Who among the following has been the first sportsperson to receive the Padma Shri award from the Government of India? 

The correct answer is Balbir Singh Dosanjh.

Key Points

• Balbir Singh Dosanjh has been the first sportsperson to receive the Padma Shri award from the Government of India in 1957.
• Balbir Singh Dosanjh was a former Indian hockey player.
• As of March 2021, he holds the Olympic record for most goals scored by an individual in an Olympic men's hockey final.
• He set this unique record when he scored five goals in India's 6-1 gold medal game triumph over the Netherlands at the 1952 Olympic Games.
• He was a three-time Olympic gold medallist in the team event at:
  • 1948 London.
  • 1952 Helsinki.
  • 1956 Melbourne.
• He died at the age of 96 in Mohali on 25 May 2020.
• The Mohali International Hockey Stadium has been renamed the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in honour of his death anniversary on May 25th, 2021.​

Additional Information

• Milkha Singh:
  • He is known as The Flying Sikh and was an Indian track and field sprinter.
  • He was introduced to the sport while serving in the Indian Army.
  • He is the only athlete who won gold in 400 meters race at Asian Games & Games Commonwealth
  • In 1957, Milkha Singh won the first National title in the 400 m race.
  • He won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games.
  • He also represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, and 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
  • Milkha Singh was awarded the Padma Shri Medal in 1959.
• Dhanraj Pillay is a retired field hockey player who played forward.
  • He is also the former captain of the Indian National Hockey team.
  • He is recorded to have scored 170 goals and for his contribution to the sport, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 2000.
• Manpreet Singh Pawar is an Indian hockey player and is also the captain of the Indian men’s national field hockey team since May 2017.