From Abhinav Brinda to PV Sindhu: Every First for India at Olympics

The Olympic Games represent the highest level of sporting excellence, where athletes from around the world compete. For India, participation in the Olympics has been a journey marked by dedication. Over the years, Indian athletes have broken barriers, shattered records, and carved their names in Olympic history. From Abhinav Bindra to PV Sindhu, each athlete's first has not only been a personal achievement but also a milestone for Indian sports. Let's take a journey through Every First for India at Olympics.

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With the Olympic year now upon us, there are many more Indian milestones to celebrate before the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024 which will be held on the banks of the River Seine on 26 July.

From Abhinav Brinda to PV Sindhu: Every First for India at Olympics

K.D. Jadhav: The First Individual Medalist After Independence

KD Jadhav became India’s first individual Olympic medallist after independence when he won bronze in the men’s bantamweight (57kg) freestyle at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He made his Olympic debut at London 1948 where he finished in sixth place. KD Jadhav was initially not a part of the Indian Olympic squad for the 1952 edition, but he defeated the national champion Niranjan Das thrice to convince the authorities and get selected.

Abhinav Brinda: The First Individual Gold Medalist

Abhinav Bindra won India's first-ever individual Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the Men's 10m Air Rifle event, he secured a near-perfect score of 700.5 during his final shot, earning him the gold medal and making him India's first individual Olympic champion. Bindra missed his chance for a medal in 2004 at Athens.  After some hard work and determination, he headed for the Beijing Olympics and achieved this significant milestone for India in the field of sports and brought immense pride to the nation.

Norman Pritchard: The First Individual Multi-medalist 

Norman Gilbert Pritchard, a Kolkata-born athlete competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France, the second edition of the Summer Olympics. He is considered India's first Olympic medalist, having won two silver medals in athletics events. At the 1900 Olympics, the British-Indian athlete competed in five events which were 60m, 100m, 200m, 110m hurdles, and 200m hurdles. He won silver medals in the 200-meter sprint and the 200-meter hurdles. Pritchard also became the first Asian-born athlete to win a medal at the Games.

Sushil Kumar: The First Individual Multi-medalist after Independence

Sushil Kumar was the first Indian wrestler to win multiple individual Olympic medals after independence. He made his Olympic debut at Athens 2004 but bowed out after losing both his bouts in the elimination round of the 60kg division. After that, Sushil Kumar sacrificed a lot to make his wrestling dream come true and first created waves with bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Four years after his bronze in Beijing, Sushil Kumar clinched a silver medal at London 2012 and became the first Indian to win two individual Olympic medals.

Karnam Malleswari: The First Female Medalist

Indian weightlifter Karnam Malleswari holds the distinguished honour of being the first woman from India to win a medal at the Olympics. Her career’s crowning achievement came at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Lifting 110kg and 130kg in the ‘snatch’ and ‘clean and jerk’ categories respectively to a total of 240kg, Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win a prestigious Olympic bronze medal. The historic achievement made her an instant household name and the masses named her ‘The Iron Lady’.

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PV Sindhu: The First Female Multi-medalist

Indian badminton ace PV Sindhu is the only Indian woman to have won multiple medals at the Olympics, a silver medal in women’s singles at Rio 2016 and a bronze at Tokyo 2020. PV Sindhu built on what Saina Nehwal had achieved at London 2012 and took Indian badminton a step further by reaching the women’s singles final at the 2016 Rio Games. PV Sindhu lost the final to Spain’s Carolina Marin and finished with a silver medal after a hard-fought 83-minute title battle. Despite being the runner-up, PV Sindhu created history by becoming India's youngest individual Olympic medallist. She also became the first Indian woman to bag an Olympic silver medal. In Tokyo, Sindhu was beaten by Tai Tzu-Ying in the semi-finals and had to be satisfied with the Bronze medal.