Categories: Sports

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav 97th birth Anniversary, wrestler honoured by Google Doodle

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav honoured by Google Doodle

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, an Indian wrestler, celebrated his 97th birthday on January 15 with a Google Doodle. Jadhav, a.k.a. “pocket dynamo,” is renowned for becoming the first athlete from an independent India to take home an Olympic medal.

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Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav: The Pocket Dynamo

  • An Indian athlete by the name of Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav.
  • His most notable accomplishment was winning a bronze medal in wrestling at the Helsinki Summer Olympics in 1952.
  • Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was the first athlete from an independent India to take home an Olympic medal.
  • Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was the first individual athlete from independent India to take home an Olympic medal after Norman Pritchard, who won two silver medals in the sport in 1900 while competing for colonial India.
  • Prior to Khashaba, India would only take home gold in the team sport of field hockey.
  • Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav is the only medalist from India who never won a Padma Award. Khashaba distinguished himself from other wrestlers of his era by being incredibly quick on his feet.
  • Rees Gardner, an English coach, noticed this quality in Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav and worked with him before the 1948 Olympics.
  • Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was a native of Karad’s nearby Goleshwar village.
  • In 2000, Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav received the Arjuna Award posthumously in recognition of his contributions to wrestling.

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Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav Age and Early Life

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was born on 15 January 1926 and passed away on 14 August 1984, at the age of 58.

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was the youngest of five sons of famed wrestler Dadasaheb Jadhav and was born in the village of Goleshwar in the Karad taluka of the District Satara in Maharashtra State. Between 1940 and 1947, Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav attended Tilak High School in Karad Taluka, Satara District. Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was raised in a home where wrestling was a way of life.

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav took part in the Quit India Movement, giving the rebels refuge and a place to hide while also disseminating letters critical of the British. On August 15, 1947—Independence Day, Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav made a decision to raise the tricolour flag at the Olympics.

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Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav Later life and Death

Jadhav won multiple wrestling matches held by the police force after joining as a sub-inspector in 1955. In addition to this, he retired as an Assistant Police Commissioner and taught sports to national athletes. Jadhav’s efforts grew hazy with time. The national hero’s life ended in agony when he was killed in a car accident on August 14, 1984. His untimely death was not what he deserved, but his triumphant performance and his earnest efforts will always be remembered.

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav Game and Career

  • Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav began his wrestling career in 1948, and his first big break came at the 1948 London Olympics, where Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav placed sixth in the flyweight division.
  • Up till 1948, Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was the first Indian to place so highly in the individual category.
  • Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav’s sixth-place finish was no small accomplishment at the time, despite the fact that he was new to mat wrestling and the international regulations of wrestling.
  • Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav’s first experience on a large stage came in the 1948 London Olympics; the Maharaja of Kolhapur paid for his travel.
  • Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav placed sixth in the flyweight division despite having no experience grappling on a mat.

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Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav Olympic Medal

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was asked to fight Rashid Mammadbeyov of the Soviet Union after the exhausting match. According to the rules, there should have been at least a 30-minute break between fights, but as there was no Indian official on hand to argue the matter, a worn-out Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav failed to motivate, and Mammadbeyov took advantage of the opportunity to go to the final.

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav won the bronze medal on July 23, 1952, defeating the wrestlers from Canada, Mexico, and Germany to become Independent India’s first individual medal winner.

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Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav Awards and Honours

  • Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was honoured by being included in the torch relay during the Asian Games in Delhi in 1982.
  • In 1992–1993, the Maharashtra government presented a posthumous Chhatrapati Puraskar to Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav.
  • In 2000, Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav received the Arjuna Award posthumously.
  • In recognition of his accomplishment, the newly constructed wrestling facility for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi bears Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav’s name.
  • On his 97th birthday anniversary, January 15, 2023, Google honoured Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav with a Google Doodle.

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FAQs

Who is the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic medal?

The first Olympian from independent India to win an individual medal was Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav or K D Jadhav.

Where was Khashaba Jadhav born?

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was the youngest of five sons of famed wrestler Dadasaheb Jadhav and was born in the village of Goleshwar in the Karad taluka of the District Satara in Maharashtra State.

How did the people in Khashaba Jadhav village welcome him?

Five fights were won by Khashaba Jadhav in Helsinki. Khashaba was welcomed by the villagers of his village with a parade of 151 bullock carts.

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