Name: Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav
Hometown: Satara, Maharashtra
Event: Bantamweight (freestyle wrestling)
Medal: Bronze
Olympics: 1952 Helsinki Games
India’s first individual Olympic medal post-independence.
First Olympic medal in wrestling for India — and the only one for 44 years until Leander Paes (1996) and later Sushil Kumar (2008).
Defeated wrestlers from Mexico, Canada, and Germany in a grueling schedule with minimal rest between bouts — something that later drew admiration for his endurance.
Despite limited facilities, Jadhav trained under extreme conditions and with immense self-discipline.
After his wrestling career, he served in the police force.
His achievements were under-recognized for decades, but his legacy has since been honored through:
K.D. Jadhav Wrestling Stadium in New Delhi (part of the IG Stadium complex)
Calls for him to be awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously
Competed at the 1948 London Olympics – placed 6th, narrowly missing a medal. 🇫🇮 1952 Helsinki – clinched the bronze, etching his name in history.
