The onset of the 2024 Olympic Games will mark 100 years of the event returning to Paris. For India, it will mark a century since its first representation at the games. India’s first representative in the Olympics was Norman Pritchard. The athlete bagged 2 silver medals at the 1900 Paris Olympics, competing in the 200m sprint and 200m hurdle. Moving ahead, India’s first multi-sport contingent in the Olympics participated in the 1920 Antwerp Games. A century into the Olympics, India has registered 35 medals across 9 disciplines. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics proved India’s best foray into the Olympics. The contingent brought 7 medals home, including the first-ever track-and-field gold medal. The final medal haul consisted of 4 bronze, 2 silver, and a gold medal won by Neeraj Chopra in the javelin throw. This time, the Indian contingent will compete in 16 disciplines in Paris.

Read below to find out how many disciplines has the Indian contingent won an Olympic medal in:

1. Men’s Hockey - 12 Medals (8 Gold, 3 Bronze, 1 Silver)

Field hockey displays India’s best record in Olympic history. The men’s team earned 3 gold medals before attaining independence in 1947. Playing in the 1948 London Olympics, the Indian men’s team scripted history with another gold win. Moreover, from 1956 to 1980, the men’s team won 6 consecutive medals at the Olympic Games, including 3 gold, 2 bronze, and a silver medal.

However, the Indian squad witnessed an unprecedented medal drought in the sport, not clinching a single medal after the gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The drought finally ended in the last edition when the Indian men’s hockey team bagged a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In total, the Indian men’s side has collected 8 gold medals, 3 bronze, and a sole silver medal, which came in the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Though witnessing a steep deceleration, the men’s hockey team boasts a rich Olympics legacy. On the other hand, their counterparts, the Indian women’s team, are yet to open their account. The women’s team came in fourth in the 2020 Tokyo edition. However, the team failed to earn a qualification for the Olympic Games this time around.

2. Wrestling - 7 Medals (5 Bronze, 2 Silver)

Wrestling, in the eyes of the Indian audience, appears as the one sport that experiences Indian domination at the Olympic Games. India’s first medal in the discipline came in 1952 when KD Jadhav won the bronze medal in Helsinki. From the first medal in 1952 to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, India has added 7 medals to the tally. Sushil Kumar won India’s second wrestling medal with a bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In his next appearance, the wrestler polished his bronze into silver at the 2012 London Olympics.

In the same season, Yogeshwar Dutt also bagged a bronze in the 60 kg category. Sakshi Malik became the first Indian woman to win a medal in wrestling when she clinched a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics brought 2 medals for India in wrestling, with Ravi Dahiya winning a silver and Bajrang Punia going for a bronze. This year, India has sent 6 wrestlers in the final contingent, with both Punia and Dahiya absent from the squad.

3. Shooting - 4 Medals (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze)

Shooting holds a special place in Indian Olympic history, courtesy of Abhinav Bindra. Bindra won the first-ever gold medal for India when his fire in the 10m air rifle shooting aced the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Apart from Bindra, India has 3 more medals in its tally, with Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore winning a silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics in double trap shooting. The London Olympics featured 2 medals for India in the discipline, with Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang winning a bronze each in rapid pistol shooting and 10m air rifle shooting, respectively.

4. Badminton - 3 Medals (1 Silver, 2 Bronze)

India has won 3 medals in badminton in the Olympic Games. Saina Nehwal became the first-ever badminton winner for India when she bagged the bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. PV Sindhu followed suit, winning a silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Adding to the heroics, Sindhu became the first two-time woman athlete to win a medal twice when she clinched a bronze in the last season. Badminton’s men’s medal cabinet stands empty as of yet.

5. Boxing - 3 Medals (3 Bronze)

India has won 3 medals in boxing, with Vijender Singh opening the tally with a bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The other 2 are accredited to Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain. Kom became the first Indian female boxer to win an Olympic medal, clinching a bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. Borgohain, meanwhile, brought a bronze home from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Apart from these, India has won 2 medals in weightlifting and a single one in tennis. Karnam Malleswari brought the first medal for India in weightlifting. Malleswari won a bronze medal in the 54 kg category at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The second medal, meanwhile, came in Tokyo when Mirabai Chanu claimed a silver in the 49 kg category. Now credited as one of the greatest Indian sportspersons, Leander Paes is the sole Olympics winner for India in tennis. Paes etched history at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when he won a bronze medal.

In track and field, India has 3 medals. The first two came in the earliest season when Norman Pritchard won 2 silvers at the 1900 Paris Olympics. Officially the third but famously regarded as the first came in Tokyo. Neeraj Chopra became a national sensation when he won the first track-and-field gold medal for India. Chopra’s 87.58 meters throw in javelin is still fresh in the memories of every Indian viewer. Chopra’s medal is India’s only second gold in Olympic history.

The Indian Contingent for the 2024 Paris Olympics

India has sent 117 athletes to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 117 players will represent the country across 16 disciplines. The contingent consists of 29 players for athletics, with 18 men and 11 women athletes. Moreover, the Badminton squad has 7 players while the Boxing squad has 6 representatives. Additionally, 21 players will participate in archery while Table Tennis will feature 8 Indian players.

Discplines like Weightlifting, Judo, Rowing, and Equestrian will have 1 athlete each. The 2024 Paris Olympics will commence on July 26th with the opening ceremony, where PV Sindhu and table tennis star Sharath Kamal will carry the Indian flag. However, India’s schedule will start a day prior with the men and women archers competing in the ranking rounds on July 25th.