India’s journey in the Olympic Games has been marked by moments of triumph, perseverance, and historic achievements. Since its debut at the 1900 Paris Olympics, India has secured a total of 35 medals across 24 Olympic Games, showcasing the country’s prowess in various sports. From the early days when Norman Pritchard bagged India’s first medals to the recent successes in Tokyo 2020, Indian athletes have continually pushed the boundaries, bringing pride to the nation. This comprehensive list highlights the remarkable achievements of Indian Olympic medal winners, spanning over a century of sporting excellence.
Indian Olympic Winner’s Name List
| Athlete | Medal | Event | Olympics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norman Pritchard | Silver | Men’s 200m | Paris 1900 |
| Norman Pritchard | Silver | Men’s 200m hurdles | Paris 1900 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Amsterdam 1928 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Los Angeles 1932 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Berlin 1936 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | London 1948 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Helsinki 1952 |
| KD Jadhav | Bronze | Men’s bantamweight wrestling | Helsinki 1952 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Melbourne 1956 |
| Indian hockey team | Silver | Men’s hockey | Rome 1960 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Tokyo 1964 |
| Indian hockey team | Bronze | Men’s hockey | Mexico City 1968 |
| Indian hockey team | Bronze | Men’s hockey | Munich 1972 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Moscow 1980 |
| Leander Paes | Bronze | Men’s singles tennis | Atlanta 1996 |
| Karnam Malleswari | Bronze | Women’s 54kg weightlifting | Sydney 2000 |
| Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | Silver | Men’s double trap shooting | Athens 2004 |
| abhinav bindra | Gold | Men’s 10m air rifle shooting | Beijing 2008 |
| Vijender Singh | Bronze | Men’s middleweight boxing | Beijing 2008 |
| Sushil Kumar | Bronze | Men’s 66kg wrestling | Beijing 2008 |
| Sushil Kumar | Silver | Men’s 66kg wrestling | London 2012 |
| Vijay Kumar | Silver | Men’s 25m rapid pistol shooting | London 2012 |
| Saina Nehwal | Bronze | Women’s singles badminton | London 2012 |
| Mary Com | Bronze | Women’s flyweight boxing | London 2012 |
| Yogeshwar Dutt | Bronze | Men’s 60kg wrestling | London 2012 |
| Gagan Narang | Bronze | Men’s 10m air rifle shooting | London 2012 |
| PV Sindhu | Silver | Women’s singles badminton | Rio 2016 |
| Sakshi Malik | Bronze | Women’s 58kg wrestling | Rio 2016 |
| Mirabai Chanu | Silver | Women’s 49kg weightlifting | Tokyo 2020 |
| Lovlina Borgohain | Bronze | Women’s welterweight boxing | Tokyo 2020 |
| PV Sindhu | Bronze | Women’s singles badminton | Tokyo 2020 |
| Ravi Kumar Dahiya | Silver | Men’s 57kg wrestling | Tokyo 2020 |
| Indian hockey team | Bronze | Men’s hockey | Tokyo 2020 |
| Bajrang Punia | Bronze | Men’s 65kg wrestling | Tokyo 2020 |
| Neeraj Chopra | Gold | Men’s javelin throw | Tokyo 2020 |
Pre-Independence Era
Paris 1900 – Norman Pritchard
- Silver – Men’s 200m hurdles
- Set Olympic record of 26.8 seconds in semi-finals
- Finished second in final with 26.0 seconds
- Silver – Men’s 200m sprint
- Finished second in final with 22.8 seconds
Post-Independence Era
Hockey Dominance (1928-1980)
Amsterdam 1928 – Gold
- First Olympic gold for Indian hockey
- Scored 29 goals without conceding in 5 matches
- Dhyan Chand scored 14 goals, including a hat-trick in the final against Netherlands
Los Angeles 1932 – Gold
- Beat Japan 11-1 and USA 24-1
- Roop Singh (Dhyan Chand’s brother) scored 10 goals against USA
- Dhyan Chand contributed 8 goals in the same match
Berlin 1936 – Gold
