1952 – Khashaba Jadhav, the first Indian to win an individual Olympic medal for India
Khashaba Jadhav was the first individual winner for India in an Olympic sport. He achieved this feat by winning a bronze at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He won his Olympic medal after defeating players from Mexico, Canada and Germany. Born in a family of wrestlers, Jadhav was a child prodigy who gained attention with his first wrestling bout at the age of eight which he won in just two minutes against a local champion wrestler.
Ironically, Jadhav returned home unnoticed and was greeted by his villagers.