World’s biggest sporting event comes to an end; Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony is to begin this evening. 
World’s biggest sporting event, the Summer Games are coming to an end today. The Closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 will begin this evening at the National Stadium.
The Olympics which was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic was also the first one to be held without spectators.
For India, Bajrang Punia will lead the proceedings after being officially named as the flag bearer for the closing ceremony. With one gold, two silver and three bronze medals at the Tokyo Games India registered its best-ever tally of 7 at the Olympics. India’s previous best tally was six at the 2012 London Games.
Neeraj Chopra scripted history by winning Gold Medal in Men’s Javelin Throw Final with his 87.58m in throw in Tokyo Olympics 2020. He becomes 2nd Indian after Abhinav Bindra in Shooting to win an individual GOLD for India in the history of the Olympics. Courtesy of this medal, India finish with their best-ever medal tally at the Olympic Games.
Interestingly, Earlier in Paris Olympics 1900, Calcutta born Norman Gilbert Pritchard, a British-Indian athlete, who represented colonial India became the first Indian to win two silver medals in athletics. He won India’s first medal at the Olympics in the 200m and the 200m hurdles.
Coach of Neeraj Chopra, Uwe Hohn, a German track and field champ, is the only athlete to throw a javelin 100 metres or more, with his world record of 104.80 m.
While Chopra clinched India’s only gold medal at the Games,
Mirabai Chanu was the first Indian to win a medal at Tokyo 2020, with her silver in the women’s 49kg category. PV Sindhu then beat China’s He Bing Jiao to win bronze in badminton women’s singles. With the win, she also became the first Indian woman to win two individual medals at the Olympics. Lovlina Borgohain, was the next to add to the country’s tally, bringing home the bronze medal after she went down fighting in the women’s welterweight semi-finals.
India men’s hockey team created history by defeating Germany 5-4 to win their first Olympic medal since 1980. Wrestler Ravi Dahiya then stormed into the final of men’s freestyle 57kg with a stunning comeback win against Kazakhstan’s Nurislam Sanayev. Bajrang Punia won his bronze medal match against Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov to clinch India’s sixth medal before Neeraj Chopra sealed medal number 7 to make Tokyo 2020 truly memorable for India.
