Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: K D Jadhav
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question relates to India sporting history at the Olympic Games. For many years, India success was largely confined to team events in field hockey. The first individual Olympic medal for India represented a major breakthrough and is a popular fact in sports general knowledge. Knowing the name of this pioneer athlete helps candidates understand the evolution of India performance in the Olympics, especially before modern stars like Leander Paes and Abhinav Bindra.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall that Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, commonly known as K D Jadhav, won a bronze medal in wrestling at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. This was the first individual Olympic medal for independent India. Milkha Singh and P T Usha narrowly missed medals in athletics, Leander Paes won a bronze medal in tennis singles in 1996, and Abhinav Bindra later won India first individual Olympic gold in shooting in 2008. Since the question asks for the first individual medal of any colour, K D Jadhav is the correct choice.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that India early Olympic dominance was in field hockey, which is a team sport.
Step 2: Remember that the first individual Olympic medal for India came in 1952 when K D Jadhav won bronze in wrestling at the Helsinki Games.
Step 3: Note that Leander Paes bronze in 1996 and Abhinav Bindra gold in 2008 came much later and therefore cannot be the first individual medal.
Step 4: Confirm that Milkha Singh and P T Usha, despite legendary status, did not actually win Olympic medals and are remembered for their close finishes instead.
Verification / Alternative check:
Official Olympic records list K D Jadhav as the bronze medal winner in the men freestyle bantamweight wrestling event at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. This is recognised as the first individual Olympic medal for independent India. Later, Leander Paes bronze in tennis and Abhinav Bindra gold in shooting added to the list of individual medals, but they do not change the historical fact that Jadhav achievement was the first. Milkha Singh and P T Usha have no Olympic medals against their names, though they are admired for near medal performances. This confirms that K D Jadhav is the correct answer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Milkha Singh is celebrated as the Flying Sikh and came very close to a medal in the 400 metre race at the 1960 Olympics, but he did not finish in the top three.
P T Usha is known as the Payyoli Express and narrowly missed a bronze medal in the 400 metre hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Leander Paes did win an individual bronze medal in tennis at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but that was not the first individual Olympic medal for India.
Abhinav Bindra won the first individual Olympic gold medal for India in shooting at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, yet he came long after K D Jadhav first bronze.
Common Pitfalls:
Students often confuse the first individual medal with the first individual gold and therefore mistakenly choose Abhinav Bindra. Another frequent error is to pick Leander Paes because his tennis bronze is comparatively recent and better remembered by younger candidates. Some also mistakenly believe that Milkha Singh or P T Usha won medals because of their legendary status, ignoring the fact that they narrowly missed podium finishes. Reading detailed sports history and noting the colour of each medal helps avoid these common misunderstandings.
Final Answer:
The first Indian sportsperson to win an individual Olympic medal for India was K D Jadhav.
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