India’s Olympic medal-winners have been accorded a grand welcome by the federal government in a blinding felicitation ceremony right here on Monday with sports activities minister Anurag Thakur saying that their journey is an “incredible story of resilience and sporting excellence”.
Gold medal successful javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was the cynosure of all eyes within the ceremony at a five-star lodge right here, held a few hours after the seven podium finishers made their manner out of the airport amid utter chaos.
At the felicitation ceremony, they have been introduced mementos and shawls by the minister.
Both the bronze-winning males’s hockey group and fourth-place ending girls’s group lower truffles after arriving on the lodge.
“We all come from middle-class families and support of the families is essential,” Chopra mentioned after being felicitated by Thakur.
While Chopra added the golden sheen to the marketing campaign, the silver medals got here from weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya.
“It feels great, I would like to thank the government, SAI and IOA for helping us during our quarantine time. They gave us all the support,” mentioned males’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh.
The bronze medals, aside from the boys’s hockey group, have been claimed by boxer Lovlina Borgohain, shuttler P V Sindhu, and wrestler Bajrang Punia.
“I am very happy to be back home. I knew India is very happy but after coming back here, to get this love first hand, it feels really nice. I would try to do my best for more such medals,” Borgohain mentioned.
Sindhu and Chanu didn’t attend the ceremony as that they had arrived earlier and are at present at their dwelling bases.
“I only tried to give my best,” mentioned Punia, who fought by way of his semifinals with none protecting gear on his injured knee.
Among these current on the event to felicitate the medal winners additionally included Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju, Secretary (Sports) Ravi Mittal and Director-General of Sports Authority of India Sandip Pradhan.
“Tokyo 2020 was an Olympic Games of many firsts for India. The success of Team India at the Olympics is a reflection of how New India desires and aspires to dominate the worldeven in sports,” Thakur mentioned.
“The Olympic Games confirmed us that with self-discipline and dedication we may be champions. Team India excelled and impressed whereas Indians cheered and celebrated throughout.
“Truly sports is a great unifier as our athletes come from villages and cities, north to south, from east to west. Their journey is an incredible story of resilience and sporting excellence,” he added.
There have been many firsts in India’s marketing campaign, together with the largest ever 128-member athlete contingent, seven Olympic Medals, first Olympic gold medal in an athletics occasion, two successive medals in consecutive Games by Sindhu, and a medal(bronze) by the Indian males’s group in hockey after a niche of 41 years.
Also, the ladies’s hockey group achieved its finest ever fourth place end within the Games.
“We will continue to support our sports persons and we endeavour to make India a sporting powerhouse,” Thakur mentioned.
The minister additionally lauded some shut finishes together with the fourth place end by golfer Aditi Ashok.
Thakur’s predecessor Rijiju praised the performances of all of the athletes and reiterated that India will likely be a power to reckon with by the 2028 Olympics.
“This is only the start as a result of India’s resurgence in sport is seen now and I’m assured that by 2028 Olympics India will likely be a power to reckon with, Rijiju talked about.
