Indians To Win A Gold Medal In Olympics

Winning a Gold medal in the Olympics is a lifetime achievement for athletes and teams around the world. Athletes work rigorously with discipline for years to clinch a medal in the prestigious Olympic competition. India made their Olympics debut 124 years back in 1900 and it took them 28 years to win their first Gold Medal in the 1928 Olympics in Men’s Hockey in Amsterdam. However, ace shooter Abhinav Bindra bagged the first Gold medal as an individual for India in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.

List of Indians To Win A Gold Medal In Olympics

Let’s check out Indians To Win A Gold Medal In Olympics –

1928 Olympics Amsterdam 

Team India won its first-ever Gold medal in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. After winning all the games in the group stage, India faced the hosts Netherlands in the finals and beat them by 3-0. Major Dhyan Chand led the team from the front with a staggering fifteen goals. 

1932 Olympics Los Angeles

In the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, India clinched their second-ever Gold medal as well as in men’s hockey, defeating Japan by winning all two games in the event. Only three teams including the USA participated in the edition. 

1936 Olympics Berlin

A total of 11 teams took part in men’s hockey in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. India remained unbeaten throughout the event and hammered the hosts in the finals by 8-1. Major Dhyan Chand again netted the most goals in the edition with 13 goals. 

1948 Olympics London

India earned their first Gold Medal as an Independent nation in the 1948 Olympics in London when they beat the hosts Great Britain by 4-0. Before that, India overcame the Netherlands by 2-1 in the semis. Balbir Singh Sr. led a new generation of players who exhibited their dominance in the world and signified an identity to India. 

1952 Olympis Helsinki

Indian men’s team’s Gold in hockey in the 1952 Olympics was their 5th consecutive Gold in the global event. Under the leadership of Balbir Singh Sr., India secured the top spot after thrashing the Netherlands by 6-1 in the ultimate bout and Balbir Singh accumulated an incredible five goals in the game. 

1956 Olympics Melbourne

This time India beat their arch-rival in any sport Pakistan in the finals to win their sixth Gold medal on a trot in men’s hockey in Melbourne. This is the second-highest winning streak in a team sport in the Olympics. 

2008 Beijing Olympics

In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra became the first individual Indian to clinch a Gold medal in the 10m air rifle event. In the qualification round, he fired 60 shots and scored 596 points, advancing into the final round. Then Bindra fired 10 shots in the final with the best score of 10.8 and accumulated a staggering 700.5 in total to win the Gold. 

2020 Tokyo Olympics

The 2020 Olympics was the beginning of a golden chapter in the history of India’s track and field. Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian track and field athlete to win a Gold medal in Men’s Javelin with a colossal throw of 87.58 meters in the finals. Then 22-year athlete even topped the qualification round with an 86.65 meters shot.