First in India – Awards (Sports & Games)

Sept 2020|🟢Current|3 min read|49 entries

Key Takeaway

This post list the Awards & Honors (Sports & Games) section of the First in India Series.

Last verified: 12 Feb 2026·Source: www.pscarivukal.com

First in India – Awards (Sports & Games)(49)

First Sportsperson to receiveBharat Ratna
Sachin Tendulkar(2014)
First Sportsperson to receivePadma Vibhushan
Viswanathan Anand(2008)
First Sportsperson to receivePadma Shri
Dhyan Chand(Hockey, 1956)
FirstParalympianto receivePadma Shri
Devendra Jhajharia(Javelin, 2012)
First Person to receiveRajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Viswanathan Anand(1991)
FirstIndianWomanto receiveRajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Karnam Malleswari(1994)
FirstParalympianto receiveRajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Devendra Jhajharia(Javelin, 2017)
First IndianWoman Para-Athleteto winRajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Deepa Malik(Shotput, 2019)
First Sportsperson to receiveDronacharya Award (1985)
Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat(Wrestling),Om Prakash Bhardwaj(Boxing),O. M. Nambiar(Athletics)
First IndianWomanto receiveDronacharya Award
Sunita Sharma(Cricket, 2005)
First Person to receiveArjuna, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, & Dronacharya Awards
P. Gopi Chand
First recipients ofDhyanchand Lifetime Achievement Award(2002)
Aparna Ghosh(Basketball),Ashok Diwan(Hockey),Shahuraj Birajdar(Boxing)
FirstPara-Athleteto win Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
Satyendra Singh Lohia(2020)
InternationalFirst Indian to become aWorld championin any sport
Wilson Jones
First Indian to win theWorld Amateur Billiards title
Wilson Jones(1958)
First IndianGymnastto win a medal at theCommonwealth Games
Ashish Kumar(2010)
First Indian to win theAll England Badminton Championship
Prakash Padukone(1980)
First Indian to receiveInternational Cricket Council's Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy
Rahul Dravid(2004)
OlympicsFirst Athleteto win an Olympic Medal
Norman Pritchard(Silver, Athletics, 1900, British Origin)
FirstIndividual Medal Winnerin 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 aSilver Medalin Shooting
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore(2004)
First Indian to win aBronze Medalin Shooting
Gagan Narang(2012)
First Olympic Medal Winner inTennis
Leander Paes(Bronze, 1996)
First Olympic Medal Winner  inBoxing
Vijendra Kumar(Bronze, 2008)
First IndianWomanto win a Medal inBoxing
Mary Kom(Bronze, 2012)
First Indian to win Olympic medals attwo consecutive Olympic Games
Sushil Kumar(Bronze, 2008 & Silver, 2012)
First IndianWoman Wrestlerto win a medal at the Olympics
Sakshi Malik(Bronze, 2016)
First IndianWoman to win an Olympic Medal
Karnam Malleswari(Bronze, Weightlifting, 2000)
First IndianBadminton Playerto win an Olympic medal
Saina Nehwal(Bronze, 2012)
First Indian Badminton Player to wina Silver medal
P.V. Sindhu(2016)
First Indian to win a medal inParalympic Games
Murlikant Petkar(Gold, Swimming, 1972)
First IndianWomanto win a medal inParalympic Games
Deepa Malik(Silver, Shotput, 2016).**It wasnot K.D. Jadhavwho actually won a first individual medal in the Olympics (of Indian Origin), wasChintamoni Kar (Silver, Sculpting)inthe 1948 London Olympics.It was the last time art competitions were a part of the Olympics. But he competed under the British flag
TennisFirst Indian to winJunior Australian Open
Yuki Bhambri(2009)
First Indian to winGrand Slam Title
Mahesh Bhupati(French Open Mixed doubles 1997, with Rika Hiraki)
First IndianWomanto winGrand Slam Title
Sania Mirza(Australian Open Mixed Doubles 2009, with Mahesh Bhupati)
First Indian to winJunior Grand Slam Title
Ramanathan Krishnan(Wimbledon, 1954)
First IndianWomanto winJunior Grand Slam Title
Sania Mirza(Wimbledon Doubles 2003, with Alisa Kleybanova)
First Indian to winJunior French Open
Ramesh Krishnan(French Open & Wimbledon, 1979)
AthleticsFirstGold MedalistonInternational Track
Hima Das
First Indian Athlete to win aGold Medalat theCommon Wealth Games
Milkha Singh(1958)
First IndianWoman to win a medal at a World Event
Anju Bobby George(Bronze, IAAF World Athletics Championship, 2003)
ChessFirstGrandmasterof India
Viswanathan Anand
First Indianwomanto holdThe Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE)titles-International Master and Woman Grandmaster
Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi
First Indian to win theWorld 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 Dynamois the nickname of
K.D. Jadhav