The Indian Olympic medalists list is a high-frequency sports GK topic tested in UPSC, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, Banking, Railways, NDA, CDS, and all State PSC competitive exams — India first participated in the Olympics in 1900 and has since won medals across hockey, shooting, wrestling, badminton, weightlifting, boxing, and javelin throw.
This page covers every individual and team Olympic medal won by India — from Norman Pritchard’s 1900 silver to the Paris 2024 medal haul — with athlete, sport, medal type, and key exam-facing facts including India’s hockey golden era (8 golds, 1928–1980), Abhinav Bindra’s historic 2008 gold, Neeraj Chopra’s 2020 javelin gold, and Manu Bhaker’s record-breaking 2024 double.
⚡ Quick Facts
- First-ever medal (1900): Norman Pritchard won 2 silver medals at Paris — 200m Sprint + 200m Hurdles — making him the first Asian to win an Olympic medal.
- First individual GOLD: Abhinav Bindra — 10m Air Rifle, Beijing 2008. India’s first and (until 2020) only individual Olympic gold.
- Neeraj Chopra: Won India’s second individual gold (Javelin Throw, Tokyo 2020, 87.58m) — also India’s first track-and-field Olympic gold ever.
- Hockey: 8 Olympic golds (1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980) — 6 consecutive from 1928–1956. Dhyan Chand played in 1928, 1932, 1936.
- Manu Bhaker (Paris 2024): First Indian to win 2 medals at a single Olympic Games — two bronze medals in shooting (individual + mixed team).
Trap 1 — First woman medalist: Karnam Malleswari (Weightlifting, Sydney 2000) = first Indian woman Olympic medalist. NOT PV Sindhu, NOT Saina Nehwal (both 2012+).
Trap 2 — Bindra vs Neeraj: Abhinav Bindra = first individual gold (shooting, 2008). Neeraj Chopra = second individual gold AND first track-and-field gold (javelin, 2020). Two separate “firsts.”
Trap 3 — Hockey gold count: India won 8 hockey golds — not 6 (just the consecutive run 1928–56) and not 7. The full list: 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980.
✅ My Progress Tracker
🏅 Indian Olympic Medals — Complete List (1900–2024)
| # ↕ | Athlete / Team ↕ | Medal | Sport / Event | Sport Cat. | Year ↕ | Olympics City | Key Exam Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norman Pritchard 1st Indian Medal | 🥈 Silver | 200m Sprint | Athletics | 1900 | Paris | First-ever Indian Olympic medal; first Asian to win an Olympic medal; born Calcutta (British India) |
| 2 | Norman Pritchard | 🥈 Silver | 200m Hurdles | Athletics | 1900 | Paris | Second Indian medal at same Games; 2 silvers in same edition — a record for 1900 |
| 3 | India Hockey Team Gold Era Begins | 🥇 Gold | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1928 | Amsterdam | First Olympic gold; Dhyan Chand played; begins 6-consecutive gold run (1928–1956) |
| 4 | India Hockey Team | 🥇 Gold | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1932 | Los Angeles | 2nd consecutive gold; Dhyan Chand scored 8 goals in final vs USA (24–1); scored 101 goals in tour |
| 5 | India Hockey Team | 🥇 Gold | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1936 | Berlin | 3rd consecutive; Dhyan Chand’s last gold; defeated Germany 8–1 in Berlin final; Hitler reportedly offered him German citizenship |
| 6 | India Hockey Team Post-Independence | 🥇 Gold | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1948 | London | 4th consecutive; first as independent India; defeated Great Britain 4–0 in Great Britain; symbolic victory |
| 7 | India Hockey Team | 🥇 Gold | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1952 | Helsinki | 5th consecutive gold; Balbir Singh Sr scored 5 goals in the final; won 6–1 vs Netherlands |
