Haryana is not just home to the most number of individual Olympic medals but has also sent the most number of participants in the Tokyo event that started on Friday, official data analysed by CNN-News18 shows.
Indian individuals have won 17 medals in the Olympics. These winners are from 11 states, with Haryana accounting for four — Vijender Singh, Saina Nehwal, Yogeshwar Dutt, Sakshi Malik — all won after 2008.
Haryana is followed by West Bengal (three medals) and Delhi (two), while participants from at least eight states have won one medal each.
Out of West Bengal’s three medals, two were bagged by Norman Pritchard in 1900 while the third was won by Leander Paes in 1996.
Delhi’s Sushil Kumar, who is currently in prison facing charges related to murder, is the first and only Indian who has won two Olympic medals since Independence. The Olympic wrestler won a Bronze medal in 2008 and a Silver in 2012.
The states that have bagged one medal each are: Andhra Pradesh (Karnam Malleswari); Rajasthan (Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore); Uttarakhand (Abhinav Bindra); Maharashtra (KD Jadhav); Himachal Pradesh (Vijay Kumar); Manipur (Mary Kom); Tamil Nadu (Gagan Narang); and Telangana (PV Sindhu).
In the Tokyo Olympics, which was scheduled to be held in 2020 and pushed because of the coronavirus pandemic, at least 127 athletes hailing from 22 states in India are participating. With 127 participants, including two alternate players and one reserve goalie in men’s and women’s hockey squads, respectively, Tokyo Olympics will be India’s highest ever playing contingent.
The athletes will be taking part in 18 disciplines: Archery, Athletics, Boxing, Badminton, Equestrian, Fencing, Golf, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Rowing, Shooting, Sailing, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling.
As many as 30 players, who are representing India in Tokyo, are from Haryana, followed by Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh. Five athletes from Manipur are also representing India.
More women participating, bagging awards
The journey of Indian women in the Olympics started in 2000 in a real sense. That year Karnam Malleswari won a Bronze medal in the Sydney Olympics. This was the first medal by any Indian woman. Since then, there is no looking back for women in the Olympics. Even though fewer women were participating in the Olympics than men from India, their contribution has been no less. In the last eight years, since 2012, India has bagged eight medals, including four by women. Further, in 2016, India won two medals in Rio – one Silver (PV Sindhu) and one Bronze (Sakshi Malik) – both by women, while no men won any medal. Similarly in 2012, India won six medals, including two Bronze by women — Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom.
More participation, better performance by Indian individuals
India won its first individual medal in the Olympics in 1900. Norman Pritchard won two Silvers in Paris. More than 50 years later, in 1952, a second Indian man received a medal in the Olympics, a Bronze. After over four decades, the third Indian man received a medal, another Bronze in 1996. Leander Paes was the first and the only Olympic medal holder in Tennis in India so far.
Since then, India has not returned without any medal from the Olympics. In 2000, the first Indian woman won a medal, another Bronze. In 2004, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore bagged a Silver in Shooting. This was not only India’s first medal in Shooting but also the first Silver by an Indian individual since Independence.
In 2008, India brought home three medals – one Gold and two Bronzes. In a first, that is still a record, Abhinav Bindra won a Gold.
From three medals, India’s medal tally jumped to six in 2012 – two Silvers and four Bronzes. In the last Olympics in 2016, India brought home one Silver and one Bronze.
The participation by Indian women and men in the Olympics has increased by more than double since 2008. Further, Indians have been taking part in more and more events each year than before.
India has won total 28 medals in Olympics
Apart from 17 medals won by Individuals, the Men’s Hockey Team has also won 11 medals for India. In total, so far, India has bagged 28 medals in the Olympics – nine Golds, seven Silvers and 12 Bronzes.
The Indian Men’s Hockey Team took its first-ever gold medal in 1928, beginning a streak of six consecutive gold medals in the sport. Between 1928 and 1980, the team won 11 medals, including eight Gold.
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