Fill in the blanks: India made its Olympic debut in ________ at the 2016 Games, marking the return of the sport to the Olympics after more than a century.

Correct — D. Golf came back to the Olympics at Rio 2016, its first appearance since the 1904 Games, a gap of 112 years.

India made its Olympic golf debut there, with Anirban Lahiri and Shiv Chawrasia in the men's event and Aditi Ashok in the women's → option (d).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Swimming — Swimming has been contested at every modern Summer Olympics, so there was nothing for it to return from in 2016.
• (b)
  Rugby — Rugby did return at Rio 2016, as rugby sevens, but it had been absent only since 1924: 92 years, not more than a century.
• (c)
  Polo — Polo was dropped from the Olympic programme after 1936 and was not part of Rio 2016.

Rio 2016 brought back golf, absent since 1904, and rugby, absent since 1924 and now played as sevens.

The blank's rider, 'after more than a century', separates the two:
2016 − 1904 = 112 years for golf
2016 − 1924 = 92 years for rugby

India's first Olympic golfers were Anirban Lahiri, Shiv Chawrasia and Aditi Ashok, who went on to finish fourth at Tokyo 2020.

Key facts

• Golf returned to the Olympics at Rio 2016, its first appearance since 1904.
• India made its Olympic golf debut at Rio 2016 with Anirban Lahiri, Shiv Chawrasia and Aditi Ashok.
• Rugby union was last played at the Olympics in 1924, and rugby sevens joined at Rio 2016.
• Aditi Ashok finished fourth in women's golf at Tokyo 2020.

Common traps

• Picking rugby because it also returned at Rio 2016 — its gap was 92 years, short of a century.
• Picking polo for its Olympic past — it has not been on the programme since 1936.

No directly related past PYQ was found.