India at the Olympics

India joined the Olympic Games in 1900, becoming the first Asian country to do so. An athlete named Norman Pritchard represented India and won two silver medals in athletics. Since then, India has sent teams to every Summer Olympic Games and has also joined in on several Winter Olympic Games.

Indian athletes have won a total of 41 medals, all at the Summer Games. One of the most successful teams was the Indian men's field hockey team, which won many medals between 1928 and 1980, including eight gold medals in a row. The best performance by India came in the 2020 Games, where the country won seven medals, including one gold and two silver.

Timeline of participation

History

Before independence

India joined the Olympic Games in 1900, becoming the first country in Asia to do so. One athlete, Norman Pritchard, won two silver medals in athletics. India didn’t compete in the next three Olympics. In 1920, India sent its first team with six competitors, including athletes and wrestlers. The Indian Olympic movement grew in the 1920s, and in 1928, the men's hockey team won India’s first gold medal at the Amsterdam Olympics. This was the first gold medal for any Asian nation in the modern Olympics. India kept winning gold in hockey from 1928 to 1936.

After independence

After gaining independence in 1947, India competed as its own country in the 1948 Olympics in London. The men’s hockey team won gold, India’s first medal as an independent nation. In later years, India won more medals, especially in hockey. India first joined the Winter Olympics in 1964 with one skier. Over the years, India has sent athletes to many Summer and Winter Games, winning medals in sports like shooting, boxing, and wrestling.

21st century

In recent Olympics, India has seen more success. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Karnam Malleswari won India’s first Olympic medal for a woman. In 2008 Beijing, Abhinav Bindra became India’s first individual gold medalist. The 2012 London Olympics brought six medals, the most India had won up to that point. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, India won seven medals, including Neeraj Chopra’s gold in athletics. In the 2024 Paris Olympics, India won six medals, with Chopra earning another medal and other athletes winning in shooting and wrestling.

Medal table

See also: All-time Olympic Games medal table

Summer Games

Winter Games

Medals by sport

Best results in non-medaling sports

Medalists

Source

Multi-medalists

Individual

Team

Milestones

India joined the Olympic Games in 1900, becoming the first Asian country to do so. An athlete named Norman Pritchard won two silver medals in running and jumping events. India began sending teams to the Summer Olympics in 1920 and has been part of every Summer Games since then.

Dominance of men's field hockey team

Main article: Field hockey at the Summer Olympics

The Indian Men's Field Hockey Team has won the most medals in field hockey at the Olympics. They have won 13 medals, including eight gold medals, with six of those gold medals won in a row from 1928 to 1956.

The team holds many records in Olympic field hockey:

• Most appearances: 22
• Most consecutive appearances: 18 (1928 Amsterdam – 2004 Athens)
• Most matches played: 142
• Most wins: 87
• Most medals: 13 (8 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze)
• Most titles: 8 Gold medals
• Most consecutive medals won: 10 medals (7 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze), 1928 Amsterdam – 1972 Munich
• Most consecutive titles: 6 Gold medals (1928 Amsterdam – 1956 Melbourne)
• Most goals scored: 473
• Most goals scored in a single tournament: 43 (1980 Moscow)
• Fewest goals conceded in a single tournament: nil (1928 Amsterdam, 1956 Melbourne)
• Biggest margin of victory: India 24–1 United States (1932 Los Angeles)
• Biggest margin of victory at an Olympic final: India 8–1 Germany (1936 Berlin)
• Longest winning streak: 30 matches (1928 Amsterdam – 1960 Rome)
• Most goals scored by a player in a match: 10 goals by Roop Singh vs United States (1932 Los Angeles)
• Most goals scored by a player in an Olympic final: 5 goals by Balbir Singh Sr. vs Netherlands (1952 Helsinki)