Family of KD Jadhav, India’s first individual Olympic medallist, threatens to auction 1952 bronze

The family of late Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, a wrestler who won independent India’s first individual Olympic medal, has threatened to auction his bronze medal to fund a wrestling academy in Satara, reported IANS on Monday.

“It was my father’s dream to set up a full-fledged world-class wrestling academy in our village, Goleshwar in Satara. Despite repeated attempts we have failed,” the wrestling legend’s son, Ranjit Jadhav was quoted as saying.

As per the report, the Maharashtra Sports Minister in 2009 had announced plans to set up an academy. However, it was only in December 2013 that an amount of Rs 1.58 crore was sanctioned.

“The matter languishes in cold storage even after sanctioning the amount and now the cost of setting up the academy would be nearly double,” Jadhav said.

Hence, the Goleshwar Village Panchayat had decided to auction off the Olympic wrestler’s bronze medal in a bid to raise funds for the academy.

“We have issued an ultimatum to the state government till August 14 - the 33rd death anniversary of my father, who died aged 58 in 1984. If they fail to clear its promise of the academy, from Independence Day, August 15, the family and villagers will go on a hunger strike,” said Jadhav’s son.

He also added that though the medal was “invaluable and a national treasure”, circumstances had led them to such a drastic step and they were taking steps to ascertain its value. Jadhav also said that state government officials should determine the value, auction the medal and hand over the proceeds to the villagers to fund the academy.

According to the report, the villagers were also unhappy that their Olympic hero had not been considered for any government honours and that the establishment was not helping them in setting up their academy.

Reportedly, an unnamed state government official had assured the family that he would speak to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the issue.

Kedar Jadhav had achieved history in 1952 when he won a bronze medal in the wrestling Bantamweight category at the Helsinki Olympics. It was India’s first individual medal in the history of the event.