Olympic Day, celebrated on June 23, commemorates the birth of the modern Olympic Games in 1894.

For India, the Olympic journey has been a tale of grit, evolution, and rising excellence on the global stage.

From Norman Pritchard's historic sprint in 1900 to Neeraj Chopra's golden throw in 2021, the Indian Olympic story spans over a century of remarkable milestones, heartbreaks, and triumphs.

Here’s a timeline capturing key moments in India’s Olympic history:

1900 – India’s debut at the Olympics

India's Olympic story began with a lone athlete, Norman Pritchard, at the Paris Olympics. He clinched two silver medals in the 200m and 200m hurdles, becoming the first Asian to win an Olympic medal.

1920 – First official Indian Olympic team

India sent a formal contingent to the Antwerp Olympics, including athletes like P. D. Chaugule and Phadeppa Dareppa Chaugule, India’s first marathon runner.

1928 – First gold: The hockey era begins

At the Amsterdam Olympics, India won its first gold medal in men's field hockey, led by the legendary Dhyan Chand. This began a golden era.

1932, 1936 – Hockey dominance continues

India retained the gold in 1932 (Los Angeles) and 1936 (Berlin), the latter with Dhyan Chand's iconic performance against Germany.

1948 – First Olympic gold as independent India

India, newly independent, won the hockey gold in London, defeating Great Britain 4-0. This victory held emotional and symbolic significance.

1952 – First individual medal for independent India

Wrestler K. D. Jadhav won bronze in Helsinki—the first individual Olympic medal for an independent India.

1960 – Silver in hockey

After years of dominance, India lost the hockey final to Pakistan, settling for silver at the Rome Olympics.

1964 – Redemption in Tokyo

India regained the hockey gold in Tokyo, reaffirming its place at the top.

1972 – Bronze in hockey

India secured a bronze medal in Munich, keeping the medal streak alive.

1980 – Last Olympic gold in hockey

Moscow saw India claim gold in men's hockey for the 8th time.

1996 – Bronze after a long wait

Leander Paes won bronze in tennis at the Atlanta Olympics, ending a 16-year individual medal drought.

2000 – Karnam Malleswari creates history

At Sydney Olympics, she won bronze in weightlifting, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.

2004 – Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore’s silver in shooting

He won India's first individual silver at Athens, triggering a shooting revolution in India.

2008 – India’s first individual gold

Abhinav Bindra made history in Beijing by winning gold in the 10m air rifle - a monumental moment for Indian sports.

2008 – Boxing and Wrestling shine

Vijender Singh (boxing) and Sushil Kumar (wrestling) added bronze medals to India’s tally.

2012 – India’s best Olympics (until then)

London was a breakthrough with 6 medals:

Silver: Sushil Kumar (wrestling), Vijay Kumar (shooting)

Bronze: Gagan Narang (shooting), Mary Kom (boxing), Saina Nehwal (badminton), Yogeshwar Dutt (wrestling)

2016 – Women lead the way

P. V. Sindhu won silver in badminton

Sakshi Malik earned a bronze medal in wrestling

Dipa Karmakar, though not medaled, made history as India’s first female Olympic gymnast to reach a final

2020 (Held in 2021) – India’s best-ever medal haul

Tokyo Olympics saw India win 7 medals:

Gold: Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw)

Silver: Ravi Dahiya (wrestling), Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting)

Bronze: Lovlina Borgohain (boxing), P. V. Sindhu (badminton), Bajrang Punia (wrestling), Men’s Hockey Team

2024 – India at Paris Olympics

A total of 117 Indian athletes formed the contingent at the Paris 2024 Olympics, held from July 26 to August 11. India competed across 16 sports and took part in 69 medal events.

India won six medals — one silver and five bronze — marking its third-best Olympic medal haul after Tokyo 2020 and London 2012.

Medal winners:

Silver: Neeraj Chopra (javelin throw)

Bronze: Manu Bhaker (shooting), Manu Bhaker & Sarabjot Singh (shooting), Swapnil Kusale (shooting), Aman Sehrawat (wrestling), Men’s Hockey Team

Key highlights:

Manu Bhaker became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal and the first Indian to win two medals at a single Olympic edition.

Swapnil Kusale’s medal made shooting India’s biggest medal-winning sport in Paris.

The Indian men’s hockey team matched their Tokyo 2020 bronze success.

Neeraj Chopra added a silver to his gold from Tokyo, becoming India’s most successful individual Olympian.

Aman Sehrawat became India’s youngest-ever Olympic medalist.

Legacy and Beyond

India’s Olympic journey reflects the nation’s evolution—from colonial beginnings to a confident, rising sporting power. From the sprinting tracks of 1900 to the javelin podium in Paris, each chapter tells a story of perseverance, identity, and pride.

Olympic Day is more than a celebration of sports; it’s a reminder of what India can achieve with vision, investment, and belief.

As we cheer for the next generation of Olympians, this timeline serves both as a tribute and a call to action—to build a sporting nation worthy of its billion dreams.