<p>The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has labelled the government of South Australia "cruel and uncaring" for imposing an extra two-week quarantine for athletes returning to the state from the Tokyo Games, meaning they must self-isolate for 28 days.<br />
<br />
International arrivals to Australia must isolate for 14 days at quarantine hotels or other special facilities as part of COVID-19 restrictions.<br />
<br />
South Australia (SA) is imposing an additional 14-day home quarantine requirement for arrivals from Australia`s eastern states of Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales which are battling COVID-19 outbreaks.<br />
<br />
The AOC said SA had turned down its request for an exemption from the extra quarantine period.<br />
<br />
"While other countries are celebrating the return of their athletes, we are subjecting ours to the most cruel and uncaring treatment," AOC Chief Executive Matt Carroll said in a statement on Wednesday.<br />
<br />
"They are being punished for proudly representing their country with distinction at the Olympic Games."<br />
<br />
An SA government spokesperson was unable to provide immediate comment but reiterated the state`s quarantine rule.<br />
<br />
The AOC said 56 members of the Australian Olympic team were returning to SA and 16 were already undergoing quarantine in the New South Wales capital Sydney.<br />
<br />
"Not only are our Olympians fully vaccinated, but they have also been living in a highly controlled bubble in Tokyo, taking the utmost precautions -- tested daily over many weeks," said Carroll.<br />
<br />
"We have received no explanation as to why our application on behalf of these athletes has been rejected."<br />
<br />
The Australian Institute of Sports` Chief Medical Officer David Hughes said the extra quarantine period could not be scientifically justified and posed a significant risk to the physical and mental wellbeing of individuals affected.<br />
<br />
Through a combination of strict travel and border controls and snap lockdowns, Australia has fared better than many other developed countries during the pandemic, recording fewer than 37,000 COVID-19 cases and a death toll under 1,000.</p>


The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has labelled the government of South Australia "cruel and uncaring" for imposing an extra two-week quarantine for athletes returning to the state from the Tokyo Games, meaning they must self-isolate for 28 days.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has labelled the government of South Australia "cruel and uncaring" for imposing an extra two-week quarantine for athletes returning to the state from the Tokyo Games, meaning they must self-isolate for 28 days. International arrivals to Australia must isolate for 14 days at quarantine hotels or other special facilities as part of COVID-19 restrictions. South Australia (SA) is imposing an additional 14-day home quarantine requirement for arrivals from Australia`s eastern states of Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales which are battling COVID-19 outbreaks. The AOC said SA had turned down its request for an exemption from the extra quarantine period. "While other countries are celebrating the return of their athletes, we are subjecting ours to the most cruel and uncaring treatment," AOC Chief Executive Matt Carroll said in a statement on Wednesday. "They are being punished for proudly representing their country with distinction at the Olympic Games." An SA government spokesperson was unable to provide immediate comment but reiterated the state`s quarantine rule. The AOC said 56 members of the Australian Olympic team were returning to SA and 16 were already undergoing quarantine in the New South Wales capital Sydney. "Not only are our Olympians fully vaccinated, but they have also been living in a highly controlled bubble in Tokyo, taking the utmost precautions -- tested daily over many weeks," said Carroll. "We have received no explanation as to why our application on behalf of these athletes has been rejected." The Australian Institute of Sports` Chief Medical Officer David Hughes said the extra quarantine period could not be scientifically justified and posed a significant risk to the physical and mental wellbeing of individuals affected. Through a combination of strict travel and border controls and snap lockdowns, Australia has fared better than many other developed countries during the pandemic, recording fewer than 37,000 COVID-19 cases and a death toll under 1,000.

Olympic body lambasts 'cruel' 28-day quarantine for athletes returning to South Australia

<p>Mattel, the toy company that manufactures Barbie dolls, is facing heavy criticism on social media over the latest collection of dolls dedicated to the Tokyo Olympics for not including Asian Barbie. As per Mattel's official statement, the toy-making company said that they collaborated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 to create the Olympic-themed dolls.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The statement further added that the latest product line of Olympic-inspired Barbies highlights "inclusivity and innovation" and reflects the five new sports added to Tokyo Games — which was baseball/softball, sport climbing, karate, skateboarding and surfing. The aim was to inspire a new generation of athletes and fans around the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>"Tokyo 2020 is a monumental event that brings the world together through sport and inspires fans of all ages," said Janet Hsu, Chief Franchise Officer of Mattel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The Mattel Tokyo 2020 Collection honours these sports and inspires a new generation through the Olympic spirit and outstanding athletic tradition," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Barbie?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Barbie</a> is committed to empowering girls to participate in sports by capturing the fun and friendship of the season, and inspiring kids to find the athlete within.🏅 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YouCanBeAnything?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YouCanBeAnything</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> <a href="https://t.co/MFjn2ZhfvW">https://t.co/MFjn2ZhfvW</a> <a href="https://t.co/XftIDTaZMo">pic.twitter.com/XftIDTaZMo</a></p>
— Barbie (@Barbie) <a href="https://twitter.com/Barbie/status/1420437588406685700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-bhavani-devis-efforts-to-neeraj-chopras-gold-historic-firsts-and-some-shining-moments-of-india-at-tokyo-olympics-404251">Historic firsts and some shining moments of India at Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p>The caption of the Barbie's post read, "#Barbie is committed to empowering girls to participate in sports by capturing the fun and friendship of the season, and inspiring kids to find the athlete within."</p>

<p>However, social media users have expressed their disappointment over the image that was shared on Twitter and Instagram. Some of the users were furious over the omission of an Asian doll, especially as the Games were held in an Asian city, Tokyo. Some users pointed out that one of the dolls "has Asian features".&nbsp;</p>

<p>One user wrote, "Wow. Wordless. Olympics in an Asian country yet zero attempt to represent any Asians in your collection. Shame on you @Barbie". Another chimed in and said, "EPIC FAIL. What happen to being “Inclusive”. Where is the Asian Barbie ?!?!? You are part of the problem. The Olympics is happening in Tokyo, an asian country. I know you can do better than this. Very disappointed."</p>

<p>"So disappointing that by trying to be inclusive you exclude almost 60% of the world's population as well as that of the host country. Many of the top female athletes in the Olympics are asian. This was not an oversight but blatant racism," wrote one of the users.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">According to Mattel you can can anything , but ASIAN if you want to be included. The Olympics is literally happening in Asia. An Asian countries has the most gold medals. An Asian-American won gold in one of the biggest and most poplar event. Talk about tone deaf. Do much better!</p>
— Allen Chan (@achan0501) <a href="https://twitter.com/achan0501/status/1423457089255395330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Where’s the Asian Barbie?? They are generally hard to find but you would think Olympics would include! My daughter is half Asian &amp; I keep debating if she will ever play with Barbie. This just proves to me that Disney Princess is the way better choice! <a href="https://twitter.com/Hasbro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hasbro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DisneyStudios?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DisneyStudios</a></p>
— Amanda Tran (@awadds) <a href="https://twitter.com/awadds/status/1423824206920404998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">You can't have a doll representing the Olympics and Not include a doll of Asian Quality! The sports held Tokoyo why not include a doll from that country? Instead of 2 blonde, it should one and a Asian doll. Period! How fair is it to them?</p>
— Kisha (@Kisha45134780) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kisha45134780/status/1424822504556797953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Major failure! Where is the doll that looks Asian? Especially Olympic 2020 is taking place in Japan which is an Asian country. <a href="https://twitter.com/Mattel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mattel</a> this is a disaster, whether it’s accidental or intentional.</p>
— Mellie (@mesyndaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/mesyndaily/status/1423838163223650305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is an Asian Barbie. They got screamed at for making an Asian Barbie look “too Asian”. Now this one isn’t Asian enough. They can’t win. Someone is always offended. <a href="https://t.co/d3jHSDlM7U">pic.twitter.com/d3jHSDlM7U</a></p>
— Just the Facts Ma’am (@tell_me_girl) <a href="https://twitter.com/tell_me_girl/status/1424806229050806278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>So far, there's no response from the toy making company.&nbsp;</p>


Mattel, the toy company that manufactures Barbie dolls, is facing heavy criticism on social media over the latest collection of dolls dedicated to the Tokyo Olympics for not including Asian Barbie.

Mattel, the toy company that manufactures Barbie dolls, is facing heavy criticism on social media over the latest collection of dolls dedicated to the Tokyo Olympics for not including Asian Barbie. As per Mattel's official statement, the toy-making company said that they collaborated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 to create the Olympic-themed dolls. The statement further added that the latest product line of Olympic-inspired Barbies highlights "inclusivity and innovation" and reflects the five new sports added to Tokyo Games — which was baseball/softball, sport climbing, karate, skateboarding and surfing. The aim was to inspire a new generation of athletes and fans around the world. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list "Tokyo 2020 is a monumental event that brings the world together through sport and inspires fans of all ages," said Janet Hsu, Chief Franchise Officer of Mattel. "The Mattel Tokyo 2020 Collection honours these sports and inspires a new generation through the Olympic spirit and outstanding athletic tradition," he added. #Barbie is committed to empowering girls to participate in sports by capturing the fun and friendship of the season, and inspiring kids to find the athlete within.🏅 #YouCanBeAnything #tokyo2020 #Olympics https://t.co/MFjn2ZhfvW pic.twitter.com/XftIDTaZMo — Barbie (@Barbie) July 28, 2021 × IN PICS | Historic firsts and some shining moments of India at Tokyo Olympics The caption of the Barbie's post read, "#Barbie is committed to empowering girls to participate in sports by capturing the fun and friendship of the season, and inspiring kids to find the athlete within." However, social media users have expressed their disappointment over the image that was shared on Twitter and Instagram. Some of the users were furious over the omission of an Asian doll, especially as the Games were held in an Asian city, Tokyo. Some users pointed out that one of the dolls "has Asian features". One user wrote, "Wow. Wordless. Olympics in an Asian country yet zero attempt to represent any Asians in your collection. Shame on you @Barbie". Another chimed in and said, "EPIC FAIL. What happen to being “Inclusive”. Where is the Asian Barbie ?!?!? You are part of the problem. The Olympics is happening in Tokyo, an asian country. I know you can do better than this. Very disappointed." "So disappointing that by trying to be inclusive you exclude almost 60% of the world's population as well as that of the host country. Many of the top female athletes in the Olympics are asian. This was not an oversight but blatant racism," wrote one of the users. According to Mattel you can can anything , but ASIAN if you want to be included. The Olympics is literally happening in Asia. An Asian countries has the most gold medals. An Asian-American won gold in one of the biggest and most poplar event. Talk about tone deaf. Do much better! — Allen Chan (@achan0501) August 6, 2021 × Where’s the Asian Barbie?? They are generally hard to find but you would think Olympics would include! My daughter is half Asian & I keep debating if she will ever play with Barbie. This just proves to me that Disney Princess is the way better choice! @Hasbro @DisneyStudios — Amanda Tran (@awadds) August 7, 2021 × You can't have a doll representing the Olympics and Not include a doll of Asian Quality! The sports held Tokoyo why not include a doll from that country? Instead of 2 blonde, it should one and a Asian doll. Period! How fair is it to them? — Kisha (@Kisha45134780) August 9, 2021 × Major failure! Where is the doll that looks Asian? Especially Olympic 2020 is taking place in Japan which is an Asian country. @Mattel this is a disaster, whether it’s accidental or intentional. — Mellie (@mesyndaily) August 7, 2021 × This is an Asian Barbie. They got screamed at for making an Asian Barbie look “too Asian”. Now this one isn’t Asian enough. They can’t win. Someone is always offended. pic.twitter.com/d3jHSDlM7U — Just the Facts Ma’am (@tell_me_girl) August 9, 2021 × So far, there's no response from the toy making company.

Where are the Asians? Barbie slammed as Tokyo Olympics-themed dolls seem not to include an entire community

<p>As the entire nation is basking in the glory of India's best-ever medal haul at Olympics, including a gold medal in athletics at Tokyo Games 2020, a piece of&nbsp;news went viral. Pinky Karmakar, who was once an Olympic torchbearer, is currently working as a daily wage labourer in Assam.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On one hand, Indian athletes received a grand welcome with cash rewards, cars, jobs etc upon their arrival from Tokyo, Pinky Karmakar opened up about struggles she has been facing as her "dreams have been shattered".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pinky Karmakar represented India as a torchbearer in the 2012 London Olympics, where India bagged a total of six medals — Sushil Kumar (Silver), Saina Nehwal (Bronze), Mary Kom (Bronze), Vijay Kumar (Silver), Gagan Narang (Bronze), Yogeshwar Dutt (Bronze).&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-bhavani-devis-efforts-to-neeraj-chopras-gold-historic-firsts-and-some-shining-moments-of-india-at-tokyo-olympics-404251">Historic firsts and some shining moments of India at Tokyo Olympic</a></strong></p>

<p>During an interaction with ANI, Pinky Karmakar said, "I represented India as a torchbearer in the 2012 London Olympics. I work as a daily wager at a tea garden in Dibrugarh."</p>

<p>"I didn't get enough facilities from the government. I don't understand why. I was selected by UNICEF. My dreams have been shattered," she added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The then 17-year-old was studying in Class 10 when she represented India at the London Olympics. She used to run UNICEF's Sports for Development (S4D) program in her school and teach about 40 women and was also an advocate of adult literacy.</p>

<p>"When I was 17-year-old and was studying in Class 10, I used to run a program in my school and teach about women there. It got sponsored by UNICEF," she said.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/with-three-gold-medals-in-hockey-heres-how-india-fared-at-olympics-games-before-independence-404310">With three gold medals in hockey, here's how India fared at Olympics Games before independence</a></strong></p>

<p>She further added, "My family is facing several financial constraints due to which I cannot afford several sports equipment. If I would have got enough facilities, I would also have had represented India in Olympics."</p>

<p>Pinky is currently working as a daily wage labourer at Borborooah tea garden. She is helping her family by supporting them financially as a daily wage labourer at a tea garden in her district.</p>

<p>Indian contingent returned from the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, where India marked its best-ever finish with seven medals, including a gold by javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>With an 87.58 metres throw, Neeraj scripted history after winning a gold medal. It was India's first athletics gold medal at the Olympics Games. He became only the second individual Olympic gold medalist for India after Abhinav Bindra won shooting gold in 2008.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Neeraj Chopra's interview:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exclusive-olympic-gold-medalist-neeraj-chopra-speaks-with-wion-403839/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>For India, the medal winners are Neeraj Chopra (Gold), Ravi Kumar (Silver), Mirabai Chanu (Silver), Bajrang Punia (Bronze), PV Sindhu (Bronze), Lovlina Borgohain (Bronze) and the men's hockey team (Bronze).&nbsp;</p>


As the entire nation is basking in the glory of India's best-ever medal haul at Olympics, including a gold medal in athletics at Tokyo Games 2020, a piece of news went viral.

As the entire nation is basking in the glory of India's best-ever medal haul at Olympics, including a gold medal in athletics at Tokyo Games 2020, a piece of news went viral. Pinky Karmakar, who was once an Olympic torchbearer, is currently working as a daily wage labourer in Assam. On one hand, Indian athletes received a grand welcome with cash rewards, cars, jobs etc upon their arrival from Tokyo, Pinky Karmakar opened up about struggles she has been facing as her "dreams have been shattered". Pinky Karmakar represented India as a torchbearer in the 2012 London Olympics, where India bagged a total of six medals — Sushil Kumar (Silver), Saina Nehwal (Bronze), Mary Kom (Bronze), Vijay Kumar (Silver), Gagan Narang (Bronze), Yogeshwar Dutt (Bronze). IN PICS | Historic firsts and some shining moments of India at Tokyo Olympic During an interaction with ANI, Pinky Karmakar said, "I represented India as a torchbearer in the 2012 London Olympics. I work as a daily wager at a tea garden in Dibrugarh." "I didn't get enough facilities from the government. I don't understand why. I was selected by UNICEF. My dreams have been shattered," she added. The then 17-year-old was studying in Class 10 when she represented India at the London Olympics. She used to run UNICEF's Sports for Development (S4D) program in her school and teach about 40 women and was also an advocate of adult literacy. "When I was 17-year-old and was studying in Class 10, I used to run a program in my school and teach about women there. It got sponsored by UNICEF," she said. IN PICS | With three gold medals in hockey, here's how India fared at Olympics Games before independence She further added, "My family is facing several financial constraints due to which I cannot afford several sports equipment. If I would have got enough facilities, I would also have had represented India in Olympics." Pinky is currently working as a daily wage labourer at Borborooah tea garden. She is helping her family by supporting them financially as a daily wage labourer at a tea garden in her district. Indian contingent returned from the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, where India marked its best-ever finish with seven medals, including a gold by javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. With an 87.58 metres throw, Neeraj scripted history after winning a gold medal. It was India's first athletics gold medal at the Olympics Games. He became only the second individual Olympic gold medalist for India after Abhinav Bindra won shooting gold in 2008. Neeraj Chopra's interview: × IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list For India, the medal winners are Neeraj Chopra (Gold), Ravi Kumar (Silver), Mirabai Chanu (Silver), Bajrang Punia (Bronze), PV Sindhu (Bronze), Lovlina Borgohain (Bronze) and the men's hockey team (Bronze).