| 8 | India Hockey Team 6-in-a-Row Ends | 🥇 Gold | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1956 | Melbourne | 6th and final consecutive gold; unbeaten run ends here; 6 consecutive golds 1928–1956 remains an Olympic record |
| 9 | India Hockey Team | 🥈 Silver | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1960 | Rome | Lost gold to Pakistan in final; first Olympic final loss after 6 consecutive golds |
| 10 | India Hockey Team | 🥇 Gold | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1964 | Tokyo | 7th gold; reclaimed title after 1960 silver; defeated Pakistan 1–0 in final |
| 11 | India Hockey Team | 🥉 Bronze | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1968 | Mexico City | Bronze; decline begins; India failed to win gold or silver for first time since 1928 |
| 12 | India Hockey Team | 🥉 Bronze | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1972 | Munich | Bronze again; back-to-back bronze medals reflect mid-era decline |
| 13 | India Hockey Team Last Gold | 🥇 Gold | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 1980 | Moscow | 8th and LAST Olympic gold to date; Western nations boycotted Moscow Games; India beat Spain 4–3 in final |
| 14 | Leander Paes | 🥉 Bronze | Men’s Singles Tennis | Others | 1996 | Atlanta | India’s only medal 1984–2000; ended 12-year medal drought; only Indian tennis Olympic medal |
| 15 | Karnam Malleswari 1st Woman Medalist | 🥉 Bronze | Weightlifting (69kg) | Others | 2000 | Sydney | FIRST Indian woman Olympic medalist; lifted 240kg (snatch 110kg + clean & jerk 130kg) |
| 16 | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | 🥈 Silver | Double Trap Shooting | Shooting | 2004 | Athens | India’s first individual shooting Olympic medal; silver in Double Trap; later became Union Minister for Sports |
| 17 | Abhinav Bindra 1st Individual Gold | 🥇 Gold | 10m Air Rifle Shooting | Shooting | 2008 | Beijing | India’s FIRST individual Olympic gold ever; scored 10.8 in final shot to clinch; only Padma Bhushan awardee for shooting |
| 18 | Sushil Kumar | 🥉 Bronze | Wrestling (66kg Freestyle) | Wrestling | 2008 | Beijing | First Indian wrestling Olympic medal; went on to win silver in London 2012; two-time Olympic medalist |
| 19 | Vijender Singh 1st Boxing Medal | 🥉 Bronze | Boxing (75kg Middleweight) | Others | 2008 | Beijing | First Indian Olympic boxing medal; became professional boxer later; Beijing 2008 = India’s best Games till then (3 medals) |
| 20 | Sushil Kumar | 🥈 Silver | Wrestling (66kg Freestyle) | Wrestling | 2012 | London | Silver at London; India’s only wrestler to win medals at two Olympics (2008 Bronze + 2012 Silver) |
| 21 | Vijay Kumar | 🥈 Silver | 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Shooting | Shooting | 2012 | London | Silver in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol; London 2012 = India’s best individual Olympic Games (6 medals) |
| 22 | Saina Nehwal 1st Badminton Medal | 🥉 Bronze | Women’s Badminton Singles | Badminton | 2012 | London | First Indian Olympic badminton medal; World No.1 at peak; opened path for Indian badminton’s Olympic journey |
| 23 | Mary Kom | 🥉 Bronze | Women’s Boxing (51kg Flyweight) | Others | 2012 | London | Five-time World Boxing Champion; first Indian woman Olympic boxer; Manipur; film “Mary Kom” (2014) |
| 24 | Gagan Narang | 🥉 Bronze | 10m Air Rifle Shooting | Shooting | 2012 | London | Bronze in 10m Air Rifle; same event as Bindra’s 2008 gold; London = India’s most-medal individual Games |
| 25 | Yogeshwar Dutt | 🥉 Bronze | Wrestling (60kg Freestyle) | Wrestling | 2012 | London | Bronze in 60kg Freestyle; Haryana wrestler; London 2012 — India’s 6-medal Games |
