India’s Olympic contingent, including gold-medallist Neeraj Chopra, received a hero’s welcome when they returned to the country on Monday. The athletes were garlanded and presented with bouquets on arrival and were applauded by the airport staff as they made their way out.
India surpassed their previous best haul of six medals achieved in the 2012 London Games, with one gold, two silver and four bronze medals in Tokyo. While Chopra added the golden sheen to the campaign, the silver medals came from weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya. The bronze medals were won by shuttler P.V. Sindhu, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, the men’s hockey team and wrestler Bajrang Punia.
Later, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur felicitated the seven Olympic medalists, including the men’s national Hockey team, at a gala felicitation program at the Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi.
Among those present on the occasion to felicitate them also included Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju; Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Nisith Pramanik; Secretary-Sports Ravi Mittal, and Director-General, Sports Authority of India, Sandip Pradhan.
Sports Minister, Anurag Thakur said, “Tokyo 2020 was an Olympic Games of many firsts for India. The success of Team India at the Olympics is a reflection of how New India desires and aspires to dominate the world…even in sports. The Olympic Games showed us that with self-discipline and dedication we can be champions.”
“Team India excelled and inspired while Indians cheered and celebrated all around. Truly sports is a great unifier as our athletes come from villages and cities, north to south, from east to west. Their journey is an incredible story of resilience and sporting excellence,” he added.
“We also had the first female sailor from India to qualify for the Olympics – Nethra Kumanan, first Indian fencer from India to make it to the Olympics – Bhavani Devi, the best place achieved by an Indian in Equestrian eventing – Fouaad Mirza, the best-ever finish for Indian Rowers, the highest-placed finish by an Indian in golf by Aditi and a national record was set in the steeplechase by Avinash Sable,” said Thakur.
“And let me add, the foundations of sports in India are firm; under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, various schemes such as TOPs and Khelo India have shown results ensuring podium finish. We will continue to support our sportspersons and we endeavour to make India a sporting powerhouse,” he added.
Kiren Rijiju praised the performances of all the athletes and reiterated that India will be a force to reckon with by the 2028 Olympics. “I am thrilled beyond words to share this space with our champion athletes today. This is a historic event with India registering its best-ever performance in the Olympics. We have much to be proud of, we have a hockey medal after 41 years and a first-ever gold in athletics. And it’s not just our medal winners, each athlete has put their best in Tokyo and I congratulate all of them.
“This is just the beginning because India’s resurgence in sport is visible now and I am confident that by 2028 Olympics India will be a force to reckon with,” Rijiju mentioned.
Neeraj Chopra was the toast of the evening as Anurag Thakur and Kiren Rijiju felicitated the country’s Olympians at the Ashoka Hotel in Delhi.
«Thank you all for the support. This gold medal is not just for the entire nation. I have been roaming around with this in my pocket since then. I haven’t been able to eat or sleep properly since then but everything feels fine when I look at it,» Neeraj said.
Neeraj became only the second individual Olympic champion from independent India. He ended India’s 13-year-long wait for the national anthem at the medal ceremony in the Olympics.