Pinky Karmakar, once an Olympic torchbearer now works as a daily wage labourer in Assam

<p>US viewership for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, a competition clouded by the COVID-19 pandemic, dropped to about half the audience for the London Games in 2012, according to data released by Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal on Monday.<br />
<br />
The event averaged 15.5 million primetime viewers on the NBC broadcast network and digital platforms including the Peacock streaming service, the company said in a statement. That represented the smallest audience for the Summer Games since NBC began broadcasting them in 1988.<br />
<br />
The total slumped below the 31.1 million viewers who watched the Summer Olympics in London via TV and online outlets, and 26.7 million who tuned in for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, an NBC spokesman said.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-bhavani-devis-efforts-to-neeraj-chopras-gold-historic-firsts-and-some-shining-moments-of-india-at-tokyo-olympics-404251">Historic firsts and some shining moments of India at Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p>Comparisons with previous Olympic Games are imperfect given the different times zones, the pandemic and fewer streaming options in the past. The Tokyo events, delayed a year due to the global health crisis, were held without spectators and offered less of the usual spectacle.<br />
<br />
Executives at NBCUniversal have said they expect to turn a profit despite the ratings declines. The competitions still pulled in the biggest audiences on television when they aired, making them attractive showcases for advertisers.<br />
<br />
"There is nothing more powerful in media than the 17 straight days of Olympics dominance," NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua said in a statement. "Despite being thrown a series of curveballs over the last 18 months, the power of the Olympics delivered to audiences across the various platforms of NBCU has proven itself unequaled."</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/with-three-gold-medals-in-hockey-heres-how-india-fared-at-olympics-games-before-independence-404310">With three gold medals in hockey, here's how India fared at Olympics Games before independence</a></strong></p>

<p>The company said viewers streamed nearly 6 billion minutes of Tokyo Olympics programming, a record for an Olympics, across NBC's digital and social media platforms, the company said.<br />
<br />
NBCUniversal aired the Games across two broadcast networks, six cable networks, and multiple digital platforms including Peacock. That left some viewers confused and struggling to find the events they wanted to watch.<br />
<br />
Some high-profile athletes were absent from major events. US&nbsp;superstar gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of five of her six events, citing concerns for her mental and physical health, and American sprinter Sha`Karri Richardson was disqualified after testing positive for marijuana.<br />
<br />
The TV ratings drop reflects a trend among live events, including Hollywood awards shows and sports championships.<br />
<br />
NBC owns the US&nbsp;media rights to the Olympics through 2032. The next games, the Winter Olympics in Beijing, take place in February 2022.</p>


US viewership for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, a competition clouded by the COVID-19 pandemic, dropped to about half the audience for the London Games in 2012, according to data released by Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal on Monday.

US viewership for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, a competition clouded by the COVID-19 pandemic, dropped to about half the audience for the London Games in 2012, according to data released by Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal on Monday. The event averaged 15.5 million primetime viewers on the NBC broadcast network and digital platforms including the Peacock streaming service, the company said in a statement. That represented the smallest audience for the Summer Games since NBC began broadcasting them in 1988. The total slumped below the 31.1 million viewers who watched the Summer Olympics in London via TV and online outlets, and 26.7 million who tuned in for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, an NBC spokesman said. IN PICS | Historic firsts and some shining moments of India at Tokyo Olympics Comparisons with previous Olympic Games are imperfect given the different times zones, the pandemic and fewer streaming options in the past. The Tokyo events, delayed a year due to the global health crisis, were held without spectators and offered less of the usual spectacle. Executives at NBCUniversal have said they expect to turn a profit despite the ratings declines. The competitions still pulled in the biggest audiences on television when they aired, making them attractive showcases for advertisers. "There is nothing more powerful in media than the 17 straight days of Olympics dominance," NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua said in a statement. "Despite being thrown a series of curveballs over the last 18 months, the power of the Olympics delivered to audiences across the various platforms of NBCU has proven itself unequaled." IN PICS | With three gold medals in hockey, here's how India fared at Olympics Games before independence The company said viewers streamed nearly 6 billion minutes of Tokyo Olympics programming, a record for an Olympics, across NBC's digital and social media platforms, the company said. NBCUniversal aired the Games across two broadcast networks, six cable networks, and multiple digital platforms including Peacock. That left some viewers confused and struggling to find the events they wanted to watch. Some high-profile athletes were absent from major events. US superstar gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of five of her six events, citing concerns for her mental and physical health, and American sprinter Sha`Karri Richardson was disqualified after testing positive for marijuana. The TV ratings drop reflects a trend among live events, including Hollywood awards shows and sports championships. NBC owns the US media rights to the Olympics through 2032. The next games, the Winter Olympics in Beijing, take place in February 2022.

US ratings for Tokyo Olympics plunge to half of 2012 Games

<p>Tokyo awoke to a huge bill and soaring coronavirus cases on Monday after pulling off a mid-pandemic Olympics that at times looked impossible and had a mixed reception to the end.</p>

<p>Olympic officials have been predictably bullish, saying the Games offered hope and uplifting moments, and went off without any major coronavirus outbreaks.</p>

<p>"These Olympic Games have been a powerful demonstration of the unifying power of sport," International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach said at his closing press conference.</p>

<p>But it will take longer for&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;to reckon with a Games that were highly controversial and unfolded as virus cases exploded in Tokyo and elsewhere.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The Asahi Shimbun daily, which had called for cancellation despite being a sponsor of the Games, said the nearly $15 billion event was a "gamble" with people's lives.</p>

<p>"This gamble went ahead, making the situation worse," it said on Monday.</p>

<p>A poll conducted by the paper over the last two days of the Games found 56 percent of Japanese supported holding the event, with 32 percent opposed. Just 32 percent said they felt the Games were "safe and secure", with 54 percent unconvinced.</p>

<p>Tokyo's 2020 Olympics were unlike any other, starting with last year's historic postponement that upturned years of planning for athletes.</p>

<p>Restrictions at the Games themselves meant masks for all, cheering for none, and fans banned from almost all venues for the first time.</p>

<p><strong>'High praise'</strong></p>

<p>Despite everything, as the Games opened there were signs that&nbsp;Japan's public might be having a change of heart.</p>

<p>Thousands flocked to the Olympic Stadium for a glimpse of the opening ceremony fireworks and a chance to take their photo in front of the Olympic rings.</p>

<p>When the sport got under way, people defied requests to stay away from events held on public roads, and snapped up Olympic merchandise in stores across&nbsp;Japan.</p>

<p>"If you see these athletes running in front of you, you can't help but cheer for them," Hirochika Tadeda told AFP along the route of the triathlon, which passed in front of his home.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sustainable-development-report-ranks-australia-last-on-climate-action-395157">Sustainable development report ranks Australia last on climate action</a></strong></p>

<p>Tributes to the athletes were a key theme of editorials in&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;on Monday, with the Yomiuri Shimbun offering "high praise for competitions into which they poured all their efforts."</p>

<p>There had been concerns about what the pandemic and the postponement would mean for sport at the Games.</p>

<p>But despite some high-profile disappointments, performances remained impressive, with world records broken and the successful introduction of several new sports including skateboarding and surfing.</p>

<p>The coronavirus cast a long shadow over the Games from the start, and several athletes' Olympic dreams were shattered by the results of a PCR test.</p>

<p>Most though were just happy the Games went ahead at all.</p>

<p>"Mid-pandemic they successfully held an amazing Olympics. Always greeting us with a smile and so much kindness. Thank you," wrote Australian footballer Alanna Kennedy on Twitter.</p>

<p><strong>'Brightened the world'</strong></p>

<p>"The Games have been held in the most challenging circumstances imaginable and the organisers have excelled," added Hugh Robertson, chairman of the British Olympic Association.</p>

<p>The Olympics were also a triumph for Japanese sport, with a record 27 gold medals in everything from baseball to skateboarding.</p>

<p>Japanese Olympic officials said they felt the gold rush drove public support for the Games, pointing to the families who brought children to venues to cheer outside or hung flags in their windows.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-bhavani-devis-efforts-to-neeraj-chopras-gold-historic-firsts-and-some-shining-moments-of-india-at-tokyo-olympics-404251">Historic firsts and some shining moments of India at Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p>But behind the cheering, there is a looming sense of crisis over the sharp rise in virus cases during the Games.</p>

<p>Tokyo and many other parts of the country are under virus state of emergency, and only around a third of the country is fully vaccinated as the Delta variant fuels surging infections.</p>

<p>The issue could weigh on Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's political future, as he faces a leadership race and then a general election by October.</p>

<p>For some though, the sporting highlights swept away concerns about the pandemic.</p>

<p>"It's true that I was a little worried," 21-year-old university student Reita Goto told AFP.</p>

<p>"But in the end the Olympics has brightened up not only&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;but also the world."</p>


Tokyo awoke to a huge bill and soaring coronavirus cases on Monday after pulling off a mid-pandemic Olympics that at times looked impossible and had a mixed reception to the end.

Tokyo awoke to a huge bill and soaring coronavirus cases on Monday after pulling off a mid-pandemic Olympics that at times looked impossible and had a mixed reception to the end. Olympic officials have been predictably bullish, saying the Games offered hope and uplifting moments, and went off without any major coronavirus outbreaks. "These Olympic Games have been a powerful demonstration of the unifying power of sport," International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach said at his closing press conference. But it will take longer for Japan to reckon with a Games that were highly controversial and unfolded as virus cases exploded in Tokyo and elsewhere. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list The Asahi Shimbun daily, which had called for cancellation despite being a sponsor of the Games, said the nearly $15 billion event was a "gamble" with people's lives. "This gamble went ahead, making the situation worse," it said on Monday. A poll conducted by the paper over the last two days of the Games found 56 percent of Japanese supported holding the event, with 32 percent opposed. Just 32 percent said they felt the Games were "safe and secure", with 54 percent unconvinced. Tokyo's 2020 Olympics were unlike any other, starting with last year's historic postponement that upturned years of planning for athletes. Restrictions at the Games themselves meant masks for all, cheering for none, and fans banned from almost all venues for the first time. 'High praise' Despite everything, as the Games opened there were signs that Japan's public might be having a change of heart. Thousands flocked to the Olympic Stadium for a glimpse of the opening ceremony fireworks and a chance to take their photo in front of the Olympic rings. When the sport got under way, people defied requests to stay away from events held on public roads, and snapped up Olympic merchandise in stores across Japan. "If you see these athletes running in front of you, you can't help but cheer for them," Hirochika Tadeda told AFP along the route of the triathlon, which passed in front of his home. ALSO READ | Sustainable development report ranks Australia last on climate action Tributes to the athletes were a key theme of editorials in Japan on Monday, with the Yomiuri Shimbun offering "high praise for competitions into which they poured all their efforts." There had been concerns about what the pandemic and the postponement would mean for sport at the Games. But despite some high-profile disappointments, performances remained impressive, with world records broken and the successful introduction of several new sports including skateboarding and surfing. The coronavirus cast a long shadow over the Games from the start, and several athletes' Olympic dreams were shattered by the results of a PCR test. Most though were just happy the Games went ahead at all. "Mid-pandemic they successfully held an amazing Olympics. Always greeting us with a smile and so much kindness. Thank you," wrote Australian footballer Alanna Kennedy on Twitter. 'Brightened the world' "The Games have been held in the most challenging circumstances imaginable and the organisers have excelled," added Hugh Robertson, chairman of the British Olympic Association. The Olympics were also a triumph for Japanese sport, with a record 27 gold medals in everything from baseball to skateboarding. Japanese Olympic officials said they felt the gold rush drove public support for the Games, pointing to the families who brought children to venues to cheer outside or hung flags in their windows. IN PICS | Historic firsts and some shining moments of India at Tokyo Olympics But behind the cheering, there is a looming sense of crisis over the sharp rise in virus cases during the Games. Tokyo and many other parts of the country are under virus state of emergency, and only around a third of the country is fully vaccinated as the Delta variant fuels surging infections. The issue could weigh on Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's political future, as he faces a leadership race and then a general election by October. For some though, the sporting highlights swept away concerns about the pandemic. "It's true that I was a little worried," 21-year-old university student Reita Goto told AFP. "But in the end the Olympics has brightened up not only Japan but also the world."

Tokyo counts cost of $15 billion pandemic Olympics 'gamble'

<p>The International Cricket Council confirmed its intention to bid for cricket’s inclusion in the Olympic Games. The ICC has convened a Working Group to lead the bid on behalf of the sport which will be focused on cricket becoming part of the Olympic family for LA 2028, Brisbane 2032, and beyond.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-new-zealand-announces-squad-for-t20-world-cup-and-bangladesh-pakistan-tours-404381" hreflang="en">Cricket: New Zealand announces squad for T20 World Cup and Bangladesh, Pakistan tours</a></p>

<p>“Our sport is united behind this bid, and we see the Olympics as a part of cricket’s long-term future. We have more than a billion fans globally and almost 90 percent of them want to see cricket at the Olympics," said ICC Chair Greg Barclay.</p>

<p>“We believe cricket would be a great addition to the Olympic Games, but we know it won’t be easy to secure our inclusion as there are so many other great sports out there wanting to do the same. But we feel now is the time to put our best foot forward and show what a great partnership cricket and the Olympics could be,” he added.</p>

<p>Here is how Twitter is reacting to ICC's ambition for Olympics:</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-windies-recall-shamarh-brooks-chemar-holder-for-test-series-against-pakistan-404343" hreflang="en">Cricket: Windies recall Shamarh Brooks, Chemar Holder for Test series against Pakistan</a></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I think this will do massive wonders especially to Women's cricket Team.<br />
Because in Olympics Gold toh Gold hota he.<br />
Men win it or women win it.</p>
— Paras (@Paras_Touchston) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paras_Touchston/status/1424993990751887364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rishabh Pant to lead India to the podium! Hope it’s gold! <a href="https://t.co/lRNb1xYIVB">https://t.co/lRNb1xYIVB</a></p>
— Sourav Sinha (@sourav_sinha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sourav_sinha/status/1424995595186589699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Imagine India sending 3 teams and getting gold and silver 💀 <a href="https://t.co/EWPplSvu4F">https://t.co/EWPplSvu4F</a></p>
— Venkat (@__veebee31) <a href="https://twitter.com/__veebee31/status/1424985415405109250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hope 40-year Virat Kohli can get us Gold 🥇 <a href="https://t.co/V2KFWQqqY0">https://t.co/V2KFWQqqY0</a></p>
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trendulkar/status/1424987555552907266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This needs a big push and should be the top most priority of ICC if they want to take Cricket forward! <a href="https://t.co/6qG1urxWaJ">https://t.co/6qG1urxWaJ</a></p>
— Shivam Maheshwari (@shivam_mah90) <a href="https://twitter.com/shivam_mah90/status/1424991941314236416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A welcome effort by the <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICC</a> for the inclusion of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/losAngeles2028?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#losAngeles2028</a>. It would be a real step by the <a href="https://twitter.com/iocmedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iocmedia</a> to truly modernising the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> &amp; would grow much needed viewership.<br />
I'd also add <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Netball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Netball</a> too while they're at it. <a href="https://t.co/9hshnLXSYa">https://t.co/9hshnLXSYa</a> <a href="https://t.co/6TFfeTOwa2">pic.twitter.com/6TFfeTOwa2</a></p>
— Barry O’Farrell AO (@AusHCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/AusHCIndia/status/1425001874193747968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I want them to make <a href="https://twitter.com/thehundred?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thehundred</a> the official format. The Americans would love the 100 ball concept <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympicGames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympicGames</a> <a href="https://t.co/yqoPgTvrK7">https://t.co/yqoPgTvrK7</a></p>
— Monty Panesar (@MontyPanesar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MontyPanesar/status/1424986604880474143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The International Cricket Council confirmed its intention to bid for cricket’s inclusion in the Olympic Games. The ICC has convened a Working Group to lead the bid on behalf of the sport which will be focused on cricket becoming part of the Olympic family for LA 2028, Brisbane 2032, and beyond.

