From Mirabai Chanu to Neeraj Chopra via PV Sindhu: India’s seven medals at Tokyo Olympics

It wasn’t always smooth sailing and there were heartbreaks aplenty, but India capped off its best-ever performance in the Olympics with a haul of seven medals, including a gold medal on their final day of action.

With the Tokyo Olympics 2020 now done and dusted in 2021, here’s a look at the medallists from India’s record contingent (and a special mention to those who came within touching distance of glory but couldn’t quite make it to the podium.)

Neeraj Chopra: Gold

They say save the best for last and for India it came true at the Tokyo Games for India.

Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra became only the second Indian to win an individual gold at the Olympics and the first ever to do so in athletics.

After a number of near misses for years, India finally had its first track-and-field medal winner, thanks to Chopra’s throw of 87.58m.

Chopra, the son of a farmer from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana, took to athletics to lose weight. One day, his uncle took him to Shivaji Stadium in Panipat for some running. But Chopra wasn’t interested in it and almost instantly fell in love with javelin throw when he saw a few seniors practising at the stadium.

The 23-year-old, a Subedar with 4 Rajputana…

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