India competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. [1] A total of 83 athletes, 60 men and 23 women, competed in 13 sports. Men's field hockey was the only team-based sport in which India was represented in these Olympic Games. India also marked its Olympic return in weightlifting, after the International Weightlifting Federation imposed a two-year suspension for the nation's athletes because of a doping scandal in Beijing.
The Indian team featured several Olympic medalists from Beijing, including rifle shooter and Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, who failed to advance into the final rounds of his event in London. Wrestler and Olympic bronze medalist Sushil Kumar, chosen by the Indian Olympic Association to be the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony, managed to claim another medal by winning silver in the men's freestyle wrestling.
This was India's 2nd most successful Olympics in terms of total medals, they won a total of 6 medals (2 silver and 4 bronze), doubling the nation's previous record (3 medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics). Two medals were awarded to athletes in shooting and wrestling. Female Indian athletes won two Olympic medals in one Games for the first time. The two athletes were badminton player and world junior champion Saina Nehwal, who became the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic bronze medal in the women's singles, and boxer Mary Kom, who lost to Great Britain's Nicola Adams in the semi-final match and received a bronze medal in the first ever women's flyweight event.
Fourteen Indian athletes qualified for the Athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).:[3][4]
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; Q=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Eleven Indian shooters qualified for the London Olympics, with seven male and four female competitors. India had earned 11 quotas in shooting events.[11] India has been most successful in this category this year with Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar winning bronze and silver medals respectively.
An unknown woman in civilian attire was seen walking at the head of the Indian Olympic team's march past during the Parade of Nations. Her presence attracted media attention throughout India and raised questions about security at the Olympic Games. The woman was subsequently identified as Madhura Nagendra (incorrectly referred to by some sources as Madhura Honey[19][20]), a graduate student from Bangalore living in London[21] and a dancer in a segment of the opening ceremony co-ordinated by Danny Boyle.[22] The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games issued an apology to the Indian contingent over the incident and revoked Nagendra's Olympic security accreditation.[23] On her return to India, Nagendra issued a public apology for her "error of judgement".[24]
Boxing
Boxer Sumit Sangwan lost a closely contested bout 14–15 against Yamaguchi Falcao Florentino of Brazil in the light heavyweight category round of 32. The ESPN commentators described the loss as "daylight robbery".[25] India's acting chef-de-mission Brigadier P. K. M. Raja, on the insistence of Sports Minister Ajay Maken, lodged an unsuccessful appeal against the judges' decision believing he had won.[26]
A win by Vikas Krishan in the welterweight pre-quarters was overturned after an appeal by the opponent Errol Spence. The Indian was given four penalty points and the score was changed from 11–13 to 15–13 in favour of Errol Spence.[27] The decision was overturned citing the nine holding fouls committed by the Indian boxer in the third round and for spitting out the gumshield intentionally. As the jury's decision was final, no further appeal by the Indians were permitted. India through its Acting Chef de Mission Brigadier PKM Raja approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)[28] but the appeal was rejected.[29]
Boxer Manoj Kumar lost his pre quarterfinal light welterweight bout against Great Britain's Tom Stalker in a controversial manner. The boxer was at the wrong end of some of the judging calls and he cried "cheating" openly before leaving the boxing arena.[30]
Badminton
Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa missed out on a badminton - women's doubles quarterfinal berth by a difference of one point after tying with Japan and Taipei on points. Prior to India's final group game, the Japanese partnership of Mizuki Fujii and Reika Kakiiwa lost to Chinese Taipei's Cheng Wen Hsing and Chien Yu Chin. On behalf of the Badminton Association of India, a protest was lodged saying that the match between Japan and Chinese Taipei was fixed and that Japan had deliberately lost that match in order to have a better draw in the next round. The Indian appeal was turned down by force.[31][32]
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