- Dhyan Chand as captain
- Scored 38 goals in 5 matches, conceding only 1
- Dhyan Chand’s second hat-trick in Olympic finals led to 8-1 victory against Germany
London 1948 – Gold
- First post-independence gold
- Scored 19 goals in 3 matches to reach semi-finals
- Beat Netherlands 2-1 in semis
- Balbir Singh Sr.’s brace helped defeat Great Britain 4-0 in final
Helsinki 1952 – Gold
- Fifth consecutive gold
- Balbir Singh Sr. scored 9 goals in 3 matches
- Set record with 5 goals in final against Netherlands
Melbourne 1956 – Gold
- Sixth consecutive gold
- Did not concede a single goal in entire tournament
- Beat Pakistan 1-0 in final
- Captain Balbir Singh Sr. played final with fractured right hand
Rome 1960 – Silver
- Lost to Pakistan 1-0 in final, ending gold medal streak
Tokyo 1964 – Gold
- Returned to top of podium
- Beat Australia in semis
- Defeated Pakistan 1-0 in final with penalty stroke goal
Mexico City 1968 – Bronze
- First time finishing outside top two
- Lost 2-1 to Australia in semi-finals
- Beat West Germany 2-1 for bronze
Munich 1972 – Bronze
- Won 4 matches, drew 2 in preliminary rounds
- Lost 2-0 to Pakistan in semi-finals
- Defeated Netherlands 2-1 for bronze
Moscow 1980 – Gold
- Last hockey gold for India at Olympics
- Won 3, drew 2 in preliminary rounds
- Beat Spain 4-3 in final
Individual Medals (1952-2016)
Helsinki 1952 – KD Jadhav
- Bronze – Men’s bantamweight freestyle wrestling
- India’s first individual Olympic medallist
Atlanta 1996 – Leander Paes
- Bronze – Men’s singles tennis
- Ended 16-year medal drought
- Beat Fernando Meligani in bronze medal match
Sydney 2000 – Karnam Malleswari
- Bronze – Women’s 54kg weightlifting
- First Indian woman to win an Olympic medal
- Total lift: 240kg (110kg snatch, 130kg clean and jerk)
Athens 2004 – Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
- Silver – Men’s double trap shooting
- India’s first Olympic shooting medal
Beijing 2008
- Abhinav Bindra – Gold – Men’s 10m air rifle shooting
- India’s first individual Olympic gold
- Shot 10.8 with final attempt
- Vijender Singh – Bronze – Men’s middleweight boxing
- First Indian Olympic boxing medal
- Sushil Kumar – Bronze – Men’s 66kg freestyle wrestling
- First wrestling medal for India in 56 years
London 2012
- Gagan Narang – Bronze – Men’s 10m air rifle shooting
- Sushil Kumar – Silver – Men’s 66kg freestyle wrestling
- Became India’s only two-time individual Olympic medallist
- Vijay Kumar- Silver – Men’s 25m rapid fire pistol shooting
- Mary Kom – Bronze – Women’s flyweight boxing
- Yogeshwar Dutt – Bronze – Men’s 60kg freestyle wrestling
- Saina Nehwal – Bronze – Women’s singles badminton
- First Indian badminton Olympic medal
Rio 2016
- PV Sindhu – Silver – Women’s singles badminton
- Sakshi Malik- Bronze – Women’s 58kg freestyle wrestling
- First female Indian wrestler to win Olympic medal
Tokyo 2020 – India’s Best Olympic Performance
- Your Mirabai – Silver – Women’s 49kg weightlifting
- Lovlina Borgohain – Bronze – Women’s welterweight (64-69kg) boxing
- PV Sindhu – Bronze – Women’s singles badminton
- First Indian woman to win two individual Olympic medals
- Ravi Kumar Dahiya Silver – Men’s 57kg freestyle wrestling
- Men’s Hockey Team – Bronze
- First hockey medal in 41 years
- Dramatic 5-4 victory over Germany
- Bajrang Punia – Bronze – Men’s 65kg freestyle wrestling
- Neeraj Chopra – Gold – Men’s javelin throw
- India’s first Olympic track and field medal
- Throw of 87.58m secured gold
This detailed timeline showcases India’s rich Olympic history, from its early successes in hockey to the diverse range of sports in which Indian athletes have excelled in recent years. The Tokyo 2020 performance, with 7 medals across 6 sports, marks a new high point in India’s Olympic journey.
