Indian sports has seen a massive rise in the number of it’s female athletes shining on the world stage. The past two decades have completely changed the Indian sports landscape and now there’s no stopping for our sportswomen.
Women competed for the first time at the 1900 Paris Olympics and for India, the glory came in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics, when the legendary Karnam Malleswari won bronze in weightlifting.
From the 2000 Sydney Olympics, India has won a total of 13 medals in the Olympics, of which five are won by women.
Karnam Malleswari- First Indian woman to win an Olympic medal for India
Karnam Malleswari, Indian Female Weightlifter who started a new era in Indian sports by winning a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She Lifted 240 KG which paved the path for the Indian flag to the podium.
The bronze medal created history in Indian sports as she became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic Medal ever and is the only weightlifter for India who has won an Olympic medal. No male weightlifter for India has ever won a medal at the mega event.
Saina Nehwal – India’s first-ever Olympic Badminton medallist
Indian women’s badminton finally made a mark in the Olympics in 2012, when Saina Nehwal won a bronze medal, becoming the first-ever Olympic Badminton medallist for India. She has represented India three times in the Olympics and in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Saina Nehwal reached the quarter-finals.
Also, Saina Nehwal is the only female player from India and overall the second Indian player – after Prakash Padukone – to become the World No. 1.
Saina Nehwal’s Olympic medal was truly a significant milestone for Indian badminton as it inspired future generations of Indian badminton players, especially women, to pick up the racquet and dream big.
MC Mary Kom- First Indian woman boxer to win a medal at the Olympics
MC Mary Kom has been one of India’s foremost sporting heroes in Indian sports history. She competed at the 2012 London Olympics where she won a bronze medal.
MC Mary Kom once said “People used to say that boxing is for men and not for women and I thought I will show them someday. I promised myself and proved myself.”
Mary Kom has won a medal at all eight AIBA World Boxing Championships since its inception in 2001 which includes six golds, one silver, and a bronze. Mary Kom has inspired young boxers and has brought a change in our spirit for Indian sportswomen.
On 25 April 2016, the President of India nominated Mary Kom as a member of the Rajya Sabha. In March 2017, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports appointed Mary Kom along with Akhil Kumar as national observers for boxing.
PV Sindhu – First Indian woman to stand on the Olympic podium with a silver medal
The Bronze medal in badminton at the London Olympics marked the rise of the country as a powerhouse of badminton and inspired PV Sindhu to set the bar even higher. PV Sindhu is the only sportswomen in India who has won a silver medal in Olympics.
On August 19, 2016, PV Sindhu put up a strong fight in the final at the 2016 Rio Olympics but ultimately ended up with Olympic silver. The final match brought the world and the nation to its feet.
Sakshi Malik – First Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in wrestling
Fighting against all odds Sakshi Malik chose the Olympic stage to emerge from shadows and create history. She became the first Indian women wrestler to win an Olympic medal ever.
The bronze medal match was no less than a roller coaster ride for Sakshi as she turned the match in dying seconds. She earned crucial 2 points in the final 10 sec which made her way to the Podium.
WhatsApp us