This time the Olympic games have come as a breather during the pandemic situation. The 2020 Olympics started in July 2021, without spectators in the host city Tokyo. The restriction was put by the Japanese government to protect its capital from the delta variant of COVID-19.
History of Olympics 2020:
The Olympics, which are held once every four years, have a long history: In ancient Greece, these games were held between 776 BC to 393 AD, in a small town called Olympia. The sporting event which was a part of a religious ceremony to the Greek God Zeus grew as a worldwide sports meet to spread peace among mankind.
The first modern Olympic games were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. From this time countries around the world participate in these games. First participation from India was in 1900. Norman Pritchard represented India and won two silver medals. Since its independence, India has been sending more than 50 athletes in several sports. Moreover, this number is increasing with every Olympic game.
In the 2000 Sydney Olympics Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in the women’s weightlifting category. This was the first-ever Olympic medal won by an Indian woman. Here on, Indian women have been consistent in winning medals in the Olympic games. In the 2020 Olympics Indian women won two medals- Mirabai Chanu won silver in wrestling in the women’s 49kg category and PV Sindhu won her second Olympic bronze in women’s singles in badminton. In one of his interviews, the Chief Coach of the Indian National Badminton team, Gopichand said:
“For a long time, it was India saving the girl child. Now the girls are saving India.”
Neeraj Chopra got the gold medal for India in Javelin throw. This is the country’s second gold medal in individual games, after Abhinav Bindra in archery.
Indian hockey team defeated Germany (5-4) in a thrilling match to get their bronze. After winning gold in 1980 Moscow, the Indian hockey team won this bronze after 40 years.
| Neeraj Chopra | Gold Medal in Men’s Javelin Throw: 87.58 |
| Mirabai Chanu | Silver Medal in Weightlifting (Women’s 49kg) |
| Ravi Kum Dahiya | Silver Medal in Men’s 57 kg Wrestling |
| Lovlina Borgohain | Bronze Medal in Women’s Welterweight Boxing |
| Bajrang Punia | Bronze Medal in Men’s Freestyle 65kg Wrestling |
| PV Sindhu | Bronze Medal in Women’s Singles Badminton |
| Indian Hockey Team | Bronze Medal in Men’s Hockey tournament |
Also Read: Indian women hockey team scripts history at Olympics 2020
India stands 47thwith 1 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze in the tally table. Still, a long way to go to reach the top 10. To be one among the top ten countries, there must be some institutional changes in our country. Society must change its mindset to accept sports as a career. People should encourage their children and local talents to come up in the sports field. Government should provide more funds and open public sports academies. Government can also enforce compulsory physical education and training in schools and colleges.
‘Rome wasn’t built in a day, and changes don’t come about in a short time. The society and the youth with aids from the government will ensure that India will mark its significance in the Olympics as a country. India at Olympics 2020 has proved that the population of the nation is strong to prove its efficacy.
