Lesson from Tokyo: Victory does not have to come just in gold

When we win the world championship, no one knows. When we get world No 1, nobody knows. But Indians are in the Olympics, then everyone knows everything

- SANDIP ROY

When Mirabai Chanu won her silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics she thanked the “billion prayers” of her countrymen and women that had lifted her up at the games. But on the flip side, the Indian athletes at the Olympics must have also felt the weight of the expectations of a billion Indians pressing down on them as they tried to run, punch, dribble or throw that javelin. That javelin got Neeraj Chopra and India its first gold in track and field in over a century. “It’s a proud moment for me and my country,” said Chopra. An Olympic gold is different from other world records which is why P T Usha tweeted, ‘Realised my unfinished dream today after 37 years. Thank you.”

“When we win the world championship, no one knows. When we get world No 1, nobody knows. But Indians are in the Olympics, then everyone knows everything,” archer Atanu Das told The New York Times. “This is the pressure inside your head all the time.” Das, who lost in the elimination round, rued “We forgot to enjoy our shooting or our skill.” His wife and fellow archer Deepika Kumari, the world No 1, did not advance beyond the quarterfinals.