The ongoing Tokyo Olympics 2021 feature many veterans and legends of the sporting fraternity. Know about the oldest Indian athletes at the games
They have defied age as a barrier and in many instances have shown it is just a number as long as there is a determination to win. The Indian Contingent at Tokyo Olympics 2021 also features those Indian players. Letโs know about the oldest Indian athletes competing at the Games.
Ten oldest Indian athletes competing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
Mairaj Ahmad Khan (Shooting)
Date of Birth: 2 November 1975 (Age: 45)
He is Indiaโs oldest player at Tokyo Olympics. The 45-year-old Shooter is competing in the Menโs Skeet event at the Games.
Mairaj made his international debut at the World Cup in 2003 in Lonato, Italy. The shotgun shooter claimed his first-ever medal at the World Cup โ a Silver (in Menโs skeet) โ in 2016, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Khan made his Olympic debut in the 2016 Rio Games, his campaign there ended as he ranked 9th in the qualification round. He booked the berth for Tokyo Olympics, after winning a silver medal at the 2019 Asian Championship in Doha.
Tejaswini Sawant (Shooting)
Date of Birth: 12 September 1980 (Age: 40)
A veteran in her discipline, the 40-year-old from Kolhapur, Maharashtra will be making her Olympic debut, setting a record – the oldest Indian to do so.
She will be seen competing in the Womenโs 50m Rifle 3 Positions event in Tokyo. Sawant overall has a successful career with consistent performances. At the Commonwealth Games, she has won an astonishing 7 medals โ out of which three are Gold. The recent Gold Medal at CWG came in 2018 at the 50m rifle 3 positions event.
At her maiden Olympic Games, the Arjuna Award winner with her overall experience will have a slight advantage, but we must remember this is the Olympics and its amount of pressure.
Sanjeev Rajput (Shooting)
Date of Birth: 5 January 1981 (Age: 40)
Another veteran, in the shooting contingent of India, is making his 3rd Olympic appearance. The 40-year-old will be seen contesting in the โ 50m Rifle 3 Positions event.
A sliver in the same event at the 2019 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro earned him a ticket for the Tokyo Olympics. For India, Sanjeev has won medals at big competitions such as CWG, Asian Games and will look to achieve his quest for an Olympic podium finish in Tokyo.
Recently, the shooter clinched โ a Gold Medal โ in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions mixed team with Tejaswini Sawant at the 2021 ISSF World Cup. Is in great form, has a chance at winning his 1st Olympic medal โ given his experiences at the Games.
Achanta Sharath Kamal (Table Tennis)
Date of Birth: 12 July 1982 (Age: 39)
For the 39-year-old paddler, this will be his 4th Olympic Games appearance. He is participating in two events at Tokyo; Men’s Singles & Mixed Doubles.
With plenty of experience and good results on stages such as; Commonwealth Games โ a total of 8 medals (4 gold) and 2 bronze medals at Asian Games he is Indiaโs best medal prospect at Table Tennis. Veteran Sharath Kamal also has 2 ITTF Pro Tour titles under his belt. By winning his first one, he became the 1st Indian table tennis player to do so.
MC Mary Kom (Boxing)
Official Date of Birth: 1 March 1983 (Age: 38)
The legend made a spectacular entry โ at Tokyo Olympics โ as one of Indiaโs flag-bearers. This will be her 2nd Olympic Games after the 2012 Games in London, where she won a bronze and made history becoming the 1st Indian Woman to ever win a medal โ in Boxing โ at the Olympic Games.
The 38-year-old is a 6-time World Champion, Gold Medallist – Asian Championships, Gold Medallist – CWG, and Gold Medallist – Asian Games. The veteran booked her berth for Tokyo Olympics by reaching the semifinals of the Asia & Oceania Qualifiers in Amman, Jordan.
An inspiration for all, Mary Kom will look to add another golden touch to the bagful of laurels.
Also Read: Ten Youngest Indian Athletes At The Tokyo Olympics 2021
Seema Punia (Athletics)
Date of Birth: 27 July 1983 (Age: 38)
The 38-year-old will compete at her Womenโs Discus Throw event on 31st July at the Tokyo Olympics. It will be her 4th Olympics appearance after the 2004, 2012 and 2016 editions of the biggest sporting event.
Some of the Indian discus thrower achievements are three Silver medals at the Commonwealth Games and 2 Asian Games medals. At the National Inter-State Athletics Championships held in Patiala, she qualified for Tokyo Olympics with a 63.72m throw.
Tarundeep Rai (Archery)
Date of Birth: 22 February 1984 (Age: 37)
The 37-year-old will be competing in Menโs Individual and Men’s Team events in Tokyo. It will be his third appearance at the Summer Games. Indian archer has won many laurels; some are the 2 World Championships medals, 2 Asian Games medals, and 2 Asian Championships medals.
Tarundeep Raiโs individual silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games was historic as he became the 1st Indian archer to win an individual medal at the multi-sport event.
The team of Tarundeep Rai, Pravin Jadhav, Atanu Das qualified for Tokyo Olympics as they clinched a silver medal at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands in the men’s recurve event. He plans to retire from archery after Tokyo Olympics.
Sandeep Kumar (Athletics)
Date of Birth: 1 May 1986 (Age: 35)
The 35-year-old Indian racewalker will compete in the Men’s 20km Race Walk event on 5 August at the Sapporo Odori Park at the Summer Games.
He had participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics where he completed his 50km Race Walk and finished at 35th position. Sandeep Kumar after joining the Indian Army had decided to pursue the sport.
The veteran qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at National Open Race Walking Championships where he clocked 1:20:16 and secured his berth.
Sania Mirza (Tennis)
Date of Birth: 15 November 1986 (Age: 34)
It will be her 4th Olympic appearance. The 34-year-old is partnered with debutant Ankita Raina in the womenโs doubles event in Tokyo. Itโs because of Sania Mirzaโs protected Ranking of 9 that India has a womenโs doubles team at the biggest sporting event.
For the former world No.1 in doubles, Tokyo Olympics will be a prime assignment – post maternity break. Mirza spent more than 2 years off the professional circuit, made her return at the 2020 Hobart International, and clinched the womenโs doubles title with Nadiia Kichenok.
The Khel Ratna Awardee has 42 WTA doubles titles and has won 6 Grand Slams and doesn’t look to stop despite being in the list of the oldest Indian athletes at Tokyo Olympics 2021.
Anirban Lahiri (Golf)
Date of Birth: 29 June 1987 (Age: 34)
The 34-year-old will play his 2nd Olympics, after the 2016 Rio edition. He will contest in Men’s Individual Stroke Play event at the Kasumigaseki Country Club, Saitama and is one of India’s oldest athletes at the Tokyo Olympics.
In Rio 2016, Anirban Lahiri finished at 57th rank in the same event. He is the top male golfer in the country and till date has 21 title wins. Anirban Lahiri has won two European Tour titles and two Asian Tour titles. At the 2006 Asian Games held in Doha, he won a silver medal in the men’s team event.