BE N N E T T, C OL E M A N & C O. LT D. | E S TA BLI S H E D 183 8 | T IM E S OF IN DI A .

C OM | N E W DE L HI

Take a trip with us to Tokyo 2020: India

STUDENT EDITION
Know more about Franz
all the new heritage Kafka and why he is a finishes 48th in medal
TODAY’S places around the world
that recently earned the
role model for many tally; best in four
decades
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

EDITION
youngsters?
UNESCO tag
PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4

CLICK HERE: PAGE 1 AND 2

KARNATAKA KHADI
FOR THE RECORD
Modi would be the first-
ever Indian PM to chair
Why is social media abuzz GRAMODYOGA
SAMYUKTA SANGHA
(KKGSS)
an open debate at the
council but that is not
to be confused with
with PM presiding over UNSC?
being the UNSC
president INDIA @ UNSC
X-PLAINED
WHAT
PM Narendra Modi
chaired a high-level 1 This is India's first presidency in
the UNSC during its 2021-22 tenure
as a non-permanent member of the

T
open debate at the UNSC. The two-year tenure of India as a he Indian flag is
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on non-permanent member of the UNSC manufactured and
enhancing maritime security on Monday. India supplied from only
took over the presidency of the Security
began on January 1, 2021
one place in the country—

2
Council recently with a pledge to work for
entire humanity while bringing a focus to the India has been campaigning for a the Karnataka Khadi
challenges of terrorism. permanent seat at the UNSC along Gramodyoga Samyukta
Sangha (KKGSS). Located in
WHY
IS IT SIGNIFICANT: As
with Germany, Japan and Brazil for
part of its new role as presi- Dharwad, Karnataka, it has
dent of the UNSC that all 15 many years the authority to manufac-

3
members get in rotation, India will decide the ture and supply the Indian
agenda of the UN’s highest decision making body
whose resolutions and directives are binding on
PAK WORRIED? While the US, France, Britain and flag. According to the
Pakistan's envoy to the UN Munir Akram said, they will be Russia are not averse to India join- Bureau of Indian Standards,
all the member states. India will also coordinate
important meetings on a range of issues during "watchful" during New Delhi's spell at the forum. “We hope ing the UNSC as a permanent mem- the national flag is manu-
August. India will organise meetings focused on that India will abide by the relevant rules and norms governing ber, China has been opposing it. This is factured only with hand-
key areas of maritime security, peacekeeping the conduct of the Security Council Presidency," he added seen as due to Beijing’s close ties with spun and handwoven cotton
and counter-terrorism. India’s arch rival Pakistan khadi bunting

Deepika Padukone reportedly out Bottled water up to MHA tells states to stop usage
of 'Baiju Bawra' for demanding 3,500 times worse for of Tricolour made of plastic
equal pay as Ranveer Singh environment: Study Since, plastic flags are not biodegradable
like paper flags, these do not get decom-

T
he environmental impact of bottled water is up to posed for a long time and ensuring appropri-
If reports are to go by, actress Deepika VIEWPOINT 3,500 times higher than tap water, according to a
new study. The consumption of bottled water has
ate disposal of national flags made of plastic
commensurate with the dignity of the flag is
Padukone is now out from
been increasing sharply in recent years on a global scale, due a practical problem, it said Such flags are
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 'Baiju Bawra' film, as she

A
to the perceived presence of chemical compounds in tap water. to be disposed in private, consistent with the
demanded the same fees as her husband head of the dignity of the flag, it added
Ranveer Singh. A champion for pay parity Independence
The results showed that if the whole population of a city like ‘The Prevention of Insults to National
among actors and actresses, Deepika has been Day celebration, Honour Act, 1971’ and the ‘Flag Code of India,
Barcelona decided to shift to bottled water, the production
the Centre has asked 2002’ govern the display of national flag
demanding and getting as much her leading men required would take a toll of 1.43 species lost per year and cost
states to ensure that
in her recent films. But, this time in ‘Baiju $83.9 million per year due to extraction of raw materials
people don’t use plastic
Bawra’, Bhansali has regretfully turned down This is approximately 1,400 times more impact in Say NO to plastic Tricolour.
national flags, as ensur-
ecosystems and 3,500 times higher cost of Join us in creating awareness
her request for pay parity”... ing appropriate disposal
resource extraction compared to the scenario where on the misuse of flags made of

