Kolkata: An Olympic medal is what every athlete dreams of when one starts their sporting career. Over the years, India has bagged a total of 28 medals at the Olympics including 9 gold medals, 7 silver medals and 12 bronze medals across various types of sports in Olympics. Being an athlete to achieve an Olympic medal in the sport for your country is something highly extraordinary. It does not only turn you into a sensation overnight but also engrave your name forever in the history books of the country’s sporting legacy.
Leander Paes holds the record of highest appearances by an Indian in Olympics. But, do you know which Indian women holds the highest Olympic appearances? Currently the highest Olympic appearances by an Indian woman is held by track athlete Shiny Abraham Wilson. Born in Idukki district of Kerala, Shiny competed in a total of four Olympics.
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Now, Sania Mirza on Shiny’s way to equal the record for the highest Olympic appearances. Sania has so far competed in three Olympic Games- 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio). As the Tokyo Olympics in the corner and thanks to her current rankings, 34-year-old tennis star is all set to equal this record with Shiny Wilson. She will be pairing Ankita Raina, India’s top ranked female singles in women’s doubles in Tokyo Olympic.
In her first Olympic Games in 2008, Mirza retired-hurt in her first-round singles match in Beijing against Iveta Benesova due to a wrist injury. At the 2012 London Olympics Mirza and her partner Rushmi Chakravarthy lost in the first round of the women’s doubles event to the Chinese Taipei pair of Chuang Chia-jung / Su-Wei Hsieh. In 2016 Rio Olympics, Mirza and partner Prarthana Thombare went down to the Chinese duo of Peng Shuai and Zhang Shuai in the first round. But it was in the mixed doubles that Mirza partnered with Rohan Bopanna, came closest to achieving her dream of an Olympic medal. Mirza and Bopanna reached the semifinals, defeating to the American duo of Venus Williams / Rajeev Ram in a super tie break and then to the Czech duo of Lucie Hradecka / Radek Stepanek in the bronze medal play off.
