Tokyo Olympics 2020 India medal winners: Meet the athletes who made the country proud

Tokyo, which will now hold the Paralympic Games from August 24, handed over the baton to the 2024 host Paris. This year's Olympic Games were like no other. The Japanese capital hosted the games during a raging pandemic after a year-long pause. India had seven medal winners and recorded its best-ever tally at the quadrennial event. Neeraj Chopra's gold medal in the men's javelin throw brought joy to the country. His stellar performance helped India to finish 48th on the medal tally in Tokyo-- it's highest ranking in over four decades. Through these photos below, meet the athlete medal winners and relive their glorious moments in Tokyo.

In This Pic : Tokyo Olympics 2020

Pic Courtesy : Reuters

It was Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, who opened the account winning a silver in the women's 49kg weightlifting category. Never before Tokyo has the country had such a confident start to the Olympics! Her win ended India's 21-year wait for a weightlifting medal on the first day.

In This Pic : Tokyo Olympics 2020, Mirabai Chanu

Some of India's biggest medal hopes were in action on the first day of the Olympics itself and Mirabai ensured that her country would kick-start the Games with a bang. She was the country's sole entry in weightlifting and ended up becoming India's first Olympic medallist in the sport since 2000. Hailing from Manipur, Mirabai lifted a total of 202kg to better Karnam Malleswari's performance more than two decades ago.

In This Pic : Tokyo Olympics 2020, Mirabai Chanu

PV Sindhu was the country's biggest hope with her record-breaking performances over the years. She didn't disappoint! Sindhu became the first Indian woman and the only second Indian athlete after Sushil Kumar to win two individual Olympic medals. The ace shuttler beat China’s He Bing Jiao to win the bronze medal in the women's singles competition.

In This Pic : Tokyo Olympics 2020, PV Sindhu

Pic Courtesy : Reuters

Post her win, Sindhu took to social media and shared a long heartfelt note. "I appreciate all the well wishes and words of support from the bottom of my heart. I carried it all the way through and it means the world to me, just as this medal means everything for me to represent our nation. The Tokyo Olympics has been an experience that I will not forget, from preparing for 5 years to stepping in the medal podium- each moment is forever etched with me. It’s been a day and I still have no words to describe the feeling of holding an Olympic medal, it’s always a dream come true each time. It’s never just been a solo journey for me to get where I am, I am incredibly thankful to the people in my life who have continuously been with me through it all. I cannot thank everyone, but please know that I am so incredibly thankful and grateful for each and every person who has been there with me and the journey does not stop here!" she wrote on her Instagram post.

In This Pic : Tokyo Olympics 2020, PV Sindhu