1
of the Tricolour made of
Recently, Taapsee Pannu had the whole population would shift to tap water, the
non-biodegradable items plastic. Share your views at
spoken about pay disparity researchers said toinie175@gmail.com
is a practical problem.
between male and female
actors. She said that female actors
who ask for more money are seen as
‘difficult’, while if a male actor hikes his
fee, it is considered a sign of success When ISS astronauts
2 Earlier, actresses
such as Priyanka Chopra,
Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor
enjoyed space Olympics ONLINE TOI

F
rom synchronised space swimming to 'lack of floor routine'
have spoken openly about pay disparity

3
gymnastics, astronauts at the International Space Station
The same story goes with Hollywood. (ISS) enjoyed their own Olympics games in zero gravity before
In Hollywood, female stars are holding a
paid 56% less than their male 'closing ceremony' to
counterparts — the equivalent of $2.2m bid goodbye to Tokyo Newspaper in
Education

less per film 2020. French astro-

naut Thomas Pesquet
of the European
 Interestingly, pay disparity among Space Agency (ESA)
gender is a common feature in every posted a series of
sector videos on Twitter over
 Globally, the gender pay gap the weekend, showing
some of the ISS astro-
CELEBRATING INDIA, OUR WAY
stands at 16 per cent, meaning nauts performing their favourite games sans gravity. They also had a Take a walk through history with us, as we tell you the
women workers earn an average of 'weightless' sharpshooting session where they shoot what look like rub- Story of India like never before…
84 per cent of what men earn. For ber bands at a makeshift target. During the synchronised space swim-
UNSUNG FORGOTTEN TERRIFIC QUIRKY
ming, the astronauts worked hard on the routines despite the lack of INFOGRAPHICS
women of colour, immigrant HEROES STORIES TRIVIA QUIZZES
water. "Synchronised space swimming, an opportunity to show teamwork
women, and women with children, and crew cohesion," Pesquet posted. "No-handball, we had to adapt the
the difference is even greater. rules a bit during the match, much investment on both sides for the win," Indepdendence
depdendence
dendence
EXCITING
EXPRESSIONS INSPIRING
SPEECHES
he added. The astronauts even hung little flags of all the countries repre-
Day THROUGH WORDS

Q
ART
Time to talk about pay sented over their performance zones on the space station. Special
parity and make it a  They also held a closing ceremony where Aki Hoshide of
BOOKS,
MOVIES,
SYMBOLS
OF
SEPIA
MONUMENTS
SHARE
YOUR
MEMORIES STORIES
MUSIC INDIA
reality in every sector? JAXA (Japan's space agency) handed an Olympic flag to Celebrate India
with us.

Please share your views at Pesquet, as Olympics 2024 is slated to happen in Paris Tell us what
makes you a
ACTIVITIES, YOUR
proud Indian

toinie175@gmail.com  The president of IOC, Thomas Bach, declared the 32nd CRAFT & VIDEOS AND MUCH, Can you describe
India in 5 words
Olympic Games closed on Sunday, as the Olympic flag was DIYS MUCH MORE or less?
Join the
handed over to France, the host of the 2024 Paris Games conversation on
@TOIStudent on
SPECIAL A week-long celebration
WEEKENDER ISSUE of India’s Independence starts on our
website from Monday, August 9
Follow:
Please do share it with your students. #IDaywithTOIStudent
 02
"There may have been a time when preservation was about saving an
old building here or there, but those days are gone. Preservation is in
the business of saving communities and the values they embody."
KNOWLEDGEPEDIA
RICHARD MOE, NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

FRENCH CITY OF NICE Recently, new sites

1 Following the decision by its World Heritage
Committee, UNESCO in a statement called Nice,
famous for its mild climate, the "Winter resort town of the
Riviera".
2 The city joins France's more than 40 world heritage
sites including the banks of the river Seine in Paris,
the Amiens cathedral, the Mont Saint Michel and stretches
of the Loire valley.
3 UNESCO said that Nice adapted its urban planning as
early as two centuries ago to make itself attractive to
foreigners seeking warmer climes.
4 Their cultural influences and "desire to make the most
of the climatic conditions and scenery of the place,
shaped the urban planning and eclectic architectural styles and cosmopolitan, has produced an architecture that are a
of those areas", it said.
5 With close to one million inhabitants, greater
Nice is the second-biggest city on the French
Mediterranean coast after Marseille, and the fifth-
were given the
biggest in France. heritage tag by
6 Nicknamed "Nice the Beautiful", the city attracted
European aristocracy from the 18th century, start-
ing with British royalty who had the seafront
UNESCO. Explore
"Promenade des Anglais" named after them.
with TIMES NIE
7 Painters including Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse also
stayed there, as did writers Anton Chekhov and
Friedrich Nietzsche. significance of
8
"The history of Nice, which is at the same time deeply
rooted and open, Mediterranean and Alpine, European
each place
model for many other cities in the world.

