Google Doodle honours Indian wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav

Google Doodle honours Indian wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav

• By Staff Writer

January 15 marks the 97th birth anniversary of Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, the first individual athlete to win an Olympic medal for independent India.

The Google Doodle today remembers the wrestler, who is fondly known as the ‘Pocket Dynamo’.

At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Jadhav earned a bronze medal after defeating players from Germany, Mexico and Canada. However, even before 1952, the Maharaj of Kolhapur caught sight of the wrestler’s talent. He decided to fund Jadhav’s participation in the 1948 Olympic Games in London. Despite not being used to international wrestling rules and competing with highly-experienced wrestlers, Jadhav finished sixth, the highest-ever finish for an Indian wrestler during those times.

It is said that his skilful approach and light feet made him one of the best athletes, early in his career. Jadhav had also won several state and national titles with training from his father (who was also a wrestler) and other professional wrestlers.

However, Jadhav could not continue his wrestling career after the win at the Helsinki Olympics due to a knee injury. He later worked as a police officer.