First in India – Awards (Sports & Games)

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This post list the Awards & Honors (Sports & Games) section of the First in India Series. First in India is an important section for many competitive exams like IBPS, RBI, RRB, UPSC, KAS, PSC, etc, so we'll be updating these sections based on the current affairs.  

National

  • First Sportsperson to receive Bharat Ratna – Sachin Tendulkar (2014).
  • First Sportsperson to receive Padma Vibhushan – Viswanathan Anand (2008).
  • First Sportsperson to receive Padma Shri – Dhyan Chand (Hockey, 1956). Dhyan Chand
  • First Paralympian to receive Padma Shri – Devendra Jhajharia (Javelin, 2012). 
  • First Person to receive Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna – Viswanathan Anand (1991).
  • First Indian Woman to receive Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna – Karnam Malleswari (1994).
  • First Paralympian to receive Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna – Devendra Jhajharia (Javelin, 2017).
  • First Indian Woman Para-Athlete to win Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna – Deepa Malik (Shotput, 2019).
  • First Sportsperson to receive Dronacharya Award (1985) – 
    •  Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat (Wrestling),
    •  Om Prakash Bhardwaj (Boxing),
    •  O. M. Nambiar (Athletics).
  • First Indian Woman to receive Dronacharya Award – Sunita Sharma (Cricket, 2005).
  • First Person to receive Arjuna, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, & Dronacharya Awards – P. Gopi Chand.
  • First recipients of Dhyanchand Lifetime Achievement Award (2002) – 
    • Aparna Ghosh (Basketball),
    • Ashok Diwan (Hockey),
    • Shahuraj Birajdar(Boxing).
  • First Para-Athlete to win Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award – Satyendra Singh Lohia (2020).

International

  • First Indian to become a World champion in any sport – Wilson Jones.
  • First Indian to win the World Amateur Billiards title – Wilson Jones (1958).
  • First Indian Gymnast to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games – Ashish Kumar (2010).
  • First Indian to win the All England Badminton Championship – Prakash Padukone (1980).
  • First Indian to receive International Cricket Council's Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy – Rahul Dravid (2004).

Olympics

Olympics Winners of India
  • First Athlete to win an Olympic Medal – Norman Pritchard (Silver, Athletics, 1900, British Origin).
  • First Individual Medal Winner in Olympic games – K.D. Jadhav (Bronze, Wrestling, 1956).**
  • First Olympic Gold Medal in a Team event – Field Hockey (1928).
  • First Olympic Gold Medal Winner – Abhinav Bindra (Shooting, 2008).
    • First Indian to win a Silver Medal in Shooting – Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (2004).
    • First Indian to win a Bronze Medal in Shooting – Gagan Narang (2012).
  • First Olympic Medal Winner in Tennis – Leander Paes (Bronze, 1996).
  • First Olympic Medal Winner  in Boxing – Vijendra Kumar (Bronze, 2008).
  • First Indian Woman to win a Medal in Boxing – Mary Kom (Bronze, 2012).
  • First Indian to win Olympic medals at two consecutive Olympic Games – Sushil Kumar (Bronze, 2008 & Silver, 2012).
  • First Indian Woman Wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics – Sakshi Malik (Bronze, 2016).
  • First Indian Woman to win an Olympic Medal – Karnam Malleswari (Bronze, Weightlifting, 2000).
  • First Indian Badminton Player to win an Olympic medal – Saina Nehwal (Bronze, 2012).
    • First Indian Badminton Player to win a Silver medal – P.V. Sindhu (2016).
  • First Indian to win a medal in Paralympic Games – Murlikant Petkar (Gold, Swimming, 1972).
  • First Indian Woman to win a medal in Paralympic Games – Deepa Malik (Silver, Shotput, 2016).
**It was not K.D. Jadhav who actually won a first individual medal in the Olympics (of Indian Origin), was Chintamoni Kar (Silver, Sculpting) in the 1948 London Olympics. It was the last time art competitions were a part of the Olympics. But he competed under the British flag.

Tennis

  • First Indian to win Junior Australian Open – Yuki Bhambri (2009).
  • First Indian to win Grand Slam Title – Mahesh Bhupati (French Open Mixed doubles 1997, with Rika Hiraki).
  • First Indian Woman to win Grand Slam Title – Sania Mirza (Australian Open Mixed Doubles 2009, with Mahesh Bhupati).
  • First Indian to win Junior Grand Slam Title – Ramanathan Krishnan (Wimbledon, 1954).
  • First Indian Woman to win Junior Grand Slam Title – Sania Mirza (Wimbledon Doubles 2003, with Alisa Kleybanova). 
  • First Indian to win Junior French Open – Ramesh Krishnan (French Open & Wimbledon, 1979).

Athletics

  • First Gold Medalist on International Track – Hima Das.
  • First Indian Athlete to win a Gold Medal at the Common Wealth Games – Milkha Singh (1958).
  • First Indian Woman to win a medal at a World Event – Anju Bobby George (Bronze, IAAF World Athletics Championship, 2003).

Chess

  • First Grandmaster of India – Viswanathan Anand. Viswanathan Anand
  • First Indian woman to hold The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) titles- International Master and Woman Grandmaster – Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi.
  • First Indian to win the World Under-10 Championship – P. Harikrishna (1996).

📝 SideNotes:

  • National Sports Day – August 29 (Birthday of Dhyan Chand).
  • International Day of Sport for Development and Peace – April 6.
  • Chintamoni Kar – First Indian who won an individual Olympic Medal (Silver) in the 1948 London Olympics.
  • Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary – West Bengal, in the memory of Chintamoni Kar.
  • Pocket Dynamo is the nickname of – K.D. Jadhav.
Thanks for reading!!!