RAMAPPA TEMPLE
CHILE'S ANCIENT MUMMIES
1 Rudreshwara, popularly known as
Ramappa Temple, is located in
Palampet Village, near Hyderabad, 1 Chile's Chinchorro mummies are the
oldest in the world to have been pur-
Telangana. posefully preserved by humans.

2 It is the main Shiva temple in a

walled complex built during the
Kakatiyan period (1123-1323 CE) under
2 The mummies, which were found in the
north of Chile at the start of the 20th
century, are more than 7,000 years old,
rulers Rudradeva and Recharla Rudra. meaning they pre-date the Egyptian mum-
mies by two millennia.
3
to have continued
CHILE'S ANCIENT MUMMIES
Construction of the sandstone tem-
ple began1.inChile's
1213 CEChinchorro
for over
to have been
and is believed
mummies are the oldest in the world
40 years. The
purposefully preserved by humans. 3 The Chinchorro were fishers and hunter
gatherers more than 7,000 years
building features decorated beams and ago in an area where the desert and
2. The mummies, which were found in the north of Chile at Pacific Ocean meet in what is today the
pillars of carved granite and dolerite with
the start of the 20th century, are more than 7,000 years old, mean-
a distinctive
ingand pyramidal
they pre-dateVimana (hori- mummies by two millennia.
the Egyptian
south of Peru and north of Chile.

4
zontally stepped tower) made of light- So far, more than 300 mummies have
weight porous3.bricks,
The Chinchorro were fishers and hunter gatherers more
so-called 'floating been found, including red, black and
than 7,000 years ago in an area where the desert and Pacific Ocean
bricks', which reduced the weight of the
meet in what is today the south of Peru and north of Chile. bandaged ones.
roof structures.

4
4. So far, more than 300 mummies have been found, includ-
The temple's
ing red, sculptures
black and of high artis-
bandaged ones.
tic quality illustrate regional dance
5. The mummification
customs and Kakatiyan culture. process consisted of removing the or-
gans, intestines and tissue. The skin was then ripped off the
corpse and the body rebuilt using sticks and animal hair, while
a thick head of black hair was sewn onto the scalp.

6. Finally the mummies were painted red or black using earth, DHOLAVIRA
1
pigments, manganese and iron oxide.
Dholavira is a Harappan-era city in Gujarat and is the second
site to be included on the world heritage list this month after
Why the Chichorro culture mummified their dead the Ramappa Temple at Palampet in Telangana's Warangal.
remains a mystery.
2
In 2005, Arriaza developed a theory that it could have been
linked to high levels of arsenic poisoning in the water that could
have produced premature births, miscarriages, underweight chil-
Gujarat now has four world heritage sites -- Dholavira,
Champaner near Pavagadh, Rani ki Vav in Patan and the his-
toric city of Ahmedabad.
A MUST VISIT: PM MODI
3
dren and high infant mortality.
Experts suggested the mummification was "an emotional re- Dholavira: a Harappan city, is one of the very few well pre- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "absolutely
sponse from parents faced with these painful losses, so they paint- served urban settlements in South Asia dating from the 3rd delighted" by this news, noting that Dholavira was an impor-
ed them, dressed them up and every day this technique became to mid-2nd millennium BCE.
more elaborate." tant urban centre and is one of the most important linkages

4 Dholavira is an exceptional example of a proto-historic

Bronze Age urban settlement pertaining to the Harappan
Civilization and bears evidence of a multi-cultural and stratified
society during the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE.
with our past. "I first visited Dholavira during my student
days and was mesmerised by the place. As CM of Gujarat, I
had the opportunity to work on aspects relating to heritage
conservation and restoration in Dholavira,” he said.

THAILAND FOREST PARK

1 A vast forest complex in Thailand has been
added to UNESCO's World Heritage List,
despite the UN's own experts warning of human
rights violations against indigenous people in
the area.

