India registered its best-ever medal haul (7) at Olympics. Neeraj Chopra’s gold along with 2 silver and 4 bronze medals, the Tokyo Olympics medal haul is India’s largest at any Games, bettering tally of 6 (two silvers and four bronze) in London 2012. The Tokyo Olympics also witnessed many ‘firsts’ for India at the Summer Olympics games. So, let’s look at few such instances.
India’s fencing debut at the Olympics
Bhavani Devi became the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympic Games. She got off to a winning start in the women’s individual sabre in the Tokyo Olympics. Bhavani defeated Tunisia’s Nadia Ben Azizi by 15-3 in just 6 minutes and 14 seconds. But then she eventually lost to France’s Manon Brunet in the Round of 32. She is also the first Indian to win the Gold medal in the senior Commonwealth Fencing Championship in 2018.
India’s first gold in the track and field event
Neeraj Chopra created history by winning India’s first gold medal in the Olympics since 2008. The 23-year-old became the first Indian to win a GOLD medal in athletics at Olympic Games. This was also India’s second individual gold at the Olympics after Abhinav Bindra (2008). Neeraj threw a best attempt of 87.58m and ended India’s 100-year wait for a track and field gold medal in the Olympics.
Mirabai Chanu’s silver in weightlifting
Mirabai Chanu bagged India’s first medal at the Tokyo Olympics, winning silver in 49kg weightlifting with a total lift of 202 kg. This is the first time India has won a medal on the first day of an Olympic Games. Overall, she became the 2nd Indian, after Karnam Malleswari, to win a medal for India in weightlifting. It was also India’s first medal in weightlifting at the Olympics after 21 years.
Lovlina Borgohain’s bronze in boxing
The 23-year-old, Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in the women’s welterweight category. She is the first and only boxer from India to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Lovlina is the third Indian boxer to win a medal at the Olympics after Vijender Singh and MC Mary Kom.
P.V. Sindhu’s back-to-back medals in the Olympics
Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu won the bronze medal match against China’s He Bing Jiao at the Tokyo Olympics. She defeated He Bing in straight games 21-13, 21-15. She became the first Indian woman ever to win two individual Olympic medals. PV Sindhu is also only the 4th women’s singles player to win back-to-back medals at the Olympic Games. She also became the first Indian player to win the World Badminton Championship and two Olympic medals across genders. She had won the World Championship in 2019.
Women’s hockey team finished fourth
Indian women’s team put up a courageous display and was so close to winning the medal against Great Britain in the bronze medal match. They scripted history by becoming the first women’s hockey team from the country to make it to the semi-final. Before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, nobody gave them a chance that they’ll qualify for the semis.
After finishing last at the Rio Olympics and then qualifying for the semifinals here is huge progress. The team started with three straight losses in the pool stage, made a great comeback by beating Ireland and SouthAfrica. And then they put up a gutsy play, showed great character, and stunned the mighty Australians in the quarterfinal. The Indian women’s hockey team lost out on a medal but won a billion hearts.
Semi-final in the men’s lightweight double sculls event
Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh produced the best-ever Olympic performance by Indian rowers as they became the first Indian pair to qualify for the men’s lightweight double sculls semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics. They finished 11th in the event.
Aditi Ashok’s extraordinary performance in golf
From ranked 200th in the world to finishing fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, Aditi Ashok has come a long way. Aditi Ashok put up an extraordinary performance but fell short of an Olympic medal. Aditi was in medal contention for much of the four rounds and just left a shot behind Japan’s Mone Inami and Lydia Ko of New Zealand. She finished fourth with a three-under 68 in the final round that left her 15-under 269 overall at the par-71 Kasumigaseki Country Club. Aditi had also featured at the 2016 Rio Olympics and had stood 41st.
Ravi Kumar Dahiya’s silver in wrestling
India’s star wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya won a silver medal in his debut appearance at the Tokyo Olympics The reigning Asian Champion, Ravi Kumar Dahiya lost the gold medal bout in the finals of the men’s 57 kg wrestling event. The world champion Zavur Uguev of the Russian Olympic Committee beats Ravi with a margin of 7-4. Ravi Kumar became the second Indian wrestler in the history of the Olympics to clinch a silver medal.