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Introduction

Though the recorded history of the Olympic Games dates back to 776 AD, the modern Olympic Games started in the year 1896 in Athens, Greece. At that time, India was under British dominance, and there was no chance of representation in the Games as an independent nation. Only a few Indian sportsmen were able to take part as a members of the British contingent. However, things began to change in the post-independence era. But in a newly born country like India, the development of sports could not become a priority in view of prevailing poverty, illiteracy and other problems, not less important. It took so many years to realize the goal of making our presence felt in the prestigious Olympic Games. In the last two decades, India's performance has been phenomenal, and it is expected that in the Olympic Games, 2024, India will attain the new heights. In this backdrop, it would be worthwhile to cast a look at the important achievements of Indian sportsmen down the years as such:

Pre-Independence Period

  1. In the year 1900, India's athlete Norman Pritchard participated in the 1900 Olympic Games and won two medals, both silver. India also became the first Asian to win an Olympic medal. This was for the first time that India has participated in any Olympic Games.
  2. In 1920, the first Indian team participated in the Summer Olympics at Antwerp. Since then, India has participated in every Olympic Game. The team comprised three athletes and two wrestlers. No medal could be won by any one of the team members.
  3. In the year 1924, a fourteen-member team was sent to the Paris Olympics comprising seven athletes and seven tennis players. But it was a medal-less journey for the Indian sportsmen.
  4. In the 1928 Summer Olympics at Amsterdam, seven athletes and the hockey team represented India. Only the Men's field hockey team won the gold medal. Rest of the team returned without a single medal. India stood at 23rd rank in this Olympics.
  5. In the 1932 Olympic Games at Los Angeles, a team of four athletes and one swimmer along with the men's hockey team was sent to represent India but only a gold medal was won by the hockey team. India's rank was 19th in this Game.
  6. In the 1936 Olympic Games at Berlin, a team of four athletes, three wrestlers, one weightlifter along with the men's hockey team represented India. However, only the Indian hockey team could win the gold medal by defeating Germany 8-1, the largest margin of victory ever in an Olympic hockey final. This was the only medal India could win and ranked 20th in the medal tally.
Due to world war, India’s representation was nill.

Post-Independence Period

  1. In the 1948 Olympics at London, India sent a team of over 50 sportsmen in several branches, including men's hockey team which defeated Great Britain in the final and won the only medal-a gold medal for India. India’s rank was 22nd in these Games.
  2. In the 1952 Summer Olympics at Helsinki, again over 50 sportsmen represented India. In these Games, for the first time, wrestler K.D.Jadhav won the individual medal (bronze) for Independent India. Indian hockey team again won the gold medal. India's rank was 26th in this Olympics.
  3. In 1956 Melbourne Olympics, once again a contingent of more than 50 sportsmen represented India including the men's hockey team. However, the only gold medal in hockey came to India's kitty where the Indian team defeated Pakistan in the final. It was a record sixth win in the hockey final by India in the Olympics which happened to be an Olympic record at that time in a team event. India ranked 24th this time.
  4. In the 1960 Rome Olympics, less than fifty sportsmen were sent to represent India. In the hockey final, India lost to its arch-rival Pakistan. India’s overall ranking was 32nd.
  5. In 1964 Summer Olympics at Tokyo, Indian sporting contingent was slightly less than fifty including men's hockey team which ultimately won the gold medal. India stood at 24th rank at that time.
  6. In the 1968 Mexico Olympics, India sent a small contingent and Indian hockey time could barely manage a bronze medal. In this Olympic Games, India's overall rank was 42.
  7. In the 1972 Munich Olympics, India was represented by a contingent of less than fifty sportsmen. The Indian hockey team could earn only a bronze medal. India stood at 43rd rank in this Game.
  8. In the 1976 Montreal Olympics, India’s contingent was one of the lowest and the team returned empty-handed without getting a medal for the first time since 1924.
  9. In the 1980 Summer Olympics at Moscow, India's contingent exceeded the fifty-mark including the men’s hockey team which won the gold medal for the record eight time. In these Games, India secured the rank of 23.
  10. In the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Indian contingent was again less than fifty and not a single medal could be won by the team.
  11. In the 1986 Seoul Olympics, less than fifty sportsmen represented India but without any fruitful result.
  12. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, the same story was repeated where a contingent of less than fifty sportsmen could not succeed in getting even a single medal.
  13. In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, India was again represented by less than fifty sportsmen including the men's hockey team. However, tennis player Leander Pace won a bronze medal in the men's singles India's the overall ranking was 71 in this Olympics.
  14. In 2000 Sydney Olympics, about fifty sportsmen represented the country. But the only medal winner was weightlifter Karnam Malleswari who won a bronze medal in the Women's 69 kg category. It was the first-ever Olympic medal won by an Indian woman. India's rank was 71th in these Games.
  15. In the 2004 Olympic Games at Athens, more than fifty sportspersons comprised the Indian contingent. However, the only medal winner was shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore who won a silver medal in men's double trap shooting category. India's rank was 65 this time.
  16. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, less than 50 sportspersons took part from India. Out of these, Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in Men's 10 metre air rifle event and Vijender Singh won the bronze medal in boxing in the Middleweight category. Sushil Kumar won another bronze in the 66kg freestyle wrestling event. Till that time, the three-medal haul was the best for India. In this Olympics, India was ranked 50th.
  17. In the 2012 London Olympics, a contingent of more than fifty sportspersons represented India. A record number of six medals came into the kitty of team India setting a new best for the country. The wrestler added a silver to his bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He became the first Indian sportsman with multiple individual Olympic medals since independence. Saina Nehwal won a bronze medal in Badminton in Women’s singles category being the first Olympic medal winner in the country. Pugilist M.C. Mary Kom became the first Indian woman to win a medal in boxing with her bronze medal in Women's flyweight division. Gagan Narang won the bronze in 10 m air rifle shooting. Vijay Kumar added another medal in shooting by winning a silver in Men's 25 m rapid fire pistol competition. Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt secured a bronze medal in the Men's freestyle 60 kg category. India stood at 55th place in the Games.
  18. In the 2016 Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro, more than hundred sportspersons represented India. Sakshi Malik became the first Indian female wrestler to win an Olympic medal with a bronze in the Women's freestyle 58 kg category. Besides her, P.V.Sindhu won a silver medal in Women's singles in Badminton. Thus, she became the first and youngest Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal. India ranked 67th in this Olympics.
  19. At the 2020 Summer Olympic Games at Tokyo, India was represented by a new record number of 124 athletes. A total of seven medals were secured by them. Mirabai Chanu won a silver in the weightlifting in the Women's category of 49 kg. P.V. Sindhu won a bronze medal in Badminton. Neeraj Chopra won the gold in Javelin Throw, becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in track and field and the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold. In Men's field hockey, India won a bronze medal. This medal came after a gap of 41 years. In wrestling, Ravi Kumar Dahiya won a silver and Bajrang Punia won a bronze medal. Lovlina Borgohain won the bronze medal in boxing. She became only the second woman to win an Olympic medal in boxing. The haul of seven medals is the best performance of Indian sportspersons so far.

