Tokyo 2020
One month after the Tokyo Olympics, where are the Indian athletes now?
A month after their glory in Tokyo and being crowned the most successful Indian contingent in Olympics history, where are the Indian athletes now?
It's has been one month since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics drew to a close. It has also been just a day over one month since Neeraj Chopra clinched the historic athletics gold medal for India in Tokyo.
A lot has happened since. There have been felicitation for medallists, countless media interactions, multiple controversies, fallouts and what not. Besides yet another massive multi-sport event, the Tokyo Paralympics too has been successfully conducted since the curtains fell on the Olympics.
A month after their glory in Tokyo and being crowned the most successful Indian contingent in Olympics history, where are the Indian athletes now? Let's have a look.
Neeraj Chopra
Ever since he ended India's Olympic medal drought in athletics on 7th August 2021, Neeraj Chopra has become the apple of the nation's eye.
Legend has it that the 23-year-old Chopra is still stuck with media interactions and felicitation ceremonies, even a month after his historic achievement in Tokyo. Neeraj Chopra saw himself in his fair share of media created controversies and has pulled the curtains down on his 2021 season.
Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia returned with a bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics, despite an injury to his right knee. The 27-year-old has since revealed that he will not compete at the upcoming Wrestling World Championships due to the injury and was most recently seen donning the hat of a coach for his wife, Sangeeta Phogat, at the national trials for the World Championships.
Amit Panghal
Entering the Tokyo Olympics as world number 1, a lot was expected of Amit Panghal in Tokyo. The 25-year-old, however, crashed out, losing his very first bout in Tokyo. Panghal has since been off the media radar and is now expected to skip the upcoming boxing nationals.
Mirabai Chanu
Mirabai Chanu won the first medal for India at the Tokyo Olympics with a silver in women's 49kg weightlifting. The Manipuri girl has since been in the thick of all the action, with awards and honours still pouring in for her.
Saurabh Chaudhary
One of India's biggest medal hopes at the Tokyo Olympics, Saurabh Chaudhary, returned empty-handed from Tokyo. The 19-year-old finished seventh in both the Men's 10m Air Rifle and Mixed Team 10m Rifle event. Saurabh Chaudhary has since been off the radar, with the only public info available being him skipping the upcoming Junior World Championships in Peru.
Manu Bhaker
The young Manu Bhaker faced a lot of heat for her disappointing performance in Tokyo. The youngster found herself in the midst of a controversy after an ugly spat with former coach Jaspal Rana.
Her current coach Ronak Pandit, on the other hand, stated that the 19-year-old has to resolve her technical issues and is not ready to compete as yet. Manu Bhaker is expected to be in action at the Junior World Championships in Peru later this month.
PV Sindhu
PV Sindhu won her second consecutive Olympic medal in Tokyo. One month after becoming only the second Indian to win multiple individual Olympic medals, Sindhu continues to be in the midst of various felicitation ceremonies. However, the 26-year-old has withdrawn from the Sudirman Cup and Thomas and Uber Cup for much-needed rest and will not be seen in the court anytime soon.
Lovlina Borgohain
Only the second Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in boxing, Lovlina Borgohain, has shot to superstar status in her state of Assam. The pugilist has since attended multiple felicitation ceremonies and has her eyes set on improving the colour of her medal in Paris. Moreover, Lovlina was also appointed as the brand ambassador of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in Assam recently.
Ravi Dahiya
Ravi Dahiya won the silver medal in men's 57kg freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics. The 23-year-old from Haryana has since become a household name in the country and has decided to skip the upcoming Wrestling World Championship as he did not get enough time to prepare for the national trials.
Vinesh Phogat
The performance of Vinesh Phogat was probably one of the biggest disappointments for India at the Tokyo Olympics. The 27-year-old was charged and suspended for indiscipline in Tokyo by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) before it was revoked following an apology from the star wrestler.
Vinesh then competed in the national selection trials for the World Wrestling Championships, where she withdrew mid-way during a bout and has since undergone elbow surgery, ruling her out of the World Championships.