The International Cricket Council confirmed its intention to bid for cricket’s inclusion in the Olympic Games. The ICC has convened a Working Group to lead the bid on behalf of the sport which will be focused on cricket becoming part of the Olympic family for LA 2028, Brisbane 2032, and beyond. ALSO READ: Cricket: New Zealand announces squad for T20 World Cup and Bangladesh, Pakistan tours “Our sport is united behind this bid, and we see the Olympics as a part of cricket’s long-term future. We have more than a billion fans globally and almost 90 percent of them want to see cricket at the Olympics," said ICC Chair Greg Barclay. “We believe cricket would be a great addition to the Olympic Games, but we know it won’t be easy to secure our inclusion as there are so many other great sports out there wanting to do the same. But we feel now is the time to put our best foot forward and show what a great partnership cricket and the Olympics could be,” he added. Here is how Twitter is reacting to ICC's ambition for Olympics: ALSO READ: Cricket: Windies recall Shamarh Brooks, Chemar Holder for Test series against Pakistan I think this will do massive wonders especially to Women's cricket Team. Because in Olympics Gold toh Gold hota he. Men win it or women win it. — Paras (@Paras_Touchston) August 10, 2021 × Rishabh Pant to lead India to the podium! Hope it’s gold! https://t.co/lRNb1xYIVB — Sourav Sinha (@sourav_sinha) August 10, 2021 × Imagine India sending 3 teams and getting gold and silver 💀 https://t.co/EWPplSvu4F — Venkat (@__veebee31) August 10, 2021 × Hope 40-year Virat Kohli can get us Gold 🥇 https://t.co/V2KFWQqqY0 — Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) August 10, 2021 × This needs a big push and should be the top most priority of ICC if they want to take Cricket forward! https://t.co/6qG1urxWaJ — Shivam Maheshwari (@shivam_mah90) August 10, 2021 × A welcome effort by the @ICC for the inclusion of #Cricket at #losAngeles2028. It would be a real step by the @iocmedia to truly modernising the #Olympics & would grow much needed viewership. I'd also add #Netball too while they're at it. https://t.co/9hshnLXSYa pic.twitter.com/6TFfeTOwa2 — Barry O’Farrell AO (@AusHCIndia) August 10, 2021 × I want them to make @thehundred the official format. The Americans would love the 100 ball concept #Olympics #OlympicGames https://t.co/yqoPgTvrK7 — Monty Panesar (@MontyPanesar) August 10, 2021 ×

'This will do massive wonders': Netizens happy as ICC confirms cricket's Olympic ambition

<p>From javelin star Neeraj Chopra to wrestling ace Bajrang Punia, Indian medal winners received a thunderous welcome after they arrived back home on Monday (August 9) from their terrific run at the Tokyo Olympics, which concluded on Sunday.</p>

<p>Neeraj Chopra, Bajrang Punia, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya and men's and women's hockey teams arrived at Delhi's Ashoka Hotel, where they were felicitated by the sports minister Anurag Thakur.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Tokyo Olympics was Olympics of many firsts for India. The biggest contingent, most medals won. We waited for an athletics medal for 121 years and when he did, he did win gold," the sports minister said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With a mammoth 87.58 metres throw, Neeraj Chopra scripted history after winning a gold medal. It was India's first athletics gold medal at the Olympics Games. He became only the second individual Olympic gold medalist for India after Abhinav Bindra won shooting gold in 2008.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-bhavani-devis-efforts-to-neeraj-chopras-gold-historic-firsts-and-some-shining-moments-of-india-at-tokyo-olympics-404251">Historic firsts and some shining moments of India at Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Watch the videos here:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Glimpses from the felicitation ceremony of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> Olympic Games 🇮🇳Medalists in New Delhi today.<br />
<br />
Union Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/ianuragthakur?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ianuragthakur</a><br />
Union Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/KirenRijiju?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KirenRijiju</a><br />
MoS <a href="https://twitter.com/NisithPramanik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NisithPramanik</a> <a href="https://t.co/82QSqESDMg">pic.twitter.com/82QSqESDMg</a></p>
— Office of Mr. Anurag Thakur (@Anurag_Office) <a href="https://twitter.com/Anurag_Office/status/1424741655169568775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🇮🇳INDIA’s OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS 🇮🇳<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/0aAALhc324">pic.twitter.com/0aAALhc324</a></p>
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) <a href="https://twitter.com/ianuragthakur/status/1424740156888649731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🇮🇳's Golden boy <a href="https://twitter.com/Neeraj_chopra1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Neeraj_chopra1</a> is back from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a><br />
<br />
The whole nation is cheering for you and we are all super proud and excited. Welcome back champ🥇<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cheer4India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cheer4India</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a><a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ianuragthakur?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ianuragthakur</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NisithPramanik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NisithPramanik</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreTeamIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WeAreTeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/afiindia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@afiindia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Adille1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Adille1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ddsportschannel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ddsportschannel</a> <a href="https://t.co/V0fZmHJvDr">pic.twitter.com/V0fZmHJvDr</a></p>
— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) <a href="https://twitter.com/Media_SAI/status/1424726132235120644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Welcome home <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a><br />
<br />
Our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> stars are back and 🇮🇳 has welcomed them with excitement and pride in its heart. Send in your best wishes for them with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cheer4India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cheer4India</a><a href="https://twitter.com/LovlinaBorgohai?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LovlinaBorgohai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Neeraj_chopra1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Neeraj_chopra1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/imranirampal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imranirampal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaviDahiya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RaviDahiya</a> <a href="https://t.co/bfOUs5TD6o">pic.twitter.com/bfOUs5TD6o</a></p>
— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) <a href="https://twitter.com/Media_SAI/status/1424724385022185472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>"Team India excelled and inspired while Indians cheered and celebrated all around. 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," Thakur&nbsp;added.</p>

<p>He reflected on India's many firsts at Tokyo 2020, like seven&nbsp;Olympic Medals, first gold medal in an athletics event, two successive medals in consecutive Olympic Games by PV Sindhu, etc.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We also had the first female sailor from India to qualify for the Olympics - Nethra Kumanan, first Indian fencer from India to make it to the Olympics - Bhavani Devi, the best place achieved by an Indian in Equestrian eventing - Fouaad Mirza, the best-ever finish for Indian Rowers, the highest-placed finish by an Indian in golf by Aditi and a national record was set in the steeplechase by Avinash Sable," said Thakur.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">GOLDEN🥇GREAT <a href="https://twitter.com/Neeraj_chopra1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Neeraj_chopra1</a> <a href="https://t.co/5VJlxWWUMA">pic.twitter.com/5VJlxWWUMA</a></p>
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) <a href="https://twitter.com/ianuragthakur/status/1424747391408775175?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Let's cheer for our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> medalists with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cheer4India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cheer4India</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BajrangPunia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BajrangPunia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaviDahiya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RaviDahiya</a> <a href="https://t.co/tgotlbQqQr">pic.twitter.com/tgotlbQqQr</a></p>
— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) <a href="https://twitter.com/Media_SAI/status/1424765932879024133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>"And let me add, the foundations of sports in India are firm; under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, various schemes such as TOPs and Khelo India have shown results ensuring podium finish. We will continue to support our sportspersons and we endeavour to make India a sporting powerhouse," he added.</p>

<p>Former Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju also praised the performances of all the athletes and reiterated that India will be a force to reckon with by the 2028 Olympics.</p>

<p>"I am thrilled beyond words to share this space with our champion athletes today. This is a historic event with India registering its best-ever performance in the Olympics. We have much to be proud of, we have a hockey medal after 41 years and a first-ever gold in athletics. And it's not just our medal winners, each athlete has put their best in Tokyo and I congratulate all of them."</p>


From javelin star Neeraj Chopra to wrestling ace Bajrang Punia, Indian medal winners received a thunderous welcome after they arrived back home on Monday (August 9) from their terrific run at the Tokyo Olympics, which concluded on Sunday.

From javelin star Neeraj Chopra to wrestling ace Bajrang Punia, Indian medal winners received a thunderous welcome after they arrived back home on Monday (August 9) from their terrific run at the Tokyo Olympics, which concluded on Sunday. Neeraj Chopra, Bajrang Punia, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya and men's and women's hockey teams arrived at Delhi's Ashoka Hotel, where they were felicitated by the sports minister Anurag Thakur. "Tokyo Olympics was Olympics of many firsts for India. The biggest contingent, most medals won. We waited for an athletics medal for 121 years and when he did, he did win gold," the sports minister said. With a mammoth 87.58 metres throw, Neeraj Chopra scripted history after winning a gold medal. It was India's first athletics gold medal at the Olympics Games. He became only the second individual Olympic gold medalist for India after Abhinav Bindra won shooting gold in 2008. IN PICS | Historic firsts and some shining moments of India at Tokyo Olympics Watch the videos here: Glimpses from the felicitation ceremony of #Tokyo2020 Olympic Games 🇮🇳Medalists in New Delhi today. Union Minister @ianuragthakur Union Minister @KirenRijiju MoS @NisithPramanik pic.twitter.com/82QSqESDMg — Office of Mr. Anurag Thakur (@Anurag_Office) August 9, 2021 × 🇮🇳INDIA’s OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS 🇮🇳#Tokyo2020 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/0aAALhc324 — Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) August 9, 2021 × 🇮🇳's Golden boy @Neeraj_chopra1 is back from #Tokyo2020 The whole nation is cheering for you and we are all super proud and excited. Welcome back champ🥇#Cheer4India #Olympics@PMOIndia @ianuragthakur @NisithPramanik @WeAreTeamIndia @afiindia @Adille1 @ddsportschannel pic.twitter.com/V0fZmHJvDr — SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) August 9, 2021 × Welcome home #TeamIndia Our #Tokyo2020 stars are back and 🇮🇳 has welcomed them with excitement and pride in its heart. Send in your best wishes for them with #Cheer4India@LovlinaBorgohai @Neeraj_chopra1 @imranirampal #RaviDahiya pic.twitter.com/bfOUs5TD6o — SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) August 9, 2021 × "Team India excelled and inspired while Indians cheered and celebrated all around. 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," Thakur added. He reflected on India's many firsts at Tokyo 2020, like seven Olympic Medals, first gold medal in an athletics event, two successive medals in consecutive Olympic Games by PV Sindhu, etc. "We also had the first female sailor from India to qualify for the Olympics - Nethra Kumanan, first Indian fencer from India to make it to the Olympics - Bhavani Devi, the best place achieved by an Indian in Equestrian eventing - Fouaad Mirza, the best-ever finish for Indian Rowers, the highest-placed finish by an Indian in golf by Aditi and a national record was set in the steeplechase by Avinash Sable," said Thakur. GOLDEN🥇GREAT @Neeraj_chopra1 pic.twitter.com/5VJlxWWUMA — Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) August 9, 2021 × Let's cheer for our #Tokyo2020 medalists with #Cheer4India #Olympics #TeamIndia @BajrangPunia #RaviDahiya pic.twitter.com/tgotlbQqQr — SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) August 9, 2021 × "And let me add, the foundations of sports in India are firm; under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, various schemes such as TOPs and Khelo India have shown results ensuring podium finish. We will continue to support our sportspersons and we endeavour to make India a sporting powerhouse," he added. Former Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju also praised the performances of all the athletes and reiterated that India will be a force to reckon with by the 2028 Olympics. "I am thrilled beyond words to share this space with our champion athletes today. This is a historic event with India registering its best-ever performance in the Olympics. We have much to be proud of, we have a hockey medal after 41 years and a first-ever gold in athletics. And it's not just our medal winners, each athlete has put their best in Tokyo and I congratulate all of them."

From Neeraj Chopra to Bajrang Punia, athletes receive thunderous welcome in India, get felicitated - watch

In pictures - Thank you Tokyo!: Olympics 2020 comes to an end

<p>The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) vowed to take action against footballing authorities on Sunday after the victorious men`s team at the Tokyo Games failed to wear their official tracksuits at the gold medal ceremony in a dispute over rival sponsors.<br />
<br />
Brazil beat Spain in extra time on Saturday to retain their Olympic title but the players all stepped on to the podium with their tracksuit tops wrapped around their waists.<br />
<br />
The players appeared in their Nike-produced shirts rather than wearing the tracksuits tops made by the Chinese company Peak Sport Products.<br />
<br />
Nike sponsors the Brazilian football team but Peak sponsors the Brazilian Olympic Committee.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic</a></strong></p>

<p>“The COB repudiates the attitude of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the players of the national team during the awards ceremony,” the COB said in a statement.<br />
<br />
“Only after the Games have finished will the COB make public the measures that will be taken to preserve the rights of the Olympic Movement, the other athletes and of our sponsors.”<br />
<br />
A spokesman for the CBF said he was not aware of the issue.</p>


The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) vowed to take action against footballing authorities on Sunday after the victorious men`s team at the Tokyo Games failed to wear their official tracksuits at the gold medal ceremony in a dispute over rival sponsors.

The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) vowed to take action against footballing authorities on Sunday after the victorious men`s team at the Tokyo Games failed to wear their official tracksuits at the gold medal ceremony in a dispute over rival sponsors. Brazil beat Spain in extra time on Saturday to retain their Olympic title but the players all stepped on to the podium with their tracksuit tops wrapped around their waists. The players appeared in their Nike-produced shirts rather than wearing the tracksuits tops made by the Chinese company Peak Sport Products. Nike sponsors the Brazilian football team but Peak sponsors the Brazilian Olympic Committee. IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic “The COB repudiates the attitude of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the players of the national team during the awards ceremony,” the COB said in a statement. “Only after the Games have finished will the COB make public the measures that will be taken to preserve the rights of the Olympic Movement, the other athletes and of our sponsors.” A spokesman for the CBF said he was not aware of the issue.

Football: Brazil's Olympic Committee vows action in sponsor spat

<p>The skipper of the India cricket team Virat Kohli has praised Indian athletes for their campaign at Tokyo Olympics 2020. Virat congratulated all the winners and participants and wished them luck for the future. Virat also wrote that "winning and losing is part of the sport", but giving the best for the nation is what "matters" the most.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As the 16-day event ended on Sunday (August 8), India marked its most successful Games in history by winning seven medals - one gold, two silver and four bronze. For India, the medal winners are Neeraj Chopra (Gold), Ravi Kumar (Silver), Mirabai Chanu (Silver), Bajrang Punia (Bronze), PV Sindhu (Bronze), Lovlina Borgohain (Bronze) and the men's hockey team (Bronze).&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Congratulations to all our winners and participants at the Olympics. Winning and losing is a part of sport, but what matters is you gave your best for the nation. We are so proud of you and I wish you all the very best going forward. Jai Hind," wrote Virat.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations to all our winners and participants at the Olympics. Winning and losing is a part of sport, but what matters is you gave your best for the nation. We are so proud of you and I wish you all the very best going forward. Jai Hind. 🇮🇳🙏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/xHkfQVutWg">pic.twitter.com/xHkfQVutWg</a></p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1424408145804218369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>At the Tokyo Olympics, India had sent its biggest-ever contingent to Tokyo Olympics with 126 athletes across 18 sports, out of which there were 54 female athletes. Indian athletes participated in 69 cumulative events across, which was the highest ever for the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic</a></strong></p>

<p>Virat is currently on an England tour for a five-match Test series, of which the first ended giving no result after the match at Trent Bridge on Sunday was washed out, The play on the fifth and final day was called off due to rain and not even a single ball was bowled. Chasing 209 runs to win, India were looking good as they were 52/1 overnight and needed 157 runs to win. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Kohli was disappointed as he said, "We were expecting rain on days three and four but it chose to come on day five. It would have been enjoyable to play and watch, but it’s a shame. This is exactly what we wanted to do; start strong. On day five we knew we had our chances. We certainly felt like we were on top of the game. Getting that lead was crucial, but it’s a shame we couldn’t finish day five. Getting to fifty overnight was important. We just didn’t want to play for survival."</p>


The skipper of the India cricket team Virat Kohli has praised Indian athletes for their campaign at Tokyo Olympics 2020. Virat congratulated all the winners and participants and wished them luck for the future.

The skipper of the India cricket team Virat Kohli has praised Indian athletes for their campaign at Tokyo Olympics 2020. Virat congratulated all the winners and participants and wished them luck for the future. Virat also wrote that "winning and losing is part of the sport", but giving the best for the nation is what "matters" the most. As the 16-day event ended on Sunday (August 8), India marked its most successful Games in history by winning seven medals - one gold, two silver and four bronze. For India, the medal winners are Neeraj Chopra (Gold), Ravi Kumar (Silver), Mirabai Chanu (Silver), Bajrang Punia (Bronze), PV Sindhu (Bronze), Lovlina Borgohain (Bronze) and the men's hockey team (Bronze). "Congratulations to all our winners and participants at the Olympics. Winning and losing is a part of sport, but what matters is you gave your best for the nation. We are so proud of you and I wish you all the very best going forward. Jai Hind," wrote Virat. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list Congratulations to all our winners and participants at the Olympics. Winning and losing is a part of sport, but what matters is you gave your best for the nation. We are so proud of you and I wish you all the very best going forward. Jai Hind. 🇮🇳🙏#tokyo2020 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/xHkfQVutWg — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) August 8, 2021 × At the Tokyo Olympics, India had sent its biggest-ever contingent to Tokyo Olympics with 126 athletes across 18 sports, out of which there were 54 female athletes. Indian athletes participated in 69 cumulative events across, which was the highest ever for the country. IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic Virat is currently on an England tour for a five-match Test series, of which the first ended giving no result after the match at Trent Bridge on Sunday was washed out, The play on the fifth and final day was called off due to rain and not even a single ball was bowled. Chasing 209 runs to win, India were looking good as they were 52/1 overnight and needed 157 runs to win. Kohli was disappointed as he said, "We were expecting rain on days three and four but it chose to come on day five. It would have been enjoyable to play and watch, but it’s a shame. This is exactly what we wanted to do; start strong. On day five we knew we had our chances. We certainly felt like we were on top of the game. Getting that lead was crucial, but it’s a shame we couldn’t finish day five. Getting to fifty overnight was important. We just didn’t want to play for survival."

