After much ado, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is all set to start in Japan from July 23 as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic looms. For this edition of the Summer Games, India have sent a 228-strong contingent, including 120 athletes. Prior to this, India’s last ever contingent with 117 athletes participated in the Rio 2016 Summer Games.
Of the 120 athletes, there are 68 males and 52 females, with the average age of the Indian camp being 26.98 years. The oldest will be the 45-year-old Mairaj Ahmed Khan (men’s skeet shooting). The youngest is Rifle shooter Divyansh Singh Panwar who is aged 18. The Indian camp has 6 19-year-olds, including pistol shooters Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker.
Here’s a quick look at the Indian contingent and the disciplines they are participating in.
Archery
In Archery, World No 1 Deepika Kumari will aim to bring home an Olympic medal. She has been in solid form on the World Cup circuit in 2021 and claimed a hat-trick of gold medals in Stage 3 in Paris.
Kumari will be the sole female archer in the fray as the women’s team missed out on a quota in Paris recently while the men had earned theirs earlier. The pair of Kumari and Atanu Das, should they do well in qualification, may have a chance to bring home the coveted medal.
Artistic Gymnastics
After Dipa Karmakar made history at the Rio Olympics, India’s Pranati Nayak, 26, is ready to make history at Tokyo Olympics. She will be the only second Indian gymnast representing the country at Olympics.
Athletics
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will have the onus on him to get India a medal as he is India’s brightest prospect to end the nation’s wait for a first Olympic medal in athletics. Independent India has never won a medal at the track and field events in Olympic Games with Milkha Singh and PT Usha coming agonisingly close in the past.
Badminton
All hopes will be pinned on World Champion PV Sindhu, B Sai Praneeth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Previously, India had won glory with Saina and Sindhu respectively winning a bronze and silver medal. This time, Sains, Srikanth Kidambi, HS Prannoy, Ashwini Ponnappa will be missing out.
In men’s singles: B Sai Praneeth
In women’s singles: PV Sindhu
In men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty
Boxing
Boxing brought medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. However, they failed to get one in the Rio Games, the Indian contingent will be hoping to bring one medal in the Summer Games.
For 2020, all eyes will be on MC Mary Kom and Amit Panghal, who have been in fine form on the circuit.
Equestrian
Fouaad Mirza is the only Indian hope for Equestrian in the Olympic Games. He is the third Indian equestrian after Indrajit Lamba and Imtiaz Anees to secure an individual spot in Eventing at the Olympic Games.
Mirza, who won two silver medals at the 2018 Asian Games ending a 36-year-old medal drought, has picked Dajara 4 as his horse over his other experienced horse Seigneur Medicott.
Fencing
CA Bhavani Devi created history when she became the first ever Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympic Games. She secured a spot through the World Cup in Hungary.
Golf
In Men’s Individual Stroke Play – Anirban Lahiri
In Men’s Individual Stroke Play- Udayan Mane
In Women’s Individual Stroke Play- Aditi Ashok
Hockey
India’s hockey history is the most glorious at the Olympic Games, with them winning eight gold medals in the men’s event (1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980).
Men’s Hockey
Surender Kumar, Birendra Lakra, PR Sreejesh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Amit Rohidas, Nilakanta Sharma, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Hardik Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Manpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Shamsher Singh, Sumit, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay
Women’s Hockey
Sharmila Devi, Deep Grace Ekka, Vandana Katariya, Gurjit Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Monika Malik, Neha Goyal, Nisha Warsi, Nikki Pradhan, Sushila Chanu, Rani Rampal, Savita Punia, Salima Tete, Udita Duhan
Judo
Women’s -48 kg Shushila Devi Likmabam
Rowing
Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls- Jat Arjun Lal
Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls- Arvind Singh
Sailing
Men’s One Person Dinghy – Laser – Vishnu Saravanan
Men’s Skiff – 49er – KC Ganapathy
Men’s Skiff – 49er- Varun Thakkar
Women’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial- Nethra Kumanan
Shooting
Apart from Neeraj Chopra, India’s next biggest hope for multiple medals at Tokyo 2020 in the shooting camp. The Indian shooters were in solid form in the Olympic cycle, with medals galore in the ISSF World Cups.
Swimming
Srihari Nataraj and Sajan Prakash achieved Olympic Qualification Timing (OQT) ‘A’ level timings. Prakash clocked 1:56:38 seconds in the men’s 200m butterfly event in Rome. Srihari Natraj booked a Tokyo Olympics berth getting an ‘A’ standard qualification time in the men’s 100m backstroke time trial in Rome.
Maana Patel will take part in the 100m backstroke at the Tokyo Games.
Table Tennis
In men’s Singles- Achanta Sharath Kamal
In men’s Singles- Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
In women’s Singles- Manika Batra
In women’s Singles- Sutirtha Mukherjee
In mixed Doubles- Achanta Sharath Kamal/Manika Batra
Tennis
In women’s Doubles- Sania Mirza/Ankita Raina
In men’s singles- Sumit Nagal
Weightlifting
Former world champion Mirabai Chanu is one of India’s early medal hopes.
Wrestling