Winter Olympics

Till date, India has participated in only four Winter Olympics but could not procure a single medal. These events were held in 1964 Innsbruck, 1968 Grenoble, 1988 Calgary and 1992 Albertville respectively.

Olympic Milestones

  1. First medalist/individual medalist in the pre-Independence era: Norman Pritchard won a silver medal in Athletics in the 1900 Paris Olympics.
  2. First individual medalist after Independence: K.D. Jadhav won a bronze medal in wrestling in the 1952 Olympics at Helsinki.
  3. First Gold Medalist: Men's Field Hockey team in the 1928 Olympic Games at Amsterdam.
  4. First gold medalist post-Independence: Men's Field Hockey team in the 1948 London Olympics.
  5. First individual gold medalist: Abhinav Bindra in shooting in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
  6. First individual Multimedalist: Norman Pritchard won two silver medals in Athletics in the 1900 Paris Olympics.
  7. First Indian multimedalist post-Independence Sushil Kumar, in wrestling, won a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics.
  8. First female medalist: Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in weightlifting in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
  9. First female multimedalist: P.V. Sindhu, in Badminton singles, won a silver medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro and a bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Olympic Medals So Far

  1. In Field hockey, total 12 medals including 8 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze.
  2. In Shooting, total 4 medals including 1 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze.
  3. In Athletics, total 3 medals including 1 gold, 2 silver.
  4. In Wrestling, total 7 medals including 2 silver and 5 bronze.
  5. In Badminton, total 3 medals including 1 silver and 2 bronze.
  6. In Weightlifting, total 2 medals including 1 silver and 1 bronze.
  7. In boxing, total 3 medals including 3 bronze.
  8. In Tennis, total 1 medal, bronze.
Total: 35 - 10 Gold,  9 Silver,16 Bronze.

Government Efforts for Enhancement of Efficiency and Growth

Since Independence, the successive governments have made efforts to lend a helping hand to the budding athletes in the hope that they will make the country proud in the international sporting arena. However, during the current decade, a more concerted effort has been made by the central government in this regard. The basic aim is to pick up the talent at the grassroot or the village level, and then groom them as world-class athletes by providing every possible facility and funds. One important objective is to prepare them for the prestigious Olympic Games. The major initiatives taken by the present government at the Centre may be summarized as such:

