The Olympic Games have long been a testament to human endurance, athleticism, and the spirit of global unity. India is a nation rich in culture and diversity. Indian Olympic History has woven a tapestry of tales—of struggle, resilience, and the occasional euphoria of victory.
The Modern Olympic Games bring all countries whether friends or foes to a common platform of global celebration of athleticism, unity through sports, and the pursuit of excellence in every sphere of life. The Olympic journey has been one of sporadic triumphs amidst persistent challenges of wars and varied national interests.
For India, a nation rich in culture of athleticism, diversity, and sporting heritage, Indian Olympic History has been a compelling narrative of highs and lows spanning over a century, from humble beginning at the 1896 Athens Olympics to the exhilarating triumphs of the highest medal tally of 7 medals at Tokyo 2020. Indian Olympic History has woven a tapestry of stories—of perseverance, extraordinary achievements, and the enduring spirit of its athletes.
Table of Contents
Let’s embark on a journey through Indian Olympic History, exploring each Games and the remarkable tales that have shaped the nation’s sporting identity.
1896 Athens Olympics: The inaugural modern Olympics in 1896 took place at the ancient city of Athens.
DO YOU KNOW: In ancient Greece, the Olympics were a grand festival held every four years in honor of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. These games began around 776 BC and brought together athletes from city-states across Greece to compete in various events like running, wrestling, chariot racing, and discus throwing.
Held in Olympia, the Olympics were not just about sports but also a time for Greeks to celebrate their culture, art, and unity. Winners were awarded olive wreaths and hailed as heroes in their hometowns, showcasing the importance of athletic prowess and honour in ancient Greek society. The ancient Olympics continued for over a thousand years, fostering camaraderie among Greek city-states and leaving a lasting legacy in the history of sports and competition.
1900 Paris Olympics: India’s First date with Olympic
India first participated at the Olympic Games in 1900, with a lone Anglo Indian athlete Norman Pritchard winning two medals – both silver – in athletics and became the first Asian nation to win an Olympic medal. His achievements, though celebrated at this time, but faded into obscurity until recent archival rediscoveries in 2005 shed light on his pioneering feats.
He moved permanently to Britain in 1905. from where moved to the United States to pursue a career in acting and became the first Olympian to act in silent Hollywood movies.
1920 Antwerp Olympics: India’s First Taste of Olympics
Ahead of the 1920 Games, Sir Dorabji Tata the father of Indian Olympic History and Governor of Bombay George Lloyd helped India secure representation at the International Olympic Committee, enabling it to participate in the Games. Funding for the Olympic team came from Dorabji Tata (Rs.6,000 + Rs.2,000); the Government of India (Rs. 6,000); and donations from sports-minded residents of Bombay (Rs.7,000).
The nation first sent a team to the Summer Olympic Games in 1920 and has participated in every Summer Games since then. India then sent a team to the 1920 Olympics, comprising three athletes, two wrestlers.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
Dinkar Rav Shinde who competed in freestyle free-weight wrestling in 1920 Antwerp Olympics lost his bronze medal match and finished 4th in the event, losing the opportunity to be the first Indian to win an Olympic medal.
1928 Amsterdam Olympics: The Emergence of Dhyan Chand
The 1928 Amsterdam Olympics heralded India’s dominance in field hockey, spearheaded by the legendary Dhyan Chand. His exceptional skills and leadership propelled the Indian hockey team to its first Olympic gold medal. It was the first gold medal won by any nation from Asia at the modern Olympic Games.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
This men’s field hockey team winning the gold medal in 1928 Amsterdam Olympics was the beginning of a streak that continued through the 1956 Games.
1932 Los Angeles Olympics: The Golden Streak Continues
In 1932, at the Los Angeles Olympics, India continued its hockey supremacy under the captaincy of Lal Shah Bokhari. The team secured its second consecutive gold medal.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
Due to the effects of The Great Depression and the cost of travel to the United States for 1932 Olympics, only 3 Hockey teams ended up competing at the Olympics: India, Japan and the hosts, the USA
To finance their travel, the Indian team played exhibition matches at every stop on their long journey by sea to Los Angeles. The Indian contingent even rotated the entire squad between games, Dickie (Richard) Carr competed in both Field Hockey and the 4 × 100 m track events.
