In Pics: From Leander Paes to Saina Nehwal: List of India's individual Olympic winners

New Delhi, July 25: Despite being home to world's largest population, India's performance in the Olympic events has been dismal.

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It has been 69 years since independence but India has never managed to win 2 gold medals at the biggest sporting extravaganza or touch a double figure mark in the medal tally in a single Olympic event.

Only field Indians dominated in the Olympics was hockey, in which we won 8 gold medals. But an Olympic gold for hockey was won way back in 1980 Moscow Olympics. Since then, India's domination in hockey has only reduced.

As far as individual medals are concerned, Norman Pritchard represented India in 1900 Paris Olympics and won silver medals in the 200m and the 200m hurdles.

Later in 1952, Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav won a bronze in men's wrestling freestyle bantamweight category. It was individual Olympic medal from an Indian, post independence.

But after that, India had to wait for 44 long years to bag its second medal in an individual event. Leander Paes ended this drought in 1996 when he won a bronze in Atlanta Olympics.

In the new millenia, India's performance at the Olympics has improved but it hasn't yet met with the expectations of a billion Indians.

Here are India's Olympic medal winners since 1996 Olympics:

Leander Paes 1996 Olympics

Leander Paes ended the drought of 44 years to win another Olympic medal for India. He won bronze medal for Tennis in 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Karnam Malleshwari won bronze in 2000 Sydney Olympics

In 2000 Sydney Olympics Karnam Malleswari won bronze medal in weightlifting (69 kg category). She became the first Indian woman to have won a medal at Olympics.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: Silver: 2008 Athens Olympics

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won silver medal for India in shooting (double trap) at 2008 Athens Olympics. This was India's first medal in shooting.

Abhinav Bindra: India's first Golden Boy

In 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal in shooting (10m Air Rifle).

Vijender Singh won bronze at 2008 Olympics

Vijender Singh scripted history in the 2008 Beijing Olympics after winning a bronze medal for India in Boxing. The Haryana lad became a sensation overnight after his achievement.