Tokyo has mostly delivered on that hope, despite some early teething problems.
India has shortlisted five of the 17 hi-tech items of military hardware offered by the US for co-production and co-development under a one-of-its kind American offer to boost bilateral defence cooperation.
Shaili Singh announced her arrival on the big stage by winning a silver in the Under-20 World Athletics Championships, missing out on a historic gold by a mere 1 cm with a 6.59m effort, in the long jump final in Nairobi on Sunday.
Four 20km race walkers -- two men and two women -- have already been named from the separate national championships held in New Delhi in February.
The Padma Bhushan was conferred on 17 personalities including N Chandrasekharan, chairman of Tata Sons, Krishna and Suchita Ella of Bharat Biotech, Cyrus Poonawalla, Satya Nadella, chairman of Microsoft, Sunder Pichai, chairman of Google.
All of 102, 'miracle' woman Man Kaur ran her way to a track and field gold medal at a world masters meet in Spain earlier this month, and in true never-give-up sportsperson spirit is already in training for her next competition.
On a night when American Allyson Felix also became the most decorated track and field athlete in Olympic history and Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan's dream of an unprecedented Games treble disappeared, Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei wiped away his 10,000 metres disappointment with an impressive 5,000m win.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cricketers such as Virendra Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif congratulated the athlete for his stupendous feat at Rio.
18-year old Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra had recently scripted history by becoming the first Indian athlete to become a world champion at any level when he won a gold medal at the U-20 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland on July 23. His 86.48m effort brought India's first World record and the country's first-ever gold in any World athletics championships. An attempt at a wild card entry into 2016 Rio Olympics didn't materialize and Chopra will now be one of India's top medal hopes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Even with an ongoing pandemic, theatres in many states functioning at 50 per cent occupancy, a quieter social life and fewer movies, Bollywood still managed to pack in plenty of drama and trauma, fun and festivity, love and war into the year.
India's Deepa Malik created history by becoming the first-ever woman from the country to win a medal at the Paralympics when she bagged a silver in the shotput F-53 event in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.
Badminton legend Prakash Padukone was bestowed with the Lifetime achievement award at the Sportstar Aces awards function in Mumbai.
Das is the first Indian track athlete to win a medal in the history of this competition.
The spotlight will be on Neeraj Chopra and Hima Das while Dutee Chand would look to prove a point when India's track and field athletes begin their campaign in the Asian Games in Jakarta on Saturday.
'For years we train for the Olympics and when we are this close, how can we stop training?'
India must start winning medals in "double digits" in the Olympics if it wants to realise the dream of hosting the 2032 Summer Games, Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra said.
Ekta Bhyan won India's fourth gold at the Asian Para Games by topping the women's club throw event in Jakarta.
Javelin thrower Shivpal Singh makes cut for World Championships
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday.
The government has announced cash awards of Rs. 90 lakhs for Rio Paralympics 2016 medal winners.
Besides the duo, 2017 World Weightlifting Champion in the 48kg category, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and former Asian Games gold medallist tennis player Somdev Devvarman were conferred with the Padma Shri award.
It is difficult to predict who among the Indians will reach the final
India has just 28 Olympic medals to its credit since making a debut back in 1900.
Check out the schedule of the World Athletics Championships to be held in Moscow from August 10-18.
The 19-year-old Indian junior world record holder did not attempt his fifth and final throws due to the injury and his first round effort of 83.80m fetched him a seventh place finish in a strong eight-man field in Zurich on Thursday.
Shot-putter Tajinder Singh Toor on Monday qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a new national record at the Indian Grand Prix 4 in Patiala.
The absence of top stars took some sheen away but India's record-breaking medal haul and a maiden top-of-the-table finish made the just-concluded 22nd Asian Athletics Championship here a memorable one.
The Planning Committee encouraged athletes to maintain their physical fitness and strictly follow their diet charts. AFI's Planning Committee conveyed its message to athletes during an online meeting with the national campers, coaches and support staff.
Sharad Kumar smashes continental record for gold in men's high jump
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Will India finally reach the elusive double-digit mark? Raj Kishore Mishra, former joint secretary at the sports ministry, for one, is willing to stick his neck out on the possibility.
A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.
He was not handed a provisional suspension as it was not mandatory under WADA rules.
The Athletics Federation of India has submitted a list of 51 athletes, including the 11 called for trials, for the August 18 to September 2 Asian Games.
In a bid to give increased recognition to their achievements, the medallists from the Rio Paralympics will be recommended for the Padma awards this year by the Sports Ministry.
Hima Das is nearing her best, having won five successive gold medals in three weeks in Europe.
The AFI has also asked its athletes to download the Government of India's 'AAROGYA SETU' App for tracking COVID-19 positive cases near them.
India's Amit Kumar Saroha clinched a silver in men's club throw F51 competition in World Para Athletics Championships in London on Monday.
The Indian athletes seemed unruffled by the syringe controversy that has cast a shadow on their Commonwealth Games build-up as they enthusiastically took part in the flag-hoisting ceremony at the athletes village, on Monday.
Decorated para-athlete and India's lone woman Paralympic medallist Deepa Malik has been elected as president of Paralympic Committee of India though the results of the elections are subject to a pending case in the Delhi High Court. The 49-year-old Deepa, who won a silver in shot put F-53 event in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, was elected unopposed as president in the PCI polls held in Bengaluru on Friday.
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