Rio Olympics 2016: 5 unknown facts about Indian Olympic History

5. First India-born Olympic medalist KD Jadhav is ineligible for Padma Award

KD Jadhav won India’s first Individual Medal post independence. Photo courtesy Times of India

KD Jadhav, the first Indian to win an Olympic medal after the independence in 1952 may never receive a Padma honour due to a technicality that renders him ineligible for the civilian honour. A Home Ministry rule on posthumous conferment of Padma Awards says: "The award is normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving cases, the Government could consider giving an award posthumously if the demise of the person proposed to be honoured has been recent, say within a period of one year preceding the Republic Day on which it is proposed to announce the award."

All of India’s individual Olympic medalists have been conferred with the Padma honour, forcing Jadhav’s son to threaten to throw away his father’s medal if not given the honour.