'We are so proud': Virat Kohli's message for Indian winners and participants at Tokyo Olympics

Biles, Belarus and sports drama: Here are some key moments of Tokyo Olympics 2020

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuid70mMARk6iVzI" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>The Tokyo Olympics 2020 concluded as one of the "most challenging" Games in history owing to not one, but multiple uncertainties the multi-sport event faced.</p>

<p>Tokyo 2020, as the name suggests, was originally scheduled to take place last year after the capital city of Japan was selected as the host in 2013&nbsp;when no one had even the slightest idea what the world will face in 2020 — A pandemic.</p>

<p>And on top of that, the Games also suffered the brutality of climatic conditions and emerged as one of the hottest Olympics Games ever.</p>

<p>After the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc globally, Tokyo 2020 was postponed by a year, becoming the first such instance in the history of the Olympic Games as previously, the Games had been cancelled but not rescheduled.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The organisers and the Japanese government must be credited as they successfully pulled off the event and brought it to its closure after a year of struggle. However, the government faced protests from the locals, as they demanded to cancel the Games over a recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Tokyo.</p>

<p>Tokyo Games have emerged as insignia of hope, positivity, unity and strength as the world came together through the power of sport and the events were filled with passion, emotion and celebration.</p>

<p><strong>The Tokyo Games saw a series of firsts:</strong></p>

<p>-First Olympics with no audience<br />
-First gender-equal Games<br />
-Some firsts transgender athletes took part in Tokyo. Canadian footballer Quinn became the first openly transgender athlete to win an Olympic medal<br />
-First-ever Games with the highest number of events, a total of 339<br />
-Japan became the first Asian country to host the Summer Olympics twice<br />
-Hend Zaza, a 12-year old from Syria became the youngest player in Olympics history in table tennis<br />
-Four new sports debuted (Karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing)</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Next stop, Paris!</strong></p>

<p>Now, Japan has handed over the Olympic baton to Paris. The next Summer Olympics will make a comeback 100 years after their last appearance. France previously hosted the Games in 1924 and 1900.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Breakdancing or breaking will make a debut at the 2024 Summer Olympics, which is&nbsp; scheduled to feature 32 sports. The event will feature men's and women's competitions with head-to-head matchups in which judges determine the winners. Surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing, which made their debut at Tokyo Games, will also return.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Unlike Tokyo Games, which was played out in mostly empty stadia and under strict COVID-19 protocols, Paris will hopefully be different and open to the city with spectacular venues at the foot of most beautiful French landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais and the Château de Versailles.</p>

<p>However, considering the fast-changing global temperatures, it's difficult to foresee what 2024 has to offer to the world.</p>


The Tokyo Olympics 2020 concluded as one of the "most challenging" Games in history owing to not one, but multiple uncertainties the multi-sport event faced. Tokyo 2020, as the name suggests, was originally scheduled to take place last year after the capital city of Japan was selected as the host in 2013 when no one had even the slightest idea what the world will face in 2020 — A pandemic.

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 concluded as one of the "most challenging" Games in history owing to not one, but multiple uncertainties the multi-sport event faced. Tokyo 2020, as the name suggests, was originally scheduled to take place last year after the capital city of Japan was selected as the host in 2013 when no one had even the slightest idea what the world will face in 2020 — A pandemic. And on top of that, the Games also suffered the brutality of climatic conditions and emerged as one of the hottest Olympics Games ever. After the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc globally, Tokyo 2020 was postponed by a year, becoming the first such instance in the history of the Olympic Games as previously, the Games had been cancelled but not rescheduled. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list The organisers and the Japanese government must be credited as they successfully pulled off the event and brought it to its closure after a year of struggle. However, the government faced protests from the locals, as they demanded to cancel the Games over a recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Tokyo. Tokyo Games have emerged as insignia of hope, positivity, unity and strength as the world came together through the power of sport and the events were filled with passion, emotion and celebration. The Tokyo Games saw a series of firsts: -First Olympics with no audience -First gender-equal Games -Some firsts transgender athletes took part in Tokyo. Canadian footballer Quinn became the first openly transgender athlete to win an Olympic medal -First-ever Games with the highest number of events, a total of 339 -Japan became the first Asian country to host the Summer Olympics twice -Hend Zaza, a 12-year old from Syria became the youngest player in Olympics history in table tennis -Four new sports debuted (Karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing) IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic Next stop, Paris! Now, Japan has handed over the Olympic baton to Paris. The next Summer Olympics will make a comeback 100 years after their last appearance. France previously hosted the Games in 1924 and 1900. Breakdancing or breaking will make a debut at the 2024 Summer Olympics, which is scheduled to feature 32 sports. The event will feature men's and women's competitions with head-to-head matchups in which judges determine the winners. Surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing, which made their debut at Tokyo Games, will also return. Unlike Tokyo Games, which was played out in mostly empty stadia and under strict COVID-19 protocols, Paris will hopefully be different and open to the city with spectacular venues at the foot of most beautiful French landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais and the Château de Versailles. However, considering the fast-changing global temperatures, it's difficult to foresee what 2024 has to offer to the world.

Goodbye Tokyo. Next stop, Paris!: Olympics 2020 was eventful. What to expect in the 2024 Games?

<p>The world got the&nbsp;first glimpse or can say a short teaser of&nbsp;the Paris Games, which is scheduled to take place in 2024, during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Sunday (August 8). As the spectacular 16-day event concluded after record-shattering performances in Japan's capital, people around the world got to see what they can expect in Paris.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the closing ceremony, the Olympic flame was extinguished in the cauldron and the flag was passed to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo for the 2024 Games. Thousands of people were gathered in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower to watch the closing ceremony of the pandemic-hit Olympics and celebrate the French capital's status as host of the 2024 showpiece.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach declared the Games closed.</p>

<p>"And now I have to mark the end of this most challenging Olympic journey to Tokyo.&nbsp;I declare the Games of the 32nd Olympiad closed,"&nbsp;he said.</p>

<p>"In accordance with tradition, I call upon the youth of the world to assemble in Paris, France, in three years' time to celebrate the Games of the 33rd Olympiad," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The focus has now shifted to Paris, where the handover of the flag was celebrated with the flyover by jets from the Patrouille de France (Patrol of France) releasing blue, white and red smoke — forming the French flag in the sky.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Not just that, French President Emmanuel Macron was filmed on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower saying the Olympic slogan "higher, faster, stronger". He also added the word "Together" in it.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Watch the video here:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="fr">WHAT. A. DAY.<br />
QUELLE JOURNÉE.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/j0ACEOX6oI">pic.twitter.com/j0ACEOX6oI</a></p>
— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paris2024/status/1424447350022475777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can’t wait <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/olympicgames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#olympicgames</a> lovely <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/patrouilledefrance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#patrouilledefrance</a> today in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris</a> <a href="https://t.co/0dBE88Z65S">pic.twitter.com/0dBE88Z65S</a></p>
— Stefrenq (@stefrenq) <a href="https://twitter.com/stefrenq/status/1424424277646970880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Patrouille de France (French Air Force) flies over the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> closing/turnover event held in Paris.<br />
<br />
They leave a smoke trail with the colors of the French flag 🇫🇷 to celebrate the games coming to Paris in 2024. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rapplerdotcom</a> <a href="https://t.co/GvvJv1Syt4">pic.twitter.com/GvvJv1Syt4</a></p>
— Nile Villa (@in_thenile) <a href="https://twitter.com/in_thenile/status/1424421321690189825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="fr">Waouh again! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/patrouilledefrance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#patrouilledefrance</a> ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/PAFofficiel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PAFofficiel</a>⁩ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paris2024</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/avgeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#avgeek</a> <a href="https://t.co/UBxsPJ99Yj">pic.twitter.com/UBxsPJ99Yj</a></p>
— Franck MARCEAU (@franck_marceau) <a href="https://twitter.com/franck_marceau/status/1424356845234364416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>IN PICS | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/biles-belarus-and-sports-drama-here-are-some-key-moments-of-tokyo-olympics-2020-404131">Biles, Belarus and sports drama: Here are some key moments of Tokyo Olympics 2020</a></strong></p>

<p>French judo star Teddy Riner, who competed in Japan,&nbsp;was "emotional" as he said, "On an emotional level, it made me think of the 2012 and 2016 Olympics when a whole stadium is with you and cheering you on, it's very heartwarming."</p>

<p>Athletes who had taken part in the Tokyo Games were cheered by the crowds as thoughts turned to 2024.</p>

<p>"I missed most of the Olympics because I worked at night, so it's nice to see the best moments again," said 22-year-old Alix as highlights of the last two weeks were replayed on a giant TV screen.</p>

<p>"It's heartwarming to see the public, we have just gone through an Olympics which was a little different," admitted gymnast Samir Ait Said who carried the French flag at the opening ceremony on July 23.</p>

<p>"It boosts my soul ten times, I'm injured and I already want to go and train!"</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="fr">Enfin une éclaircie sur Paris ⛅️ ! Ça se fête <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/patrouilledefrance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#patrouilledefrance</a> <a href="https://t.co/OJbNZDBnzI">pic.twitter.com/OJbNZDBnzI</a></p>
— Jeremy GUYOT (@JeremyGUYOT) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyGUYOT/status/1424364344909910017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Swimmer Florent Manaudou, a silver medallist in the 50m freestyle, predicted that the 2024 Games will be an iconic moment for the country.</p>

<p>"We feel that the fans are celebrating and that they are gradually preparing to experience the Games in three years here."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Decathlon silver medallist Kevin Mayer said he was delighted to "see all these little kids with stars in their eyes".</p>

<p>"It reminds me of myself when I was little."</p>

<p>Head of the 2024 organising committee, Tony Estanguet said the Games are on schedule.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"For the moment, all the indicators are green," he said.</p>

<p><em>(with inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The world got the first glimpse or can say a short teaser of the Paris Games, which is scheduled to take place in 2024, during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Sunday (August 8).

The world got the first glimpse or can say a short teaser of the Paris Games, which is scheduled to take place in 2024, during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Sunday (August 8). As the spectacular 16-day event concluded after record-shattering performances in Japan's capital, people around the world got to see what they can expect in Paris. During the closing ceremony, the Olympic flame was extinguished in the cauldron and the flag was passed to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo for the 2024 Games. Thousands of people were gathered in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower to watch the closing ceremony of the pandemic-hit Olympics and celebrate the French capital's status as host of the 2024 showpiece. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach declared the Games closed. "And now I have to mark the end of this most challenging Olympic journey to Tokyo. I declare the Games of the 32nd Olympiad closed," he said. "In accordance with tradition, I call upon the youth of the world to assemble in Paris, France, in three years' time to celebrate the Games of the 33rd Olympiad," he added. The focus has now shifted to Paris, where the handover of the flag was celebrated with the flyover by jets from the Patrouille de France (Patrol of France) releasing blue, white and red smoke — forming the French flag in the sky. Not just that, French President Emmanuel Macron was filmed on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower saying the Olympic slogan "higher, faster, stronger". He also added the word "Together" in it. IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic Watch the video here: WHAT. A. DAY. QUELLE JOURNÉE.#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/j0ACEOX6oI — Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) August 8, 2021 × Can’t wait #Paris2024 #olympicgames lovely #patrouilledefrance today in #Paris pic.twitter.com/0dBE88Z65S — Stefrenq (@stefrenq) August 8, 2021 × The Patrouille de France (French Air Force) flies over the #Olympics closing/turnover event held in Paris. They leave a smoke trail with the colors of the French flag 🇫🇷 to celebrate the games coming to Paris in 2024. #Paris2024 @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/GvvJv1Syt4 — Nile Villa (@in_thenile) August 8, 2021 × Waouh again! #patrouilledefrance ⁦@PAFofficiel⁩ #paris2024 #avgeek pic.twitter.com/UBxsPJ99Yj — Franck MARCEAU (@franck_marceau) August 8, 2021 × IN PICS | Biles, Belarus and sports drama: Here are some key moments of Tokyo Olympics 2020 French judo star Teddy Riner, who competed in Japan, was "emotional" as he said, "On an emotional level, it made me think of the 2012 and 2016 Olympics when a whole stadium is with you and cheering you on, it's very heartwarming." Athletes who had taken part in the Tokyo Games were cheered by the crowds as thoughts turned to 2024. "I missed most of the Olympics because I worked at night, so it's nice to see the best moments again," said 22-year-old Alix as highlights of the last two weeks were replayed on a giant TV screen. "It's heartwarming to see the public, we have just gone through an Olympics which was a little different," admitted gymnast Samir Ait Said who carried the French flag at the opening ceremony on July 23. "It boosts my soul ten times, I'm injured and I already want to go and train!" Enfin une éclaircie sur Paris ⛅️ ! Ça se fête #patrouilledefrance pic.twitter.com/OJbNZDBnzI — Jeremy GUYOT (@JeremyGUYOT) August 8, 2021 × Swimmer Florent Manaudou, a silver medallist in the 50m freestyle, predicted that the 2024 Games will be an iconic moment for the country. "We feel that the fans are celebrating and that they are gradually preparing to experience the Games in three years here." Decathlon silver medallist Kevin Mayer said he was delighted to "see all these little kids with stars in their eyes". "It reminds me of myself when I was little." Head of the 2024 organising committee, Tony Estanguet said the Games are on schedule. "For the moment, all the indicators are green," he said. (with inputs from agencies)

As 'most challenging' Tokyo Olympics concludes, Paris teases 2024 Games: Watch

<p>Taliban continued its sweep across Afghanistan targeting provincial capitals after overrunning rural areas in the south and north. Last week the Taliban had captured a provincial capital located on the border of Iran and <strong>Afghanistan </strong>in Nimoroz as US troops continue their final pullout from the country.</p>

<p>Children in America have become the target of the virus surge with the <strong>Delta variant</strong> spreading rapidly throughout the country even as Infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci had earlier warned the failure to control the Delta variant could lead to the emergence of a new variant.</p>

<p>French citizens will have to show their <strong>COVID-19 pass</strong> from today if they want to enter restaurants as the Macron government aims to boost vaccination numbers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also, catch the latest post-Olympics news<strong>&nbsp;</strong>and check our Video feature<b>.</b></p>

<p><strong>Click on headlines to read more:</strong></p>

<p><br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-seize-provincial-capitals-in-afghanistan-as-kunduz-falls-404107">Taliban seize provincial capitals in Afghanistan as Kunduz falls</a></p>

<p><img alt="Taliban" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="898270c0-716b-4f66-b813-0d72d370cffc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/TT1.jpg" /></p>

<p>On Saturday, the Taliban had reportedly seized&nbsp;<strong>Jawzjan&nbsp;</strong>which was the second provincial capital to fall to the militant outfit in under 24 hours.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/children-under-threat-as-us-battles-current-virus-outbreak-404108">Children under threat as US battles current virus outbreak</a></p>

<p><img alt="Coronavirus in Children" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1d924a21-83cc-4edd-8cac-8927438cb49c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/CC1.jpg" /></p>

<p>Infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci had earlier warned the failure to control the&nbsp;<strong>Delta variant</strong>&nbsp;could lead to the emergence of a new variant which could be "could be more problematic than Delta."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/despite-protests-france-to-implement-macrons-covid-19-pass-from-today-404113">Despite protests, France to implement Macron's COVID-19 pass from today</a></p>

<p><img alt="Coroanvirus in France" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6daf4185-138f-4bd7-a4b8-69bc2fda4fde" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Liberty1.jpg" /></p>

<p>Reports say the vaccination rates have jumped ever since the French president unveiled his health pass plans last month.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/japan-pm-yoshihide-sugas-support-slides-to-record-low-as-olympic-games-close-survey-reveals-404103">Japan PM Yoshihide Suga's support slides to record low as Olympic Games close, survey reveals</a></p>

<p><img alt="Japanese PM Suga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6a9dce2a-f175-41f5-8d2a-d9dfed40fc7a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Su1.jpg" /></p>

<p>Roughly a third disapproved of holding the Games which closed on Sunday and 60% said they did not want Suga to stay on as premier, according to the poll conducted by Asahi newspaper.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="&lt;div class=&quot;videoWrapper trancodeVideo&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe src=&quot;https://www.wionews.com/videos/wildfires-continue-to-ravage-greece-404049/embed&quot; width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;350&quot; style=&quot;width:100%;max-width:560px;&quot; class=&quot;includeVideo&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; autoplay=1 allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;">Watch: Wildfires continue to ravage Greece</a></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wildfires-continue-to-ravage-greece-404049/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Taliban continued its sweep across Afghanistan targeting provincial capitals after overrunning rural areas in the south and north. Last week the Taliban had captured a provincial capital located on the border of Iran and Afghanistan in Nimoroz as US troops continue their final pullout from the country.