| 26 | PV Sindhu | 🥈 Silver | Women’s Badminton Singles | Badminton | 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | Lost final to Carolina Marin (Spain); first Indian woman to win Olympic Silver; Padma Bhushan; most celebrated Indian badminton player |
| 27 | Sakshi Malik 1st Woman Wrestler | 🥉 Bronze | Women’s Wrestling (58kg) | Wrestling | 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | First Indian woman wrestler Olympic medalist; Rohtak, Haryana; came from 0–5 deficit to win bronze |
| 28 | Neeraj Chopra 1st Track & Field Gold | 🥇 Gold | Men’s Javelin Throw | Others | 2020 (held 2021) | Tokyo | India’s 2nd individual gold ever; first track-and-field Olympic gold; 87.58m throw; Panipat, Haryana; Padma Vibhushan |
| 29 | Mirabai Chanu | 🥈 Silver | Weightlifting (49kg) | Others | 2020 (held 2021) | Tokyo | Silver in 49kg weightlifting; Manipur; opening ceremony flag bearer Delhi 2023 CWG; lifted 202kg total |
| 30 | PV Sindhu 2 Olympic Medals | 🥉 Bronze | Women’s Badminton Singles | Badminton | 2020 (held 2021) | Tokyo | Silver (2016) + Bronze (2020) = first Indian woman with 2 individual Olympic medals; most decorated Indian woman Olympian |
| 31 | Lovlina Borgohain | 🥉 Bronze | Women’s Boxing (69kg Welterweight) | Others | 2020 (held 2021) | Tokyo | Bronze in women’s welterweight boxing; Assam; second Indian woman boxer to win Olympic medal after Mary Kom |
| 32 | Ravi Kumar Dahiya | 🥈 Silver | Men’s Wrestling (57kg Freestyle) | Wrestling | 2020 (held 2021) | Tokyo | Silver in 57kg freestyle; Sonipat, Haryana; secured spot in final from 2–9 deficit in semifinal |
| 33 | Bajrang Punia | 🥉 Bronze | Men’s Wrestling (65kg Freestyle) | Wrestling | 2020 (held 2021) | Tokyo | Bronze in 65kg freestyle; World No.1 at the time; Haryana; Tokyo = India’s best-ever individual Games (7 medals) |
| 34 | India Hockey Team (Men) 36-yr Drought Ends | 🥉 Bronze | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 2020 (held 2021) | Tokyo | Ended 41-year medal drought (last medal 1980); defeated Germany 5–4 in bronze match; PR Sreejesh’s last Games |
| 35 | Neeraj Chopra | 🥈 Silver | Men’s Javelin Throw | Others | 2024 | Paris | Silver (lost gold to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem); back-to-back Olympic medals (Gold 2020, Silver 2024); 89.45m throw |
| 36 | Manu Bhaker Historic Double | 🥉 Bronze | 10m Air Pistol (Women) | Shooting | 2024 | Paris | First of two medals at Paris 2024; first Indian to win 2 medals at same Olympic Games; Jhajjar, Haryana |
| 37 | Manu Bhaker & Sarabjot Singh | 🥉 Bronze | 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team | Shooting | 2024 | Paris | Second bronze for Manu Bhaker at same Games; Sarabjot Singh’s first Olympic medal; mixed team shooting |
| 38 | Swapnil Kusale | 🥉 Bronze | 50m Rifle 3 Positions (Men) | Shooting | 2024 | Paris | First Indian Olympic medal in 50m Rifle 3P event; Maharashtra; unexpected medal — boosted India’s Paris tally |
| 39 | India Hockey Team (Men) | 🥉 Bronze | Men’s Field Hockey | Hockey | 2024 | Paris | Second consecutive bronze (Tokyo + Paris); defeated Spain 2–1; PR Sreejesh’s farewell Games — retired as legend |
| 40 | Aman Sehrawat | 🥉 Bronze | Men’s Wrestling (57kg Freestyle) | Wrestling | 2024 | Paris | Youngest Indian Olympic medal winner at Paris 2024; 57kg freestyle; Delhi; Paris = India’s 6-medal Games |
🏑 India’s 8 Olympic Hockey Gold Medals
The Indian hockey team’s 6 consecutive Olympic golds (1928–1956) is an all-time Olympic record for consecutive victories in any team sport. Across the golden era (1928–1980), India played 24 Olympic hockey matches and won 22. Dhyan Chand — “The Wizard” — is widely considered the greatest field hockey player of all time.
