Who was the first Indian athlete to win an individual medal at the Olympic Games?

Introduction / Context:
Olympic achievements form a major part of sports general knowledge for Indian aspirants. Understanding who first brought an individual Olympic medal to India highlights an important historical milestone and pays respect to pioneering athletes. This question asks about the first Indian athlete to win an individual medal at the Olympic Games.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on individual events, not team sports like hockey.
• The medal is at the Olympic Games, not at Asian Games or Commonwealth Games.
• Options include Milkha Singh, PT Usha, Karnam Malleswari, KD Jadhav, and Leander Paes.
• We consider the earliest individual Olympic medal won by an Indian.

Concept / Approach:
KD Jadhav won a bronze medal in wrestling at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and is recognised as the first Indian to win an individual Olympic medal. Before that, India had successes mainly in team hockey. The other listed athletes either came later in time or, in the case of Milkha Singh and PT Usha, narrowly missed medals.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Indian hockey teams had won gold medals earlier, but those were team medals.Step 2: Focus on individual medals and remember the wrestler KD Jadhav at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.Step 3: Note that Milkha Singh and PT Usha were famous athletes who came close but did not win Olympic medals.Step 4: Recognise that Karnam Malleswari and Leander Paes won individual medals much later than 1952.Step 5: Conclude that KD Jadhav is the first Indian to win an individual medal at the Olympics.

Verification / Alternative check:
Olympic records and Indian sports history sources state that KD Jadhav won a bronze medal in wrestling in 1952, marking the first individual Olympic medal for India.Later medal winners are listed after him in chronological order, confirming that he was the first.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Milkha Singh is an iconic sprinter but finished fourth in the 400 meters at the Rome Olympics and did not secure a medal. PT Usha famously missed a bronze in hurdles by a very small margin. Karnam Malleswari was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting, but this was later than Jadhav achievement. Leander Paes won a bronze medal in tennis in 1996, again much later in history.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners wrongly assume that modern famous names like Karnam Malleswari or Leander Paes were the first individual medal winners, forgetting the earlier achievement of KD Jadhav. Another pitfall is confusing near misses with actual medals, such as in the case of Milkha Singh or PT Usha. Careful attention to dates and recognition of Jadhav contribution is essential.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is KD Jadhav, the first Indian athlete to win an individual medal at the Olympic Games.