First batch of Indian athletes arrive in Tokyo 'safely' ahead of Olympics
Jul 18, 2021
Tokyo [Japan], July 18 : An 88 member Indian contingent including 54 athletes arrived in Tokyo on Sunday for the upcoming Olympic Games which gets underway from July 23.
Athletes and support staff in eight disciplines Badminton, Archery, Hockey, Judo, Swimming, Weightlifting, Gymnastics, and Table Tennis arrived in Tokyo.
Sports Authority of India (SAI) shared a video informing about the arrival of the Olympic contingent for the Tokyo Games. With 127 athletes, Tokyo Olympics will be India's highest ever playing contingent.
"Touchdown Tokyo. Our contingent has safely landed in Tokyo. Here's a peek from their arrival at the airport. #Hockey #Cheer4India," SAIMedia tweeted.
The first batch of Indian athletes was given a formal send-off on Saturday at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The athletes were addressed and sent their best wishes by Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, and Nisith Pramanik, Minister of State, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The ceremony on Saturday was also attended by Narinder Dhruv Batra, President, Indian Olympic Association; Rajeev Mehta, Secretary-General, Indian Olympic Association, and Sandip Pradhan, Director-General, SAI among other dignitaries To ensure safety of players, entry into the event was only allowed of dignitaries and other officials who had a negative COVID test report.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur said, "When you go to represent the country at the Olympics, it is not just an important moment for you but for the whole country. This has been possible because of your discipline, determination and dedication and that is why you are here representing Team India."
"I am sure when you are going to be on the field, when you are going to be participating, you will be there with your full energy, determination and motivation. As PM Modi said, please go with a free mind. 135 crore Indians are with you, their good wishes and blessings are with you," he added.
Tokyo Olympics will begin on July 23 and the Games will run up to August 8 this year. The event was slated to be held last year, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