| # | Year | Host City | Final Opponent | Score | Key Player / Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Gold | 1928 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 3–0 | Dhyan Chand; India’s first Olympic gold; start of unprecedented run |
| 2nd Gold | 1932 | Los Angeles | USA | 24–1 | Dhyan Chand scored 8 goals; largest winning margin in Olympic hockey final |
| 3rd Gold | 1936 | Berlin | Germany | 8–1 | Dhyan Chand’s last gold; Hitler reportedly watched; scorched earth performance |
| 4th Gold | 1948 | London | Great Britain | 4–0 | First gold as independent India; defeated the colonial power in their home city |
| 5th Gold | 1952 | Helsinki | Netherlands | 6–1 | Balbir Singh Sr scored 5 goals in final; 5th consecutive gold |
| 6th Gold | 1956 | Melbourne | Pakistan | 1–0 | Final consecutive gold; 6-in-a-row remains unmatched in Olympic history |
| 7th Gold | 1964 | Tokyo | Pakistan | 1–0 | Reclaimed gold after 1960 silver; Charanjit Singh captained the team |
| 8th Gold | 1980 | Moscow | Spain | 4–3 | LAST gold to date; Western boycott reduced field; India beat Spain in final |
🏆 Historic Firsts — Quick Reference
| Category | Athlete | Year & Games | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Indian Olympic medal | Norman Pritchard | 1900, Paris | 2 silvers (200m Sprint + 200m Hurdles); first Asian Olympic medalist |
| First Indian Olympic gold (team) | India Hockey Team | 1928, Amsterdam | Began the legendary 8-gold hockey era |
| First Indian individual Olympic gold | Abhinav Bindra | 2008, Beijing | 10m Air Rifle; score of 104.5 in final; India’s only individual gold until 2020 |
| First Indian track-and-field gold | Neeraj Chopra | 2020 (held 2021), Tokyo | Javelin Throw, 87.58m; India’s second individual gold ever |
| First Indian woman Olympic medalist | Karnam Malleswari | 2000, Sydney | Weightlifting (69kg), Bronze; lifted 240kg total |
| First Indian woman with 2 Olympic medals | PV Sindhu | 2016 + 2020 | Silver (Rio 2016) + Bronze (Tokyo 2020) = 2 individual medals |
| First Indian woman wrestler medalist | Sakshi Malik | 2016, Rio de Janeiro | Women’s Wrestling 58kg, Bronze; reversed 0–5 deficit in bronze match |
| First Indian to win 2 medals at same Games | Manu Bhaker | 2024, Paris | 2× Bronze in shooting (individual + mixed team with Sarabjot Singh) |
| First Indian Olympic boxing medal | Vijender Singh | 2008, Beijing | Bronze, Men’s 75kg Middleweight |
| First Indian badminton Olympic medal | Saina Nehwal | 2012, London | Bronze, Women’s Singles; first Indian shuttler to reach Olympic podium |
⚖️ Compare Two Olympic Medals
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
The Indian hockey team won 8 Olympic gold medals: 6 consecutive (1928–1956) + 1964 (Tokyo) + 1980 (Moscow). The 6-consecutive gold run remains an all-time Olympic record for any team in any sport. Dhyan Chand played in 1928, 1932, and 1936 — widely regarded as the greatest field hockey player ever. India played 24 Olympic matches in the golden era and won 22. After 1980, India won no hockey medal for 41 years — a drought broken at Tokyo 2020 (Bronze, defeating Germany 5–4).
Only two Indian athletes have won individual Olympic gold: Abhinav Bindra (10m Air Rifle, Beijing 2008) — India’s first-ever individual gold, achieved with a score of 104.5 in the final. Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Throw, Tokyo 2020) — India’s second individual gold AND India’s first-ever track-and-field Olympic gold (87.58m throw). Neeraj also won Silver at Paris 2024, making him the only Indian athlete with back-to-back individual Olympic medals in the same event.
Karnam Malleswari (Weightlifting, Sydney 2000) = first Indian woman Olympic medalist (Bronze, 69kg). PV Sindhu (Badminton) = first Indian woman with 2 individual Olympic medals — Silver (Rio 2016) and Bronze (Tokyo 2020). Sakshi Malik (Wrestling, Rio 2016) = first Indian woman wrestler Olympic medalist — reversed a 0–5 deficit to win Bronze. Manu Bhaker (Paris 2024) = first Indian to win 2 medals at the same Olympic Games.
