Neeraj Chopra's golden throw
Congratulations to Neeraj Chopra, India's first athlete to win a gold medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020 (“Tokyo Olympics: Neeraj Chopra and a billion people”, Gulf News, August 09). For this, credit should be given to his family, who supported him in all possible ways to achieve this rare glory despite their adversity. Glad that the present-day parents do help their children to take up sports as a profession, which was rare till a decade ago. Also, kudos to the six other magnificent sportspersons who won medals for India. Well done guys, keep the Indian flag flying.
From N Mahadevan
Chennai, India
Athletic Gold Medal: A pride moment for India
India won its first track and field Olympic gold medal with the stunning throw of 87.5 meters in the men's javelin throw (“Tokyo Olympics: How India can build on Neeraj Chopra’s achievements”, Gulf News, August 08). Neeraj Chopra winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 is a proud moment for every Indian. It is the first time in the history of independent India that any Indian has won the Olympics gold medal in the track and field discipline. It is indeed a matter of great pride and a big morale booster for our youngsters. This glorious win by the Indian athlete at the Tokyo Olympics was something the entire country was waiting for with bated breath. It marks the end of the more than 100 years wait for a nation in track and field medal in the Olympics.
I was born in the 1960s, and back then, athletes in the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana were all endowed with tremendous resilience, physical endurance, and a spirit for adventure. But, they couldn't win an Olympic medal. Sadly, during that period, they didn't have any necessary sports facilities. However, few won awards in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Milkha Singh, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Mohinder Singh Gill, Manjit Walia, P T Usha were superb athletes who represented India and won several medals. Still, they couldn't reach the Olympics due to a lack of sponsorship and government support. And nowadays, our complete attention is on the game of cricket. However, I hope with this Olympic gold medal, the Indian government will pay more attention to athletics. Hence, the Indian government must make a comprehensive policy to encourage sports like athletic, hockey, and wrestling.
From Mr Ramesh G Jethwani
India
India records its best ever medal tally in Tokyo Olympics 2020
There has been widespread joy amongst Indians in winning seven medals at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. But there was also a disappointment when the Indian participants lost medals in women's hockey and golf. It is the first time that I have seen India involved minute-to-minute in the progress of Indian participants in the international sports event. This involvement is heartening, as it will encourage more Indian youngsters to train in sports with more passion. After this brilliant performance by our athletes, I hope the Indian government will allocate more funds to teach youngsters and provide holistic training to the players. Moreover, youngsters should be encouraged to pursue sports as a profession.
From Mr Rajendra Aneja
Mumbai, India
