Since the 2016 Rio Olympics is just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about India at the the Olympics. When I first told some of my friends and family about this article, they were pretty shocked and responded by saying, What athletes? The nonexistent ones? Well this article is to show that there is more to our athletes than we think.

Just a little bit of history first. India first participated at the Olympic Games in 1900, with Norman Pritchard as our only athlete. He walked away with two silver medals in athletics. Our first field hockey team participated in the Summer Olympic Games in 1920, and continued to every year since then. Indian athletes have won 26 medals in all the Summer Olympics. However, we still don’t give India any credit. But here is why we should:

1. The first athlete who participated in the 1900 Paris Olympics was Norman Pritchard.

Pritchard won two silver medals for men’s 200 meters and men’s 200 meters hurdles. Funnily, he was born in my home town (Calcutta, India which is now known as Kolkata).

2. Everyone believes that cricket is India's national sport. However, it is hockey and for a good reason.

Hockey was the first sport that gave India its spotlight. From 1928-1980, Indian National Field Hockey team has been a strong contender. They won 11 medals in 12 Olympics which includes eight gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. India won six continuous gold medals from 1928-1956! Isn’t that crazy? The last gold medal was won in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The whole world was in awe as Dhyan Chand and his teammates displayed their incredible technique and skill on the field. There were thousands of fans from all over the world, making India the indisputable champions. There is also a Bollywood movie dedicated to the Field Hockey team, called “Chak De India” played by one of the most famous actors- Shah Rukh Khan. Here is the trailer:

3. We didn’t give importance to our Indian Athletes till 2008 Beijing Olympics...

Yet, Abhinav Bindra walked away with a gold in shooting, Vijender Singh with a bronze in boxing and Sushil Kumar a bronze in wrestling. This is the first time that Indians secured a place in three different events.

4. Finally, in the 2012 Olympics held in London, India secured medals in four different events, with six medals.

5. Abhinav Bindra’s name will always be remembered in the history of Indian sports as the first individual Olympic gold medalist from India.

He won the 10m Air Rifle event in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Indian government went a little crazy after our first Olympic gold, showering Bindra with many awards and endowments.

6. Sushil Kumar, a son of a driver who put his name on the map by winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He also won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

7. Karnam Malleswari was the first Indian Woman to win an Olympic medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

She also won the world weightlifting title in her class (54kgs) with a new record, by lifting 113.0kgs. In 1995 she received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour, and in 1999 the Padma Shri award.

8. KD Jadhav, also known as the forgotten hero.

Jadhav was India’s first ever Olympic medalist. He won a bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics. He is the only Indian Olympic medalist to have never received a Padma Award (the civil award). Jadhav was fleet footed, which made him different from other wrestlers of his time. To know about his story, you can check out this link.

9. Some other Indian Olympic hero are Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Leander Paes.

Rathor won a silver medal in 2004 Athens Olympics. He also became a national hero and the poster boy for the Indian army.

Leander Paes, won a bronze medal in Lawn Tennis. Paes is described as “flying jumping bean, a bundle of hyperkinetic energy” has been the touch-bearer of Indian tennis after turning professional in 1991.

10. For the 2016 Rio Olympics, India has the first highest number of athletes participating.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is sending (so far) 93 athletes, 13 more than 2012 London Olympics. Some strong contenders are Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, O.P. Jaisha, Abhinav Bindra. India will also be participating in Field Hockey (hopefully, walking away with a medal).

11. O P Jaisha, a star broke her own national record for middle and long distance running records.

She will be participating in 2016 Rio Olympics. Her story is exceptional as she comes from a poor family, some days she would even eat mud to survive, but now she is on her way to the Olympics. She is one of India’s strongest contenders. To read more about her story, click here.

12. India is leading in Field Hockey, but also not far behind in Badminton, where India is ranked 9th.

13. Even though in December 2012, IOC banned IOA due to election issues, that didn’t stop the Indian athletes. They could represent themselves in the Olympics as independent participants.

14. As a female, I am so proud of our women: Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom but Dipa Karmakar is the one to look at now.

They matched up to the men who won models in the 2012 London Olympics. However, another person who surprised us is Dipa Karmaker, a town celebrity, the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics and the first Indian gymnast to compete for 52 years. Pretty special, huh? She will be competing in the Rio Olympics, so keep your eye out for her. To read more about her link here.

15. Mostly all of our athletes are from poor backgrounds and struggle through poverty.

This increases their willpower and strength to reach the top. Karmakar talks about how she had to put mats on top of each other as they didn’t have a vaulting table. During monsoons (rainy season) the floor of the gym would flood, flying rise to rats and cockroaches. Mary Kom, KD Jadhav, OP Jaisha and many other athletes did not have facilities or lived in extreme poverty. Some still continue to.

16. Mary Kom also known as "Magnificent Mary" has an extraordinary story.

She struggled through poverty as well. But what really is irregular in athletes is that she came back to the Olympics after having children. An athlete's body changes after having children, but she is still boxing after her fourth child. There is also a Bollywood movie based on her. Priyanka Chopra, one of the most renowned actresses played her character. You can watch a trailer here:

17. One of my favorites and another one of the greatest stories is that of Milkha Singh, also known as “The Flying Sikh.”

Personally, I think his story is extremely touching and so important. Singh was orphaned, lost during the Partition of India and saw the worst of it as his family was murdered in front of him. He was first introduced to the sport while he was serving the Indian Army. He represented India in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, 1960 Rome Olympics and 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Even though he did not win any medals, he is highly regarded in India. The race for which Singh is most remembered is the 400 meters at the 1960 Rome Olympics where he finished forth. You can watch his race here:

He was also awarded the Padma Shri (India’s fourth-highest civilan honour for sports). Singh has become a sporting icon in India. In 2008, journalist Brijnath described Singh as “the finest athlete India has ever produced.” There is also a movie based on his story called “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,” here’s a link to the trailer:

18. Vijender Singh was the first boxer from India to win an Olympic medal.

Last but not the least- Singh was one of the nations favorite athlete. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Singh won his bronze medal defeating the famous Carlos Góngora Mercado of Ecaudor. After which he got side tracked and made an appearance in the Bollywood industry. However, that did not stop him. He won a bronze medal at 2009 World Championship in Milan. Singh was then represented with Rajiv Gandi Khel Ratna award (India’s highest sporting honor) and Padma Shri (the fourth highest civil award). On June, 2015, Singh decided to bid adieu to his amateur career by turning professional and he signed a multi-year agreement with Queensberrry Promotion. Therefore, he is not eligible for the 2016 Rio Olympics. To catch up on him, his next boxing tournament will be against Kerry Hope on July 16^th, don’t miss it!

Hopefully, now we will give our athletes some importance. Even though India might be behind in medals, Indians are not far behind. India is rising and hopefully will reach the top one day. Till then, we should be proud of what our Indian athletes have accomplished.