The Tokyo Olympics are historic for several reasons, but one of the main reasons why Indians should remember these games forever is because we took one step closer to gender equality this year. The 2020 Olympics have seen the highest female participation ever from India. And among these accomplished athletes, there are some women who have stood out for their performances and historic achievements.

The Indian women at the Tokyo Olympics are making a mark like never before. So, we thought we’d tell you a little bit more about some of our favourites.

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu

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India’s current star, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won a silver medal in women’s weightlifting (49 kg) at the Tokyo Olympics. Responsible for India’s first medal at the 2020 Olympics, 26-year-old Mirabai Chanu made a stunning comeback after the 2016 Rio Olympics where she failed to record a lift. After medical consultations and slowly getting back to training, Mirabai Chanu recorded a memorable victory at the World Championships in 2017 in the USA. Since then, the weightlifter had her eyes set on the goal – the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. And we couldn’t be prouder!

Dutee Chand

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Dutee Chand is a rockstar and not just because of her athletic performance. The first openly gay athlete from India, Dutee Chand holds the national record in women’s 100m. In 2019, she became the first Indian to win a gold medal in a 100m event at a global level. Despite controversies around hyperandrogenism and not being allowed to compete as a woman athlete for a while, Dutee Chand came back stronger than ever in 2016 when she broke her own record twice on the same day in XXVI International Meeting G. Kosanov Memorial in Kazakhstan.

C.A Bhavani Devi

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For the first time in Olympic history, India participated in a fencing event at the Tokyo Olympics. And the Olympian responsible for this remarkable feat is Chennai’s Bhavani Devi. Even though she didn’t win a medal, Bhavani Devi’s performance was lauded for her effort at a sport that no Indian had qualified for before 2020. Earlier, in 2018, Bhavani Devi became the first Indian fencer to win a gold at the Senior Commonwealth Fencing Championship.

Pooja Rani

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Pooja Rani’s life story is straight out of a dramatic Bollywood film – a disapproving father, supportive coach, and a girl determined to make it big in boxing even if it meant hiding her achievements and injuries from her family. Pooja Rani recalled in an interview what her father said when she first told him that she wanted to become a boxer. “Achchhe bachche boxing nahi khelte”, he said. But as she began to win competitions, Pooja Rani’s father soon found out her secret. However, her coach intervened and in the short window that she had to prove her talent to her father, Pooja Rani won a silver medal at the 2009 national youth boxing championships. Now, after years of ups and downs in her career, Pooja Rani is more than making her presence felt at the Tokyo Olympics.

Deepika Kumari

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When Deepika Kumari first started practising, she used equipment made out of bamboo. But obstacles like these didn’t lessen her determination. In 2006, she turned professional, and six years later, Deepika Kumari was the world champion in Women’s Recurve Archery. Her journey, from a village near Ranchi to the world stage, has also been captured in a Netflix documentary titled Ladies First. She is now hoping for a podium finish at the Tokyo Olympics where she is competing alongside her husband and fellow archer Atanu Das.

Nethra Kumanan

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Nethra Kumanan is the first Indian woman to qualify for a sailing event at the Olympics. She is also the first Indian sailor to get a direct entry into the Summer Games. In fact, Nethra is the first Indian sailor to qualify for the Olympics through a qualifying event. All the other nine Indians who have represented India in sailing at the Olympics got through because of a quota that needed to be filled. Hailing from Chennai, Nethra has been sailing since she was 12. Regardless of her performance at the Tokyo Olympics, Nethra has bagged a place in sporting history with her achievements, especially coming from a country where sailing is hardly seen as a major sport.

Lovlina Borgohain

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The first woman from Assam to qualify for the Olympics, Lovlina Borgohain is a World and Asian Championship bronze medallist. Now, the 23-year-old boxer is well on her way to securing a medal for India at the Tokyo Olympics. After a tough qualification tournament in 2020, Lovlina Borgohain secured a spot for herself at the 2020 Olympics in the welterweight category. Growing up, she was inspired by her sisters to train in martial arts. But when Lovlina realised that this was not recognised as an Olympic sport, she took up boxing with coach Padum Boro and hasn’t looked back since.

We’re rooting for you, ladies!

Related: The Women Of India Who Inspired And Empowered Us In 2019