Taliban continued its sweep across Afghanistan targeting provincial capitals after overrunning rural areas in the south and north. Last week the Taliban had captured a provincial capital located on the border of Iran and Afghanistan in Nimoroz as US troops continue their final pullout from the country. Children in America have become the target of the virus surge with the Delta variant spreading rapidly throughout the country even as Infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci had earlier warned the failure to control the Delta variant could lead to the emergence of a new variant. French citizens will have to show their COVID-19 pass from today if they want to enter restaurants as the Macron government aims to boost vaccination numbers. Also, catch the latest post-Olympics news and check our Video feature. Click on headlines to read more: Taliban seize provincial capitals in Afghanistan as Kunduz falls On Saturday, the Taliban had reportedly seized Jawzjan which was the second provincial capital to fall to the militant outfit in under 24 hours. Children under threat as US battles current virus outbreak Infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci had earlier warned the failure to control the Delta variant could lead to the emergence of a new variant which could be "could be more problematic than Delta." Despite protests, France to implement Macron's COVID-19 pass from today Reports say the vaccination rates have jumped ever since the French president unveiled his health pass plans last month. Japan PM Yoshihide Suga's support slides to record low as Olympic Games close, survey reveals Roughly a third disapproved of holding the Games which closed on Sunday and 60% said they did not want Suga to stay on as premier, according to the poll conducted by Asahi newspaper. Watch: Wildfires continue to ravage Greece

Morning news brief: Taliban capture provincial capitals; virus hits children in US & more

<p>Support for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga slid below 30% for the first time since he took office, a survey showed on Monday, a sign the Tokyo Olympic Games failed to boost his ratings amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections.<br />
<br />
Roughly a third disapproved of holding the Games which closed on Sunday and 60% said they did not want Suga to stay on as premier, according to the poll conducted by Asahi newspaper, darkening his ruling party's prospects in general elections to be held later this year.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a></strong></p>

<p>In the poll conducted over the weekend, Suga's support slid to 28%, the lowest since he became prime minister in September last year.</p>

<p>Of those polled, 56% of those who replied said it was good to hold the Tokyo Games, while 32% thought it was a bad idea.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic</a></strong></p>

<p>Japan's slow vaccination rollouts have hurt Suga's popularity and a spike in new infections, caused by the rapid spread of the Delta variant, has overshadowed the Olympic Games with cases hitting a milestone of one million on Friday.<br />
<br />
Suga and Olympics organisers have said there was no link between the Games and the spike in cases.</p>


Support for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga slid below 30% for the first time since he took office, a survey showed on Monday, a sign the Tokyo Olympic Games failed to boost his ratings amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections.

Support for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga slid below 30% for the first time since he took office, a survey showed on Monday, a sign the Tokyo Olympic Games failed to boost his ratings amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections. Roughly a third disapproved of holding the Games which closed on Sunday and 60% said they did not want Suga to stay on as premier, according to the poll conducted by Asahi newspaper, darkening his ruling party's prospects in general elections to be held later this year. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list In the poll conducted over the weekend, Suga's support slid to 28%, the lowest since he became prime minister in September last year. Of those polled, 56% of those who replied said it was good to hold the Tokyo Games, while 32% thought it was a bad idea. IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic Japan's slow vaccination rollouts have hurt Suga's popularity and a spike in new infections, caused by the rapid spread of the Delta variant, has overshadowed the Olympic Games with cases hitting a milestone of one million on Friday. Suga and Olympics organisers have said there was no link between the Games and the spike in cases.

Japan PM Yoshihide Suga's support slides to record low as Olympic Games close, survey reveals

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidXd9KtjwDOfAW" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>The Tokyo Olympics 2020 Games have come to a grand conclusion after facing several&nbsp;of challenges. Tokyo Games was kicked off on July 23 after a year-long delay due to COVID-19, however, the event retained the Tokyo 2020 name for marketing and branding purposes. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-closing-day-live-updates-final-events-underway-followed-by-ceremony-403835">LIVE UPDATES!</a></p>

<p>With javelin-thrower Neeraj Chopra's historic gold medal, India's campaign at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 finished on a high. Neeraj Chopra became the first from the country to win a track and field gold in the world's biggest sporting event. One gold, two silver and four bronze —India ended the campaign with their best-ever haul of seven medals.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exclusive-olympic-gold-medalist-neeraj-chopra-speaks-with-wion-403839/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/indian-army-to-tokyo-olympic-gold-india-javelin-thrower-neeraj-chopras-unknown-journey-in-pictures-403758">Indian Army to Olympic gold: India Javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra's lesser known journey in pictures</a></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">ICONIC. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IND</a> <a href="https://t.co/2kbYByNGOn">pic.twitter.com/2kbYByNGOn</a></p>
— Olympics (@Olympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympics/status/1423980192448532482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The ceremony will be loaded with music, song, dance and fireworks. Here are all the details related to time, venue, theme etc.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony:</strong></h2>

<p><strong>When will Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony happen?</strong></p>

<p>Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, August 8.</p>

<p><strong>What time will Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony begin?</strong></p>

<p>Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony will begin at&nbsp;4.30pm Indian Standard Time (8:00 pm JST).&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>What is the theme of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony?</strong></p>

<p>The theme of the closing ceremony is "Worlds We Share", which will give a moment for each and every one of us to think about what the future holds and expresses the idea that each of us inhabits our own world.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Who will be India's flag-bearer at the Tokyo Olympics Closing Ceremony?</strong></p>

<p>Wrestler Bajrang Punia will be carrying India's tri-color at the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>What is the venue of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony?</strong></p>

<p>Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony is scheduled to take place in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Where to watch the Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony and final day events on TV?</strong></p>

<p>Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony will be aired on Sony TEN 1 HD/SD, Sony TEN 2 HD/SD. It will available in regional languages on Sony TEN 3 HD/SD.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>How to watch Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony and final day events online/stream?</strong></p>

<p>The Tokyo Olympics 2020 broadcast will be available online on SonyLiv. Also, follow <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-closing-day-live-updates-final-events-underway-followed-by-ceremony-403835">WION's live blog</a> to get quick updates.&nbsp;</p>


The Tokyo Olympics 2020 Games have come to a grand conclusion after facing several of challenges. Tokyo Games was kicked off on July 23 after a year-long delay due to COVID-19, however, the event retained the Tokyo 2020 name for marketing and branding purposes.

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 Games have come to a grand conclusion after facing several of challenges. Tokyo Games was kicked off on July 23 after a year-long delay due to COVID-19, however, the event retained the Tokyo 2020 name for marketing and branding purposes. LIVE UPDATES! With javelin-thrower Neeraj Chopra's historic gold medal, India's campaign at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 finished on a high. Neeraj Chopra became the first from the country to win a track and field gold in the world's biggest sporting event. One gold, two silver and four bronze —India ended the campaign with their best-ever haul of seven medals. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list × IN PICS | Indian Army to Olympic gold: India Javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra's lesser known journey in pictures ICONIC. #IND pic.twitter.com/2kbYByNGOn — Olympics (@Olympics) August 7, 2021 × The ceremony will be loaded with music, song, dance and fireworks. Here are all the details related to time, venue, theme etc. Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony: When will Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony happen? Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, August 8. What time will Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony begin? Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony will begin at 4.30pm Indian Standard Time (8:00 pm JST). What is the theme of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony? The theme of the closing ceremony is "Worlds We Share", which will give a moment for each and every one of us to think about what the future holds and expresses the idea that each of us inhabits our own world. Who will be India's flag-bearer at the Tokyo Olympics Closing Ceremony? Wrestler Bajrang Punia will be carrying India's tri-color at the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics What is the venue of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony? Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony is scheduled to take place in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Where to watch the Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony and final day events on TV? Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony will be aired on Sony TEN 1 HD/SD, Sony TEN 2 HD/SD. It will available in regional languages on Sony TEN 3 HD/SD. How to watch Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony and final day events online/stream? The Tokyo Olympics 2020 broadcast will be available online on SonyLiv. Also, follow WION's live blog to get quick updates.

Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony: When and where to watch; IST time, theme, venue, Indian flag bearers

<p>Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge won the Olympic men's marathon with a commanding performance in Sapporo on Sunday, winning his second straight gold medal and cementing his place among the all-time greats of the sport.<br />
<br />
Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands took silver and Belgium's Bashir Abdi won bronze.<br />
<br />
Kipchoge, 36, joins Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila (1960 and 1964) and East Germany's Waldemar Cierpinski (1976 and 1980) as the only runners to win back-to-back gold medals on the Olympic stage.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a></strong></p>

<p>The world record holder has now won four Olympic medals overall, having also taken silver in 2008 and bronze in 2004 in the 5000m.<br />
<br />
Kipchoge showed why he was the man to beat going into Sunday's race when he took full control as he pushed ahead of the pack after the 30km mark.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p>By the 35km stage he had jumped out to a lead of 27 seconds from a virtual tie 5km earlier and extended it to one minute and 17 seconds by 40km.<br />
<br />
Kipchoge finished in two hours, eight minutes and 38 seconds, holding up two fingers as he crossed the finish line.</p>


Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge won the Olympic men's marathon with a commanding performance in Sapporo on Sunday, winning his second straight gold medal and cementing his place among the all-time greats of the sport.

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge won the Olympic men's marathon with a commanding performance in Sapporo on Sunday, winning his second straight gold medal and cementing his place among the all-time greats of the sport. Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands took silver and Belgium's Bashir Abdi won bronze. Kipchoge, 36, joins Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila (1960 and 1964) and East Germany's Waldemar Cierpinski (1976 and 1980) as the only runners to win back-to-back gold medals on the Olympic stage. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list The world record holder has now won four Olympic medals overall, having also taken silver in 2008 and bronze in 2004 in the 5000m. Kipchoge showed why he was the man to beat going into Sunday's race when he took full control as he pushed ahead of the pack after the 30km mark. IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics By the 35km stage he had jumped out to a lead of 27 seconds from a virtual tie 5km earlier and extended it to one minute and 17 seconds by 40km. Kipchoge finished in two hours, eight minutes and 38 seconds, holding up two fingers as he crossed the finish line.

Tokyo Olympics athletics: Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge cements legacy with back-to-back marathon golds

Olympics 2020: Technology at Tokyo Games is exceptional; it promises sustainability too

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidXd9KtjwDOfAW" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>2020 Summer Olympics or the Tokyo Olympics was hot, and when we say hot, it's not about the sizzling performances but the sweltering conditions. With Tokyo temperatures averaging 32.2C during the Olympics, Tokyo Games turned out to be one of the hottest and most humid on record owing to soaring temperatures in the host city of Japan. The critical combination of heat and humidity proved to be borderline dangerous for athletes.</p>

<p>The temperatures in Tokyo have been a matter of concern for the Olympics organisers with humidity around 70% during the Games. Understand how it posed a threat to athletes — when the body gets too hot, sweating helps to cool it off. However, if the sweat cannot evaporate, the body cannot regulate its temperature and evaporation is needed to effectively cool the body.</p>

<p>Ahead of the Olympics, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic stood as a challenge because of the emergence of deadly variants that caused havoc globally. However, crushing heat and humidity remained another major issue. Citing athletes' "health and well-being" the organisers and International Olympic Committee (IOC) rescheduled some events for cooler hours and some were shifted to another city, like Sapporo, in order to find cooler temperatures. Athletics, beach volleyball, cycling, football, hockey, marathon swimming were some high-risk events.</p>

<p><strong>Impact on athletes:</strong></p>

<p>When the organisers were busy curbing COVID-19 cases, an urgent concern related to weather conditions emerged when Russian archer Svetlana Gomboeva fainted due to the heat after finishing her qualifying round. She had to be taken out of the arena on a stretcher and later got medical attention.</p>

<p>In one of the tennis matches, Russia's Daniil Medvedev took two medical timeouts during one match. He also told the match umpire that he can finish the match but he can "die". He said, "If I die, are you going to be responsible?" Tennis players Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan and Paula Badosa of Spain retired mid-match with heat exhaustion. Badosa was even taken off the court in a wheelchair.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a></strong></p>

<p>Tennis great Novak Djokovic also weighed in on the tougher conditions, he said, "You're constantly dehydrated, you feel you have weights on your shoulders because there's so much heat and humidity and stagnated air."</p>

<p>The weather conditions impacted a range of events — beach volleyball players said that the sand had been almost too hot to stand on, athletes taking part in water sports had to wake up early to avoid morning heat, a caddie for American golfer had to quit due to exhaustion and another caddie was rushed to the hospital. Players, volunteers and support staff made staunch criticism of the conditions, urging the organisers to rethink the schedule.</p>

<p><strong>Ice baths and mist sprays for athletes:</strong></p>

<p>Organisers were quick on giving prompt help to the athletes when it came to weather-related struggles while coping with Tokyo's blazing humid summer. They prepared ice baths and mist sprays so that athletes can stay cool remain well-hydrated. Japan also used techniques such as solar heat-blocking pavements to reduce road surface temperatures to help.</p>

<p>Toshiro Muto, the director-general of the Games opened up people suffering heat-related illnesses. He said, "I believe our steps have been working well so far." He added, "This is something we need to be vigilant about."</p>

<p><strong>Looking forward...:</strong></p>

<p>Remember, when in 2013, the Tokyo bid committee had promised "an ideal climate for athletes to perform at their best", we can now say that the experience in 2021 was not even close to "ideal". But where the anticipation went wrong, considering the fast-warming of the planet?</p>

<p>Tokyo itself became hotter since it last hosted Olympics in 1964. As per a report by NASA, temperatures in the city have risen by 2.9C since 1900, which is almost three times the global average.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p>Amid all the adversities, Tokyo Olympics was organised successfully. However, it should be treated as a warning for the organisers to not underestimate climate change and global heating while planning future summer events, where athletes from around the world are invited to compete.</p>

<p>Especially the Paris Olympics in 2024, as a record heatwave that swept the French capital in 2019 and led to temperatures as high as 46C,&nbsp;killing over 1,500 people should not be ignored.</p>


2020 Summer Olympics or the Tokyo Olympics was hot, and when we say hot, it's not about the sizzling performances but the sweltering conditions. With Tokyo temperatures averaging 32.

2020 Summer Olympics or the Tokyo Olympics was hot, and when we say hot, it's not about the sizzling performances but the sweltering conditions. With Tokyo temperatures averaging 32.2C during the Olympics, Tokyo Games turned out to be one of the hottest and most humid on record owing to soaring temperatures in the host city of Japan. The critical combination of heat and humidity proved to be borderline dangerous for athletes. The temperatures in Tokyo have been a matter of concern for the Olympics organisers with humidity around 70% during the Games. Understand how it posed a threat to athletes — when the body gets too hot, sweating helps to cool it off. However, if the sweat cannot evaporate, the body cannot regulate its temperature and evaporation is needed to effectively cool the body. Ahead of the Olympics, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic stood as a challenge because of the emergence of deadly variants that caused havoc globally. However, crushing heat and humidity remained another major issue. Citing athletes' "health and well-being" the organisers and International Olympic Committee (IOC) rescheduled some events for cooler hours and some were shifted to another city, like Sapporo, in order to find cooler temperatures. Athletics, beach volleyball, cycling, football, hockey, marathon swimming were some high-risk events. Impact on athletes: When the organisers were busy curbing COVID-19 cases, an urgent concern related to weather conditions emerged when Russian archer Svetlana Gomboeva fainted due to the heat after finishing her qualifying round. She had to be taken out of the arena on a stretcher and later got medical attention. In one of the tennis matches, Russia's Daniil Medvedev took two medical timeouts during one match. He also told the match umpire that he can finish the match but he can "die". He said, "If I die, are you going to be responsible?" Tennis players Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan and Paula Badosa of Spain retired mid-match with heat exhaustion. Badosa was even taken off the court in a wheelchair. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list Tennis great Novak Djokovic also weighed in on the tougher conditions, he said, "You're constantly dehydrated, you feel you have weights on your shoulders because there's so much heat and humidity and stagnated air." The weather conditions impacted a range of events — beach volleyball players said that the sand had been almost too hot to stand on, athletes taking part in water sports had to wake up early to avoid morning heat, a caddie for American golfer had to quit due to exhaustion and another caddie was rushed to the hospital. Players, volunteers and support staff made staunch criticism of the conditions, urging the organisers to rethink the schedule. Ice baths and mist sprays for athletes: Organisers were quick on giving prompt help to the athletes when it came to weather-related struggles while coping with Tokyo's blazing humid summer. They prepared ice baths and mist sprays so that athletes can stay cool remain well-hydrated. Japan also used techniques such as solar heat-blocking pavements to reduce road surface temperatures to help. Toshiro Muto, the director-general of the Games opened up people suffering heat-related illnesses. He said, "I believe our steps have been working well so far." He added, "This is something we need to be vigilant about." Looking forward...: Remember, when in 2013, the Tokyo bid committee had promised "an ideal climate for athletes to perform at their best", we can now say that the experience in 2021 was not even close to "ideal". But where the anticipation went wrong, considering the fast-warming of the planet? Tokyo itself became hotter since it last hosted Olympics in 1964. As per a report by NASA, temperatures in the city have risen by 2.9C since 1900, which is almost three times the global average. IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics Amid all the adversities, Tokyo Olympics was organised successfully. However, it should be treated as a warning for the organisers to not underestimate climate change and global heating while planning future summer events, where athletes from around the world are invited to compete. Especially the Paris Olympics in 2024, as a record heatwave that swept the French capital in 2019 and led to temperatures as high as 46C, killing over 1,500 people should not be ignored.

Olympics: Climate change played spoilsport at Tokyo, literally. Will Paris be worse?

