The historic seven-medal feat, aside, the Tokyo Olympics will likely be remembered for the psychological focus that channeled the bodily combat the athletes displayed. As at all times, the Olympics sparked hope, giving folks purpose to consider even because the planet struggled to return to grips with a raging virus and its mutant.
The Indian contingent in Tokyo confirmed spunk, spirit and substance as they defied odds and handed the check of their value and exhausting work. The varied hues of success had been tinged with braveheart moments and heartbreaks and sure disappointment too.
If a billion cheers had been raised for Neeraj Chopra, the boy from Khandra in Panipat district, who turned the primary monitor and area athlete to assert an Olympic gold, the nation saluted the spirit of wrestlers Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Bajrang Punia as they battled accidents to assert a silver and bronze respectively. Mirabai Chanu Saikhom, who claimed silver with a golden raise, PV Sindhu and Lovlina Borgohain’s bronze-winning efforts had been celebrated as was the top of India’s agonising 41-year-old look forward to a medal in hockey, which was ended by Manpreet Singh & Co, with a bronze.
Whereas the medals will likely be cherished, the near-misses won’t be forgotten. Golfer Aditi Ashok’s fourth-place end was pathbreaking as was the Indian ladies’s hockey workforce’s efforts in ending their marketing campaign in fourth place. India’s ladies athletes woke up a nation to ladies within the pursuit of sporting excellence, particularly in rural India.
The shooters disenchanted huge time. Nonetheless, the seven medals felt like oxygen to a rustic choked by Covid-19’s fury and its after-effects.
NEERAJ CHOPRA (GOLD; JAVELIN THROW)
On August 7, the 24-year-old’s throw created historical past when he received India’s maiden monitor and area gold. The load of that yellow steel outweighed all different performances in Tokyo. Poised and assured, Chopra was a person on a mission, who couldn’t be stopped till he had achieved his objective— to provide India the elusive gold medal, a second the nation was ready for, for seven a long time.
Neeraj Chopra (AFP Picture)
With a throw of 87.58 metres the teenager etched his title within the annals of Indian sporting historical past and introduced a unified perception of ‘We are able to’ amongst Indian athletes. Chopra’s landmark medal got here barely two months after the legendary Milkha Singh handed away as a consequence of Covid-19 associated issues, aged 91. Very like the remainder of the nation, Milkha Singh too lived with the dream of listening to the nationwide anthem on the monitor and area stadium at an Olympic Video games. Whereas his dream remained unfulfilled throughout his lifetime, Chopra realised it and later stated, “Milkha Singh needed to listen to the nationwide anthem in a stadium. He’s not with us however his dream has been fulfilled.” It was additionally a second which fuelled one million goals.
MIRABAI CHANU SAIKHOM (SILVER; WEIGHTLIFTING)
The picture of a tear-stained Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, leaving the stage on the 2016 Rio Olympics, having didn’t verify a reliable raise was recent in reminiscence when she took the sphere in Tokyo 5 years later. She modified that cry of disappointment to tears of pleasure when she turned the eye of the nation on her on the opening day of the sporting extravaganza.
Mirabai Chanu (Twitter Picture)
Within the 49kg class, the 27-year-old from Nongpok Kakching in Imphal lifted a complete of 202kg (87kg+115kg) to stake declare to a silver.
RAVI KUMAR DAHIYA (SILVER; WRESTLING)
On August 5, when Ravi Kumar Dahiya’s title was introduced on the Makuhari Messe, the venue for the wrestling competitors, he wore a forlorn look. He barely resembled the warrior, who had given his all towards two-time World Champion Zavur Uguev earlier than happening 4-7 within the last of the 57-kg class.
Ravi Dahiya (Twitter Picture)
He aimed for gold, however returned with a silver, solely the sixth athlete from India to attain the feat. After his return to India, he made a promise to transform that silver to a yellow steel effort the following time round.
LOVLINA BORGOHAIN (BRONZE; BOXING)
Lovlina Borgohain (AFP Picture)
At a time when a few of the fancied names of Indian boxing didn’t dwell as much as expectations, a younger Lovlina Borgohain made her maiden Olympic look depend. She received the bronze within the 69kg welter-weight class after shedding her semifinal bout to Turkey’s Busenaz Surmeneli.
BAJRANG PUNIA (BRONZE; WRESTLING)
Indian wrestling endured a horrifying 2021, particularly with the autumn from grace of two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who was arrested in Could for the alleged deadly assault of former junior nationwide wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar. Ravi Dhaiya and later Bajrang Punia’s bronze medal got here as a welcome distraction.
Bajrang Punia (AFP Picture)
The seasoned campaigner suffered a knee harm within the build-up to the Olympics and discarded the knee safety earlier than the bronze-medal playoff towards Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov.
PV SINDHU (BRONZE; BADMINTON)
PV Sindhu (Twitter Picture)
The primary Indian lady to win two Olympic medals, shuttler PV Sindhu failed to raised her silver-winning present from Rio Olympics, however she nonetheless stored her date with historical past, getting previous China’s He Bing Jiao 21-13, 21-15 to finish the rostrum.
MEN’S HOCKEY TEAM (BRONZE)
Picture credit score: Reuters
India’s romance with hockey is rekindled each 4 years on the Olympics. After the gold medal on the 1980 Video games, in Moscow, the agonizing wait stretched till August 5, 2021. After a sluggish begin, they raised hopes of golden glory earlier than shedding to Belgium within the semifinals. Manpreet Singh and his band of gritty males staged a exceptional comeback and earned a 5-4 win over Germany to clinch the bronze.