In 1900, India for the very first time participated with a lone athlete (Norman Pritchard) in the world renowned sports event, The Olympics. That year Pritchard, an Indian born out of the Raj, won two medals in Athletics. The first Indian team followed twenty years later to participate in the Summer Olympics games in 1920. Since then India has participated in every Summer Games and also competed at several Winter Olympic Games (since 1964).

Indian Athletes have won a total of 17 medals, mostly in the field of hockey.

The Indian men's hockey team was dominant in Olympics competition, winning eleven medals in twelve Olympiads between 1926 and 1980, including six successive gold medals from 1928-1956.

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