Independence Day: India's Greatest Sporting Moments

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As India celebrates its 79th Independence Day in 2025, let's take a look back at a few of the country's finest sporting achievements.

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Wrestler KD Jadhav clinched India's first individual Olympic medal since independence in Helsinki 1952, in the men's 57 kg freestyle.

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India achieved their sixth straight men's hockey Olympic gold with victory over Pakistan in the final of Melbourne 1956.

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The historic moment in 1983 that marked the start of India's love affair with cricket, as Kapil Dev's boys won the World Cup.

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In 1988, chess prodigy Viswanathan Anand earned the title of India's first-ever Grandmaster.

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Leander Paes became the first Asian and only Indian till date to win an Olympic tennis medal, winning bronze in men's singles at Atlanta 1996.

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Weightlifer Karnam Malleswari won bronze in Sydney 2000, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.

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Abhinav Bindra etched his name into the history books forever, clinching India's first individual Olympic gold in shooting in Beijing 2008.

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India achieved the pinnacle of cricket yet again in 2011, winning the World Cup for the second time, under MS Dhoni.

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PV Sindhu became the first Indian shuttler to win the badminton World Championship in 2019.

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Javelin star Neeraj Chopra delivered India's first athletics Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020.

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Shooter Manu Bhaker took India's Olympic achievements to new heights, becoming the first Indian to win multiple Olympic medals in a single edition.

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