The 2024 Paris Olympics are only a few days away. Indian athletes will travel to Paris with big dreams and are tipped to make it India's most successful Olympics ever.
Winning an Olympic medal is no ordinary feat, especially in a country like India. Apart from the individual acclaim, an Olympic medal can inspire an entire generation of athletes, igniting their sporting passion as well as make a pathway to realise their own Olympic ambitions. Like the four-minute mile, it often takes a breakthrough athlete to show it can be done - and thus open the doors for a generation to follow.
Here, we take a look at some of those Indian sporting pioneers, who not only achieved Olympic glory for themselves but also opened the door for future champions.
Boxing
Pioneers: Vijender Singh and Mary Kom's medals in 2008 and 2012
The Olympic medals for Vijender and Mary Kom were truly path-breaking and ensured that boxing became a key sport for India when it came to Olympic medals in the future.
Back in 2008 in Beijing, Vijender became the first Indian boxer ever to win an Olympic medal. He made it to the semifinal in the 75kg category, which confirmed at least a bronze for India. Although he couldn't make it to the final, Vijender's feat was no less historic.
Similarly, Mary Kom became the first female Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal at the 2012 London Olympics. By then, Mary Kom was already a five-time world championship gold medallist and the only reason she couldn't become an Olympic medallist earlier was because women's boxing was not an Olympic sport. Like Vijender, she also made it to the semifinals in the 51kg event but couldn't go beyond. Nonetheless, it was a deserving medal for one of the icons of Indian sport.
Effect: Lovlina follows with medal in 2020 and more expected from Nikhat Zareen and co. in 2024
Vijender's medal was followed by Mary Kom's in 2012 and then Lovlina Borgohain won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. At the upcoming Paris Games, medals are once again expected in boxing with Lovlina striving for her second Olympic medal and Nikhat Zareen, a two-time world champion in the same category as Mary Kom, fighting for her first.
Path to Paris: Why Nikhat Zareen wants that Olympic medal - and has a good shot at it
Path to Paris: The spotlight, and Olympic history, beckon Lovlina Borgohain
Wrestling
Pioneer: Sushil Kumar's medals in 2008 and 2012
Back in 1952, wrestler KD Jadhav became independent India's first individual Olympic medallist, but it perhaps came too early for a young country to capitalise on. That task was accomplished by Sushil Kumar, who became India's first individual Olympic multi-medallist with wrestling medals in 2008 and 2012.
What Sushil did in Beijing 2008 was nothing short of extraordinary. He lost in the first round but showed tremendous grit to win three back-to-back bouts via repechage to clinch the bronze medal in the 66kg category. He bettered his effort in London, qualifying for the final and eventually winning the silver medal.
Effect: Wrestling now a cornerstone of India's potential Olympic medal hauls
Such was Sushil's impact and legacy that since he won in 2008, India has a wrestling medal at every Games - 2012 (Sushil), 2016 (Sakshi Malik) and 2020 (Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia).
Wrestlers are once again expected to fetch medals at Paris 2024, with the likes of Antim Panghal, Aman Sehrawat and Vinesh Phogat in contention.
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Path to Paris: After takedown of his idol, Aman Sehrawat wants his Olympic medal
Shooting
Pioneer: Abhinav Bindra's gold medal in 2008
It took a long time but in 2008, Abhinav Bindra made history by becoming India's first individual gold medallist, winning the men's 10m air rifle event in Beijing. The gold medal on his neck, the tri-colour rising high with the national anthem playing in the background is one of the iconic moments in Indian sporting history.
Four years before Beijing, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had fetched India's first shooting medal at the Athens Olympics, a silver in double trap - but Bindra's medal was the true catalyst.
Effect: India is now a powerhouse in ISSF events, with the current generation expected to bring multiple Olympic medals.
While Rathore's medal was indeed a significant feat, Bindra's gold medal resulted in big growth for rifle and pistol events. Even now, youngsters are taking up the sport inspired by Bindra's Beijing heroics.
After Bindra, shooting fetched two medals in 2012 (Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar) but have a drawn a blank since despite India becoming a powerhouse in shooting in other events, such as ISSF World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
While shooting was a disappointment in 2016 and 2020, once again there are a lot of expectations riding on shooters like Sift Kaur Samra and Manu Bhaker to end the drought at Paris 2024.
Weightlifting
Pioneer: Karnam Malleswari's path-breaking bronze medal
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. Competing in the 69kg category, Malleswari lifted a total of 240kg to win the bronze medal. That was the only medal India could win that Olympic Games.
Effect: Mirabai Chanu's silver in Tokyo and a generation of girls inspired to take up a sport like weightlifting
Malleswari was already a two-time world champion in weightlifting but by winning an Olympic medal, she became a national hero and gave much-needed recognition to the sport of weightlifting. She certainly played a big role in inspiring the next generation of weightlifters, led by the 2020 Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu.
Mirabai is hoping to win another medal at Paris 2024, with her sights set at a weight of over 200 kg.
Path to Paris: Mirabai Chanu goes back to basics for a shot at second Olympic medal
Athletics
Pioneer: Neeraj Chopra's gold in Tokyo
While the likes of Milkha Singh and PT Usha had made big impact at continental events, Neeraj Chopra pushed the boundary in track and field and became the only the second individual gold-medallist from the country after coming on top in javelin throw at Tokyo 2020.
Effect: Javelin throw now a popular sport across India with a new generation looking to emulate Neeraj's heroics - across multiple sports
Chopra's sensational exploits at the Olympics hugely popularised javelin throw in India, with throwers are coming through the ranks, as seen through the likes of Kishore Jena, who is already an Asian Games medallist, and DP Manu.
Chopra showed that it's possible for an Indian to win a track and field Olympic medal and hopefully Indian athletics will keep delivering in the future Games as well.
Badminton
Pioneers: Pullela Gopichand and Prakash Padukone's international success
Both Gopichand, and before him, Padukone, had their share of international success but never at the Olympic level. However, both played a big role in developing the next generation of stars who would go and achieve big things at the Olympic level.
Effect: Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu went on to win Olympic medals, with Indian badminton flourishing
National coach Gopichand was instrumental in creating a bunch of international stars capable of winning big tournaments. He was the coach when Saina Nehwal won the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics and PV Sindhu won the silver at Rio 2016. Both Padukone and Gopichand made badminton accessible to youngsters and ensured world class facilities are available to them.
Sindhu, who had already won two Olympic medals, will push to add one more in Paris under the guidance of her now mentor Padukone.
Path to Paris: Forget form, forget everything... it's time for big-game PV Sindhu
Hockey
Pioneers: Dhyan Chand and his multiple gold-winning men's hockey team (1928-1936)
For the longest time, including pre and post-independence period, India's Olympic identity was defined by their men's hockey team. Such was their dominance that they won the gold medal six times on the trot, from 1928 to 1956. They won again in 1964 and 1980 and later the bronze medal in Tokyo 2020, but it was the 1928-36 team, led by one charismatic forward Dhyan Chand, that made the country a force in hockey.
Effect: Hockey came to be regarded as India's national sport and every generation of players aims to emulate that gold-winning side
Dhyan Chand is considered to be one of the greatest ever players to have played the sport. His goal-scoring exploits led India to three gold medals while his dribbling skills baffled the country and the world. Even now, his contribution to the sport of hockey and Indian sports in general gets the deserved glorification and his birthday is being celebrated as National Sports Day.
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