Army officer Neeraj Chopra has become a sporting legend in India after winning the country's first ever athletics gold medal in the men's javelin event in Tokyo.
Chopra's historic victory gives India its best-ever Olympic medal haul of seven, capping a comeback of national pride in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 427,000 Indians.
After decades in the doldrums, India was already high on a successful performance by the men's and women's hockey teams.
Chopra's victory in the javelin with a throw of 87.58m, however, was unprecedented among his 1.38 billion compatriots.
He said, "It seems unbelievable." “This is our first Olympic medal in a long time, and it's our first gold in athletics, so it's a great moment for both me and my country.
Every household in India would be celebrating Chopra's and the entire national team's win, according to actor Karthi.
India's sole previous athletics medals came in 1900, when Norman Pritchard, a British colonial family's son, won two silvers in the 200m and 200m hurdles. Despite a record number of hockey team golds, shooter Abhinav Bindra won the country's sole previous solo gold in 2012.