Kolkata: The contribution of Indian athletes to the country over the years has been quite magnificent and appreciable. As India is commemorating its 75th Independence Day on Sunday, Sportslight Media would like to take a moment to recognise and applaud the efforts that made the last year quite memorable despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let’s take a look at some of them:
Neeraj Chopra – India’s first athletics Olympic gold medallist
With a throw of 87.58m in the men’s javelin throw event at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 7, Neeraj Chopra became India only second individual Olympic gold medallist and first-ever in athletics. The only other Olympic gold medal came in 2008 when Abhinav Bindra clinched the men’s 10m Air Rifle title in Beijing.
Chopra’s medal made India’s Tokyo Olympics medal tally to seven, the country’s highest-ever medal haul at the Olympics. India’s previous best medal haul at the Olympics was six at the 2012 London Games.
India end 41-year medal drought in hockey
The Indian men’s hockey team created history when they beat Germany 5-4 to win bronze ending their 41-year medal drought at the Olympics. The last time India won an Olympic medal in hockey was at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
The Men in Blue started their campaign beating New Zealand but stumbled in the next game when they were humiliated 1-7 at the hands of Australia. Thereafter India won three back-to-back games before beating Great Britain in the quarterfinals to enter the semis for the first time in 49 years.
India – The most successful hockey team at the Olympics with a total of 12 medals! 🥇🥈🥉
Describe this image in one word👇#StrongerTogether | #UnitedByEmotion | #Olympics pic.twitter.com/WrWY1mHQFO
— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) August 15, 2021
For the fact, India are still on top of the all-time medals tally in men’s hockey winning eight Olympic gold medals between 1928 and 1980. With this Tokyo bronze, India also rose to the third spot in the FIH World Rankings.
Not just men, the Indian women also created history when they beat Australia in the quarterfinals to make the Olympic semifinals for the very first time in history. It was also the first time both the Indian men’s and women’s teams made it to the Olympic last four together.
PV Sindhu etches her name in history
PV Sindhu had ensured that her name will be etched in the annals of Indian sporting history as she became the first Indian woman to have two Olympic medals. After winning silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sindhu defeated China’s He Bing Jiao to win bronze in Tokyo.
Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it, it flies with the last breath of each soldier who strives to raise it. May the tricolour always fly high and keep inspiring us to be unstoppable!
Wishing everyone a very Happy #IndependenceDay #EkIndiaTeamIndia🇮🇳 #IndiaAt75 pic.twitter.com/AMVnP1nsyY
— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) August 15, 2021
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu lifts India after 21 years
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu became the only second Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic medal after lifting 202kg (87+115) in the women’s 49kg category to clinch silver in Tokyo. Karnam Malleswari won bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Mirabai Chanu is also the second Indian woman to clinch an Olympic silver after PV Sindhu.
India’s remarkable comeback in Australia
India witnessed one of the greatest comebacks in Test history, ending Australia’s 32-year unbeaten streak at Brisbane’s Gabba to win the series 2-1. After being all out for humiliating 36 in the first Test, India levelled the series winning the next.
The third Test was a draw. India, who needed only a draw in the fourth to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, chased down 328 on a cracked last-day pitch to win by three wickets, with 23-year-old starlet Rishabh Pant scoring the winning runs.
