In 2020, India had its most successful campaign ever at the Tokyo Summer Olympics since its regular appearances began at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics.
India sent its largest-ever contingent to Tokyo, with 126 athletes participating in a record 69 events spanning 18 diverse athletic disciplines. The Indian Olympians won 7 medals, including 1 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze.
Barring a few, not everyone who obtained a medal in Tokyo has booked a ticket to Paris, but they have certainly been working and training hard to stay in the circuit.
The Bridge takes a look at what they have been up to.
1. Neeraj Chopra
The man who made history for India by becoming only the second Indian to win a medal in athletics and the first to win a gold medal is training hard to repeat his feat from Tokyo at the Paris Olympics in the men’s javelin throw.
Neeraj Chopra was last seen at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland, where he threw 85.97m to win the gold medal.
Chopra is currently stationed in Antalya, Turkey, at the Gloria Sports Arena. He is training with his coach and biomechanics expert, Dr. Klaus Bartonietz, and his physio, Ishaan Marwaha, before moving to Paris for the marquee event.
The man from Haryana has completed the Javelin Throw by winning every title on offer including the World Championships and Diamond League final. He is in the second round of winning titles and started well with the Asian Games gold medal last year.
2. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu
The medal that set the ball rolling for India in the Tokyo Olympics was Mirabai Chanu’s silver medal in weightlifting.
The girl from Manipur earned India’s second weightlifting medal and the first silver in this discipline for India. Mirabai is gearing up for her third Olympic appearance in Paris after competing in Rio and Tokyo.
A few months ago, it was unclear whether she would be able to compete in the upcoming Olympics due to severe thigh pain from an injury she picked up at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
However, she has recovered well and is now all set to win a second Olympic medal. Mirabai is training at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, along with her coach Vijay Sharma.
3. Ravi Kumar Dahiya
The second silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics came in wrestling, courtesy of Ravi Kumar Dahiya. The grappler took everyone by surprise with his winning streak on the mat, only to be stopped in a closely fought final, preventing him from securing gold. He became only the second Indian wrestler to win an Olympic silver.
His tenacity was evident throughout his campaign in the quadrennial event. Unfortunately, Ravi failed to qualify for Paris 2024, losing the bout in the Olympic qualification race, which can be attributed to his prolonged knee injury.
His bout with injuries didn’t end well and a loss to fellow Chhatrasal Stadium wrestler Aman Sehrawat in the wrestling trials earlier this year meant that it was the end of the road for Ravi in this Olympic cycle.
4. Lovlina Borgohain
Lovlina Borgohain, the first Assamese woman to compete in the Olympic Games, did not disappoint when she won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
With this medal, Lovlina secured India’s third medal in boxing and became only the second woman, after Mary Kom, to achieve this feat.
Having initially competed in the welterweight category (69kg) at the Tokyo Olympics, Lovlina had to move up to the middleweight division (75kg) after the welterweight category was removed from the Paris Olympics 2024.
This change proved advantageous for her, as she went on to win the Asian Championships in 2022 and the World Championships in 2023.
With these two titles under her belt, she is now aiming for a medal of a different color at the upcoming Paris Olympics. Currently, Lovlina is training in Germany at the Saarbrucken Olympic Centre alongside fellow Indian boxers who have also qualified for the event.
5. Bajrang Punia
Another Indian wrestler who won a medal in Tokyo but failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics is Bajrang Punia. Punia won a bronze medal in Tokyo, becoming the sixth Indian wrestler to win an Olympic medal for his country.
Bajrang’s life took complete when he started a protest against former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The protest started in April 2023 and went on for more than 60 days resulting in Bajrang losing crucial practice and game time.
After a poor showing at the Asian Games 2023, he lost to Rohit Kumar in the trials earlier this year.
With an alleged doping ban for violations, Bajrang has a very tough road ahead of him if he wants to come back to the International circuit.
6. P V Sindhu
India’s first female multi-medallist, P.V. Sindhu, earned this title by winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, having previously secured a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Although she has not been in top form recently, the two-time Olympian led India to its first-ever medal at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships held in Dubai in 2023, securing a bronze medal.
With a favourable draw at the Paris Olympics, PV Sindhu will look to secure her third medal at the Olympics completing a hat trick.
7. Indian Men’s Hockey Team
The 41-year wait officially ended in Tokyo when the Indian Men’s Hockey Team won a medal in the Olympics. Once regarded as invincibles in hockey, they had lost their glory in the latter half of the last century.
However, with stellar performances in international competitions, the team made a comeback and won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Having performed well in the Pro League post-Olympics, the men in blue aim to return with another medal from the Paris Olympics.
The team has embarked on a journey to Mike Horn’s base in Switzerland for mental toughness training. After that, they will play a few practice games in the Netherlands, which will serve as a warm-up before their first game at the Paris Olympics.