Tokyo 2020: How Haryana athletes contributed a major chunk of the Indian contingent and what other states can follow from here


Tokyo 2020: How Haryana athletes contributed a major chunk of the Indian contingent and what other states can follow from here

Neeraj Chopra, Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Bajrang Punia

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games emerged as the most successful edition ever for the Indian athletes with a record tally of seven medals across six sports. Apart from the podium finishers, most of the Tokyo-bound Indians were able to produce substantial performance in their respective events.

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India had sent a record-sized 127-member squad for Tokyo 2020, however, 31 of them came from a single state of Haryana. This meant a 24.4 per cent representation from the Haryana athletes, followed by its neighbouring state, Punjab (19 athletes – 15 per cent).

While contributing merely 2.2 per cent of the country’s population, Haryana stands at the pole position in the ratio of athletes per person among all states and union territories. 

Haryana not just emerged as the top representative for India, but three of them also clinched medals at the recently-concluded Games. Gold-medalist Neeraj Chopra (athletics), silver-medalist Ravi Kumar Dahiya and bronze medal winner Bajrang Punia (wrestling) brought back the glory to their nation. 

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Haryana and Olympics

Sakshi Malik
Sakshi Malik – 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medalist hails from Rohtak district of Haryana

Without any surprises, this is not the first Olympic Games edition where Haryana has such a massive representation out of the total contingent. Talking about the previous editions, India has clinched 17 Olympics individual events medals from 11 states. In this, Haryana accounts for four – Vijender Singh, Saina Nehwal, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Sakshi Malik all won after the 2008 Olympics.

States and UTs like West Bengal (three) and Delhi (two) are placed at the subsequent positions. On the other hand, at least eight states have won one medal each.

According to some experts, Haryana’s domination across sports is somehow linked to the majority of its people’s collective inclination for a solid, robust physique that helps them work in the fields under scorching heat, get jobs in the armed forces, and indulge in sporting activities, more likely wrestling, wrestling and hockey.

A similar contribution from all 28 states and eight union territories will result in a multifold increment in India’s place in the medals tally. Every region must start promoting their key sports like athletics in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to break India’s jinx of grabbing medals in double digits.

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