ROMAN GOLD MINES 2 The Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex in

western Thailand is rich in biodiversity,

1 These are ancient Roman mining galleries

in a mountainous Romanian region that
including the critically endangered Siamese croc-
odile.

3
has been at the centre of a long, fierce battle But it is also home to an indigenous community
between a Canadian mining company and envi- of ethnic Karen people, who have long accused the
ronmentalists. Thai government of using violence and harassment to push

2 Rosia Montana, located in western them off their land.

Romania, is home to Europe's largest gold
deposits. Gabriel Resources, a Canadian mining company that gained concession rights in
1999, planned to extract the gold and silver over a 16-year period. The mining project involved
razing four mountain tops, displacing hundreds of local families and leaving behind a waste
lake containing cyanide, a toxic chemical used in the process of gold extraction. But after
activists’ protests, mining stopped in 2014.
4
While many indigenous residents were allegedly driven out of the area,
those remaining were not allowed to cultivate the land.
5 Authorities say their farming activities would damage the forest, but
activists argue that traditional farming methods do not harm the envi-
ronment.
 CLICK HERE: FOR PAGE 3 AND 4

SCHOOL IS COOL
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021
It’s not just a place where you get to learn Einstein’s Theory of
Relativity. It’s also a place where you can think beyond the class-
room. Hence we say, SCHOOL IS COOL!
03

INVESTITURE CEREMONY
Podar International
School (ICSE), Kalyan
“Leadership and learning
qualities of Emperor “Ashoka the
Great”.
In this unique virtual and
solemn occasion the virtuous
cipal administered the oath to the
newly elected Council Members
Guardian High School & Jr. College,
Dombivli
ree Pramod. They were conferred with badges and
sashes by principal of Guardian High school and Jr.
and congratulated them for their College Jyothi Menon. The students’ council took the
preparedness to take up the re- SHRUTI MADHAVPURKAR, ASST. TEACHER pledge to hold the school motto of Loyalty, Truth and

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are indispensable to each oth- young Podarites were endowed sponsibilities entrusted to them. Honor in high esteem. The Head boy delivered a speech
er”.- John F. Kennedy with the sashe of responsibility The Vice Principal proposed he Investiture Ceremony is a solemn occasion promising his hard work with devotion and determi-

P
of leading their school from the the vote of thanks and the cere- where all the young students are prepared to don nation. Jyothi Menon congratulated them and ad-
odar International School, front with their commitment, con- mony concluded with the Nation- the mantle of leadership and discharge the re- monished them to be impartial and honest in dis-
(ICSE) Kalyan held the fidence and competence. The Prin- al Anthem. sponsibilities entrusted upon them by the school. charging their duties. She also exhorted them to up-
Virtual In- Guardian high school and Jr. College acknowledged the hold the values.
vestiture budding young leaders and reposed the trust in them She reminded them that with position comes re-
Ceremony on Sat- in the event conducted virtually on 26 th July. sponsibility towards themselves, their school and peers
urday 24th July The Investiture Ceremony of Guardian High School and struggles help one to achieve heights.
2021. The principal and Jr. College for the academic session 2021-202 was The student council was also appreciated and
Kshema Mohan
graced the occa-
sion.
The event was
joined by the PTA
Members, Parents
and teachers.
The ceremony
commenced with a
prayer and fol-
lowed by a dance
portraying the held with great pomp and dignity in a special
ceremony on virtual platform of Zoom. The
occasion was graced by the benign presence
of principal of Guardian High School and
Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jr. College Jyothi Menon, Sr. College coor-
Bhandup dinator Dr Sobhana Nair, Sr. School Coun-
sellor Usha Borse, Secondary Academic co-
“Leaders become great , ordinator Rajasree Pramod, Primary
not because of their pow- Academic coordinator Vandana Kush-
ers, but because of their waha and Pre-primary Academic coordi-
ability to empower oth- nator Shweta Punja.
ers” - John Maxwell The event was presided over by the