1936 Berlin Olympics: The Third Consecutive Gold Medal
The 1936 Berlin Olympics marked a historic hat-trick of gold medals for India in hockey. Led by Dhyan Chand once again, the Indian team’s unbeaten streak and artistic style of play captivated not only the audiences but also to the German chancellor and president Adolf Hitler.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
Traditional sports of India were showcased as an exhibition alongside the 1936 Summer Olympics. It is known that the sports of kabaddi, kho-kho , and mallakhamba were demonstrated. Indian physical culture practices such as lezim and yoga were also performed.
The sports were not recognized as official demonstration sports by the International Olympic Committee. However, the contingent was awarded an honorary medal by Adolf Hitler, who was said to have been impressed by the displays.
1948 London Olympics: Independence and Hockey Domination
The 1948 London Olympics marked India’s first appearance as an independent nation. Captained by Kishan Lal, the Indian hockey team continued its dominance, clinching yet another gold medal and reaffirming its status as a powerhouse in international hockey. amidst the jubilation of India’s gold medal, was the tale of Balbir Singh Sr., a young player whose journey began in the shadows of Partition. His resolve and skill would later shape India’s golden era in hockey, with three Olympic gold medals to his name.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
Gold (2018 Bollywood film), was based on India’s national hockey team victory at the 1948 Summer Olympics.
1952 Helsinki Olympics: The Golden Age of Indian Hockey
The Helsinki Olympics of 1952 witnessed India’s hockey dominance reach its zenith. Under the captaincy of K.D. Singh Babu, the Indian team delivered a flawless performance, clinching their fifth consecutive gold medal. This was for the first time an Indian in the Summer Olympics won an individual medal when Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav won a bronze medal in Men’s Freestyle Bantamweight wrestling.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
Amidst the fever of another gold victory in hockey, an untold narrative emerged from the sidelines when India sent her first female contingent in 1952 Helsinki Olympics. India’s Marry Dsouza and Nilima Ghose participated in track & field events.
1956 Melbourne Olympics: Milkha Singh’s first appearance
India competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. 59 competitors, 58 men and 1 woman, took part in 32 events in 8 sports. Their solitary medal, a gold, came in men’s hockey.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
India’s most famous sprinter Milkha Singh Made his first appearance in this Olympics in Men’s 200 meter event but he did not advance from the heat stage.
1960 Rome Olympics: End of an Era in Hockey
The Rome Olympics of 1960 marked a bittersweet chapter in India’s hockey saga. While the Indian team, led by Leslie Claudius, managed to secure a silver medal after a 1-0 loss from Pakistan, signalling the end of an era characterized by unparalleled success and global admiration.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
Milkha Singh finished second in all of the 400m rounds prior to the final, improving his time on each occasion. In the final he finished fourth with a time of 45.6, this being a decision that required a photo-finish. His finishing position was not bettered by an Indian track athlete until the 1984 Olympics.
1964 Tokyo Olympics: Another Gold in Hockey
India competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics, with 53 competitors, 52 men and 1 woman, took part in 42 events in 8 sports. They were able to win a single medal, the gold, in field hockey.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
Gurbachan Singh Randhawa wrote a tale of perseverance and passion—a journey fraught with challenges and setbacks. He finished 5th in the 110m hurdles in 1964 Tokyo Games and India missed yet another chance to win her first medal in track & field events.
1968 Mexico Olympics
India competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics with 25 competitors, all men, took part in 11 events in 5 sports. They won one bronze medal.
Fun Fact: Did you know the Indian men’s hockey team of the 1968 Summer Olympics consisted of 3 players sharing same name Balbir Singh.
