New Delhi:
India participation in Olympics goes back to 1900, when an Anglo Indian Norman Pritchard who was holidaying in Paris during that time took part in the games and won two silver medals. With the two medals India entered into the record books to be the first Asian country to have podium finish at Olympics.
After a gap of 20 years, India again took part in 1920 Antwerp Olympics games with two athletes and with eight members in 1924 Paris Olympics. In 1928 Amsterdam Games, India represented the games in a more organized way, with the formation of Indian Olympic Association. For the first time India participated in Men’s Hockey and won the gold that too without conceding any goal.
It was golden era for Indian hockey as they consecutively won six gold medals in Olympics from 1928-1956 in a span of 28 years. The hockey wizard Mayor Dhyan Chand was the key architect of India winning three yellow metals. In that period India played 24 matches and won all of them scoring on an average of 7 goals per match. India won two other gold medals in 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
In total India hockey team has 8 gold, 1 sliver and two bronze medals. In 1952 games, Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav won a bronze medal in wresting to become the first Indian after independence to have podium finish. It took 44 years for an Indian to bag an individual medal in Olympics. At Atlanta games 1996, Leander Paes won a bronze medal in lawn tennis.
After 1996 games, India won medals regularly including one bronze in weightlifting 2000 Melbourne games and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore bagging a sliver in 2004 Athens games. The breakthrough came in Beijing games when India won three medals including gold and two bronze medals. Abhinav bindra became the man in a billion, when he won the gold medal in Men’s 10 m Air Rifle. Vijender Singh and Sushil Kumar also bagged bronze medals in boxing and wrestling respectively.
The biggest achievement for Indian Olympians came in London 2012 games, when India won six medals including two silver and four bronze medals. Grappler Sushil Kumar became the first man to win two medals in consecutive summer games. In athletics, India never won a medal. Flying Sikh Milkha Singh in 1960 Rome games and PT Usha in 1984 Los Angeles came close but lost the bronze by whisker.
Six Indians and the 4x400 women's relay team have reached the finals of their events in Olympics. India’s record in the Olympics has been dismissal, for a country having a population of over 120 billion people. All total India have won 26 medals including 9 gold, 6 silver and 11 bronze medals.
India has also competed at several Winter Olympic Games beginning in 1964 but never won any medal.
