Independence Day Special: India's Top Ten Olympic Moments

Thursday commemorates the 78th anniversary of Indian independence. Several times during the last seven decades, Indian sportsmen have flown the Tricolour aloft at the Olympic Games. From India's first Olympic medal as an independent nation in the 1948 Games to the country's first Olympic medal in an individual event in 1952, to Abhinav Bindra being India's first individual Olympic gold medalist, Indian athletes have risen strong on several occasions.

1948: India's first Olympic gold after independence

Prior to 1948, the Indian men's hockey team had previously won three Olympic gold medals. But the triumph at the 1948 Summer Games in London will always be noteworthy since it was India's first Olympics gold post-independence. After winning all of their round-robin games, India overcame the Netherlands in the semifinals, setting up an exciting final versus Great Britain. India defeated England 4-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium thanks to Balbir Singh Dosanjh's two goals.

1952, KD Jadhav won India's first individual Olympic medal

Four years after India's historic Olympic hockey victory in London, KD Jadhav earned a bronze medal in men's freestyle bantamweight wrestling, earning India's first medal in an individual sport at the Olympics. He overcame Japanese Shohachi Ishii in the medal round.

1956: So Near, But So Far For Indian Football

The Indian football squad only appeared in the Olympics four times, and the closest they got to winning a medal was in 1956 in Melbourne.Five of the 16 eligible teams withdrew before to the final draw, making things simpler for India, who breezed through the quarterfinals. In the last eight, India defeated Australia 4-2 to go to the semifinals. However, India fell 1-4 to Yugoslavia in the semifinals and will face Bulgaria in the bronze medal match. India defeated against Bulgaria 0–3.

1980: India's final Olympic hockey gold

India last won a hockey gold medal at the Summer Olympics in 1980, in Russia. India qualified for the final after finishing second in the round robin stage. In the final, India beat Spain 4-3.

1984: PT Usha finishes fourth in Los Angeles

PT Usha, also known as Payyoli Express, came close to winning a medal in the women's 400m hurdles final at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics but fell short, finishing fourth. She missed out on the bronze medal by 1/100th of a second against Romanian Cristieana Cojocaru.

1960: Milkha Singh Pays the Price

Milkha Singh will be most recognized for finishing fourth at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. Starting as a favourite in the men's 400m final, the Indian led until the 200m mark before dropping off to finish fourth.

2000: Karnam Malleswari writes history

Karnam Malleswari is an inspiration to all Indian girls who have pursued a career in sports. Malleswari won bronze in the women's 69kg event at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, lifting 110kg in snatch and 130kg in total. She became the first Indian woman, as well as the first Indian male or female weightlifter, to win an Olympic medal.

2008. Abhinav 'Gold' Bindra

Abhinav Bindra put India on the world map when he won the country's first individual gold medal at the Olympics in the men's 10m air rifle shooting competition. Bindra received the coveted Olympic Order from the International Olympic Council (IOC) at the 142nd IOC Session in Paris. 2020: Neeraj Chopra's Golden Arm

Neeraj Chopra made history in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when he threw his spear 87.58m to become India's first individual Olympic gold medalist in athletics, and the second after Abhinav Bindra to earn an individual gold medal on the sport's biggest platform.

2024: Manu Bhaker's Double Delight

Following an equipment breakdown during the Tokyo Olympics, shooter Manu Bhaker made history as the first Indian female shooter to earn an Olympic medal. She won bronze in the women's 10m Air Pistol event, then another bronze two days later in the mixed 10m Air Pistol event with Sarabjot Singh. She became the first Indian post-Independence to win two medals in a single Olympics.