PV Sindhu And All The Incredible Indian Women Smashing The Patriarchy At The Olympics
Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... read full bio
In country that is rife with gender-based discrimination and double standards, it truly means a lot to get to witness the rise of Indian women in sports. Sports is one of the many ways for women to liberate themselves and live life to their fullest potential. Of course, it took many, many years for women in sports to receive the respect they deserve, and in many ways, it is still quite a considerable struggle. However, despite facing the brunt of broader society, plenty of female athletes have shone through and proven themselves on the Olympic stage. From PV Sindhu to Mirabai Chanu, Mary Kom, and more, here’s how these incredible Indian women have shown the world how to “do it like a girl”:
1. PV Sindhu Becomes First Indian Woman To Win Two Olympic Medals
On Sunday, PV Sindhu ensured that she’d go down in India’s sporting history annals when she won two individual Olympic medals. Her first win was an iconic match that earned her a silver medal during the Rio Olympics in 2016, and her most recent win was a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Since she had lost the semifinal match to Tai Tzu Ying of Taipei, Sindhu was even more driven to seize the bronze. Even if the shades of the medals are different, Sindhu’s Olympic spirit will ensure she is noted down as one of India’s finest sportspersons.
2. Mirabai Chanu Wins Silver In Women’s 49 kg Weightlifting Category
Mirabai Chanu took India to the top when she won her first silver medal in the Women’s Weightlifting event. The athlete is the first Indian weightlifter to achieve this feat and ended Indian’s 21-year long wait for an award in weightlifting at the Olympics. During her four attempts across the competition, Mirabai lifted a total of around 202 kgs. She lost to China’s Zhihui Hou, who lifted 210 kgs and set a new Olympic record. Bronze was bagged by Windy Cantika Aisah from Indonesia, who lifted a total of 194 kilograms.
3. Manika Batra Wins Against Britain’s Tin-Tin Ho In Women’s Singles Table Tennis
Manika Batra stormed into round two of the women’s singles table tennis category. She beat Great Britain’s Tin-Tin Ho at the Olympics on Saturday. Although she suffered a disappointing blow in the mixed doubles match with partner Achanta Sharath Kamal earlier in the day. Manika’s match against Tin-Tin Ho on Saturday was quite challenging as Tin Tin pulled an improved performance in the third leg of the game, but Manika managed to pull through and beat her.
4. Mary Kom Wins Women’s Flyweight Round Of 32 By 4-1
India’s Magnificent Mary Kom pulled out all stops in her match against Miguelina Hernandez Garcia of the Dominican Republic. She started her journey with a 4-1 win against Miguelena. The pair were competing in the women’s flyweight category (52 kgs). Sadly, MC Mary Kom made an untimely exit from the Tokyo Olympics after losing to Colombian boxer, Ingrit Victoria Valencia. What’s more? Both of these incredible boxers are mothers and legends in their field. However, Mary was eventually beaten by Ingrit, and Colombia took home the title with 3-2.
5. Lovlina Borgohain Wins Women’s Welterweight Boxing Against Germany’s N. Apetz
Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain (69kgs) reached the quarter-finals of the women’s welterweight category at the Tokyo Olympics. She beat Nadine Apetz from Germany with 3-2 on Tuesday. Lovlina took charge of the match and created pressure against her German opponent. She threw Apetz off her guard and eventually won the match, hence progressing to the quarter-finals. Lovina became one of the only women (the other being Mary Kom) to win a medal for India in the boxing category.
6. Pooja Rani Wins Women’s Middleweight Boxing Against Ichrak Chaib In Her Opening Bout
Although Pooja Rani had entered the quarter-finals after defeating Algerian boxer, Ichrak Chaib, she lost to China’s Li Qian in the women’s middleweight quarter-final. The Tokyo Olympics were Pooja’s first entry into the Olympics, and the 30-year-old was looking forward to establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with. So far, only three Indian boxers have received Olympic medals in boxing, namely, Mary Kom, Vijender Singh, and Lovlina Borgohain.
Despite all the odds being stacked against women, our success in sports just proves the amount of talent, hard work, and determination we can exhibit. It takes a lot of dedication and passion for someone even to be good at it, let alone win recognition and medals for your work. We salute each and every Indian woman who has represented our country at the Olympics and made us proud. Do let us know all of your thoughts in the comment section below!
