India at Olympics

The Paris Olympics 2024 wrapped up, leaving us with a mix of pride and introspection. India finished 71st in the medal tally, a stark decline from the high of 48th place in Tokyo 2020. Despite winning six medals- one silver and five bronze; the results fell short of the rising expectations. The heartbreaks, close calls and historic firsts have ignited a nationwide conversation about the state and future of Indian sports. So, let’s unpack it all: the highs, the lows and what’s next for India on the global stage.

Before diving into India’s performance, let’s take a quick tour of recent and upcoming Olympics. Tokyo 2020, held under the shadow of the pandemic, was India’s best-ever performance with seven medals, including a historic gold by Neeraj Chopra in javelin. This time, Paris 2024 welcomed the world with a spectacular backdrop of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River. Up next? Los Angeles in 2028, and Brisbane in 2032. Each venue promises to set the stage for athletes to push human limits further.

India at Paris 2024:

1. Neeraj Chopra won silver in javelin with a throw of 89.45m, becoming India’s fifth two-time Olympic medallist
2. Manu Bhaker was not only the first woman to win a medal in shooting at the Games but was also the first athlete from independent India to win two medals at a single edition of the Olympics
3. India’s shooting contingent delivered three medals, including the first-ever Olympic medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions by Swapnil Kusale
4. Lakshya Sen reached the men’s badminton semi-finals, a first for India, finishing fourth
5. Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for being overweight by 100 grams after reaching the women’s 50 kg wrestling final
6. Indian athletes competed in 69 medal events across 16 sports, showcasing growing participation. They were 117 in number

Few more facts:

• Paris 1900
• Norman Pritchard won India’s first Olympic medals, two silvers, in athletics (200m and 200m hurdles) (his identity as an “Indian” Olympian is sometimes debated because his connection to British India is nuanced)

• Amsterdam 1928
• India’s hockey team won its first Olympic gold medal, starting an era of dominance

• London 1948
• The London 1948 Olympics were India’s first Summer Games as an independent nation

• Helsinki 1952
• KD Jadhav won independent India’s first individual Olympic medal, a bronze in wrestling
• Nilima Ghose emerged as the first woman from independent India to participate in the Olympics

• Sydney 2000
• Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, securing a bronze in weightlifting

• Beijing 2008
• Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal in shooting

• London 2012
• Saw Saina Nehwal win India’s first Olympic medal in badminton
• India won 6 medals

• Rio 2016
• PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik were India’s only medallists, the first time that the nation’s medal tally was made up of entirely female athletes

• Tokyo 2020
• Proved to be India’s most successful Olympics, as they returned with 7 medals
• Indian men’s hockey team broke its 41-year Olympic medal drought with a bronze
• Star of the campaign was Neeraj Chopra, who won India’s first track-and-field gold medal in the javelin throw. It was India’s first gold medal since Abhinav Bindra at Beijing 2008
• India has won a total of 41 Olympic medals till date. Hockey remains India’s most successful sport with 13 medals, including eight golds. Wrestling has contributed eight medals. As we look to Los Angeles 2028, one thing’s certain: India has the potential to be a sporting powerhouse. It’s time to harness it.

Thanks for reading! Leave a comment with your feedback, we’d love to hear your thoughts