Pre-independence (1900): 2 silvers (Norman Pritchard). Hockey era (1928–1980): 8 golds + 1 silver + 3 bronzes (team). Dry spell (1984–1994): Zero medals. Modern individual medals (1996+): Leander Paes Bronze 1996 → then steady growth from 2000 onward. Best individual Games ever: Tokyo 2020 = 7 medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze). Paris 2024: 6 medals (1 silver, 5 bronze). India’s per-Games medal tally has grown from 1 (Sydney 2000) to 6–7 (Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024).
Two individual gold medalists: “Bindra Shoots, Neeraj Throws” → Abhinav Bindra = 10m Air Rifle (2008) | Neeraj Chopra = Javelin (2020)
Hockey’s 8 golds: “28-32-36-48-52-56 (6 consecutive) then 64 then 80”
Woman firsts: “Malleswari Medals (2000) | Sakshi Wrestles (2016) | Sindhu Shuttles Twice (2016+2020) | Manu Shoots Double (2024)”
Tokyo 2020 India medals (7): Neeraj (Gold-Javelin) + Chanu (Silver-Weightlifting) + Dahiya (Silver-Wrestling) + Sindhu/Lovlina/Bajrang (Bronze-Badminton/Boxing/Wrestling) + Hockey Team (Bronze)
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Abhinav Bindra won India’s first individual Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 10m Air Rifle event. Neeraj Chopra won India’s second individual gold at Tokyo 2020. Rathore won a Silver (not gold) at Athens 2004 in Double Trap Shooting. Sushil Kumar won Bronze (2008) and Silver (2012) in wrestling.
Neeraj Chopra won the Men’s Javelin Throw at Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021) with a throw of 87.58m, becoming India’s first-ever track-and-field Olympic gold medalist. It was also India’s second individual Olympic gold ever. Bajrang Punia won Bronze in wrestling. PV Sindhu won Bronze in badminton. Mirabai Chanu won Silver in weightlifting.
The Indian men’s hockey team has won 8 Olympic gold medals \u2014 in 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956 (six consecutive), then 1964, and 1980. It is the most successful run by any team in a single Olympic sport in history. 6 is just the consecutive run, not the total.
Karnam Malleswari won a Bronze medal in Weightlifting (69kg category) at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. PV Sindhu (Silver, Rio 2016), Saina Nehwal (Bronze, London 2012), and Mary Kom (Bronze, London 2012) all won their medals a decade or more later.
Manu Bhaker won two bronze medals at Paris 2024 \u2014 first in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol event, and then in the Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol event (with Sarabjot Singh). She became the first Indian athlete to win two medals at the same Olympic Games, a historic achievement in Indian sports history.
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
As of Paris 2024, India has won approximately 41 Olympic medals in total — including around 10 gold, 9 silver, and 22 bronze medals. The count includes 8 team gold medals in hockey and 2 individual golds (Abhinav Bindra 2008, Neeraj Chopra 2020). The exact count varies slightly depending on whether Norman Pritchard’s 1900 medals are included in the official tally.
Field Hockey has brought India the most Olympic medals overall — 8 gold medals and multiple bronze medals, making it India’s most decorated Olympic sport by a massive margin. In the modern individual era (2000 onwards), Shooting has brought the most medals, followed by Wrestling, Badminton, and Weightlifting. The Tokyo 2020 Games were India’s best — 7 medals across Javelin, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Badminton, Boxing, and Hockey.
PV Sindhu leads with 2 individual medals (Silver 2016, Bronze 2020) in Badminton. Sushil Kumar won 2 medals (Bronze 2008, Silver 2012) in Wrestling. Manu Bhaker made history at Paris 2024 by winning 2 medals at a single Games (both bronze in shooting). Abhinav Bindra and Neeraj Chopra are India’s only individual gold medalists. Neeraj Chopra also won Silver at Paris 2024, making him the only Indian with back-to-back individual Olympic medals in the same event.
India’s Olympic medal count is often discussed in the context of its 1.4 billion population. Structural reasons include limited sports infrastructure outside cricket, relatively low per-athlete funding historically, fewer Olympic sports played at grassroots levels, and the dominance of cricket absorbing sporting talent and investment. However, the trend has improved sharply since 2000 — India’s haul grew from 1 medal (Sydney 2000) to 7 medals (Tokyo 2020), reflecting improving sports governance and targeted athlete support programs like the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and the National Sports Development Fund.
