India had to wait until the 13th day of the Paris Olympics to secure a medal higher than bronze, with flag-bearer Neeraj Chopra’s silver in the men’s javelin sending a wave of celebration tinged with relief through the medal-starved country.
India sent a contingent of 117 athletes to Paris, yet have a paltry haul of five bronze medals and Chopra’s solitary silver to show for it. They rank 71st in the medals table, below the likes of Hong Kong, Taiwan, North Korea, Cuba and Saint Lucia – a Caribbean island of just 180,000 people.
It’s a disappointing return to the norm for a country that registered its best-ever performance at the last Games in Tokyo in 2021: seven medals, including one gold. For the most populous nation on Earth, a sports-mad country of 1.4 billion which also boasts the world’s fifth largest economy, it’s a record as frustrating as it is puzzling.
India have won just two golds in the last three decades: the men’s 10m rifle shooting at Beijing 2008 and Chopra’s javelin heroics three years ago. Until Tokyo, it had won a grand total of 28 medals across 36 Olympics, the same tally as the individual record of American swimmer Michael Phelps.
Speaking to The Independent, experts and former Indian Olympians explain that there’s no one quick fix that could bring the country a gold rush at Los Angeles 2028. Widespread poverty and malnourishment remain serious issues preventing millions of young people from reaching their sporting potential – but there is also a chronic lack of investment even at the elite level in the country.
This story is from the August 12, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 12, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'Fight days are for fighting, not chatting to each other'
This Saturday, Joshua Buatsi will share a card with his friend Anthony Joshua for the fourth time, boxing Willy Hutchinson for an interim title at Wembley. Alex Pattle gets the lowdown
F1 title opening could prove to be Norris's only chance
Under the afternoon sun on Saturday in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, it felt like the moment the drivers’ title slipped away from Lando Norris.
The Man City hearing must answer these two questions
Amid all of the uncertainty around the Manchester City investigation, there is one view that can be stated with confidence as it finally gets under way.
Super clubs have nothing to fear from Uefa's shake-up
As a new Champions League format makes its debut today, Miguel Delaney looks at what it means for the competition
Final messages from Titan before implosion revealed
“All good here.”
New Zealand's bird of the year picked up by a penguin
A rare, smelly and yellow-eyed penguin species has been crowned New Zealand’s bird of the year for the second time in less than a decade.
Death toll rises as floods devastate central Europe
The death toll across central Europe from the worst flooding in decades has risen to at least 16 after Storm Boris brought a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours.
Germany reimposes border controls to tackle migration
Germany has reintroduced checks on all nine of its land borders in a move that has angered a number of its neighbours – but brought praise from the far right.
Putin boosts troop numbers as missiles pummel Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin yesterday ordered the regular size of the Russian army to increase by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million soldiers, the third time he has expanded its ranks since sending the military into Ukraine in February 2022.
'I figured he must be either dead or in prison by now...'
Those who know Ryan Routh talk of his previous 'escapades'
