Who among the following has been the first sportsperson to receive the Padma Shri award from the Government of India?
- A.Manpreet Singh
- B.Milkha Singh
- C.Balbir Singh Dosanjh
- D.Dhanraj Pillay
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Balbir Singh Dosanjh, the hockey centre forward known as Balbir Singh Sr. He won Olympic gold with India in 1948, 1952 and 1956, scored five goals in the 1952 final against the Netherlands, and in 1957 became the first sportsperson of any game to be given the Padma Shri, which opened the civilian honours to sport.
Option A, Manpreet Singh, is a much later player who captained the team to the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Option B, Milkha Singh, the athlete called the Flying Sikh, did receive the Padma Shri, but after Balbir Singh Sr and for athletics, not hockey. Option D, Dhanraj Pillay, was a celebrated forward of the 1990s and 2000s and was honoured much later still, so none of the three came first.
Read the full article: Hockey in India: Olympic Golds, Dhyan Chand and MCQs
Practice Questions
View allHow many gold medals has India won in men's hockey at the Olympic Games?
- A.Six
- B.Seven
- C.Eight
- D.Nine
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India won the Olympic hockey gold in 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964 and 1980, which is a record in the game.
Read the full explanation →In which year did India win its first Olympic gold medal in hockey?
- A.1920
- B.1928
- C.1932
- D.1936
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India played its first Olympic hockey tournament at the Amsterdam Games of 1928 and won the gold medal at that first attempt, with Jaipal Singh Munda as the captain and Dhyan Chand as the leading scorer.
Read the full explanation →National Sports Day is celebrated in India on 29 August, the birth anniversary of which sportsperson?
- A.Major Dhyan Chand
- B.Balbir Singh Sr
- C.Milkha Singh
- D.K. D. Jadhav
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National Sports Day is observed on his birthday every year, and it is the day on which the President presents the national sports awards, among them the Khel Ratna, the Arjuna Award and the Dronacharya Award.
Read the full explanation →In which year did India win the Hockey World Cup?
- A.1971
- B.1973
- C.1975
- D.1980
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India won the Hockey World Cup at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in 1975, beating Pakistan 2–1 in the final. Ashok Kumar, the son of Dhyan Chand, scored the winning goal and Ajit Pal Singh led the side.
Read the full explanation →Who was the captain of the Indian team that won the Hockey World Cup in 1975?
- A.Ajit Pal Singh
- B.Ashok Kumar
- C.Vasudevan Bhaskaran
- D.Kishan Lal
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He had also played in the World Cups of 1971 and 1973 and was later given the Padma Shri for his services to the game.
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