| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Little known K.D Jadhav was the real India's first ever individual Olympic medalist when he won the wrestling Bronze Medal at the 1952 Helsinki Games. Unable to procure any grants from the national government, Jadhav's trip to Helsinki was financed by the Principal of Raja Ram College, Mr. Khardekar who mortgaged his house to get the funds needed for the trip.
Khashaba wrestling initiation began at a very tender age when he, accompanied by his father, used to watch wrestling bouts. Like many families in Maharashtra, Jadhav's too was swept into wrestling. His father Dadasaheb taught the game to his five sons, of whom Khashaba was the youngest. His physical fitness was ensured by a four mile brisk walk everyday from his residence to school. Gradually he began emerging as an undisputed wrestler in the area and soon was competing in national events.
In the 1948 London Olympics he earned the 6th place out of 42 despite the fact that International and Indian rules and regulation were different (Indian wrestlers used to win by simply putting their opponents flat on their backs. But international rules stipulated that wrestlers to be pinned needed to have their shoulders to the canvas for two seconds before a fall verdict could be considered. Fighting on a mat rather than in a mud pit also proved unsettling).
Four years later, in the Helsinki Olympics he emerged as a strong competitor, this time moving up in weight to the bantamweight class (initially flyweight). Eventually despite losing the semifinal bout, he regained his composure and defeated his opponent to finish third (Japan's Shohachi Ishii won the Gold while Soviet Union's Rashid Mamedbekov won the silver).
Despite this unique achievement he remains a largely forgotten hero in India where cricket dominates and other sports often take a backseat. After this glorious moment he slid into oblivion and despite serving in the state police, was living in poverty until he died in 1984 in a road accident. To this day no other Indian wrestler has matched his feat of standing on an Olympic podium.
Achievements  : Independent India's first individual Olympic Games medalist.
Birth Date       : January 15, 1926
Occupation      : Served in the Maharashtra police force
Hobbies : Excelled in swimming, kabaddi, weight-lighting, running, hammer throwing etc.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khashaba_Dadasaheb_Jadhav
http://sify.com/sports/olympics/fullstory.php?id=13538760&page=2