India's Olympic journey is a remarkable story of ambition, resilience, and a relentless drive for sporting excellence. From its early beginnings to a steadily growing medal tally, India's presence on the global sporting stage has been nothing short of transformative.
This narrative pays tribute to the pivotal moments, legendary athletes, and unyielding determination that have propelled the nation to new heights in sports.
As we revisit the defining chapters of India's Olympic history and explore the factors behind its progress, we celebrate a nation that has secured 41 medals across 25 Olympic Games—a true reflection of its dedication to excellence.
1900 Paris Games: India’s first Olympic representation by Norman Pritchard.
200m Hurdles: Silver medal; set an Olympic record of 26.8 seconds in the semi-finals.
200m Sprint: Silver medal; clocked 22.8 seconds.
1928 Amsterdam Games: First Olympic gold; Indian hockey team scored 29 goals without conceding any.
1932 Los Angeles Olympics: Gold; dominant performances, including 24-1 against the USA.
1936 Berlin Olympics: Third consecutive gold; 38 goals in five matches, 8-1 victory against Germany in the final.
Post-Independence: Continued hockey supremacy with gold at the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Olympics.
1960 Rome Olympics: Silver; lost to Pakistan in the final.
1964 Tokyo Games: Gold; regained top position in hockey.
1968 & 1972 Olympics: Bronze medals in hockey.
1980 Moscow Games: Last Olympic gold in hockey; victory over Spain in the final.
Tokyo 2020: Bronze medal; Indian men’s hockey team returned to the Olympic podium.
Paris 2024: Another bronze medal for the men’s hockey team.
1952 Helsinki Games: KD Jadhav won India’s first individual Olympic medal (bronze in wrestling).
1996 Atlanta Olympics: Leander Paes won bronze in men’s singles tennis.
2000 Sydney Games: Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal (bronze in weightlifting).
2004 Athens Olympics: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won India’s first Olympic silver in shooting.
2008 Beijing Olympics: Abhinav Bindra won India’s first individual Olympic gold (men’s 10m air rifle).
2012 London Olympics: Six medals for India, including silver by Sushil Kumar (wrestling) and Vijay Kumar (shooting).
2016 Rio Olympics: PV Sindhu won silver in badminton, and Sakshi Malik clinched bronze in wrestling.
2020 Tokyo Olympics: Mirabai Chanu won silver in weightlifting; Neeraj Chopra won India’s first-ever Olympic gold in athletics (men’s javelin throw).
Manu Bhaker: Bronze in women’s 10m air pistol shooting and another bronze in mixed team 10m air pistol event.
Swapnil Kusale: Bronze in men’s 50m rifle 3 positions.
Neeraj Chopra: Silver in men’s javelin throw.
Aman Sehrawat: Bronze in men’s 57kg freestyle wrestling.
India’s Olympic journey is marked by remarkable achievements, reflecting the nation's growing prominence in the global sports arena, with each medal representing a legacy of dedication, skill, and national pride.
