India and Olympics - A Persistent Journey

The Early Years

India's participation in Olympics is a journey full of determination and passion. But do you know how this voyage was established? 

This legacy was first initiated when Norman Pritchard debuted in the 1900 Paris Olympics and won two silver medals in athletics. This also embarked India as the first Asian country to win an Olympic medal and since then it had evolved immensely in the field of sports.

The nation sent its first hockey team in the the Summer Olympic Games in 1920 and also began to compete in the Winter Olympic Games starting from 1964. India marked its dominance in Olympics in the field of hockey when the Indian Men's Hockey Team won its first gold medal in 1928 in Amsterdam. Since then its has won six consecutive golds until 1956.

 Amsterdam 1928: First Olympic Hockey gold Medal

India's passion was hockey, but as the years passed, interest in other sports grew. At the 1952 Summer Olympics wrestler K.D. Jadhav won the the first individual medal for independent India. Olympic legends such as Milkha Singh (track and field), P.T. Usha (athletics), and Leander Paes (tennis) etched their names in history by winning medals and inspiring future generations in the process.

21st century

India's Olympic adventure took a significant turn in the 21st century. There were 65 competitors from India competing at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, with its debut in rowing. Karnam Malleswari's bronze in the women's 69 kg weightlifting competition was the sole medal earned by the nation. It was the first-ever medal that an Indian woman had won at the Olympics. Keshavan represented India alone in the Winter Olympics of 2002.

India emerged in sports beyond its traditional strengths in 2004, when Rajyavardhan  Singh  Rathore won a silver medal in shooting at the 2004 Athens Olympics. This event consisted of 73 Indian participants. Four competitors from India competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics: two in alpine skiing, one in cross-country skiing, and one in luge. 

P.V. Sindhu, Abhinav Bindra & Sushil Kumar

A total of 57 competitors from India participated in 12 different sports at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With three medals from the event, a gold and two bronze, India recorded its greatest performance at the time. In the men's 10-meter air rifle competition, Abhinav Bindra took home the gold medal, making history as the first Indian to win an individual gold medal. Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh won the nation's first ever Olympic medal in wrestling and second in boxing, respectively. Three Indian athletes competed at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010.

The Indian delegation to the 2012 Summer Olympics consisted of 83 members. Sushil Kumar took home a silver medal, making history as the first Indian to win two individual Olympic medals after independence. Vijay Kumar (shooting), took home the second silver medal. Among the bronze winners were Mary Kom, who became the first Indian woman to earn a medal in boxing, and badminton player Saina Nehwal, who won her first-ever medal in the sport. Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and shooter Gagan Narang were two more bronze medallists.

The Indian Olympic Association was suspended by the International Olympic Committee in December 2012 as a result of government meddling with the National Olympic Committee's (NOC) authority. Three Indian athletes qualified as Independent Olympic Participants for the 2014 Winter Olympics as a result of the suspension. While the games were in progress, the suspension was lifted, and two athletes continued competing while flying the Indian flag.

India sent 117 athletes to the 2016 Summer Olympics and took home two medals. Shuttler P. V. Sindhu became the youngest Indian woman medallist and the first to win an Olympic silver medal. Sakshi Malik's bronze in the women's freestyle 58 kg division made her the first Indian female wrestler to earn an Olympic medal.

With 119 participants, India submitted the largest-ever delegation to the Summer Olympics in 2020. With seven medals, including one gold, two silver, and four bronze, India had its best-ever showing at a single Games. Neeraj Chopra triumphed in the men's javelin throw competition, earning India's first-ever gold medal in athletics. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu earned India's first-ever silver medal in weightlifting in the women's 49 kg division. After taking home a bronze in women's badminton, Sindhu made history as the first Indian female athlete and the second Indian in history to win medals in consecutive Summer Games individual events. The men's field hockey team took home a bronze medal, their first since 1980.In men's freestyle wrestling, Ravi Kumar Dahiya took home a silver medal. Two more athletes who won bronze were Bajrang Punia in men's freestyle wrestling and Lovlina Borgohain in women's boxing. Arif Khan, a male alpine skier, represented India in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Recent Success: A Nation On The Rise

110 athletes representing 16 different sports made up India's Summer Olympics delegation for 2024.Three of India's six medals came from the shooting events, comprising one silver and five bronze. In the men's javelin throw competition, Neeraj Chopra took home the lone silver medal for India and made history as the first Indian individual medallist to win both gold and silver at the Olympics. 

Manu Bhaker earned two bronze medals at the Games: one in the air pistol event, which was the first ever Indian medal in the event, and another in the mixed pistol team event, which she shared with Sarabjot Singh.  She became the first Indian to win two medals in a single Olympics, since the country's independence. In shooting, Swapnil Kusale took home another bronze medal. The men's field hockey team took home the bronze medal for second consecutive Olympic. Aman Sehrawat won a bronze medal in the men's freestyle 57kg wrestling competition and became the youngest Indian to win an Olympic medal.

India's Paris Olympics Medal Winners (2024)

The Future: An Expanding Olympic Hope

India's Olympic participation is a reflection of its larger goals as a sports nation. India's Olympic journey may only be getting started, based on the country's growing investments in sports infrastructure, improved training facilities, and the emergence of fresh talent in a variety of disciplines. Indian athletes are positioned to reach new heights in the years to come, with the support of a billion dreams.

India's devotion to sports is becoming more and more apparent. The initialization of the Khelo India program has encouraged grassroot sports and developed young talent from all around the nation. The National Programme for Development of Sports, also known as Play India or Khelo India, attempts to enhance India's sports culture at the local level by identifying and developing talent, organizing competitive sports, and developing infrastructure. It was initiated by the government of India and was started in 2017–18 by Sports Ministers Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Vijay Goel, together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In an effort to bring traditional Indian games back to prominence, Khelo India events have placed a strong emphasis on their inclusion.  

Khelo India Programme

Furthermore, the development of high-performance centers, partnerships with foreign coaches, and the application of cutting-edge sports science are assisting in closing the achievement gap between Indian athletes and their overseas counterparts. The country's growing emphasis on gender equality has encouraged more women in participating and excelling in the field of sports. The success of India in the Olympics has been greatly aided by female athletes, who are now motivating a new generation of young girls to dream big and choose athletics as a profession. As more resources are invested into sports, public opinions are seen to shift towards supporting athletic careers. This has seen the emergence of new stars in athletics and increased the potential for India to make a significant mark on the global stage. The tale of India's Olympic athletes is not limited to their medal haul; it also highlights their tenacity, diversity, and unwavering spirit as they continue to pursue excellence on the biggest platform in the world. 

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