1972 Munich Olympics: A Glint of Bronze in Hockey
India competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics with 41 competitors, 40 men and one woman, took part in 27 events in 7 sports. India won her only medal in Men’s Hockey.
1976 Montreal Olympics
This was the first Olympics since 1928 in which the Indian Men’s hockey team did not win an Olympic Medal.
1980 Moscow Olympics: Amidst Geopolitical Turmoil, a Historic Triumph
The Moscow Olympics of 1980 unfolded against a backdrop of geopolitical tension and controversy. Despite the boycott by several nations, including traditional Olympic powerhouses, India’s hockey team, led by Vasudevan Baskaran, etched their names in history once again, securing the coveted gold medal. This victory underscored India’s resilience and unwavering commitment to sporting excellence amidst adversity.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
India’s hockey supremacy declined after 1980, and the country has not won another Olympic gold in hockey since then.
1984 Los Angeles Olympics: Payyoli Express Episode
India competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics India didn’t win a medal but the Games are remembered for bringing Indian women athletes centre stage. P. T. Usha lost the bronze medal in 400 metre hurdles by one-hundredth of a second.
1996 Atlanta Olympics
India competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Leander Paes’ bronze in the men’s tennis event was the only medal won by the country.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
It had been 44 years before 1996 games since an Indian last won an individual medal at the Olympics K. D. Jadhav earned bronze for freestyle bantamweight wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics, Helsinki. The medal was also India’s first since their men’s hockey team won gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
2000 Sydney Olympics: She lifts India’s hopes
Karnam Malleswari made history by winning a bronze medal in the women’s 69 kg category. She became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting.
2004 Sydney Olympics: Era of Indian shooters begin
The silver medalist in double trap shooting for India was Captain Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. He became the first Indian to win an individual silver medal. This silver medal was more than just a medal, seeing Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the young generation of India not only represented India in shooting in many global sports events but also won many medals and established India as a powerhouse in shooting.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
Several Indian athletes came close to increasing the medal haul, finishing in fourth place in 2004 games, including Mahesh Bhupati and Leander Paes in tennis men’s doubles when the pair lost their bronze medal match and Kunjarani Devi finished 4th in weightlifting women’s 48 kg category. Indian Star long Jump sensation Anju boby also finished 5th in her medal event even after making a national record.
2008 Beijing Olympics: A New Dawn in Indian Sports
The Beijing Olympics of 2008 marked a watershed moment in Indian sports, with Abhinav Bindra scripting history as the first Indian individual Olympic gold medalist. Sushil Kumar won the second ever wrestling medal for India and Vijender Singh won a bronze medal in the middleweight boxing category ignited this best performance by the Indian contingent a renewed fever for Olympic sports across the nation, inspiring a new generation of athletes to dream big and aim higher.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
Amidst Bindra’s historic feat, we forgot to preserve the rich history of Olympic hockey as for the first time since 1928, the men’s national field hockey team was unable to take part in the Summer Olympics due to its failure to qualify.
2012 London Olympics: The Rise of Women in Indian Sports
The London Olympics of 2012 witnessed a significant milestone for Indian sports, with Sushil Kumar, chosen by the Indian Olympic Association to be the nation’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony, managed to claim another medal by winning silver in the men’s freestyle wrestling along with his off-mat friend Yogeshwar Dutt who won bronze medal by winning repechage round.
Saina Nehwal clinched a bronze medal in badminton and boxer Mary Kom received a bronze medal in the first-ever women’s flyweight event—a testament to the rising prominence of women athletes in India’s Olympic contingent.
Indian shooters continued their medal run in the third consecutive Olympics when Vijay Kumar used his Indian army training to win silver in a 25 m rapid-fire pistol event and veteran shooter Gagan Narang won bronze in a 10 m air rifle event in his third Olympic appearance.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
This Olympics of 2012 was also remembered for some controversies and wrong decisions Boxer Sumit Sangwan lost a closely contested bout 14–15 in the light heavyweight category round of 32. The ESPN commentators described the loss as “daylight robbery and A win by Vikas Krishan in the welterweight pre-quarters was overturned after an appeal by the opponent. The Indian was given four penalty points and the score was changed from 11–13 to 15–13 in favour of the opponent citing the nine holding fouls committed by the Indian boxer in the third round and for spitting out the gumshield intentionally.
