The first medal that India has bagged at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, has been brought in by weightlifter Mirabai Chanu. Out of the 29 medals to the country’s name, women have won six of them. Here is a little about those remarkable athletes.

 

• Karnam Malleswari

 

Now retired, she was the first woman from the country to have won a medal, the bronze medal, at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Affectionately called India’s ‘iron lady’, she has many more laurels to her name. In 1995, she received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour, and in 1999, the civilian Padma Shri award. 

 

• Saina Nehwal

 

A medal next graced an Indian woman in 2012. The beloved Nehwal won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, and later went on to become the world no. 1 in badminton in 2015. Along with many awards, she also holds over 24 international titles.  

Also Read; 5 Indian Women To Look Out For At The Tokyo Olympics

 

• Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom

 

Days after Nehwal’s victory, Kom made a record of her own by becoming the only Indian woman to have a medal as a pugilist. Know to us as Mary Kom, she brought in a bronze medal in boxing at the 2012 Beijing Olympics in the 51 kg fly weight category. She also has 13 gold medals from other international competitions.

 

• Sakshi Malik

 

Malik won a bronze medal for wrestling at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 58 kg freestyle category. Hailing from Haryana, she was only 23 when she attained this feat. She remains the only Indian woman with a medal for wrestling at the Olympics. 

 

• Pusarla Venkata Sindhu

 

Hard as it is to believe, Malik is not the youngest woman to clinch a medal at the Olympics to bring back India. Not only is P.V. Sindhu the first Indian woman to bag a silver medal, she is also the youngest Indian woman to have won a medal, at the age 0f 22. This medal, too, was won at the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

 

• Saikhom Mirabai Chanu

 

The second name on this list to have come from Manipur, Chanu has brought India its second silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Winning the medal for weightlifting, she has been a presence in the international scene since 2014 and is a regular winner at the likes of the Commonwealth Games. 

Also Read; Here’s The Journey Of Maana Patel, The First Indian Female Swimmer At Tokyo Olympics