Commonwealth Games: From no medals to being a powerhouse, an interactive look at India's fortunes

Zero medals. That was India’s medal haul at the 1954 Commonwealth Games, the first time they competed in the CWG after gaining independence. [caption id=“attachment_4263017” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Sushil Kumar. Reuters[/caption] They had won a bronze at the 1934 British Empire Games — from which the modern Commonwealth Games came into being. However, at the modern Commonwealth Games, their start was shaky. Just over five decades later, India, competing at home in front of delirious crowds, ended the 2010 edition with a whopping 101 medals, edging past even traditional heavyweights like England and Canada to finish second in the medals table. In these five decades, India have become a superpower at the Commonwealth Games arena — a paradigm shift brought about by sports like shooting, weightlifting and wrestling. With just under a week remaining for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, the interactive above offers an insight into how India went from being minnows at the Commonwealth Games to being one of the top contenders at the event.