How Many Medals India Won in Tokyo Olympics?
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India won seven medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics: one gold, two silver, and four bronze. Held from July 23 to August 8, 2021 (delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic), Tokyo 2020 remains India’s best-ever Olympic performance, surpassing the previous record of six medals set at London 2012 and lifting India’s all-time Olympic medal tally to 35 at the time.
Here is the complete story of every medal India won in Tokyo and the heartbreakingly close misses that came with it.
How Many Medals India Won in Tokyo Olympics 2020: Full Breakdown
India won 7 medals at Tokyo 2020 – 1 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze, finishing 48th in the overall medal table. A record 124-member Indian contingent competed across 18 sports, and the campaign produced several historic firsts: India’s first-ever track-and-field Olympic medal, its first hockey medal in 41 years, its first individual medal from a debutant woman wrestler, and the most Indian debutants to win Olympic medals in a single edition.
Mirabai Chanu Opens India’s Account
India didn’t have to wait long for its first medal. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women’s 49kg category on the very first day of competition, lifting a total of 202kg. It was India’s second-ever Olympic weightlifting medal, after Karnam Malleswari’s bronze at Sydney 2000, and it set the tone for what became India’s most successful Games.
PV Sindhu’s Second Olympic Medal
Badminton star PV Sindhu won bronze in the women’s singles event, defeating China’s He Bingjiao in the bronze medal match. This made her the first Indian woman and only the second Indian athlete, after wrestler Sushil Kumar, to win two individual Olympic medals, having won silver at Rio 2016.
Lovlina Borgohain’s Boxing Bronze
On her Olympic debut, boxer Lovlina Borgohain won bronze in the women’s welterweight (64-69kg) category after losing in the semifinals to top seed Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey. It was India’s first Olympic boxing medal since Vijender Singh’s bronze at Beijing 2008.
Men’s Hockey Team Ends a 41-Year Wait
The Indian men’s hockey team, led by Manpreet Singh under coach Graham Reid, won bronze by beating Germany in the bronze medal match. It was India’s first Olympic hockey medal since 1980, ending a 41-year wait, and took the team’s all-time Olympic medal tally to 12, the most of any country in the sport’s history. The team had suffered a heavy 1-7 loss to Australia earlier in the group stage but recovered to beat Spain, Argentina, and Japan, before falling to eventual champions Belgium in the semifinals.
Ravi Kumar Dahiya’s Wrestling Silver
Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya won silver in the men’s freestyle 57kg category after losing his final to Russia’s Zavur Uguev. It was India’s fifth medal of the Games and continued the country’s strong wrestling tradition at the Olympics.
Bajrang Punia’s Bronze
Bajrang Punia won bronze in the men’s freestyle 65kg category, beating Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov in the bronze medal playoff. It was India’s sixth medal, equalling the country’s previous best-ever haul of six medals from London 2012, before the seventh medal made history.
Neeraj Chopra’s Historic Gold
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra delivered the defining moment of India’s campaign, winning gold with a throw of 87.58m. It was India’s first individual Olympic gold since Abhinav Bindra’s shooting gold at Beijing 2008, and India’s first-ever Olympic medal in track and field. Neeraj topped the qualification round with a throw of 86.65m before sealing gold with his first two attempts in the final.
India’s Near-Misses at Tokyo 2020
Several Indian athletes came agonisingly close to the podium. Golfer Aditi Ashok, ranked 200th in the world and caddied by her mother, missed a medal by a single stroke, finishing fourth in the women’s individual stroke play after leading for much of the final round. Wrestler Deepak Punia lost his bronze medal bout in the men’s freestyle 86kg category 2-4 to San Marino’s Myles Amine in the closing seconds, missing what would have been India’s third wrestling medal of the Games. Archer Deepika Kumari and several athletics competitors also came close but fell short of the podium, reflecting the depth of a genuinely competitive Indian contingent.
Uttarakhand’s Olympic Race-Walking Legacy
No Uttarakhand athlete competed at Tokyo 2020, but the state has a proud Olympic race-walking tradition. Manish Singh Rawat, a race walker from Chamoli district, represented India at the Rio 2016 Olympics, finishing 13th in the men’s 20km walk, a result that inspired the next generation of Uttarakhand walkers, including Paramjeet Singh Bisht, who went on to compete at Paris 2024. Explore more Uttarakhand Olympians and sportspersons on our Famous Uttarakhand Sports Persons page.
India’s Medal Table: Tokyo 2020 Olympics
| Medal | Athlete(s) | Event | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Neeraj Chopra | Men’s Javelin Throw | Athletics |
| Silver | Mirabai Chanu | Women’s 49kg Weightlifting | Weightlifting |
| Silver | Ravi Kumar Dahiya | Men’s Freestyle 57kg | Wrestling |
| Bronze | PV Sindhu | Women’s Singles Badminton | Badminton |
| Bronze | Lovlina Borgohain | Women’s Welterweight (64-69kg) | Boxing |
| Bronze | Indian Men’s Hockey Team | Men’s Hockey | Hockey |
| Bronze | Bajrang Punia | Men’s Freestyle 65kg | Wrestling |
Why Tokyo 2020 Remains a Landmark Games for India
Tokyo 2020 remains India’s most successful Olympics in history and a genuine turning point for Indian sport. Neeraj Chopra’s gold broke a 13-year individual gold drought and opened the door for athletics as a genuine medal sport; the hockey team’s bronze ended four decades of heartbreak; and Mirabai Chanu, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, and Lovlina Borgohain all delivered historic firsts on their Olympic debuts. The seven-medal haul set the benchmark that India came close to matching again at Paris 2024, where India won six medals, and it continues to shape the country’s Olympic ambitions heading into Los Angeles 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many medals India won in Tokyo Olympics?
India won 7 medals at the Tokyo Olympics – 1 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze.
Who won India’s gold medal at Tokyo 2020?
Neeraj Chopra won India’s only gold medal at Tokyo 2020, in the men’s javelin throw, with a best effort of 87.58m.
What was India’s rank in the Tokyo 2020 medal table?
India finished 48th in the overall Tokyo 2020 medal table with 7 medals.
Who won India’s first medal at Tokyo 2020?
Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won India’s first medal at Tokyo 2020, a silver in the women’s 49kg category, on the opening day of the competition.
Was Tokyo 2020 India’s best-ever Olympics?
Yes. With 7 medals, Tokyo 2020 was India’s best-ever performance at a single Olympic Games, surpassing the previous best of 6 medals at London 2012.
Sources: Olympics.com (official Olympic Movement platform) – Medals won by India at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics; ESPN – The Tokyo Seven: India’s medal winners from the 2020 Olympics; The Bridge and Deccan Herald – Tokyo 2020 event results.