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The state of Maharashtra located in Western India is often known as the agrarian and commercial capital of the country, but it also inculcates a sporting culture like no other. Historically, producing the greatest cricketers in the country including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar groomed their careers here.However, the prowess of their sportspersons is not only restricted to cricket. From swimming to hockey, the state has consistently produced top notch athletes, who go on to don international colours at international events.So here are the 10 best sportspersons produced from the state of Mahrashtra:
#1 Virdhawal Khade (Swimming)
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On November 16, 2010, Khade won a medal at a continental event for the first time in 24 years for India, when he secured the bronze medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games(50m butterfly).
Known as Veer, which means brave, Khade also participated in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Apart from international representation, he won six gold medals six gold medals at the South Asian Games.
The 23-year old took a break from swimming and has now returned to what is being touted as the golden generation of swimming
#2 Viren Rasquinha (Hockey)
On November 16, 2010, Khade won a medal at a continental event for the first time in 24 years for India, when he secured the bronze medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Olympics (50m butterfly).
Known as ‘Veer’, which means brave, Khade also participated in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Apart from international representation, he won six gold medals six gold medals at the South Asian Games.
The 23-year old took a break from swimming and has now returned to what is being touted as the golden generation of swimming
#3 Dhanraj Pillai (Hockey)
India’s best hockey player, born in the wrong generation is a tag that has stuck onto Dhanraj Pillai, all his life. Despite some immaculate individual performances, Pillai has only one gold medal from the 2003 Champions Challenge to show for it.
However, he would go onto play for a host of foreign teams such as the Stuttgart Kickers in Germany and the Kuala Lumpur Hockey club in Malaysia. He was also the only Indian hockey player from his generation to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
#4 Aparna Popat (Badminton)
India’s National Games winner for a record nine times, Popat won all the National Championships from 1997 to 2006. She kicked started her career with a silver medal and won back to back bronze medals at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games.
She also reached a highest ranking of 16th, after 17 years of professional badmintion, Popat retired in 2006, after a series of wrist injuries. She also participated in two Olympic Games and one Asian Games as well.
#5 Sachin Tendulkar (Cricket)
If Cricket in India is a religion, then there is no bigger idol than Sachin Tendulkar. The only player to have scored 100 centuries, first player to score a double hundrer in ODI’s, holds the record for the most number of runs in both ODI and test cricket and also the only player to complete 30,000 international runs.
Since making his international debut at the age of 16, Tendulkar had been a picture of consistency. Sachin Tendulkar also fulfilled his life –long dream of winning the World-Cup in 2011. He is not only one of the best Maharashtra has ever produced, but also one of the best to don India colours.
#6 Sunil Gavaskar (Cricket)
Widely regarded as one of the greatest opening batsmen ever produced, Gavaskar hails from the capital of the state, Maharashtra. Prior to Sachin Tendulkar, Gavaskar held the record for the most test runs and centuries scored by any batsmen.
He was also a part of the 1983 World Cup winning side, which defeated West Indies in the final. In 2012, Gavaskar was awarded CK Nayudu Lifetime achievement in cricket. Last year, he also took up an administrative role, when he was appointed the BCCi interim President.
#7 Anjali Bhagwat (Shooting)
Bhagwat (Mumbai) is a former world number one in the 10m AIR Rifle event and also a World Cup winner. She is the only Indian to win the ISSF Champions Trophy in the mixed event. To date, she has won 31 gold, 23 silvers and seven bronze medals.
She would go onto win four gold medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the highest any female shooter for India.
Her tally of 55 gold medals in National Competitions is yet to be defeated. She was bestowed with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2003.
#8 Tejaswini Sawant (Shooting)
Sawant is often referred to as the ‘golden girl’ of Indian shooting after her two gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Sawant belong to the city of Kolhapur and also secured a gold medal at the ISSF World Shooting Championships in 2010.
A stalwart of the 10 m air rifle event, it was only in 2010 that she transitioned to the 50 m event. Sawant would go onto two silver medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
#9 K D Jadhav (Wrestling)
Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was Independent India’s first ever post Independence medallist, after he secured the bronze medal in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. He was also the country’s second ever individual medallist, after Norman Pritchard in the 1900 Olympics. He was also trained under English coach Rees Gardner.
He belongs to the Satara district in Maharashtra. At the age of just 8, Jadhav was a force to be reckoned with. However, he lived his last few years in poverty and fighting for his pension.
#10 Wilson Jones (Billiards)
An Arjuna awardee, Padma Shri winner and Dronacharya recipient, Jones from Pune, Maharashtra was a two time Billiards World Champion in 1958 and 1964. In 1950, Jones won his first ever national title, after defeating T. A Selvaraj in the final.
He would also go onto mentor champions such as Om Agarwal, Subhash Agarwal and Ashok Shandilya.
He passed away in 2003, due to a heart-attack.