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he first Virtual Investi-
ture ceremony of ses-
sion 2021-22 of
Kendriya Vidyalaya,
Bhandup was held online on
Wednesday , 28th July 28, 2021
with great enthusiasm and
team effort. The Ceremony
begins with the Prayer “Itni
Shaki hume dena data “ by
Vanshika Tiwari of Class 9
B followed by Motivational Poem by Km.
Astha Gaur of Class 9 B . The children were
addressed by the Principal of K V Bhandup,
Mrs. Shiny George.
The Investiture ceremony signifies the
reliance and confidence that the school con-
signs in the newly invested office bearers.
Donning the mantle of accountability, they
also pledge to bestow their duties to the best.
We believe in delegating responsibility &
giving authority to children as it teaches
them lifelong skills of being powerful, car-
ing and at the same time making them good
citizens.
The elected leaders were conferred with
sashes by their Parents which was indeed a
moment to cherish. It was conducted with
high degree of earnestness and self-esteem.
Rishabh Tiwari was elected as the School
Head Boy and Stuti Thakur was elected as
the School Head Girl. The Student Council
took the oath to abide by the core values that
the school stands for. The house masters
(Mrs. Gopi Atreya TGT Sans. , Shivaji House
), Mrs. Shalini Asthana (TGT Lib. ,Tagore
House ), Mrs. Mithelesh Paliwal (TGT Soc.Sc.,
Ashoka House) & Mrs Vinita Thakur (TGT
Eng, Raman House ) and the teachers con-
gratulated and appreciated the efforts of the
students.
Pragya Prasad of Std X, and began with the
school song and then Welcoming of all the
above mentioned dignitaries. The Investi-
ture ceremony signifies the reliance and
confidence that the school consigns in the newly in- congratulated by the dignitaries Sr. College Co- co-
vested office bearers. Donning the mantle of ac- ordinator Dr Sobhana Nair, Sr. School Counsellor
countability, they also pledge to bestow their duties to Usha Borse who advised them to be role models and
the best of their abilities. We believe that the child extended a supporting hand to the students’ council
centric approach will frame a responsible citizen. for the smooth running of the school through their
The elected leaders’ profiles were displayed on speech. The function concluded with the vote of
the Screen after biding adieu to previous academic thanks by the School head girl and the ended with Na-
year leaders by Sr. Academic coordinator Mrs. Rajas- tional Anthem.
The event was
concluded by kind
words of the CCA Committee Heads Mrs. C.
Uma (PGT Eng) , Mrs. R. Rane (TGT Eng )
& Mrs Deepak (TGT Sanskrit) and the bless-
ings of the Principal of K V Bhandup Mrs.
Shiny George. The Principal reminded the
students of the two most important things
that they have to take care of and that is dis-
cipline and cleanliness. She congratulated
the newly elected Student Council and en-
couraged them to show participation in re-
solving the issues of the school and show
dedication and sincerity towards their re-
sponsibilities.
Bunts Sangha’s S.M.Shetty High of the Bhagat Singh House, the Ra-
bindranath Tagore House, the Lokmanya
School & Jr.College, Powai Tilak House and the Swami Vivekananda
The task of leadership is not to put House acquainted all with the significance
greatness into humanity, but to elicit of their Houses. Subsequent to this the stu-

Yoga – Crucial part of wellness it, for the greatness is already there. -
John Buchan
dent’s council of primary and secondary
were presented with their insignia by their

A
parents and informed of their roles and
t Bunts Sangha’s SM Shetty High responsibilities. They made a public vow

S
School and Jr. College we believe that to commit themselves in service of the
aint Pathanjali, who lived five our students are endowed with great- school through an oath of office.
thousand years ago, gave a shape
Saint Pathanjali divided ness and we need to channelise it in The programme concluded with
yoga into eight disciplines as the best way possible and what better way speeches by the head boy and head girl of
to this “Yoga art”, which is time than to bestow them with
immemorial. The mankind owes to saint 1. Iyamam, 2. Niayamam, 3. Asana, leadership roles.
Pathanjali for whatever knowledge one On 1st of August, 2021
4. Pranayama, 5. Prathyagara, the students democratical-
has now in yoga culture. Saint Pathanjali ly elected to be the student’s
6. Tharana, 7. Dhyana, 8. Samadhi.
is the father of yoga arts. council were presented

