Question 1

Who was the first Indian woman to win an individual medal at the Olympic Games?

Accepted Answer

Karnam Malleswari. Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in weightlifting at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She achieved this historic feat in the 69 kg weight category. This marked a significant turning point for women in Indian sports.

Question 2

Who was the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games?

Accepted Answer

Abhinav Bindra. Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This was India's first ever individual gold medal since participating in the games. He is a recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

Question 3

Who was the first Indian cricketer to score a triple century in Test cricket?

Accepted Answer

Virender Sehwag. Virender Sehwag scored 309 runs against Pakistan in Multan in 2004. He remains the first of only two Indians to have achieved this milestone. He later scored another triple century against South Africa.

Question 4

Who was the first Indian to win the All England Open Badminton Championships?

Accepted Answer

Prakash Padukone. Prakash Padukone won this prestigious title in 1980 by defeating Liem Swie King. He was the first Indian to be ranked world number one in badminton. His victory inspired a new generation of badminton players in India.

Question 5

Who was the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Asian Games?

Accepted Answer

Kamaljeet Sandhu. Kamaljeet Sandhu won the gold medal in the 400 meters race at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games. She ran the distance in 57.3 seconds to secure the top spot. She was the first Indian woman to achieve such a feat at the continental level.

Indian Firsts — Set 1