  1. India's sports ecosystem has evolved into an athlete-centric model, with the motto “Athlete-First". This integrated ecosystem encompasses the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), and the National Sports Federations (NSFs). Together, these bodies ensure that athletes can focus on their training and competitions solely, with logistics and other support taken care of by the system.1
  2. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was implementing a centrally sponsored scheme called the Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) from 2008-09 to 2013-14. The scheme was aimed at creating a basic sports infrastructure at village and block/Panchayats level through development and maintenance of playgrounds and mass participation in sports through conduct of annual sports competitions. A new umbrella scheme was launched during 2016-17 after the merger of existing schemes. The revamped Khelo India scheme has twelve components which aim at achieving the twin objectives of the National Sports policy 2001.2. Till July 2021, 24 Khelo India State Centre of Excellence have already started across the country. In short, ‘the Khelo India programme has been introduced to revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level by building a strong framework for all spirts played in our country and establish India as a great sporting nation.’3 In this context, every year Khelo India Youth Games, previously known as Khelo India School Games, are organized in different states in the country.
  3. National Sports Development Fund: This initiative was taken by the central government with a view mobilize resources from the government as well as non-governmental sources, including the private/corporate sector and non-resident Indians, for promotion of sports and games in the country.
  4. Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federation: Under this scheme, training and competitive exposure to sportspersons is imparted for international events. Olympics is taken care of under this scheme which broadly covers support towards training camps in India and abroad, international competition exposure, hiring of Indian and foreign coaches, support staff, training equipment, hosting of national and international championships in India, and medical insurance for injuries.
  5. Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS): Further, support for customized training of medal prospects for Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Games, World Championship Games etc. is provided under this scheme under the overall ambit of National Sports Development Fund. This scheme was started by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in September 2014 and was revamped in April 2018 to establish a technical support team for managing the TOPS athletes and providing holistic support. The scheme also provides a monthly stipend of Rs. 50,000 for each TOPS athlete.
  6. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Welfare Fund: Under this scheme, financial support upto Rs. 5 lakh is provided to sportspersons living in indigent circumstances, families of deceased sportspersons. Further, assistance upto Rs. 10 lakhs for medical treatment to sportspersons or family members, assistance upto Rs. 10 lakhs for injuries sustained during training for and participation in sports competitions, assistance upto Rs. 2.5 lakh for training, procurement of equipment and participation in national and international sports events, assistance upto Rs. 2 lakhs to coaches and support personnel and assistance upto Rs. 4 lakhs for medical treatment of coaches and support personnel is provided from the above-mentioned Fund.4
  7. The Central Government supports sportspersons through National Sports Federations for their training, foreign exposure and competitions to enable them to obtain maximum quota for participation in Olympics and enhance their chances of winning medals. High Priority category has been created to put focus on and incentivize those sports disciplines played in the Olympics in which India has won medals in the last conducted Asian Games as well as Commonwealth Games or in which India has a good chance of winning medals in the Olympics. Presently, nine sports disciplines viz. Athletics, Badminton, Hockey, Shooting, Tennis, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Archery and Boxing have been categorized as ‘High Priority’ under the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations.5

2024 Paris Olympics

This time the largest-ever contingent for the Games, consisting of 117 athletes across 16 sports disciplines, will represent India. This diverse team, which includes 70 men and 47 women, will compete in 69 events with a total of 95 medals at stake. Their presence will be supported by an impressive funding allocation of over 470 crore rupees. The proposed target is to bring the medal tally in double digits. This time more than 350 foreign exposure trips for training and competitions were sanctioned in select Olympic disciplines in the present Olympic Games. Government has consistently encouraged the athletes to perform their best at the Games without feeling any kind of pressure or expectations.

Conclusion

In the modern context, supremacy in sports is a major denominator in deciphering the status of a country in the comity of nations. Big countries like the USA, Russia, China, Germany, France etc. vie with each other in every major sporting event to grab as many medals as they can to lead the medal tally. In fact, these countries spend a lot of money on training, international exposure and health issues of their sportspersons. They really groom them for the big tournaments. They consider the supremacy in sports as a hallmark of their hegemony in the global sense. In contrast, performance of Indian sportspersons has been far from expectations. The government’s contribution was also lacking. In the modern era of sports, the cost of training etc. is too high and it is almost impossible for the individual sportsperson to meet the expenses. Thus, the government's timely intervention and financial support is very necessary for the value addition of the quality of any sportsperson. The private sponsors’ role is also absolutely crucial. In this backdrop, the steps taken by the Sports ministry, Government of India has raised hopes of a positive outcome as regards to much better performance by the Indian sportspersons in the big international sporting events. By introducing the TOPS scheme in particular, prospective Olympians are being provided by the government with all kinds of necessary facilities. Tokyo Olympics is the witness to the fruition of this scheme where the medal tally was the highest so far. Now, it is expected that in the Paris Olympics, the number of medals will be in double digits, transgressing the earlier records. However, the best thing is that the government has started paying attention to promoting sports in the country and all possible efforts are being made in the right direction. This is high time India should stand in the big league of sporting nations.

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References:

  1. India's Road to the Olympics, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Jul 22, 2024, PIB Delhi, available at https://pib.gov.in.
  2. INDIA 2023, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, p.846.
  3. 3. Khelo India, National Programme For Development Of Sports, available at kheloindia.gov.in
  4. 4. Press Release of the statement given by Anurag Thakur, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, in written reply in Lok Sabha on Jul 29, 2021, PIB, available at https://pib.gov.in
  5. 5. Reply to an unstarred question no. 4370, in Lok Sabha to be answered on 19.03.2020, by Kiren Rijiju, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) For Youth Affairs And Sports, available at _loksabhaquestions_annex

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