KD Jadhav had secured the first individual medal for India in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics when he settled for bronze in wrestling but his story ended in tragedy towards his later years.
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In the history of Olympics in India, one would always see the dominance of Hockey. From the time of pre-Independence until the modern era, hockey dominated the medals tally in the country. There are very few cases of individual brilliance shining through for India. Leander Paes, Abhinav Bindra, Sakshi Malik, PV Sindhu, Sushil Kumar, Karnam Malleshwari and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore are the individuals who have secured success for India in the modern Olympic era. But, before all that, there was one individual who had already given India glory on the global stage.
The village of Goleshwar in Karad district in Satara is home to the first individual who gave India a medal in the Olympics. Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav or KD Jadhav belonged to a family of wrestlers. Before he could get into sports, the politics of India demanded different priorities. The country was simmering from civil unrest. The demand for Independence from Britain was growing. When the Quit India movement of 1939 took place, Jadhav and his family sheltered the revolutionaries in their home. KD circulated letters against the British and one day made a promise to unfurl the tri-colour in the Olympics.
KD was lucky to have been born in a family of wrestlers and who had a passion for the sport. His father, Dadasaheb Jadhav, was a prominent wrestler in Karad. KD’s initial gurus in college were Baburao Balawde and Belapuri Guruji. His nimble footwork was the key factor that made KD stand out among the rest. It was these skills that made KD one of the best in the village and district.
The only question was the issue of funds. Luckily, at that time, the Maharaja of Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Shahaji 2, organised the funds for KD to participate in the 1948 London Olympics. When he stayed in London, he was trained by Rees Gardner, a former lightweight World champion.
KD was unfamiliar with wrestling on the mat in the freestyle event. Yet, he shocked the world when he defeated Bert Harris of Australia and Billy Jernigan of the US. But, as he progressed, he lost to Mansour Raeisi of Iran to finish in sixth. However, the skills that Gardner had imparted to him in London would serve him in good stead for the next Olympics.
Rather than getting deflated, KD trained incredibly hard for the next Olympics in Helsinki. He focused on weight training and participated in the 125 lb bantamweight category. Wrestlers from 24 countries participated in the 1952 Olympics.
There was an interesting development prior to the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. The principal of Shahaji Law College, Kolhapur, Prof Dabholkar mortgaged his own house to fund KD’s participation in the Olympics. KD reached the knock-out stage but he lost to Rashid Mammadbeyov of Azerbaijan. In his next match, he lost to Shohachi Ishii of Japan. But, KD secured the bronze medal.
The lad from Satara had created history. KD became the first individual medalist from India in the Olympics. Such was the magnitude of his achievement that the gold medal success of the Indian Hockey team was sidelined.
When KD Jadhav reached India, the celebrations were immense. In Satara, the celebrations reached another level altogether. KD reached the railway station and wanted to go to the Goleshwar Mahadev temple which was 15 minutes away. A cavalcade of 151 bullock carts and dhols, carried their hero for about 10 km and passed through the village of Goleshwar.
A normal 15-minute journey took close to seven hours and KD was the hero that India had found. After he returned, he did not forget the favour that Professor Dabholkar had given to him. KD organized a wrestling competition in which he took part himself. He won several bouts in these competitions and handed over the prize money to his professor. KD persuaded him to use the money to buy back his house.
In 1955, Jadhav did not participate in wrestling and instead, he went to the Police Force. Starting as a sub-inspector, KD won several competitions held within the Police department. He also performed national duties as a sports instructor. KD served the police department for twenty-seven years and retired as an Assistant Commissioner of Police.
However, KD died in tragic circumstances in a road accident in 1984. Prior to that, Jadhav had to fight for his pension. Towards the 70s and the 80s, he was neglected by the sports federation and had to live the final stages of his life in poverty. Although he was given the honour of the torch run in the 1982 Asian Games, major recognition never came his way. After his death, his wife did not get any assistance from anyone.
Recognition would come much later. In 1992/93, KD was awarded the Chhatrapati Puraskar posthumously by the Maharashtra Government. KD was bestowed with the Arjuna Award in 2001. A wrestling venue in New Delhi was named the KD Jadhav stadium in 2010.
It took India 44 years to get another individual medal. When Leander Paes secured the bronze in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, India hailed the arrival of a new legend. It was a shame that Jadhav’s brilliance coincided with an era where apathy and empathy were missing due to India’s rigid bureaucracy and lack of initiative. It is unfortunate that KD Jadhav is a forgotten hero. But, one thing will never go from his bucket list of achievements. The first individual medal winner in Independent India will forever bear KD Jadhav’s name.
