*The world’s largest democracy wins fewer medals per person than any other country. It’s been priced out of its most competitive sport, but could national priorities also play a role? *India is a big deal. It has the world’s second-largest population and its ninth largest economy; it’s the biggest democracy in existence and one of the oldest nations in history. But India is not very good at winning Olympic medals. What could be the reasons? Genes, No Determination, No Infrastructure, Corruption?
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
Because Indians simply dont play most of the "sports" that are part of the Olympics.
A very small % do. So the population argument is flawed.
The specific games and track and field events are not famous in India.. not enough infrastructure.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
And there are many more vegetarians in India ... Not that I am making any connection
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
yeah kinda hard to make that connection when our meat-lover neighbour is even more of a daalkhor on the medal tally. 
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
If chess was an Olympic event...
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
Also holds record for maximum # of people who lost power in a 24-h span. Top that.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
It starts from the basic fact that there are very few programs for kids. NOW they have started developing organizations that nurture talented children. Hopefully a few years down the road we'll see better programs with less corruption where a talented child can receive untainted training for national and international events.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
I think it is a matter of time before India make an upward surge on the medals table. Probably by 2024 they will be somewhere in the top 15.
I think all the ingredients are there; currently it's a matter of mind set. Rather than changing the mindset of the current people, we have to wait for the next generation which will be much more open to sports. This is kind of the development that China went through in the last 16-20 years.
It's a pity that probably Pakistan will keep on lagging behind even by 2024.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
After doing an engineering or a medical degree, there is a system that observes you, and you can live of it for decades. Cricket seems to have such a system. A lot cricketers, even the ones that only play ranji cricket end up as coaches, a profession that pays them reasonably well. Can other sports persons in countries like India earn a living of the sports they play?Not just the top ones, but mostly the ones that don't get anywhere close to the top. Someone should do a study and if it is positive, a lot of Indian parents will be brave enough to let their kids take up sports as a full time profession(a lot of Indian sports people i believe are not full time sporting professionals), which i think is necessary to win medals in competition like the Olympics.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
..
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
it’s because we don’t LIKE medals…i don’t for sure! 
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
Saina Nehwal gets bronze in women's badminton. ( opponent quit due ti injury after winning 1st game). Saina played with quiet deter.inaction throughout the tournament - showing she belonged at the top. This is progress. While Prakash Padukone was a. Champion in mid 70s his women counterparts were nowhere near the elite status. This is progress.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
Most of games and sports gear become very costly. How a farmer or a labour can put money into developing his son or daughter as athlete or sportsman. so most of the youth thinks either of cricket or no sports.
Further sports is not a safe career so many parents would not proof of it. You know only few out of thousands reach to the top hence making a good living out of sports.
Above are applicable for both india and PK
For PK one more factor is that female sports activity is not very much in. only a small percentage of girls go inot sports hence it is not very much competitive.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
Let us travel back 30 years in time. India had won the gold medal in men's Field Hockey with Basksran as captain. In 1981 I went to see a field hockey game in the Madras league. Baskaran if I recall was representing Southern Railways. His teammate was VJ Phillips Indian Olympian in 1972 and 1976 and captain in one of the Olympics ( to best of my recollection).
The stadium was not very large. After the game Baskaran and teammates were seated naear the sidelines about 20 yards from me. A 12-14 yr boy was serving each player a cup of tea from a metal container with tap at bottom.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
Most of the Olympic sports have Greek history. Many sports were never played in India. There will never be Olympics for Kabaddi, Kho Kho, Mal khamb etc.
For events like swimming , there is no enough water to drink. Forget building swimming pools.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
Phillips finished his cup and asked for a 2nd cup. Boy: illai saar uru kappu daan. Sorry sir only one cup.
Baskaran screamed and asked the kid - idu yaaru theriyuma? Oru kappu kudu
do you know who he is? Give him one more cup.
While India govt rewards the already super rich cricketeers with huge dash payments for winning world cup.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
In the university we used to play field hockey and sometimes would have friendly matches with central reserve police force (crpf). Those guys were tough and rugged. Would easily take us on the wrong side - but had discipline not to hit us. Whereas we would try to hit them if they were on wrong side. The skill level and way they toyed with us was justt amazing. The 20 yr guy who was in charge of equipment could outplay all of us. ( when I visited 20+ yrs later he had the same job). There werecothrr kids about 5-6 yrs younger than him - once in a while if there were nit enough players - they would join. The stuff they could do with the hockey stick.
There is talent - but it does not get a chance.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
This applies to both India and Pakistan
- Lack of government funding or initiative on the promotion of sport apart from national craze (cricket) and hockey
- Lack of sports facilities in most primary and secondary schools and outside of schools premises
- Lack of fitness culture/affordable fitness clubs and healthy eating
- Lack of support and encouragement for sports by parents (most still obsessed with making their children doctors and engineers! 'kya medicine nahin pasand, chalo engineering kar lo')
- Lack of role models in gymnastics, athletics and swimming
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
That will change one day.
Re: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals?
Historically India has been the best in each of the following sports
Archery - Arjuna Karna Sri Ramachandra Krishna Bhishma Drona
horse riding - Sahadeva
Fencing (otherwise known as sword fighting) Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, Bhutisravas, Nakula
Javelin throw- Yudhishthira's specialty
Weight lifting - Bhima
Long jump - Hanuman, Angada
Triple jump - same as above.