When Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem launched a 92.97m missile, you knew that India wasn’t getting gold at the Paris Olympics 2024. Neeraj Chopra, the first-ever Indian to win a gold in Athletics, was expected to defend his gold from Tokyo three years ago. The javelin star launched a season-best 89.45m throw and gave it his all but fell short.
Before Neeraj’s silver medal finish, Nisha Dahiya and Vinesh Phogat had fallen tantalizingly close to a first-place podium finish. With Reetika Hooda falling in the quarterfinal of the women’s 76kg freestyle, all hopes of getting gold in Paris have been dashed. A four-year wait starts. But who’ll finally get another gold medal for India? The answer to this question might be India’s most popular sport: cricket.
Cricket to shine in the Olympics for India
Last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that cricket would make a return to the Olympics after 128 years. That means that the Indian cricket team could break the gold medal jinx at the LA 2028 Olympics. It won’t just be the men but also the women who’ll be going as red-hot favourites.
Currently, the Men in Blue are the reigning T20 World Cup champions, the same format that will be used in Los Angeles. The women’s team isn’t the best in the world at the moment, but they are slowly getting there. The Indian men will play one more T20 World Cup (2026), while the women will participate in two (2024 and 2026).
The T20 format in itself is played the most in international cricket, and with the IPL and WPL present, they’ll only get better going forward. It’s safe to say that there won’t be a big shock if cricket breaks the gold medal jinx in 2028 and that cricket’s reintroduction at the Olympics gives India their 11th gold medal.
India’s Gold Medals at Olympics
| Name/Team | Olympics | Sport | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s Field Hockey Team | 1928 Amsterdam | Field hockey | Men’s | 26 May 1928 |
| Men’s Field Hockey Team | 1932 Los Angeles | Field hockey | Men’s | 11 August 1932 |
| Men’s Field Hockey Team | 1936 Berlin | Field hockey | Men’s | 15 August 1936 |
| Men’s Field Hockey Team | 1948 London | Field hockey | Men’s | 12 August 1948 |
| Men’s Field Hockey Team | 1952 Helsinki | Field hockey | Men’s | 24 July 1952 |
| Men’s Field Hockey Team | 1956 Melbourne | Field hockey | Men’s | 6 December 1956 |
| Men’s Field Hockey Team | 1964 Tokyo | Field hockey | Men’s | 23 October 1964 |
| Men’s Field Hockey Team | 1980 Moscow | Field hockey | Men’s | 29 July 1980 |
| Abhinav Bindra | 2008 Beijing | Shooting | Men’s 10m Air Rifle | 11 August 2010 |
| Neeraj Chopra | 2020 Tokyo | Athletics | Men’s Javelin Throw | 7 August 2021 |
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