Olympic Day is celebrated every year on June 23, it is not just a day dedicated to sports event but a day dedicated to learning about Olympic values and discovering new sports. The Olympic Games have been around for over a century now. And over the years, it has been hosted in a number of cities where beautiful stands and arenas witness the roar of the crowds, the celebration of winners and tears of the ones who fell short. Over the years, Indian athletes have won a total of 28 medals. India first participated and won two medals (both silver) in athletics in 1990 with athlete Norman Pritchard winning them both. Indian national hockey team was dominant in Olympic competition for quite a long period winning eleven Olympics in the year 1920 and 1980. On the occasion of International Olympic Day 2019, here’s a look at how India performed at the Olympic Games.
1952 (Helsinki)
· KD Jadhav (Wrestling) - Bronze
Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, also known as KD Jadhav, won a bronze medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. After Norman Pritchard, who won two silver medals in athletics in 1900, Khashaba was the first individual athlete from India to win a medal at the Olympics. International Wrestler and producer Sangram Singh is all set to produce a film based on the life of Jadhav, who has been Singh’s idol since childhood.
1996 (Atlanta)
· Leander Paes (Tennis) - Bronze
Leander Paes is considered to be one of the best doubles and mixed doubles players of all time. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, he won a bronze medal for India in singles. He competed in consecutive Olympic appearances from 1992 to 2016, making him the first Indian and only tennis player to compete at seven Olympic Games.
2000 (Sydney)
· Karnam Malleswari (Weightlifting) - Bronze
Also known as ‘Iron Lady’, Karnam Malleswari is the first Indian women to ever win an Olympic medal. On 19 September 2000, Malleswari lifted 130 kg weight, thus entering the country into a new era of sports.
2004 (Athens)
· Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Shooting) - Silver
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is the first Indian to win a medal in shooting and also the first Indian to ever win silver at the Olympics. He rose to prominence after the Olympics. He served in Indian Army and retired as Colonel. As of March 2019, Rathore is the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in the Government of India.
2008 Beijing
· Abhinav Bindra (Shooting) - Gold
· Sushil Kumar (Wrestling) - Bronze
· Vijender Kumar (Boxing) - Bronze
Abhinav Bindra at the age of 15 participated in 1998 Commonwealth Games and in 2000 at Sydney Olympics. At the Sydney Olympics, he was the youngest Indian. Bindra won gold in the Men’s 10-meter air rifle event, thus becoming the first Indian gold medallist at the Olympics.
Sushil Kumar is the second Indian to win bronze in wrestling.
Indian boxer Vijender Singh had won medals in different competitions at the national level. At the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Singh defeated Carlos Gongora of Ecuador 9–4 in the quarterfinals which won him a bronze medal. It is the first ever Olympic medal for an Indian boxer.
2012 London
· Vijay Kumar (Shooting Men’s 25 Rapid Fire Pistol) - Silver
· Sushil Kumar (Wrestling Men’s 66 kg Freestyle) - Silver
· Yogeshwar Dutt (Wrestling Men’s 60 kg Freestyle) - Bronze
· Mary Kom (Boxing Women’s Flyweight) - Bronze
· Saina Nehwal (Badminton Women’s Singles) - Bronze
· Gagan Narang (Shooting Men’s 10m Air Rifle) - Bronze
At the 2012 London Olympics, India won 6 medals – 2 silver and 4 bronze. India’s performance at the 2012 London Olympics is considered best so far.
2016 Rio de Janeiro
· P.V. Sindhu (Badminton) - Silver
· Sakshi Malik (Wrestling) – Bronze
PV Sindhu, at the age 21, became the youngest to win an Olympic medal. She won a silver medal which was never achieved in badminton. Sakshi Malik won a bronze for women’s wrestling. Talking about 2016 Rio de Janeiro, one cannot miss Dipa Karmarkar’s name. Though Karmarkar attained the fourth position in Women's Vault Gymnastics at the event, she has carved her name for her clean finish in the high-risk Produnova vault.