T
The Sanskrit word “yoga” with their new roles dur-
means concentration and he third discipline is yoga and it helps ing the Investiture Cere-
the body to prepare for the meditation mony conducted virtually
coordination. The coordina- for the second year in a row.
tion between body and soul practises and also prevents from dis- The office bearers were
and mind and everything to ease providing the necessary immunity. chosen after extensive
Asana keeps the body flexible and relaxed. scrutiny beginning with
merge with divine force. With
submission of the applica-
the clear understanding of Also meditation after yoga makes concentra- tion form for the post of
the divinity learning a serene tion possible. Yoga has always been a crucial their choice followed by an Elocution primary and secondary followed by an ad-
life in consonance with the Law part of wellness. I think the realization is Round, Book Talk Round, Personal Inter- dress by the chairman, B. R. Shetty and
K. GOKUL, view Round, Campaigning and finally Vot- the vote of thanks which recognised the
of nature – the divine force is Class VII , occurring now because people have started ing by students and teachers. innumerable contributions of individuals
called yoga. RVS Matriculation Hr. taking health seriously. In the hustle of daily The ceremony began with the school towards the success of the event. And in-
life, we completely disregard the prayer, a virtual lamp lighting ceremony deed, that is what it was, a very successful
Sec. School, Sulur anda welcome address by the State Board and noteworthy event at the beginning of
need for self-care. The role of principal, Seema Sabhlok. House Masters the academic year.
yoga has grown multi-fold.

STRONG AND INDEPENDENT

N
atasha Romanoff is more
than just a pretty face in
the Marvel Cinematic
Universe. She’s a spy, she’s a
fighter. She’s a strong, independ-
ent woman, who does not give up.
Romanoff works alone, she does-
n’t need to rely on anyone else.
She believes in herself enough to
make her own way in the world.
She works for the greater
good, and that’s why she’s a
superhero.
Romanoff is someone you
mustn’t mess up with - fighting
techniques agile as ever, she will
bring you to your knees in an
NATASHA ROMANOFF
instant, the moment you cross
her. Natasha Romanoff stands tall
even in adversities. Even when she
is in ruins, she builds herself back
up from all the rubble, and moves
Speak Like A Champion Youtuber
right on, fighting the bad guys Participate in the India’s First Ever Public Speaking Olympiad
relentlessly. She is a shining bea- and enhance your communication skills.
con of strength and power, for
innumerable girls like me.
Natasha was forged into a
superhero after years of hardship,
loss, pain…after years of fighting
and surviving.
The lesson she has engraved in
my mind is: “Your pain
only makes you stronger.”
Pia Oza, class X,
SSPM’s Sri Sri Ravishankar
Vidya Mandir, Borivali East
 Medals table ranking at Tokyo
Olympics highest in over 40
years, even as athletes say
time to shift focus

I
ndia finished 48th on the
medal tally in Tokyo, its
highest ranking in over
four decades. If one were
to go by the total number
of medals, India would
have actually finished
33rd. However, ranking
is done primarily based on gold
medals won. The previous best in
this period was the 51st rank finish
at Beijing in 2008, when India won
three medals, including Abhinav
Bindra's gold.
India has finished significantly
higher in the era in which it used to
win gold in hockey, but that time is
not really comparable both because
of the dozens of countries that have
come into being since then and the
expansion in the number of sports
and hence medals. In Moscow, for in-
stance, India finished at 23rd rank
but with just a solitary medal, the
hockey gold. A repeat of that at
Tokyo would have placed India at
joint 63rd, a measure of how differ-
ent the two eras are.
In London 2012, India had fin-
ished 57th despite winning more
medals than in Beijing because the
medal table ranks countries by gold,
silver and bronze in that order and
India didn't win a gold in London. In
Rio in 2016, the medal tally crashed
to just two and so did the ranking to
67th. From there, it's now gone up
nearly 20 places.
Game of many firsts
■ India's journey started with a
bang, tapered off in the middle and
then ended with the kind of spec-
tacular fireworks that make historic
events grand. India was quite lit-
erally on a roller-coaster during the
Tokyo Olympics.
■ So, there was the first medal in
track-and-field which also happened
to be the first gold in 13 years, the
first medal in hockey in 41 years,
the first silver in weightlifting, the
first boxing medal in nine years,
the first woman with two Olympic
medals, the most number of debu-
tants ending up on the podium, and
the most number of medals ever
won, it all happened in one single
Games for India.
■ And it all happened at the Games
which carried the tag of troubled long
before the opening ceremony, thanks
to the unrelenting COVID-19 pan-
demic. It all happened after one year
of shutdown that sent most training
and competition schedules haywire.
■ Mighty impressive? No, it was
way more than that.
Story of resilience
■ India's campaign at the Olympic
Games was as much a story of hu-
man resilience as of sporting ex-
cellence and it came to the fore on
the opening day of competitions it-
self starting with Mirabai Chanu
who won silver in . weightlifting.
■ Then there were those who were
hit by the curse of the fourth-place
finish. Their agony was a story in
itself as golfer Aditi Ashok and the
women's hockey team ended with-
in touching distance of the podium
but not quite there.
■ So, India's performance at the
Games was bigger than the unprece-
dented seven medals. It reflected con-
fidence, best personified by Chopra
when he owned the Olympic stadium
with his self-assured gait during the
final in which the 90m man -- the great
Johannes Vetter -- wilted.
■ In Tokyo, the Indians who did well
were not surprising anyone, they
were living up to the billing earned
over the last three years. Surprise
was some of them falling short like
the shooters, and the archers. And
in that lay the country’s story of
progress in sports. India is not quite
there yet but is certainly inching
closer one step at a time.

