Medals India won in Tokyo Olympics made nation proud, elated: PM Modi

New Delhi, Aug 8: With the Tokyo Olympics coming to an end, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (August 8) said this is the time to keep working to further popularise sports at the grassroots so that new talents emerge and get the opportunity to represent India in the times to come.

The medals India won has certainly made the nation proud and elated, he said in a tweet. India put up its best-ever Olympic performance in Tokyo, winning a haul of seven medals, including a gold.

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"As #Tokyo2020 draws to a close, I would like to congratulate the Indian contingent for their stupendous performance at the games. They personified the best of skill, teamwork and dedication. Every athlete who represented India is a champion," the prime minister said. Modi also lauded Japan for successfully hosting the games overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"A special thank you to the government and people of Japan, especially Tokyo for hosting the well-organised games. To host it so successfully, in such times, gave out a strong message of resilience. It also demonstrated how the sport is a great unifier," he said.

Meanwhile, held amid the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic, the 32nd Olympic Games drew curtains on Sunday with a closing ceremony that sought to give the message of moving forward.

The ceremony opened with a video that looked back on the 17 days of events and competition. Fireworks went off at the stadium to mark the beginning of the final chapter in which the organisers "expressed gratitude for the countless individuals who lent us their strength and helped us make it to the Closing Ceremony."

This was followed by Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach's appearance in the official stand.

The focus of the opening video was not records and scores but the valiant efforts of all the athletes, who competed in a strictly enforced bio-bubble, undergoing daily COVID-19 tests.

The salient message of the ceremony was that the Games will open the door to a brighter future.

India certainly could look towards that brighter future after claiming its best-ever haul, including their first gold medal in 13 years, from javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who is also going back as the country's first track-and-field medallist at the Games The country's haul also had two silver and four bronze medals.