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Historically, India is the strongest nation in men’s Olympic hockey, winning 11 medals between 1928 and 1980, including a record eight gold medals, and the sport has dominated the country’s Olympic successes over the years.

Past records of India point out that hockey is the only sports, in which the country has got awesome success. Fact is that, India has won gold medal only in hockey and no other games in the Olympics. But this time Indian hockey team could not qualify for the Olympics, which has shattered the hopes of the country. Though, the hockey team is not a part of India’s Olympic squad, there are other games, in which our players can win the medal.

In events away from the hockey pitch, highlights have been rare. It wasn’t until the 1952 Games in Helsinki, Finland that freestyle wrestler Kha-Shaba Jadav earned the country its first non-hockey Olympic medal, a bronze in the 60kg division, and it wasn’t for another 44 years after that before tennis player Leander Paes earned the country another bronze in the men’s singles event at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, United States.

Weightlifter Karnam Malleswari became India’s first female Olympic medallist when she won bronze in the 69kg category at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. Shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who won silver in the double trap event at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece is India’s only other individual Olympic medallist.