The unsung sporting heroes

The National Sports Day in India is celebrated on August 29 every year. This day marks the birthday of the Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand. Let’s peep into the career of some of the finest unsung sportspersons of India.

1 She is an Olympian and a World Cup hockey player. She became the first Indian female Olympian to represent India at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and was the fastest women athlete in India until 1957. She was a great friend of sprinter Jesse Owens. Who is she?

2 He doesn’t have hands, yet he became a champion swimmer trained in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. He has done India proud by winning three medals at the ‘2016 Speedo Can Am Para-swimming Championships’ held in Canada. Who is he?

3 The hockey stalwart and a great fan of Don Bradman went to four Olympics and never returned empty-handed; a gold medal finish in 1948, 1952 and 1960 and a silver medal in 1960. He was small in size but lion-hearted in effort, wielding the stick from the right-half. Identify.

4 He won the gold for wrestling in the 1970 Commonwealth Games and received Hind Kesari and Rustam-E-Hind (Lion of India). His career ended when he was diagnosed with a kidney problem in 1979. He has mentored many international wrestlers like Kaka Pawar. Identify.

5 He is a former Indian badminton national champion. He first played for India in 1953 and has won over 100 national and international titles for the country in a career spanning 15 years. He led the Indian team for the Thomas Cup three times — in 1959, 1961 and 1963. Identify.