The Modern Olympic Games started in 1896 in Athens, Greece but it took decades for an athlete to win a medal at the Games in individual event. Ahead of the Paris Olympics, India have 35 medals to their name and five of them were won before we became independent.
The unique story of Pritchard and his two silver medals
The 35 Olympic medals include 10 gold, nine silver and 16 bronze. But do you know that the first medal won by an India at the Olympics was won by a player of British origin? Before independence, Norman Gilbert Pritchard won the silver medal in men's 200m.
Pritchard was born in Kolkata and received his education at St. Xavier's College. In the second edition of the Summer Olympics in 1900 which took place in Paris, he won a silver medal in men's 200m. In the same edition, he won another silver medal in men's 200m hurdles.
Research by Olympic historians suggests that Pritchard was chosen to represent Great Britain after he participated in the British AAA championship in June 1900. But, the two medals he won belong to India as per the International Olympic Committee.
Hockey’s golden run
India won the first medal in a team sport. In Amsterdam Olympics 1928, India men's hockey team won the gold medal. In the following two Olympics -- Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936 -- India men's hockey team continued their gold-winning run. After the second World War, when the games resumed, the men's hockey team won gold medals at the London Olympics 1948 and Helsinki Olympics 1952.
First Indian to win medal
However, the first Indian athlete who was not from British origin won a gold medal in an individual event was in Helsinki Olympics 1952. Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav created history as he won a bronze medal at the men's bantamweight wrestling. He also became the first Indian player to win a medal at the individual event after independence. KD Jadhav is also the only Indian athlete to win a medal at Olympics but not receive a Padma Shri award.
First gold for India
India's first gold medal in an individual event came in the 21st century. Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in men's 10m air rifle shooting at Beijing 2008.
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