2016 Rio Olympics: Women athletes saved the face
India left Rio de Janeiro with two medals. These medals were won only by female athletes for the first time in history, a silver to badminton player P. V. Sindhu in the women’s singles, who became India’s youngest individual Olympic medallist and the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver, as well as a bronze to freestyle wrestler Sakshi Malik in the women’s 58 kg, who became the first female wrestler from India to win an Olympic medal.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
This 2016 Olympic games will be remembered for the performance and resilience of Indian women athletes due to the historic comeback of the women’s field hockey squad after 36 years and artistic gymnast and Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Dipa Karmakar performance, who surprised the global audience with her high-risk Produnova routine in the women’s vault when she finished 4th and misses an Olympic medal by just one position.
2020 Tokyo Olympics: The golden throw
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021 due to the global pandemic, The nation sent its largest-ever contingent of 126 competitors to the 2020 Games. To date, the 2020 Summer Olympics are the most successful Games for India since its first regular Olympics appearance in 1920
In the men’s javelin throw, the golden boy Neeraj Chopra won India’s first gold medal in track & field athletics event. This medal was also special in a sense that it is India’s only medal till date in track & field athletics event in Indian Olympic history.
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won India’s first silver in women’s weightlifting (49 kg).
P. V. Sindhu won a bronze in women’s badminton to become the first Indian female athlete and second Indian to win two consecutive Olympic medals in individual events.
The men’s national field hockey team won the bronze medal, their first Olympic medal since 1980.
Ravi Dhaiya won silver and Bajrang Punia won Bronze in Wrestling making it India’s 4th consecutive Olympics in which India has won medals in wrestling.
Boxer Lovilina Borogohain won a bronze medal in women’s welterweight boxing.
This show of unprecedented triumphs by India’s athletes. Across diverse disciplines, including hockey, wrestling, shooting, and athletics, showed India’s arrival at the world stage of sports.
Unheard Story of Indian Olympic History
Many athletes did not get a podium finish at 2020 Tokyo games but their performance showed their resilience and devotion towards sports such as, The men’s 4 x 400m relay team set a new Asian record of 3:00.25. Aditi Ashok in women’s golf and Deepak Punia in men’s freestyle wrestling (86 kg) both placed fourth in the final rankings, as did the women’s national field hockey team, which achieved its best performance since its Olympics debut in 1980 while they lost their bronze medal match in last 5 minutes.
Celebrating Indian Olympic history
India’s journey through the annals of Olympic history is a saga of triumphs, setbacks, and enduring spirit. From the early days of colonial participation to the modern era of global competitiveness, Each Olympic Games has woven a tapestry of stories—of unheard heroes, untold sacrifices, and unforgettable victories—that resonate with the aspirations and dreams of a nation.
At last, one more UNTOLD STORY
I want to share with you: The “flying Sikh” Milkha Singh who himself missed a track & field medal by a fraction of a second in a photo finish in the 1960 Rome Olympics worked his whole life for the betterment of Indian sports and always carried and expressed this dream of watching an Indian at the Podium in an Olympic track & field event.
Neeraj Chopra “The Golden Boy” gave India the moment of glory by winning India’s first gold medal in the track & field athletics event in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on August 7th, 2021
Milkha Singh waited whole his life till his last breath for his dream to come true but died on June 18th, 2021 just a few days before his dream came true with golden feathers but he was not fortunate enough and didn’t get the chance to see to moment of glory from his own eyes.
But, we Indians who are fortunate enough to saw Neeraj Chopra winning get this moment of pride in our lives. Therefore, we must celebrate, support, and cherish our Athletes on the world stage.
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