Indian Olympic heroes touch down in Delhi, will be felicitated by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur

Indian athletes touched down in New Delhi on Monday after a successful stint at the 2021 Olympics held in Tokyo. The team marched out of Delhi airport amidst hundreds of galvanized fans and family members applauding their triumph.

The man with the golden arm, Neeraj Chopra, along with star wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, the hockey team, men's sprinters and several others returned to India.

Indian athletics team returns from #TokyoOlympics to Delhi. India finished the quadrennial event with their highest medal count (1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze) Pic source: SAIMedia Twitter pic.twitter.com/YYpTxA6w6D

— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2021

The Indian contingent received a warm welcome from a Sports Authority of India (SAI) delegation headed by Director General Sandip Pradhan and the Athletics Federation of India Chief Adille Sumariwalla.

🇮🇳's Golden boy @Neeraj_chopra1 is back from #Tokyo2020The whole nation is cheering for you and we are all super proud and excited. Welcome back champ🥇#Cheer4India #Olympics@PMOIndia @ianuragthakur @NisithPramanik @WeAreTeamIndia @afiindia @Adille1 @ddsportschannel pic.twitter.com/V0fZmHJvDr

— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) August 9, 2021

Later today, all athletes will meet Sports Minister Anurag Thakur for a felicitation ceremony at Ashoka Hotel in Delhi.

Here's a look at the athletes' reactions upon their arrival in India:

"It is the first time we are seeing a reception like this. It's very heartening. It is a great feeling. This was my second Olympics. Except for the heat in Tokyo, everything else was perfectly conducted," 20km race walker KT Irfan said.

Boxer Lovlina Borgohain was ecstatic to return home with a medal. She said:

"It's been my dream to win an Olympic medal and return to India. Today, I am feeling very overwhelmed to come back home. Everyone is very happy at home. My father has come to receive me, will meet him once I step out."

The 4x400m men's relay team were also overwhelmed by the occasion. They said:

"It's a great feeling. Returning home with seven medals is always a positive feeling. With Neeraj Bhaiya winning that gold on the last day, it was a good Olympic campaign this time for India. It is always a great feeling to receive a grand welcome. Next time, in 2024 Paris Olympics, we will have even more medals."

The Indian contingent won seven medals (one gold, four bronze and two silver) at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. SAI will felicitate the medal winners at the Ashoka hotel in the virtual presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.