<p>Wrestler Bajrang Punia was India's flag bearer during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Sunday (August 8) as the 16-day event came to a close. The Tokyo 2020 Games were declared closed by IOC chief Thomas Bach, ending the pandemic-hit Games.&nbsp;The Olympic Flame was slowly extinguished in the cauldron.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Tokyo 2020 ended with India registering the most successful Games in history by winning seven medals - one gold, two silver and four bronze. For India, the medal winners are Neeraj Chopra, Ravi Kumar, Mirabai Chanu, Bajrang Punia, PV Sindhu, Lovlina Borgohain and the Indian men's hockey team.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the Olympic Stadium, which was nearly empty, Punia walked out,&nbsp;holding the Indian flag in his hand. The festivities began in front of VIPs after the Japanese flag was raised at the venue.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>See some pictures here:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Indian Flag shining 🇮🇳 at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClosingCeremony?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClosingCeremony</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a><br />
<br />
Indian Contingent led by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BajrangPunia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BajrangPunia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BajrangPunia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BajrangPunia</a><br />
<br />
What a event, What a performance by Indian Athletes. You made entire India Proud!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MirabaiChanu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MirabaiChanu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PVSindhu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PVSindhu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LovlinaBorgohain?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LovlinaBorgohain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NeerajChopra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NeerajChopra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaviDahiya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RaviDahiya</a> <a href="https://t.co/M1500rUMBx">pic.twitter.com/M1500rUMBx</a></p>
— Gaurav Mishra🇮🇳 (@IAmGMishra) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAmGMishra/status/1424349757443514379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> | The closing ceremony begins<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BajrangPunia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BajrangPunia</a> walks out with Indian flag, athletes in cheerful mood<br />
<br />
India registered their best-ever campaign at the Tokyo Games, with 7 medals in total. <a href="https://t.co/4rUrUCBT0h">pic.twitter.com/4rUrUCBT0h</a></p>
— Aravind Raj (@Aravind83702342) <a href="https://twitter.com/Aravind83702342/status/1424344468111560709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tokyo Olympics 2020 comes to an end with the Closing Ceremony at the Olympic stadium. For India, <a href="https://twitter.com/BajrangPunia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BajrangPunia</a> led the proceedings as the flag bearer for the closing ceremony.<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cheer4India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cheer4India</a> <a href="https://t.co/eVgwKV3gFo">pic.twitter.com/eVgwKV3gFo</a></p>
— Prasar Bharati News Services पी.बी.एन.एस. (@PBNS_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/PBNS_India/status/1424344924221231109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The theme of the closing ceremony was "Worlds We Share", to give a moment to everyone to think about what the future holds and expresses the idea that we inhabit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the closing ceremony, the Olympic Flag was lowered and the Olympic Anthem was sung. Thomas Bach declared the Games closed, he said, "I declare the Games of the 32nd Olympiad closed. In accordance with tradition, I call upon the youth of the world to assemble in Paris, France, in three years' time to celebrate the Games of the 33rd Olympiad."</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Olympic spirit is in all of us.<br />
<br />
A display of beautiful, luminous colours swirl together, representing the many flags of the world.<br />
<br />
They form the Olympic Rings, a timeless symbol of unity. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StrongerTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StrongerTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClosingCeremony?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClosingCeremony</a> <a href="https://t.co/38dv0e0w98">pic.twitter.com/38dv0e0w98</a></p>
— Olympics (@Olympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympics/status/1424337113433186308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic</a></strong></p>

<p>Bach called them "unprecedented Olympic Games" as he addressed the 68,000-seat Olympic Stadium, which was bereft of fans as Japan battles to contain a record coronavirus outbreak.</p>

<p>"In these difficult times we are all living through, you give the world the most precious of gifts: hope," the International Olympic Committee president told athletes at the&nbsp;ceremony.</p>

<p>"And now I have to mark the end of this most challenging Olympic journey to Tokyo: I declare the Games of the 32nd Olympiad closed," he added.</p>

<p><em>(with inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Wrestler Bajrang Punia was India's flag bearer during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Sunday (August 8) as the 16-day event came to a close. The Tokyo 2020 Games were declared closed by IOC chief Thomas Bach, ending the pandemic-hit Games.

Wrestler Bajrang Punia was India's flag bearer during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Sunday (August 8) as the 16-day event came to a close. The Tokyo 2020 Games were declared closed by IOC chief Thomas Bach, ending the pandemic-hit Games. The Olympic Flame was slowly extinguished in the cauldron. The Tokyo 2020 ended with India registering the most successful Games in history by winning seven medals - one gold, two silver and four bronze. For India, the medal winners are Neeraj Chopra, Ravi Kumar, Mirabai Chanu, Bajrang Punia, PV Sindhu, Lovlina Borgohain and the Indian men's hockey team. In the Olympic Stadium, which was nearly empty, Punia walked out, holding the Indian flag in his hand. The festivities began in front of VIPs after the Japanese flag was raised at the venue. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list See some pictures here: Indian Flag shining 🇮🇳 at #ClosingCeremony of #Olympics #Tokyo2020 Indian Contingent led by #BajrangPunia @BajrangPunia What a event, What a performance by Indian Athletes. You made entire India Proud!#MirabaiChanu #PVSindhu #LovlinaBorgohain #Hockey #NeerajChopra #RaviDahiya pic.twitter.com/M1500rUMBx — Gaurav Mishra🇮🇳 (@IAmGMishra) August 8, 2021 × #Tokyo2020 | The closing ceremony begins#BajrangPunia walks out with Indian flag, athletes in cheerful mood India registered their best-ever campaign at the Tokyo Games, with 7 medals in total. pic.twitter.com/4rUrUCBT0h — Aravind Raj (@Aravind83702342) August 8, 2021 × Tokyo Olympics 2020 comes to an end with the Closing Ceremony at the Olympic stadium. For India, @BajrangPunia led the proceedings as the flag bearer for the closing ceremony. #Tokyo2020 #Cheer4India pic.twitter.com/eVgwKV3gFo — Prasar Bharati News Services पी.बी.एन.एस. (@PBNS_India) August 8, 2021 × The theme of the closing ceremony was "Worlds We Share", to give a moment to everyone to think about what the future holds and expresses the idea that we inhabit. During the closing ceremony, the Olympic Flag was lowered and the Olympic Anthem was sung. Thomas Bach declared the Games closed, he said, "I declare the Games of the 32nd Olympiad closed. In accordance with tradition, I call upon the youth of the world to assemble in Paris, France, in three years' time to celebrate the Games of the 33rd Olympiad." The Olympic spirit is in all of us. A display of beautiful, luminous colours swirl together, representing the many flags of the world. They form the Olympic Rings, a timeless symbol of unity. #StrongerTogether #Tokyo2020 #ClosingCeremony pic.twitter.com/38dv0e0w98 — Olympics (@Olympics) August 8, 2021 × IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympic Bach called them "unprecedented Olympic Games" as he addressed the 68,000-seat Olympic Stadium, which was bereft of fans as Japan battles to contain a record coronavirus outbreak. "In these difficult times we are all living through, you give the world the most precious of gifts: hope," the International Olympic Committee president told athletes at the ceremony. "And now I have to mark the end of this most challenging Olympic journey to Tokyo: I declare the Games of the 32nd Olympiad closed," he added. (with inputs from agencies)

As Tokyo Olympics declared closed, see glimpses of India's flag bearer Bajrang Punia during closing ceremony

<p>Battling shocks and upsets, the Tokyo Olympics 2020 emerged as a winner in more than one way but being the first gender-equal Games has been the right step in the right direction, which was long overdue. A similar reflection was seen in the Indian contingent where women participation — similar to Rio Games — was remarkable. Female athletes displayed stunning performances in various events, some even coming very close to winning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India had sent its biggest-ever contingent to Tokyo Olympics with 126 athletes across 18 sports, out of which there were 54 female athletes. Indian athletes participated in 69 cumulative events across, which was the highest ever for the country. As soon as the Games began, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won a silver medal, later boxer Lovlina Borgohain and shuttler PV Sindhu added two bronze medals. The Indian women were shining, inspiring millions of young girls to take up sport and bring laurels to the country. Overall, India at Tokyo Olympics finished with its best-ever haul in the Olympics with seven medals — a gold, two silvers and four bronze medals.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a></strong></p>

<p>Indian women's hockey team scripted history by playing the semi-finals for the first time at Olympics. They achieved their best performance since their Olympics debut in 1980. Young golfer Aditi Ashok finished fourth in the women's golf tournament. It was the best finish of any Indian golfer at the Olympics. Six-time world champion Mary Kom was also eyeing a medal but she missed despite giving a valiant fight.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Inspiration from history:</strong></p>

<p>Carrying the entire nation's hope on her shoulders, when Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in the Women's 69kg weightlifting in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she created history. It set an example of how one victory can become an inspiration, how one win can break societal barriers, how one win can break the glass ceiling.&nbsp;</p>

<p>From Malleswari to PT Usha the list of some terrific female athletes, who have made the nation proud, goes on with the likes of tennis players Sania Mirza, wrestlers Geeta Phogat and Sakshi Malik, badminton players Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, boxer Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain, archer Deepika Kumari, table tennis player Manika Batra and many more.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p>Here are some of the memorable and glorious moments of Indian women at the Olympics. In 2012, Saina Nehwal won a bronze medal in badminton in women's singles, which country's first Olympic medal in badminton, PV Sindhu carried the legacy forward and won a silver in Rio Games 2016 and a bronze at Tokyo 2020. Mary Kom became the first Indian woman to win a medal in boxing at the 2012 Games with her bronze medal in the women's flyweight division.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>...more efforts are needed</b></p>

<p>From training to qualifying, these female athletes go through several challenges and hardships to reach the highest sporting events, like the Olympics or World Cups.&nbsp;The graph shows upward curve in female representation from India at Olympics, with some positives to look forward to, but still, more efforts are needed so that negatives like poor health management, lack of training facilities, lesser promotion etc do not create hurdles.&nbsp;</p>


Battling shocks and upsets, the Tokyo Olympics 2020 emerged as a winner in more than one way but being the first gender-equal Games has been the right step in the right direction, which was long overdue.

Battling shocks and upsets, the Tokyo Olympics 2020 emerged as a winner in more than one way but being the first gender-equal Games has been the right step in the right direction, which was long overdue. A similar reflection was seen in the Indian contingent where women participation — similar to Rio Games — was remarkable. Female athletes displayed stunning performances in various events, some even coming very close to winning. India had sent its biggest-ever contingent to Tokyo Olympics with 126 athletes across 18 sports, out of which there were 54 female athletes. Indian athletes participated in 69 cumulative events across, which was the highest ever for the country. As soon as the Games began, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won a silver medal, later boxer Lovlina Borgohain and shuttler PV Sindhu added two bronze medals. The Indian women were shining, inspiring millions of young girls to take up sport and bring laurels to the country. Overall, India at Tokyo Olympics finished with its best-ever haul in the Olympics with seven medals — a gold, two silvers and four bronze medals. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list Indian women's hockey team scripted history by playing the semi-finals for the first time at Olympics. They achieved their best performance since their Olympics debut in 1980. Young golfer Aditi Ashok finished fourth in the women's golf tournament. It was the best finish of any Indian golfer at the Olympics. Six-time world champion Mary Kom was also eyeing a medal but she missed despite giving a valiant fight. Inspiration from history: Carrying the entire nation's hope on her shoulders, when Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in the Women's 69kg weightlifting in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she created history. It set an example of how one victory can become an inspiration, how one win can break societal barriers, how one win can break the glass ceiling. From Malleswari to PT Usha the list of some terrific female athletes, who have made the nation proud, goes on with the likes of tennis players Sania Mirza, wrestlers Geeta Phogat and Sakshi Malik, badminton players Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, boxer Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain, archer Deepika Kumari, table tennis player Manika Batra and many more. IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics Here are some of the memorable and glorious moments of Indian women at the Olympics. In 2012, Saina Nehwal won a bronze medal in badminton in women's singles, which country's first Olympic medal in badminton, PV Sindhu carried the legacy forward and won a silver in Rio Games 2016 and a bronze at Tokyo 2020. Mary Kom became the first Indian woman to win a medal in boxing at the 2012 Games with her bronze medal in the women's flyweight division. ...more efforts are needed From training to qualifying, these female athletes go through several challenges and hardships to reach the highest sporting events, like the Olympics or World Cups. The graph shows upward curve in female representation from India at Olympics, with some positives to look forward to, but still, more efforts are needed so that negatives like poor health management, lack of training facilities, lesser promotion etc do not create hurdles.

India at Olympics 2020: Graph shows positives and upward curve in female representation; more efforts still needed

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidUlVkGO3hpShl" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>India's star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, turned 27 on August 8. She celebrated her special day with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh at his official residence. Silver medal at Tokyo Games was a historic feat for Chanu as her win came two decades after Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal (Bronze) while competing at the 2000 Sydney Games in the women's 69kg weight category.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mirabai was spotted cutting cake and CM Biren Singh was there with some other officials. The Chief Minister posted the video on his official Twitter account, with a caption, "Wishing you a very happy birthday Mirabai. May you continue to bring laurels to the country."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a></strong></p>

<p>The silver medalist re-tweeted the post and wrote, "Thank you Hon'ble CM @NBirenSingh sir for making my birthday so special." Former sports minister Kiren Rijiju also wished her. He wrote, "A warm birthday greetings to the first Olympic medalist for India at the #Tokyo2020@mirabai_chanu This Birthday is very special for all of us. Best wishes for future journey!"</p>

<p><strong>Watch the video here:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you Hon'ble CM <a href="https://twitter.com/NBirenSingh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBirenSingh</a> sir for making my birthday so special. <a href="https://t.co/VLCEZH7uBM">https://t.co/VLCEZH7uBM</a></p>
— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1424259158484783104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you so much <a href="https://twitter.com/KirenRijiju?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KirenRijiju</a> sir for the birthday wishes. <a href="https://t.co/yCS3C3YJz9">https://t.co/yCS3C3YJz9</a></p>
— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1424314373867130883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Mirabai Chanu's 'extraordinary gestures'</strong></p>

<p>After winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Indian weightlifter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-mirabai-chanus-exclusive-interview-right-after-silver-medal-win-watch-400412" target="_blank">Mirabai Chanu</a>&nbsp;had expressed her desire to meet the truck drivers who used to give her a lift during training days. Looks like, she got the opportunity to finally get in touch with them as she was recently spotted thanking and rewarding them for their help. The 26-year-old made the entire nation proud after she won a medal in Weightlifting Women's 49kg category at Tokyo Games.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It's been known that Chanu's home was more than 25kms away from the sports complex in Imphal where she used to train. There were limited means of transport. During those days, some truck drivers used to give a lift to the Manipuri weightlifter every day. Now, the Olympic medalist has rewarded those truck drivers.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/sonmonib5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sonmonib5</a> sir. I will continue to support our people who have contributed in my journey at any level. <a href="https://t.co/s3v2XmRdYI">https://t.co/s3v2XmRdYI</a></p>
— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1423922326261821442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


India's star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, turned 27 on August 8. She celebrated her special day with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh at his official residence.

India's star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, turned 27 on August 8. She celebrated her special day with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh at his official residence. Silver medal at Tokyo Games was a historic feat for Chanu as her win came two decades after Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal (Bronze) while competing at the 2000 Sydney Games in the women's 69kg weight category. Mirabai was spotted cutting cake and CM Biren Singh was there with some other officials. The Chief Minister posted the video on his official Twitter account, with a caption, "Wishing you a very happy birthday Mirabai. May you continue to bring laurels to the country." IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list The silver medalist re-tweeted the post and wrote, "Thank you Hon'ble CM @NBirenSingh sir for making my birthday so special." Former sports minister Kiren Rijiju also wished her. He wrote, "A warm birthday greetings to the first Olympic medalist for India at the #Tokyo2020@mirabai_chanu This Birthday is very special for all of us. Best wishes for future journey!" Watch the video here: Thank you Hon'ble CM @NBirenSingh sir for making my birthday so special. https://t.co/VLCEZH7uBM — Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) August 8, 2021 × Thank you so much @KirenRijiju sir for the birthday wishes. https://t.co/yCS3C3YJz9 — Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) August 8, 2021 × IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics Mirabai Chanu's 'extraordinary gestures' After winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu had expressed her desire to meet the truck drivers who used to give her a lift during training days. Looks like, she got the opportunity to finally get in touch with them as she was recently spotted thanking and rewarding them for their help. The 26-year-old made the entire nation proud after she won a medal in Weightlifting Women's 49kg category at Tokyo Games. It's been known that Chanu's home was more than 25kms away from the sports complex in Imphal where she used to train. There were limited means of transport. During those days, some truck drivers used to give a lift to the Manipuri weightlifter every day. Now, the Olympic medalist has rewarded those truck drivers. Thank you @sonmonib5 sir. I will continue to support our people who have contributed in my journey at any level. https://t.co/s3v2XmRdYI — Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) August 7, 2021 ×

Mirabai Chanu celebrates birthday with Manipur CM: 'May you continue to bring laurels to the country' - watch

<p>Eliud Kipchoge produced a marathon masterclass and the USA edged China at the top of the Tokyo&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;medals table as the curtain fell on the biggest sports event since the pandemic on Sunday.</p>

<p>After Kipchoge's marathon win for Kenya, the United States scored victories in volleyball, track cycling, and basketball to top the tally with 39 gold medals, just one ahead of China.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-paris-saint-germain-is-a-possibility-admits-lionel-messi-403996" hreflang="en">Football: Paris Saint-Germain is a 'possibility', admits Lionel Messi</a></p>

<p>The 339th and final gold medal went to Serbia's men's water polo team, capping a Games that were in serious danger of cancellation after they became the first postponed&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;last year.</p>

<p>Thirty-three sports have been contested across 16 days in largely empty stadiums, with fans barred over coronavirus risks and athletes living in strict biosecure conditions.</p>

<p>"Some were already speaking of 'Ghost Games',"&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;chief Thomas Bach told an International Olympic Committee session ahead of the closing ceremony on Sunday.</p>

<p>"What we have seen here is that on the contrary, the athletes have brought soul to the Olympic Games."</p>

<p>The&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;were plagued by low Japanese support over fears they would become a super-spreader event but officials maintained that a record haul of 27 gold medals, putting Japan third on the table, has won hearts.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics-2020-tokyo-games-in-the-shadow-of-the-pandemic-403963" hreflang="en">Olympics 2020: Tokyo Games in the shadow of the pandemic</a></p>

<p>"We believe our athletes' earnest spirit and all-out performance moved people," said Tsuyoshi Fukui, chef de mission for the Japanese team.</p>

<p>Britain finished fourth with 22 golds and the Russian Olympic Committee, the team for Russian athletes after Russia were banned for systematic doping, were fifth with 20.</p>


Eliud Kipchoge produced a marathon masterclass and the USA edged China at the top of the Tokyo Olympics medals table as the curtain fell on the biggest sports event since the pandemic on Sunday.

