The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has arranged chartered flights for India’s Tokyo Olympics contingent, said secretary Rajeev Mehta during a webinar for a school event. The first batch of athletes will leave on July 14 on an Air India flight. Upon arrival in Japan, they will undergo a three-part quarantine.
A total of 115 Indian athletes have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics so far. The men’s and women’s hockey teams comprise the biggest fraction of the contingent. Amongst individual sports, shooting boasts the largest contingent of 15, followed by athletics.
What are the guidelines for Indian athletes for Tokyo Olympics?
– The Japanese government has asked Indian athletes to take virus tests daily for seven days prior to departure before their departure for the Tokyo Olympics.
– The organizers have instructed India, among other countries, “not to train or interact with athletes from another country for the first three days”.
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– The athletes will have to undergo a three day quarantine at the Games village as well. However, the condition would not apply to those who have been training overseas.
India’s Games history ahead of Tokyo Olympics
India’s first Olympic medal came at the 1900 Paris Games. Norma Pritchard won a silver medal in men’s 200m. However, he was not an Indian national. The first Indian to bag a medal in an individual event was Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav at the 1952 Helsinki Games in wrestling.
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From Independent India, the Indian Hockey team-led by Kishan Lal won its first medal at the 1948 London Games.
India has won a total of 28 medals at the Summer Games, with hockey being the most successful sport.
India’s most successful Olympic edition
India announced its arrival at the Olympic stage in 2012 at the London Games. For the first time in India’s Olympic history, the country bagged six medals in a single edition.
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It won two medals in shooting and as many in wrestling. Boxing and Badminton bagged one each.