<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Over the past 75 years since independence, India's largest public service broadcaster, All India Radio has been the proverbial story teller for crores of people across the country.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">All India Radio is celebrating 75 years of freedom with a series, Azad Bharat Ki Baat- Akashvani Ke Saath. It showcases the journey of India since independence in various walks of life through the story telling of All India Radio.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">In Today’s Episode we bring you the story of INDIA’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPORTS TILL YEAR 1980.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">In the past seven decades we have come across many path-breaking moments that have considerably transformed the face of the country. For years India has produced some legendary athletes who have scaled new heights, brought laurels for the country, and made us proud.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">In Today’s episode we are going to relive those unforgettable moments of the rich sporting history of India.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">It all began with Independent India’s first ever Olympic gold medal in the field of Hockey in 1948.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Beating Great Britain – the colonial rulers – in front of mainly English fans in the capital city was the icing on the cake. August 12, 1948, the Indian team landed its first gold medal under the Indian tricolor. This medal helped discover its identity as an independent nation.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">India had already won three Olympics hockey gold medals before independence courtesy legends like Major Dhyanchand known as hockey ka jadugar. Major Dhyanchand says, India’s Hockey is best in the world.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">India continued its golden journey in Hockey in 1952 Helsinki, 1956 Melbourne, 1964 Tokyo and 1980 Moscow Olympics with a total of 8 gold in Olympics.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Another milestone in the initial years of independence was hosting the inaugural Asian games in 1951. This first Asian Games was an Indian initiative, which was intrinsically linked to the larger Indian self-image of being a major Asian power.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">March 4th, 1951 was the historic day for the sport of India-indeed for the sport of Asia, even the world-the first Asian Games were opened. India-the ‘Big Brother of Asia’-had given the lead in this the finest sporting venture of the Orient.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">In the year1952 an unknown and unheralded wrestler from Goleshwar village in Maharashtra Kashabha Jadhav won the bronze medal in 52kg bantamweight class freestyle wrestling at Helsinki Olympics and thus became the first individual from independent India to win an Olympic medal.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Jadhav remained the first and only Indian to bag an individual Olympic medal for almost 44 years until Leander Paes added another one in 1996.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Rome Olympics in 1960 gave us a heartbreaking yet proud memory when the Flying Sikh Milkha Singh lost out on the medal by just 0.01 second in a photo finish.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Entering as a favorite to win the 400m race at the Rome Olympics, Milkha Singh made a strong story as millions of Indians hooked onto their radio sets witnessed the 'Flying Sikh' latched with hopes of an Olympic medal.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Milkha Singh won the Asian Games gold medal in 200m and 400m and became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1958.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Indian hockey wrote a historic chapter in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur when the Indian hockey team lifted its only World Cup beating archrival Pakistan by 2-1 in a thrilling final.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">It was a memorable day for all Indians when most people heard an enlivened commentator Jasdev Singh and Melville de Mellow’s saying 'Bharat vishva hockey champion hai'</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">In Badminton, year 1980 was most prominent when 24-year-old Prakash Padukone created history and became the first Indian to win the All England Open at Wembley Stadium.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Tomorrow in the next edition of Sports series, we will take you to the India’s journey of sports from 1980 to 2013.</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Azad Bharat Ki Baat- Akashvani Ke Saath-Can Be Accessed On @Airnewsalerts On Twitter, Newsonairofficial Youtube Channel, Newsonair App, Facebook And Instagram Handles. So Tune Into All India Radio News For Azad Bharat Ki Baat- Akashvani Ke Saath.&nbsp;</p>”<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />”</p>