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Several Indian women have participated in the Olympics in the past. Currently the total is 5. Five women from India have won an Olympic medal and their names are as follows:- Karnam Malleswari, Mary Kom, Saina Newhwal, P.V. Sindhu & Sakshi Malik. Sakshi is a Freestyle Wrestler and she won the nation a Bronze in the Rio 2016 summer Olympics. Information for the rest can be found below.
The first Indian woman to ever win an Olympic medal was Karnam Malleswari who won a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics in the Women's 69 kg category in Weightlifting.
In the London Olympics, women's boxing was featured as a sport for the first time. India was represented by five-time world champion Mary Kom who was the only Indian to qualify for the event. However, she lost to Nicola Adams of the UK in the semi-final. She stood third in the competition and earned herself an Olympic Bronze medal. Sakshi Malik became the first Indian woman to win a medal in Wrestling. She won the Bronze medal in Women's 58 kg freestyle wrestling in 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio.Saina Nehwal was the first Indian to win a medal in Badminton at the Olympics, by winning the Bronze medal at the London Olympics 2012 on 4 August 2012. Geeta Phogat became the first ever Indian woman to qualify for the women's 55kg wrestling in the London Olympics 2012. Women's wrestling was announced in 2004.
P.V. Sindhu became the first ever Indian woman to win the Silver medal at the Olympics, by reaching the Badminton final at Rio Olympics 2016. However she lost to Carolina Marín of Spain in the final on 19 August 2016. She became the youngest Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.