Eliud Kipchoge produced a marathon masterclass and the USA edged China at the top of the Tokyo Olympics medals table as the curtain fell on the biggest sports event since the pandemic on Sunday. After Kipchoge's marathon win for Kenya, the United States scored victories in volleyball, track cycling, and basketball to top the tally with 39 gold medals, just one ahead of China. ALSO READ: Football: Paris Saint-Germain is a 'possibility', admits Lionel Messi The 339th and final gold medal went to Serbia's men's water polo team, capping a Games that were in serious danger of cancellation after they became the first postponed Olympics last year. Thirty-three sports have been contested across 16 days in largely empty stadiums, with fans barred over coronavirus risks and athletes living in strict biosecure conditions. "Some were already speaking of 'Ghost Games'," Olympics chief Thomas Bach told an International Olympic Committee session ahead of the closing ceremony on Sunday. "What we have seen here is that on the contrary, the athletes have brought soul to the Olympic Games." The Olympics were plagued by low Japanese support over fears they would become a super-spreader event but officials maintained that a record haul of 27 gold medals, putting Japan third on the table, has won hearts. ALSO READ: Olympics 2020: Tokyo Games in the shadow of the pandemic "We believe our athletes' earnest spirit and all-out performance moved people," said Tsuyoshi Fukui, chef de mission for the Japanese team. Britain finished fourth with 22 golds and the Russian Olympic Committee, the team for Russian athletes after Russia were banned for systematic doping, were fifth with 20.

Tokyo 2020: USA top medal table as pandemic-defying Olympics close

<p>Neeraj Chopra, India's javelin star has&nbsp;brought glory to the nation by winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. While the entire nation is pumped up and congratulating the "Golden Boy" after his historic triumph, he spoke exclusively to WION's Digvijay Singh Deo about his journey and dreams. He said it is a "happy moment" for him as he led India to its&nbsp;best-ever haul in the Olympics with seven medals — a gold, two silvers and four bronze medals.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There have been critical voices raised in the past that India can't win a gold medal in athletics at Olympics Games. While showing his glitzy medal during the virtual chat, the 23-year-old - very politely - slammed those criticisms and said. "Now, we don't have to say anything as we have gold now. No one can now say India cant win gold. We can and more athletes will also do."</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/indian-army-to-tokyo-olympic-gold-india-javelin-thrower-neeraj-chopras-unknown-journey-in-pictures-403758">Indian Army to Olympic gold: India Javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra's lesser known journey in pictures</a></strong></p>

<p>Neeraj became only the second individual Olympic gold medalist for India after Abhinav Bindra won shooting gold in 2008. His performance at Tokyo Olympics will be written in golden words in history. With a mammoth 87.58 metres throw, he finished ahead of gold-medal favourite and 2017 world champion Johannes Vetter of Germany.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Neeraj Chopra was a plump kid, who took to athletics to lose weight but ended up being India's first track-and-field Olympic gold-medallist. On his win, he said, "It's hard to believe at the moment, sometimes I feel it it's a dream. But for me, it's a dream come true. Gold in the Olympics is a different feeling and I also feel great to have done this for our country."</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a></strong></p>

<p>He also reflected his thoughts on some Indian legends of athletics like Milkha Singh, PT Usha, Anju Bobby George. Neeraj said, "I want to dedicate my medal to great Indian athletes like Milkha Singh and PT Usha"</p>

<p>"Definitely that's [gold medal moment] an inspiration for India as the seniors worked hard for this and their dreams came true with&nbsp;a gold medal," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On being asked, what are his plans now, he said, "Just want to rest for a while and be with family."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>LIVE UPDATES | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-closing-day-live-updates-final-events-underway-followed-by-ceremony-403835">Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing day: Final events underway followed by ceremony</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Watch his exclusive interview here:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exclusive-olympic-gold-medalist-neeraj-chopra-speaks-with-wion-403839/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was joined by and several other ministers in paying tribute to Chopra's success.&nbsp;"History has been scripted at Tokyo! What @Neeraj_chopra1 has achieved today will be remembered forever," Modi tweeted.</p>

<p>"The young&nbsp;Neeraj&nbsp;has done exceptionally well. He played with remarkable passion and showed unparalleled grit. Congratulations to him for winning the Gold."</p>

<p>The sports fraternity also lavished praise on Chopra who was described by local media as the "man with the golden arm".</p>

<p>"The impact your victory will create on promoting your sport amongst the country's youth is immeasurable," Bindra said in a statement.</p>

<p>"Also, welcome you to the club. It is not the most happening of places yet and needs more members, but I feel your entry is going to pave the way for many more deserving athletes."</p>


Neeraj Chopra, India's javelin star has brought glory to the nation by winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. While the entire nation is pumped up and congratulating the "Golden Boy" after his historic triumph, he spoke exclusively to WION's Digvijay Singh Deo about his journey and dreams.

Neeraj Chopra, India's javelin star has brought glory to the nation by winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. While the entire nation is pumped up and congratulating the "Golden Boy" after his historic triumph, he spoke exclusively to WION's Digvijay Singh Deo about his journey and dreams. He said it is a "happy moment" for him as he led India to its best-ever haul in the Olympics with seven medals — a gold, two silvers and four bronze medals. There have been critical voices raised in the past that India can't win a gold medal in athletics at Olympics Games. While showing his glitzy medal during the virtual chat, the 23-year-old - very politely - slammed those criticisms and said. "Now, we don't have to say anything as we have gold now. No one can now say India cant win gold. We can and more athletes will also do." IN PICS | Indian Army to Olympic gold: India Javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra's lesser known journey in pictures Neeraj became only the second individual Olympic gold medalist for India after Abhinav Bindra won shooting gold in 2008. His performance at Tokyo Olympics will be written in golden words in history. With a mammoth 87.58 metres throw, he finished ahead of gold-medal favourite and 2017 world champion Johannes Vetter of Germany. Neeraj Chopra was a plump kid, who took to athletics to lose weight but ended up being India's first track-and-field Olympic gold-medallist. On his win, he said, "It's hard to believe at the moment, sometimes I feel it it's a dream. But for me, it's a dream come true. Gold in the Olympics is a different feeling and I also feel great to have done this for our country." IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list He also reflected his thoughts on some Indian legends of athletics like Milkha Singh, PT Usha, Anju Bobby George. Neeraj said, "I want to dedicate my medal to great Indian athletes like Milkha Singh and PT Usha" "Definitely that's [gold medal moment] an inspiration for India as the seniors worked hard for this and their dreams came true with a gold medal," he added. On being asked, what are his plans now, he said, "Just want to rest for a while and be with family." LIVE UPDATES | Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing day: Final events underway followed by ceremony Watch his exclusive interview here: × President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was joined by and several other ministers in paying tribute to Chopra's success. "History has been scripted at Tokyo! What @Neeraj_chopra1 has achieved today will be remembered forever," Modi tweeted. "The young Neeraj has done exceptionally well. He played with remarkable passion and showed unparalleled grit. Congratulations to him for winning the Gold." The sports fraternity also lavished praise on Chopra who was described by local media as the "man with the golden arm". "The impact your victory will create on promoting your sport amongst the country's youth is immeasurable," Bindra said in a statement. "Also, welcome you to the club. It is not the most happening of places yet and needs more members, but I feel your entry is going to pave the way for many more deserving athletes."

Exclusive: Tokyo Olympics - 'Nobody can say that India cannot win a gold in athletics,' says 'Golden Boy' Neeraj Chopra

This is India's best ever rank-finish in Olympics since 1980 - check out complete standings

<p>Indian golfer Aditi Ashok missed a medal by a whisker at the Tokyo Olympics as she finished fourth in the women's golf tournament at the Kasumigaseki Country Club on Friday. Aditi was in contention for a medal finish until the 17th hole but she dropped down.&nbsp;World No. 1&nbsp;Nelly Korda&nbsp;of the USA won the Olympic gold medal with 17-under.</p>

<p>Aditi, who finished 41st at Rio 2016,&nbsp;carded 3-under 68 in the final round and had a combined score of 15-under, just one shot off playing for the medal places.</p>

<p>It is the best finish of any Indian golfer at the Olympics.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-athletics-kenyas-peres-jepchirchir-wins-womens-marathon-with-late-burst-403587">Tokyo Olympics athletics: Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir wins women's marathon with late burst</a></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Great effort by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IND</a> golfer <a href="https://twitter.com/aditigolf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aditigolf</a> finishing the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Golf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Golf</a> Women's Round 4 with 3 under par (-3) with a score of 68<br />
<br />
With this Aditi finished 4th overall at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> 15 under par (-15) with a total score of 269<br />
<br />
Aditi has made 🇮🇳 proud with her skills &amp; consistency!! <a href="https://t.co/pTiP9NUeiE">pic.twitter.com/pTiP9NUeiE</a></p>
— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) <a href="https://twitter.com/Media_SAI/status/1423876198661181443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Indian Prime Minister congratulated the player, he said, "Well played Aditi Ashok! You have shown tremendous skill and resolve during #Tokyo2020. A medal was narrowly missed but you’ve gone farther than any Indian and blazed a trail. Best wishes for your future endeavours."</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Well played <a href="https://twitter.com/aditigolf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aditigolf</a>! You have shown tremendous skill and resolve during <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a>. A medal was narrowly missed but you’ve gone farther than any Indian and blazed a trail. Best wishes for your future endeavours.</p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1423879974302277637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Anurag Thakur, the sports minister of India also wished the golfer, he wrote, "India’s 1st woman golfer to finish 4th at Olympics! Aditi Ashok deserves a standing ovation for her performance. You played consistently well, had us holding our breath till end! You created history."</p>


Indian golfer Aditi Ashok missed a medal by a whisker at the Tokyo Olympics as she finished fourth in the women's golf tournament at the Kasumigaseki Country Club on Friday.

Indian golfer Aditi Ashok missed a medal by a whisker at the Tokyo Olympics as she finished fourth in the women's golf tournament at the Kasumigaseki Country Club on Friday. Aditi was in contention for a medal finish until the 17th hole but she dropped down. World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the USA won the Olympic gold medal with 17-under. Aditi, who finished 41st at Rio 2016, carded 3-under 68 in the final round and had a combined score of 15-under, just one shot off playing for the medal places. It is the best finish of any Indian golfer at the Olympics. ALSO READ | Tokyo Olympics athletics: Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir wins women's marathon with late burst Great effort by #IND golfer @aditigolf finishing the #Golf Women's Round 4 with 3 under par (-3) with a score of 68 With this Aditi finished 4th overall at #Tokyo2020 15 under par (-15) with a total score of 269 Aditi has made 🇮🇳 proud with her skills & consistency!! pic.twitter.com/pTiP9NUeiE — SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) August 7, 2021 × Indian Prime Minister congratulated the player, he said, "Well played Aditi Ashok! You have shown tremendous skill and resolve during #Tokyo2020. A medal was narrowly missed but you’ve gone farther than any Indian and blazed a trail. Best wishes for your future endeavours." Well played @aditigolf! You have shown tremendous skill and resolve during #Tokyo2020. A medal was narrowly missed but you’ve gone farther than any Indian and blazed a trail. Best wishes for your future endeavours. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2021 × Anurag Thakur, the sports minister of India also wished the golfer, he wrote, "India’s 1st woman golfer to finish 4th at Olympics! Aditi Ashok deserves a standing ovation for her performance. You played consistently well, had us holding our breath till end! You created history."

Tokyo Olympics: Golfer Aditi Ashok misses medal as she slips on final day, finishes fourth

<p>Kevin Durant led Team USA's victory over France in the men's basketball final in Tokyo on Saturday, avenging a first-round loss and claiming a 16th gold for the country in the sport.</p>

<p>Durant, who in these Games surpassed Carmelo Anthony as the United States' highest career scorer, led with 29 points in the 87-82 victory at the Saitama Super Arena.</p>

<p>The championship attracted the biggest crowd yet to the arena north of Tokyo in these Games, with the bottom bowl of seats about half full of athletes, officials, media and volunteers in place of fans due to COVID-19 restrictions.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-athletics-kenyas-peres-jepchirchir-wins-womens-marathon-with-late-burst-403587">Tokyo Olympics athletics: Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir wins women's marathon with late burst</a></strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Four in a row!<br />
<br />
Kevin Durant leads <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USA</a> to their fourth consecutive gold in the men's Olympic <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> tournament!<a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIBA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TeamUSA</a> <a href="https://t.co/EAvj7VU9vd">pic.twitter.com/EAvj7VU9vd</a></p>
— Olympics (@Olympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympics/status/1423862292060442624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>France earned their third Olympic silver medal in men's basketball. Slovenia, making their debut at the Games, will play Australia in the bronze medal match later on Saturday.</p>

<p>The U.S. men have historically been the team to beat, with 15 gold medals since 1936 going into these Games. This championship marks their fourth straight gold medal.</p>

<p>But this year's team proved to be vulnerable, dropping two-straight exhibition games in July and suffering a shock 83-76 defeat to France in the preliminary round of the Games, which was their first defeat on the Olympic stage since 2004.</p>


Kevin Durant led Team USA's victory over France in the men's basketball final in Tokyo on Saturday, avenging a first-round loss and claiming a 16th gold for the country in the sport.

Kevin Durant led Team USA's victory over France in the men's basketball final in Tokyo on Saturday, avenging a first-round loss and claiming a 16th gold for the country in the sport. Durant, who in these Games surpassed Carmelo Anthony as the United States' highest career scorer, led with 29 points in the 87-82 victory at the Saitama Super Arena. The championship attracted the biggest crowd yet to the arena north of Tokyo in these Games, with the bottom bowl of seats about half full of athletes, officials, media and volunteers in place of fans due to COVID-19 restrictions. ALSO READ | Tokyo Olympics athletics: Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir wins women's marathon with late burst Four in a row! Kevin Durant leads #USA to their fourth consecutive gold in the men's Olympic #Basketball tournament!@FIBA @TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/EAvj7VU9vd — Olympics (@Olympics) August 7, 2021 × France earned their third Olympic silver medal in men's basketball. Slovenia, making their debut at the Games, will play Australia in the bronze medal match later on Saturday. The U.S. men have historically been the team to beat, with 15 gold medals since 1936 going into these Games. This championship marks their fourth straight gold medal. But this year's team proved to be vulnerable, dropping two-straight exhibition games in July and suffering a shock 83-76 defeat to France in the preliminary round of the Games, which was their first defeat on the Olympic stage since 2004.

