EXPLAINED: Journey Of India's All 7 Medalists At Tokyo Olympics 2020

Explained: India has done its best at the Tokyo Olympics, which ended on Sunday. India has won a total of seven medals in these games, including one gold, two silver and four bronze medals.

(File Photo)

Explained: India has given its best performance ever at the Tokyo Olympics, which ended on Sunday. India has won a total of seven medals including one gold, two silver and four bronze medals in this Maha Kumbh of the Games. At the same time, Indian athletes also created much history during these games. Neeraj Chopra won the first track and field gold medal for the country in the Javelin throw, while the Indian hockey team once again won the medal after 41 years in men's hockey. 

Let us know how the medal-winning Indian athletes have had this journey to the Tokyo Olympics and what other achievements are included in their names.  

Neeraj Chopra – Gold Medal

Golden boy Neeraj Chopra won a gold medal for the country in the track and field event Javelin Throw. Not only Tokyo but Neeraj is the first Indian athlete in Olympic history to win a gold medal at an event in track and field. Neeraj, 23-year-old Subedar in the Indian Army, hails from Panipat in Haryana. Neeraj won the gold medal at the 2016 South Asian Games by throwing a javelin up to 82.23 meters. After this, in the Asian Athletics Championship held in 2017, he won the javelin throw gold medal for a distance of 85.23 meters. 

Neeraj won the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games by throwing an 86.47m javelin. Neeraj started his season with a new national record of 88.06 m in March 2021 this year before the Tokyo Olympics.  

Mirabai Chanu – Silver Medal

Mirabai Chanu made history by winning a medal for the country on the very first day of the Tokyo Olympics. This was the first time in the Olympics that India won a medal on the first day itself. Chanu won the silver medal in the women's weightlifting 49 kg category. She had lifted a total of 202 kg by adding 87 kg in snatch and 115 kg in clean and jerk. Mirabai Chanu, 26, hails from Manipur and started her weightlifting career in 2008. She has been awarded the Padma Shri as well as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.

Ravi Dahiya – Silver Medal

Ravi Dahiya from Sonepat in Haryana wrestles freestyle in the 57 kg category. By reaching the final at the Tokyo Olympics, he had raised hopes of India's first gold medal in wrestling. However, he had to face defeat in a tough match in the final. Ravi Dahiya is the second wrestler in the country to win a silver medal in wrestling. Sushil Kumar has done this feat before him. 

Born on December 12, 1997, Ravi Dahiya is 23 years old. He won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2019. After this, Dahiya won the gold medal in the 2020 Asian Championships. In April 2021, Dahiya once again captured the Asian Championships gold medal. 

Lovlina Borgohain – Bronze Medal

For 23-year-old Lovlina Borgohain, this journey of the Tokyo Olympics has been great. She made it to the semifinals of the Games and won the bronze medal. This is India's only medal in boxing this year. Lovlina, a resident of Bada Mukhia village in the Golaghat district of Assam, was born on October 2, 1997. She started her career as a kick-boxer. Later, Lovlina turned to boxing and started taking coaching from 2012 onwards.

In June 2017, Lovlina won a bronze medal at the Presidents Cup in Astana. Then, she won a bronze medal at the Asian Boxing Championships in Vietnam in November 2017. In February 2018, Lovlina created history by winning a gold medal at the Indian Open. After this, she achieved the feat of winning bronze medals in two consecutive World Championships in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, she qualified for Tokyo to reach the semifinals of the Asian Olympic qualifiers.  

Men's Hockey - Bronze

May the Tokyo Olympics be historic for Indian men's hockey as well. In the bronze medal match against Germany, India won the medal after 41 years by winning by a margin of 5-4. The Indian men's team last won a gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. So far, the Indian team has won 8 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze medals at the Olympics. It is the only team in the history of the Olympics to achieve this feat. This was also the first time since the 1972 Olympic Games that the hockey team reached the semifinals 49 years later.

Bajrang Punia - Bronze Medal

Bajrang Punia, a resident of Jhajjar in Haryana, wrestles freestyle in the 65 kg category. Bajrang, 27, is currently ranked first in the world rankings in this category. He won a bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships held in Delhi in 2013. After this, he won a silver medal in 2014 at Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Bajrang also won a silver medal at the 2014 Asian Games.

Bajrang won the gold medal this time with a better performance at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2015. Bajrang was subsequently awarded the Padma Shri and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award in 2019. 

PV Sindhu – Bronze Medal

PV Sindhu won the bronze medal in the women's singles event of badminton at the Tokyo Olympics. She had earlier won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Sindhu is the only athlete in the country to win two medals at the Olympic badminton event. Sindhu, 26, hails from Telangana. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2020. She has also been awarded the Arjuna Award, Padma Shri, and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.