Tokyo 2020: the magic moments from India's most successful Olympic campaign

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics featured India's biggest contingent ever at the Games. With seven medals – one gold, two silver, four bronze – Tokyo 2020 has been the most successful Olympic Games in India’s history.

Neeraj Chopra won independent India's first-ever medal in athletics.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics featured India's biggest contingent ever at the Games. With seven medals – one gold, two silver, four bronze – Tokyo 2020 has been the most successful Olympic Games in India’s history.

Here are our picks for the top nine moments

1. A gold rush -  Neeraj Chopra won independent India's first-ever athletics medal after capturing gold in the javelin throw final with his second throw of 87.58m. This is India's best-ever medal haul at the Olympics (seven), surpassing the six-medal haul at the London Games in 2012. This is also India's second-ever individual Olympic gold medal. Abhinav Bindra bagged the country's first individual gold at the Beijing Games in 2008.

Neeraj Chopra with his gold medal in Tokyo on Saturday.

 

2. Off to blazing start -  Mirabai Chanu won silver in the Women's weightlifting 49kg category to become the first Indian to win an Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games. The Manipuri lifted a total of 202 kg with 87 kg in the Snatch and 115 kg in the Clean & Jerk. China's Zhihui Hou lifted 210kg to create a new Olympic Record and clinch the gold medal.

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu's silver medal for the Women’s 49kg Weightlifting event has been the sole medal for India till now at Tokyo Olympics.

 

3. Raising the bar-  P.V. Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win two Olympic medals after beating China’s He Bingjiao 21-13, 21-15 in the bronze medal match. Earlier, the top-ranked Indian shuttler lost to Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei 18-21, 12-21 in the semifinals of the women’s badminton singles.

India's PV Sindhu after winning bronze in the women's singles at the Tokyo Olympics.

 

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4. Memorable debut -  Indian wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya won the silver medal after losing 4-7 to World champion Zaur Uguev of Russia in the men’s 57kg freestyle title clash. The Indian won his semifinal bout against Kazakh Nurislam Sanayev ‘by fall’ to reach the finals.

Silver medalist India's Ravi Kumar Dahiya poses with his medal.

 

5. In august company-  Lovlina Borgohain won bronze after losing 0-5 to   the world champion Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey in the women’s 69kg semifinal. She became only the second Indian woman pugilist and third overall, after Vijender Singh (bronze in 2008) and Mary Kom (bronze in 2012) to climb the podium.

Lovlina Borgohain won bronze after losing 0-5 to the world champion Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey in the women’s 69kg semifinal.

 

6. Contrasting emotions-  The Indian men’s hockey team created history after defeating Germany 5-4 to win the bronze medal, the country’s first podium finish in the sport after 41 years. On the other hand, the Indian women’s hockey team lost 3-4 to Great Britain in a closely contested bronze medal match.

The Indian men's and women's hockey teams qualified for the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics.

 

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7. So near, yet so far-  Aditi Ashok missed a podium finish by the narrowest of margins to finish fourth. The Indian golfer, who came into the Olympic Games ranked 200, missed bronze by one stroke. Nelly Korda of the USA won gold, Japan's Inami Mone bagged silver and Lydia Ko of New Zealand took the bronze medal.

Aditi Ashok missed a podium finish by the narrowest of margins to finish fourth.

 

8. Beating the odds -  Bajrang Punia overcame injury concerns to beat Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov 8-0 to win the bronze medal in the wrestling 65kg freestyle category. With Bajrang's bronze, India equalled London's (2012 Olympics) haul of six medals. After Sushil Kumar, Bajrang is the first Indian wrestler to win medals in both Olympics and the World championships.

Bajrang Punia overcame injury concerns to beat Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov 8-0 to win the bronze medal.

 

9. A trendsetter  - India’s first-ever Olympic fencer C. A. Bhavani Devi did well to reach the women’s sabre second round, where she lost to the fourth-seeded Manon Brunet of France. Though the Indian showed her tricks in the second period, she was no match for the 25-year-old Frenchwoman. Bhavani had defeated Tunisia’s Ben Azizi Nadia in the first round.

India’s first-ever Olympic fencer C. A. Bhavani Devi did well to reach the women’s sabre second round.