Struggle, Sweat, Success: Tribute to Our Tokyo Olympics Champions

Video Editor: Sandeep Suman

Music: Roopmala Agarwal

India signed off the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with seven medals – One gold (in javelin throw), two silver (in weightlifting and wrestling), and four bronze medals (in badminton, boxing, wrestling, and hockey). This was India's best medal haul at the Olympics, till date.

The Quint pays a tribute to the medal winners at Tokyo.

Neeraj Chopra

Gold Medal at Tokyo Olympics

Son of a farmer from Haryana's Khandra village, Neeraj Chopra is a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army.

In 2018, he broke the national record in javelin throw, with a throw of 87.43m. Three years later, he broke his own record with a throw of 88.07m.

He suffered a severe elbow injury before qualifying for the Olympics in 2019. But that couldn't stop the 23-year-old Arjuna awardee, who created history in his maiden Olympics, from becoming the first track and field star to win an Olympics gold.

Mirabai Chanu

Silver Medal at Tokyo Olympics

When Mirabai was 12, she wanted to enrol herself in archery, but got hooked to weightlifting instead. And then, there was no looking back...

She travelled almost 20 km daily from her home in Manipur's Mongkok Kakching village to state capital Imphal for training, for several years.

The 26-year-old Khel Ratna and Padma Shri awardee, lifted a total of 192 kg, and won a silver medal, becoming the first Indian to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics and the second Indian to win a medal in weightlifting.

Ravi Dahiya

Silver Medal at Tokyo Olympics

Like many little boys from Haryana, Ravi Dahiya was hooked to wrestling at a very young age. When he was only six, he started training in a local akhara in Haryana's Nahri village. His father, a farmer, would travel over 28 km daily to deliver home-cooked meals, milk, and butter to Dahiya.

In 2020, he won gold at the Asian Games in Delhi. In 2021, Dahiya retained the Asian championship. The 23-year-old won silver at Tokyo, becoming the second Indian to win an Olympic silver in wrestling.

PV Sindhu

Bronze Medal at Tokyo Olympics

Born to athletes, PV Sindhu started training for badminton from a young age. She would travel 120 km daily for training.

Her coach Pullela Gopichand took away her phone for three months before the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she won silver.

In 2019, she was the first Indian to become Badminton World Champion. The 26-year-old Khel Ratna and Padma Bhushan awardee, won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first and only Indian woman to win two individual Olympic medals.

Lovlina Borgohain

Bronze Medal at Tokyo Olympics

Despite financial struggles, Lovlina Borgohain's parents supported her boxing career throughout. Lovlina started as a kickboxer, but switched to boxing in 2012, when SAI coach Padam Chand Boro spotted her during trials. And then there was no looking back...(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

The 23-year-old Arjuna awardee won bronze at Tokyo, becoming the first woman from Assam to win an Olympic medal and the second Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in boxing.

Bajrang Punia

Bronze Medal at Tokyo Olympics

Bajrang Punia is a three-time World Championship medallist in wrestling. And a seven-time Asian Championship medallist. Gold medallist in Asian and Commonwealth Games, Punia was ranked number one in the 65-kg category.

He suffered a knee-injury before the Olympics. The 27-year-old Khel Ratna and Padma Shri awardee, won bronze in his maiden Olympics at Tokyo.

Men's Hockey Team

Bronze Medal at Tokyo Olympics

The men in blue beat Germany 5-4 in Tokyo, to win an Olympic medal after 41 years. India have won eight gold medals – six consecutive, and one silver in the Olympics.

This was India's third hockey bronze medal in the Olympics.