Independence Day Special: 5 Best Olympic Moments for India

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Since India debuted at the Olympic Games in 1900, the nation has won 41 medals. Though India first sent a team to the Summer Games in 1920 and was part of every event since then, it was in 1900 when they sent a lone athlete Norman Pritchard, who won two medals in that edition.

From the domination of the Indian men’s hockey team in the early days since India’s Olympic debut to the most recent Manu Bhaker’s heroics with twin bronze medals at the Paris Olympics 2024, there were numerous moments when Indian athletes showcased their grit, talent, and determination to ignite the spirit of a billion people.

As India celebrates its 78th Independence Day, it’s a moment to reflect on the nation’s remarkable journey on the global stage at the Olympic Games throughout the years. That said, let’s take a look at the five best Olympic moments for India.

5. PV Sindhu’s Silver medal in Rio (2016)

Ace Indian shutter PV Sindhu emerged as the first Indian badminton player to reach the Olympic final at the Rio Olympics in 2016. She secured a silver medal after suffering a loss to Carolina Marin of Spain in the gold medal match.

Seeded ninth, PV Sindhu defeated Laura Sarosi of Hungary by 2-0 and Michelle Li of Canada by 2-1 in the group stage. Later, she stunned Tai Tzu-Ying of Taiwan by 2-0 in the pre-quarter-final.

In the quarter-final, she defeated Wang Yihan of China and faced Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara to win in straight games. The gold medal match turned out to be an 83-minute affair as Carolina defeated Sindhu in three games.

4. Abhinav Bindra’s Gold medal in Beijing (2008)

At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, India’s rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra secured the gold medal, scripting history for India. He became the first Indian individual gold medallist at the Games.

He started off with a score of 596 in the qualifying round to settle for the fourth round and made the cut for the final. In the final, he initiated with a shot of 10.7 and his all other shots didn’t dip below 10.

Just when Bindra was tied with Henri Hakkinen on the final shot, Bindra scored 10.8 while Hakkinen shot only 9.7 as the former clinched the gold medal.

3. Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal (2021)

Neeraj Chopra made his Olympic debut in Tokyo on August 4, 2021. In the qualifying round, he topped it with a throw of 86.65m and secured the direct entry into the final. In the final on August 7, he covered a distance of 87.58m with his throw to secure the gold medal on his second attempt.

With this achievement, Neeraj Chopra emerged as the first Indian athlete to bag a gold medal in athletics and the first post-Independence Indian Olympic medallist in athletics. He also became the second Indian individual to secure a gold medal after Abhinav Bindra at the Games.

2. Manu Bhaker’s twin bronze medals (2024)

At the Paris Olympics 2024, Indian shooter Manu Bhaker secured two bronze medals, becoming the first female athlete to bag twin medals at an Olympic event. Additionally, she also emerged as the first Indian to win two medals at an Olympics since India’s Independence.

She started off with a bronze medal win in the women’s 10m air pistol event, becoming the first female shooter from India to bag a medal at the Games. Later, she added another bronze medal in the mixed 10m air pistol event with Sarabjot Singh.

1. Indian hockey team's Gold streak (1928–1956)

Indian hockey team competed at the Olympics for the first time in 1928. Since then, they secured six gold medals until 1956, termed as India’s golden years in the sport. In 1928, they defeated the Netherlands by 3-0 in the final to bag the gold medal.

Later in the 1932 Olympics, the Indian team defended their title with an 11-1 win over Japan and a 24-1 win over the USA. At the 1936 Olympics, they secured a hat-trick of gold medals, defeating Germany by 8-1 in the final.

Due to World War II, the Olympics were canceled in 1940 and 1944. At the 1948 Olympics, India continued their dominance and faced Great Britain in the final, eventually defending their title by 4-0.

At the 1952 Olympics, they defeated the Netherlands by 6-1 in the final to add their fifth successive gold medal. At the 1956 Olympics, India faced Pakistan in the final and stunned them by 1-0 to bag their sixth gold medal and that ended the streak.