Tokyo Olympics, men's basketball: US beat France to win 16th men's gold

<p>Sjoerd Marijne announced that he would be stepping down as the coach of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-is-proud-pm-modi-praises-womens-hockey-team-for-outstanding-run-at-tokyo-olympics-403324">Indian women's hockey team</a>. As per the official site of the Olympics, the coach said that India's bronze medal match against Great Britain was his "last". The Indian women's hockey team finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics after a heartbreaking loss to Great Britain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It was my last match with the team," he stated during a press conference after Indian women's hockey team's Tokyo&nbsp;2020 campaign ended with a 4-3 loss against Great Britain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Marijne led the Indian team to a dream run at the Tokyo Games as they scripted history by entering the semi-finals of the Games for the first time.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-goalkeeper-sreejeshs-father-sold-a-family-cow-to-afford-a-hockey-kit-son-returns-with-olympic-bronze-403556">Hockey Goalkeeper Sreejesh’s Father sold a family cow to afford a Hockey Kit; son returns with Olympic bronze</a></strong></p>

<p>Sjoerd Marijne began coaching the Indian women's team in 2017. After impressing the Hockey India officials, he was given charge of the men's team for some time, however, he returned back to the women's team after the 2018 Commonwealth Games.</p>

<p>In Tokyo Olympics, India faced several ups and downs throughout. During the qualifiers, they defeated the USA 5-1 in the first game, but in the next match, they went down 4-1. They just managed to enter the Olympics. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/indian-womens-hockey-team-captures-nations-imagination-heres-a-look-at-their-fairytale-run-at-tokyo-2020-403368">Indian women's hockey team captures nation's imagination, here's a look at their fairytale run at Tokyo 2020</a></strong></p>

<p>India's run at the Tokyo Olympics had ups and downs as they were off to a disappointing start as they lost their first three games in the Pool stage. They then defeated Ireland and South Africa and then pulled off a stunning show against Australia in the knockout match to book a place in the semis. However, they lost the semis to Argentina.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch WION's exclusive chat with Sjoerd Marijne:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sjoerd-marijne-exclusive-indian-womens-hockey-team-wins-hearts-at-olympics-403559/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-indian-womens-hockey-team-breaks-down-during-conversation-with-pm-modi-watch-403422">Tokyo Olympics: Indian women's hockey team breaks down during conversation with PM Modi - watch</a></strong></p>

<p>After India lost to the GB team, the coach wrote on his official Twitter handle wrote, "We did not win a medal, but I think we have won something bigger. We have made Indians proud again and we inspired millions of girls that dreams CAN come true as long as you work hard for it and believe it! Thanks for all the support!"</p>

<p>He also shed some light on how to improve the game in future, he said, "Last match we played under pressure is almost 2 years ago in the Olympics qualifiers. They (women's hockey team) need more of these matches. And the only way I can think of is, organizing Hockey India League &amp; tournaments."</p>

<p>"Let us hope that the stories of these women inspire the future generations," he added.&nbsp;</p>


Sjoerd Marijne announced that he would be stepping down as the coach of the Indian women's hockey team. As per the official site of the Olympics, the coach said that India's bronze medal match against Great Britain was his "last".

Sjoerd Marijne announced that he would be stepping down as the coach of the Indian women's hockey team. As per the official site of the Olympics, the coach said that India's bronze medal match against Great Britain was his "last". The Indian women's hockey team finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics after a heartbreaking loss to Great Britain. "It was my last match with the team," he stated during a press conference after Indian women's hockey team's Tokyo 2020 campaign ended with a 4-3 loss against Great Britain. Marijne led the Indian team to a dream run at the Tokyo Games as they scripted history by entering the semi-finals of the Games for the first time. ALSO READ | Hockey Goalkeeper Sreejesh’s Father sold a family cow to afford a Hockey Kit; son returns with Olympic bronze Sjoerd Marijne began coaching the Indian women's team in 2017. After impressing the Hockey India officials, he was given charge of the men's team for some time, however, he returned back to the women's team after the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In Tokyo Olympics, India faced several ups and downs throughout. During the qualifiers, they defeated the USA 5-1 in the first game, but in the next match, they went down 4-1. They just managed to enter the Olympics. IN PICS | Indian women's hockey team captures nation's imagination, here's a look at their fairytale run at Tokyo 2020 India's run at the Tokyo Olympics had ups and downs as they were off to a disappointing start as they lost their first three games in the Pool stage. They then defeated Ireland and South Africa and then pulled off a stunning show against Australia in the knockout match to book a place in the semis. However, they lost the semis to Argentina. Watch WION's exclusive chat with Sjoerd Marijne: × ALSO READ | Tokyo Olympics: Indian women's hockey team breaks down during conversation with PM Modi - watch After India lost to the GB team, the coach wrote on his official Twitter handle wrote, "We did not win a medal, but I think we have won something bigger. We have made Indians proud again and we inspired millions of girls that dreams CAN come true as long as you work hard for it and believe it! Thanks for all the support!" He also shed some light on how to improve the game in future, he said, "Last match we played under pressure is almost 2 years ago in the Olympics qualifiers. They (women's hockey team) need more of these matches. And the only way I can think of is, organizing Hockey India League & tournaments." "Let us hope that the stories of these women inspire the future generations," he added.

Sjoerd Marijne steps down as Indian women's hockey team coach

<p>Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir won the Olympic women's marathon in Sapporo on Saturday, outduelling compatriot Brigid Kosgei in the final minutes and claiming her country's second consecutive gold medal in the event.<br />
<br />
Kosgei took silver and Molly Seidel of the United States, competing in just her third marathon after moving up from shorter distances, claimed bronze.<br />
<br />
Kenyans Kosgei, the world record holder, and world champion Ruth Chepngetich had been favourites to win gold on Saturday.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-when-and-where-to-watch-bajrang-punias-fight-for-bronze-in-65kg-freestyle-wrestling-403597">Tokyo Olympics: When and where to watch Bajrang Punia's fight for bronze in 65kg freestyle wrestling</a></strong><br />
<br />
But it was two-time world half marathon champion Jepchirchir who came out on top after breaking out of a virtual tie with Kosgei at the 40km mark where she decided to make her move.<br />
<br />
"When I was there I said, wow, I'm going to make it. So I pushed the pace because I knew I was going to win," Jepchirchir said.<br />
<br />
"I'm so, so happy because we win as Kenya, first and second ... I'm happy, for my family, happy for my country Kenya for supporting us."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-goalkeeper-sreejeshs-father-sold-a-family-cow-to-afford-a-hockey-kit-son-returns-with-olympic-bronze-403556">Hockey Goalkeeper Sreejesh’s Father sold a family cow to afford a Hockey Kit; son returns with Olympic bronze</a></strong></p>

<p>Jepchirchir finished with a time of 2:27:20, 16 seconds ahead of Kosgei and 26 seconds in front of Seidel.<br />
<br />
Battling hot and humid conditions, Chepngetich dropped out around the 30km mark, while Israel's Lonah Chemtai Salpeter dropped out at the 38km stage after looking like a strong contender for bronze.<br />
<br />
The race was moved to Sapporo from Tokyo ahead of the Games in an effort to beat the sweltering summer heat in the Japanese capital. But a heat wave has been sweeping the area, and even after rescheduling the race to begin an hour earlier at 6 a.m., temperatures had climbed from 26 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) at the start of the race to 30 degrees (86 Fahrenheit) by 9 a.m.<br />
<br />
Sally Kipyego of the United States, who was with the leader's pack at the midway point but finished more than five minutes off the lead, said the heat was "absolutely" a factor.<br />
<br />
"I knew that I was really fit coming in, so that performance is nowhere close to my fitness. I know the heat had to play a role and I just thought I was going to cope better and I didn't," she said.</p>


Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir won the Olympic women's marathon in Sapporo on Saturday, outduelling compatriot Brigid Kosgei in the final minutes and claiming her country's second consecutive gold medal in the event.

Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir won the Olympic women's marathon in Sapporo on Saturday, outduelling compatriot Brigid Kosgei in the final minutes and claiming her country's second consecutive gold medal in the event. Kosgei took silver and Molly Seidel of the United States, competing in just her third marathon after moving up from shorter distances, claimed bronze. Kenyans Kosgei, the world record holder, and world champion Ruth Chepngetich had been favourites to win gold on Saturday. ALSO READ | Tokyo Olympics: When and where to watch Bajrang Punia's fight for bronze in 65kg freestyle wrestling But it was two-time world half marathon champion Jepchirchir who came out on top after breaking out of a virtual tie with Kosgei at the 40km mark where she decided to make her move. "When I was there I said, wow, I'm going to make it. So I pushed the pace because I knew I was going to win," Jepchirchir said. "I'm so, so happy because we win as Kenya, first and second ... I'm happy, for my family, happy for my country Kenya for supporting us." ALSO READ | Hockey Goalkeeper Sreejesh’s Father sold a family cow to afford a Hockey Kit; son returns with Olympic bronze Jepchirchir finished with a time of 2:27:20, 16 seconds ahead of Kosgei and 26 seconds in front of Seidel. Battling hot and humid conditions, Chepngetich dropped out around the 30km mark, while Israel's Lonah Chemtai Salpeter dropped out at the 38km stage after looking like a strong contender for bronze. The race was moved to Sapporo from Tokyo ahead of the Games in an effort to beat the sweltering summer heat in the Japanese capital. But a heat wave has been sweeping the area, and even after rescheduling the race to begin an hour earlier at 6 a.m., temperatures had climbed from 26 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) at the start of the race to 30 degrees (86 Fahrenheit) by 9 a.m. Sally Kipyego of the United States, who was with the leader's pack at the midway point but finished more than five minutes off the lead, said the heat was "absolutely" a factor. "I knew that I was really fit coming in, so that performance is nowhere close to my fitness. I know the heat had to play a role and I just thought I was going to cope better and I didn't," she said.

Tokyo Olympics athletics: Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir wins women's marathon with late burst

<p>Indian women's hockey captain Rani Rampal has condemned the alleged casteist remarks hurled at teammate Vandana Katariya's family. Rani said that whatever happened with Vandana's family was&nbsp;"shameful" and urged people to "rise above casteism". A few days ago, there were reports that a group of people made casteist remarks towards Vandana'a family in Haridwar after the Indian women's team lost to Argentina in the semi-final clash at the Tokyo Olympics. The reports also added that they burst crackers and danced in celebration.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We make so many sacrifices to do best for our country. And then to see what's happening to our family, especially with what happened to Vandana is really shameful. We come from different religions &amp; regions. But when we are playing, we are representing one nation - India," said Rani during a virtual press conference as quoted by ANI.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-indian-womens-hockey-team-breaks-down-during-conversation-with-pm-modi-watch-403422">Tokyo Olympics: Indian women's hockey team breaks down during conversation with PM Modi - watch</a></strong></p>

<p>A day after losing the bronze medal match to Great Britain, the skipper of women's hockey team has opened up on a range of issues. Emphasising further on the incident related to Vandana's family, Rani said, "If we want our country to become a sporting powerhouse, everyone has to contribute. Just athletes cannot make it happen so it is a bad thing that happened with Vandana Katariya's family, I hope it is a lesson for everybody that no such thing should happen."</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p>On one hand men's team won a bronze medal, the women's scripted history by entering the semi-finals of the Games for the first time. The Rani Rampal team has been hailed for their dream run at Tokyo. On reacting to the love the entire team received, Rani said, "We sweat it out day in and day out to make the country proud. There are many good people in the country as well, even though we did not win the medal, I have never seen this level of respect from the people."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a></strong></p>

<p>Previously, police informed that they have received a complaint from Vandana Kataria's brother and FIR has been registered. Senthil Abudai Krishnaraj S, SSP Haridwar was quoted by ANI, "We received a complaint from Women's hockey player Vandana Kataria's brother over casteist slurs by neighbours against family after Olympic loss. FIR lodged under Sec 504 of IPC &amp; Sec 3 of SC/ST Act. One held. Probe is on".&nbsp;</p>


Indian women's hockey captain Rani Rampal has condemned the alleged casteist remarks hurled at teammate Vandana Katariya's family. Rani said that whatever happened with Vandana's family was "shameful" and urged people to "rise above casteism".

Indian women's hockey captain Rani Rampal has condemned the alleged casteist remarks hurled at teammate Vandana Katariya's family. Rani said that whatever happened with Vandana's family was "shameful" and urged people to "rise above casteism". A few days ago, there were reports that a group of people made casteist remarks towards Vandana'a family in Haridwar after the Indian women's team lost to Argentina in the semi-final clash at the Tokyo Olympics. The reports also added that they burst crackers and danced in celebration. "We make so many sacrifices to do best for our country. And then to see what's happening to our family, especially with what happened to Vandana is really shameful. We come from different religions & regions. But when we are playing, we are representing one nation - India," said Rani during a virtual press conference as quoted by ANI. ALSO READ | Tokyo Olympics: Indian women's hockey team breaks down during conversation with PM Modi - watch A day after losing the bronze medal match to Great Britain, the skipper of women's hockey team has opened up on a range of issues. Emphasising further on the incident related to Vandana's family, Rani said, "If we want our country to become a sporting powerhouse, everyone has to contribute. Just athletes cannot make it happen so it is a bad thing that happened with Vandana Katariya's family, I hope it is a lesson for everybody that no such thing should happen." IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics On one hand men's team won a bronze medal, the women's scripted history by entering the semi-finals of the Games for the first time. The Rani Rampal team has been hailed for their dream run at Tokyo. On reacting to the love the entire team received, Rani said, "We sweat it out day in and day out to make the country proud. There are many good people in the country as well, even though we did not win the medal, I have never seen this level of respect from the people." IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list Previously, police informed that they have received a complaint from Vandana Kataria's brother and FIR has been registered. Senthil Abudai Krishnaraj S, SSP Haridwar was quoted by ANI, "We received a complaint from Women's hockey player Vandana Kataria's brother over casteist slurs by neighbours against family after Olympic loss. FIR lodged under Sec 504 of IPC & Sec 3 of SC/ST Act. One held. Probe is on".

Hockey - 'Player makes so many sacrifices...': Rani Rampal condemns 'shameful' remarks hurled at Vandana's family

<p>After winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Indian weightlifter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-mirabai-chanus-exclusive-interview-right-after-silver-medal-win-watch-400412">Mirabai Chanu</a> had expressed her desire to meet the truck drivers who used to give her a lift during training days. Looks like, she got the opportunity to finally get in touch with them as she was recently spotted thanking and rewarding them for their help. The 26-year-old made the entire nation proud after she won a medal in Weightlifting Women's 49kg category at Tokyo Games. &nbsp;</p>

<p>It's been known that Chanu's home was more than 25kms away from the sports complex in Imphal where she used to train. There were limited means of transport. During those days, some truck drivers used to give a lift to the Manipuri weightlifter every day. Now, the Olympic medalist has rewarded those truck drivers.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/india-among-countries-with-highest-cash-rewards-for-tokyo-olympic-medalists-check-out-the-complete-list-402017">India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list</a></strong></p>

<p>"Extraordinary gestures by @mirabai_chanu #MirabaiChanu as she conveys her gratitude to these wonderful #TruckDrivers! In her difficult days, these sand carrying truck drivers used to give free transportation to Mira so that she could have training at 25 km away #spirts facility," Sonmoni Borah IAS, tweeted with a couple of photos, where Mirabai can be seen.</p>

<p><strong>See viral pics here:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/sonmonib5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sonmonib5</a> sir. I will continue to support our people who have contributed in my journey at any level. <a href="https://t.co/s3v2XmRdYI">https://t.co/s3v2XmRdYI</a></p>
— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) <a href="https://twitter.com/mirabai_chanu/status/1423922326261821442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>While replying to the tweet, Mirabai wrote, "Thank you @sonmonib5 sir. I will continue to support our people who have contributed in my journey at any level."</p>

<p>Previously, Mirabai opened up on how Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped her to reach the Tokyo Games 2020 and in recovering from an injury. Chanu revealed that PM Modi "helped" with a ticket for the US flight in one day to train there and undergo rehabilitation.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics</a></strong></p>

<p>"It's true that Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped me reach Tokyo 2020 Olympics after my injury. They booked the ticket for the flight in one day for the US to help me train there and undergo rehabilitation," Mirabai Chanu told ANI. "Sir has given me huge support for the training," added Chanu.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch her&nbsp;Mirabai Chanu's exclusive interview here:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tokyo-olympics-2020-indian-medal-winner-mirabai-chanu-speaks-with-wion-400389/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


After winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu had expressed her desire to meet the truck drivers who used to give her a lift during training days.

After winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu had expressed her desire to meet the truck drivers who used to give her a lift during training days. Looks like, she got the opportunity to finally get in touch with them as she was recently spotted thanking and rewarding them for their help. The 26-year-old made the entire nation proud after she won a medal in Weightlifting Women's 49kg category at Tokyo Games. It's been known that Chanu's home was more than 25kms away from the sports complex in Imphal where she used to train. There were limited means of transport. During those days, some truck drivers used to give a lift to the Manipuri weightlifter every day. Now, the Olympic medalist has rewarded those truck drivers. IN PICS | India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list "Extraordinary gestures by @mirabai_chanu #MirabaiChanu as she conveys her gratitude to these wonderful #TruckDrivers! In her difficult days, these sand carrying truck drivers used to give free transportation to Mira so that she could have training at 25 km away #spirts facility," Sonmoni Borah IAS, tweeted with a couple of photos, where Mirabai can be seen. See viral pics here: Thank you @sonmonib5 sir. I will continue to support our people who have contributed in my journey at any level. https://t.co/s3v2XmRdYI — Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) August 7, 2021 × While replying to the tweet, Mirabai wrote, "Thank you @sonmonib5 sir. I will continue to support our people who have contributed in my journey at any level." Previously, Mirabai opened up on how Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped her to reach the Tokyo Games 2020 and in recovering from an injury. Chanu revealed that PM Modi "helped" with a ticket for the US flight in one day to train there and undergo rehabilitation. IN PICS | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics "It's true that Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped me reach Tokyo 2020 Olympics after my injury. They booked the ticket for the flight in one day for the US to help me train there and undergo rehabilitation," Mirabai Chanu told ANI. "Sir has given me huge support for the training," added Chanu. Watch her Mirabai Chanu's exclusive interview here: ×

'Extraordinary gestures': Mirabai Chanu felicitates truck drivers who helped her during training days - see pics

olympics

Olympics, News on Olympics, stories on Olympics, articles on Olympics, Olympics stories at Wion, Olympics news, Olympics latest news