Indian sportspersons who capped off country’s best-ever

performance in the Olympics with a haul of seven medals,
including its first gold in a track and field event.
(anti-clockwise) From the top, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra,
wrestler Ravi Dahiya, wrestler Bajrang Punia, weightlifter
Mirabai Chanu, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, badminton player PV
Sindhu, and the Indian men's hockey team.
Photo: PTI

TIME TO START AFRESH GAME FIRST, BIOPIC LATER KEEPING FLAG FLYING HIGH

S he had the time of her life in Tokyo with a medal on

Olympic debut being the icing on the cake but Indian
boxer Lovlina Borgohain says all of it is “done and dusted
now” and she will start afresh in every aspect of her game
for the Paris edition in 2024. The 23-year-old welterweight
(69kg) bronze medalist from Baro Mukhia village in Assam is
only the third Indian boxer to finish on the podium, joining
six-time world champion M C Mary Kom and Vijender Singh.
I ndian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra feels there are more
stories about his life that can be unearthed in the future
and his biopic can wait as the Olympic gold medallist vows to
focus on upcoming tournaments. “Don’t know about the
biopic. I want my focus to be on the game and after I stop
playing these will look good. Then there will be a new story,
having said that, let me focus on my game too. Till an athlete
is active, there should be no biopics,” Neeraj said.
I ndian wrestler and bronze medal winner Bajrang Punia
wants to leave no stone unturned in practicing and training
for future events. Bajrang, who was India’s flag bearer during
the closing ceremony of the Games, promised to keep working
hard “in order to keep the flag of India high”. “I would like to
thank the people of India for the opportunity to be the flag-
bearer at the Tokyo Olympics. I promise that I will keep work-
ing hard to keep the flag of my country high,” he tweeted.

Q U IZ T IM E ! Q3:
a. Shane Warne
Who is the highest wicket-
taker in Test cricket?
the Copa America, equalling whose
all-time record?
a. Diego Maradona
Q6: Neeraj Chopra won India’s
second individual gold
medal in the Olympics. Which other
a. Cricket
b. Kabaddi
c. Tennis
Indian has achieved this fete? d. Football

Q1: Which player was the first b. Brian Lara b. Javier Mascherano
a. Abhinav Bindra
to win five straight c. Courtney Walsh c. Gabriel Batistuta
b. PT Usha
Wimbledon tennis titles?
a. Bjorn Borg
d. Muttiah Muralitharan d. Sergio Romero

Lionel Messi
c. Gagan Narang
d. Milkha Singh Q9: Name the Indian cricketer
who took all the ten
wickets in an innings in a test match.
b. Roger Federer
c. Arthur Ashe
d. Andre Agassi
Q4: In which sport has India
won 8 gold medals in the
Olympics so far? Q7: Which Indian batsman made
three consecutive centuries
a. Kapil Dev
b. Ravindra Jadeja
in his first three Test matches? c. Anil Kumble
a. Wrestling
a. Vinoo Mankad d. R Ashwin
b. Hockey

Q2:
a. Half
In polo, what is a period
of play called? c. Swimming
d. Tennis
b. Mohammad Azharuddin
c. Sunil Gavaskar
d. Gundappa Viswanath
ANSWERS: 1. a. Bjorn Borg 2. d. Chukka
3. d. Muttiah Muralitharan 4. b. Hockey

b. Quarter 5. b. Javier Mascherano 6. a. Abhinav Bindra

The term ‘double fault’ is

Q8:
7. b. Mohammad Azharuddin 8. c. Tennis
c. Set
d. Chukka Q5: Lionel Messi won his
147th Argentina cap at
Photo: GETTY IMAGES
associated with which sport? 9. c. Anil Kumble