Sports & Olympic Medals
Haryana GK · खेल और ओलंपिक पदक · 18 facts
Haryana is called the 'Cradle of Wrestlers' and 'Sports Nursery of India'; it produces the highest number of Olympic medals among Indian states per capita.
Sushil Kumar, from Baprola, Delhi (of Haryana heritage), won 2 Olympic medals: Bronze at Beijing 2008 and Silver at London 2012 — both in freestyle wrestling.
Bajrang Punia from Jhajjar, Haryana, won Bronze at Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 65 kg freestyle wrestling and has been World No. 1 multiple times.
Vinesh Phogat from Balali, Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, was a finalist at Paris 2024 Olympics in 50 kg wrestling but was disqualified due to overweight before the final.
Sakshi Malik, from Rohtak, Haryana, won Bronze at Rio 2016 Olympics in 58 kg wrestling — becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in wrestling.
Ravi Kumar Dahiya from Nahri, Sonipat, Haryana, won Silver in 57 kg freestyle wrestling at Tokyo 2020 Olympics, becoming one of India's youngest Olympic wrestling medalists.
Neeraj Chopra, born in Khandra, Panipat, Haryana, won Gold in Javelin Throw at Tokyo 2020 Olympics — India's first athletics gold medal since 1900.
Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat, sisters from Balali, Haryana, were India's first women Commonwealth Wrestling champions; their story was told in the Bollywood film 'Dangal'.
Haryana has a dedicated sports policy — the 'Khelo Haryana Jito Haryana' scheme and provides cash prizes of up to Rs 6 crore for Olympic gold medalists.
Kapil Dev, India's 1983 Cricket World Cup-winning captain, was born in Chandigarh (shared with Haryana-Punjab) on January 6, 1959.
Haryana contributed the most medals (22 out of 61) at the CWG 2022 for India; the state dominates in wrestling, boxing, and athletics at national and international levels.
Yogeshwar Dutt from Sonipat, Haryana, won Bronze at London 2012 Olympics in 60 kg freestyle wrestling and was a Commonwealth and Asian Games champion.
Deepender Singh Hooda, a Congress MP from Rohtak, was a national-level kabaddi player; Haryana is also a leading state in kabaddi, producing many Pro Kabaddi League champions.
SAI Sonipat (Sports Authority of India, Sonipat centre) is one of India's premier sports training centres, producing champions in wrestling, gymnastics, and athletics.
Annu Rani, a javelin thrower from Baghpat (UP) but trained in Haryana, became the first Indian woman to qualify for the World Athletics Championships finals.
Haryana's boxing tradition produced Vijender Singh (Beijing 2008 Bronze, first Indian boxing Olympic medal); he is from Bhiwani, called the 'Boxing nursery of India'.
Manpreet Singh, captain of the Indian hockey team at Tokyo 2020 Olympics (Bronze medal), is from Punjab but Haryana players form a significant part of the national hockey squad.
Haryana has established the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula, which is a major sports infrastructure hub for training athletes across disciplines.