India won their first ever medal at the Olympics in 1900, when the country was still under the British rule. Norman Pritchard clinched two silver medals in athletics, in that year.
Since then, India has managed to pick up 35 medals at the Olympic Games, both in team and individual sporting events.
In team sports, primarily men's field hockey, India has clinched a total of twelve medals, including eight golds. Hockey players Leslie Walter Claudius and Udham Singh Kullar share the record of winning the most number of Olympic medals - three gold and one silver. Hockey icon Dhyan Chand, meanwhile, played a hug role as India won hat-trick of golds at 1928 Amsterdam Games, 1932 Los Angeles Games and 1936 Berlin Games.
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In this article, The Sporting News looks at a list of the most decorated Indian Olympians in individual sports.
Who is the most decorated Indian Olympian?
In terms of the number of medals won at the Olympic games, Norman Pritchard (2 silver), PV Sindhu (1 silver, 1 bronze) and Sushil Kumar (1 silver, 1 bronze) are at the top of the list.
However, a gold medal is the highest and most prestigious medal at the Olympics, which has only been won by two individuals from India - Abhinav Bhindra (10m air rifle shooting at Beijing 2008) and Neeraj Chopra (Javelin throw at Tokyo 2020).
Here is a list of Indian Olympians, ranked by number of medals:
| Rank | Olympian | Event | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norman Pritchard | Athletics (200m hurdles, 200m sprint) | 2 Silver (Paris 1900) |
| 2 | Manu Bhaker | Shooting (Women's 10m Air Pistol, Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol) | 2 Bronze (Paris 2024) |
| 2 | PV Sindhu | Badminton singles | 1 silver (Rio 2016), 1 bronze (Tokyo 2020) |
| 3 | Sushil Kumar | Wrestling | 1 silver (London 2012), 1 bronze (Beijing 2008) |
| 4 | Abhinav Bhindra | 10m air rifle shooting | 1 gold (Beijing 2008) |
| 5 | Neeraj Chopra | Javelin Throw | 1 gold (Tokyo 2020) |
| 6 | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | Men's double trap shooting | 1 silver (Athens 2004) |
| 7 | Vijay Kumar | 25m rapid fire pistol shooting | 1 silver (London 2012) |
| 8 | Mirabai Chanu | Women's Weightlifting | 1 silver (Tokyo 2020) |
| 9 | Ravi Kumar Dahiya | Men's wrestling | 1 silver (Tokyo 2020) |
| 5 | KD Jadhav | Men's wrestling | 1 bronze (Helsinki 1952) |
| 6 | Leander Paes | Tennis singles | 1 bronze (Atlanta 1996) |
| 7 | Karnam Malleswari | Women's weightlifting | 1 bronze (Sydney 2000) |
| 9 | Vijender Singh | Men's Boxing | 1 bronze (Beijing 2008) |
| 10 | Gagan Narang | 10m air rifle shooting | 1 bronze (London 2012) |
| 12 | Saina Nehwal | Badminton singles | 1 bronze (London 2012) |
| 13 | Mary Kom | Women's Boxing | 1 bronze (London 2012) |
| 14 | Yogeshwar Dutt | Men's wrestling | 1 bronze (London 2012) |
| 15 | Sakshi Malik | Women's wrestling | 1 bronze (Rio 2016) |
| 17 | Lovlina Borgohain | Women's welterweight boxing | 1 bronze (Tokyo 2020) |
| 19 | Bajrang Punia | Men's wrestling | 1 bronze (Tokyo 2020) |
| 20 | Sarabjot Singh | Mixed Team's Shooting | 1 Bronze (Paris 2024) |