41-year drought with no medals to show in hockey. The tables were turned at the Tokyo Olympics when the Indian team beat Germany 5-4 to clinch a memorable bronze medal and a much-awaited podium finish after all those years.
#2 Lovlina Borgohain walks in Mary Kom’s footsteps
Pugilist Lovlina Borgohain became only the second woman after Mary Kom to win an Olympic medal in boxing. Her bronze medal finish gave the country its third-ever medal in the sport on the biggest of stages. Vijender Singh (bronze in 2008) and Mary Kom (bronze in 2012) won the other two.
#1 Neeraj Chopra announces himself to the world with gold
Track and field athlete Neeraj Chopra was arguably the brightest of sporting stars to emerge for India from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Neeraj won a gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event which brought India its first-ever Olympic gold in athletics.
The star athlete also brought India its first Olympic gold since Abhinav Bindra’s gold medal in shooting at Beijing 2008. Neeraj Chopra’s throw of 87.58m in the finals will be deeply etched in the memory of Indian fans for years.