From the trailblazing Milkha Singh of the yesteryears to contemporary javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra, a handful of Indian track and field athletes have left a lasting mark over the years.
Consistent success at the Olympics and the World Athletics Championships has started emerging only recently, courtesy of Neeraj Chopra.
However, Milkha Singh’s legendary performances on the running track, PT Usha‘s dominance in Asia and long jumper Anju Bobby George‘s historic bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships played a big part in setting up the platform for the success.
Shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, the Asian record-holder and two-time continental shot put champion, has also established himself as one of the most recognisable names in Indian athletics.
Here, we take a look at some of the most famous Indian athletes who have done their country proud on the international stage.
A gold medallist at the World Championships, Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth Games as well as a Diamond League trophy winner, Neeraj Chopra has already established himself as the greatest track and field athlete to emerge from India.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, he became the first Indian track and field athlete to win an Olympic medal and only the second from the country to bag an individual gold medal after shooter Abhinav Bindra.
The javelin ace settled for the silver medal at the Oregon 22, first for India at the World Championships, but roared back to win the gold medal next year at Budapest 2023 despite heading into the tournament after just having recovered from a groin injury.
