12 Facts that you don't know about the Indian Sport Legends

• Abhinav Bindra

In 2006, after the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, the shooter had a career-threatening spinal injury but went through vigorous rehabilitation to change his posture. He won gold in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 after overcoming this injury.

• IM Vijayan

The 3-time Indian Player of the Year and the Arjuna Award winner scored a goal in 11 seconds against Bhutan in the 1999 SAF Games. It is one of the fastest goals in international football.

• Kapil Dev

In 184 innings as a batsman in Tests, not once was he run out. Such was his fitness that in his 16-year career spanning 131 matches, he did not miss a single match due to injury or fitness issue.

• Major Dhyan Chand 

Known as the Wizard of Hockey, the legend was honoured by Austrian citizens in Vienna. They made a statue of him with 4 hands and 4 sticks to depict his magnificent skill and control with the ball.

•  Mary Kom

As boxing was not considered to be an appropriate sport for a woman in her family, Mary Kom tried to hide her passion for the sport. But after she won the Manipur state championship, a newspaper published her photo which her father saw.

• Milkha Singh

In 1960, Milkha refused to go to the country where his parents were killed. But eventually he did participate and beat Pakistani sprinter Abdul Khaliq. After the race, General Ayub (Pakistan President) said to him: "Milkha, you did not run. You flew." 

•  Leander Paes

After winning the Men's Doubles title at the 2013 US Open with his partner Radek Stepanek, Paes became the oldest player to win a Grand Slam Title in the Open era (post 1968). 

• PT Usha

Usha had faced poverty and ill health as a child. But her talent won her a scholarship of Rs 250 per month, allowing her to study in a sports school in Kannur, Kerala, where she trained and eventually became the "Queen of Track and Field" in India.

• Rahul Dravid

In December 2011, Rahul Dravid went to Canberra to give a speech at Sir Donald Bradman's oration. He was the first non-Australian cricketer in history to have spoken there.

• Sachin Tendulkar

Ahead of a Test series in 1987, India and Pakistan were playing an exhibition match where Imran Khan's team was short on fielders. It was then that a 13-year-old Sachin was asked to field for Pakistan.

• Sunil Gavaskar 

Gavaskar saw a family in a taxi being chased by a mob from his window. He immediately asked his wife to call the police and ran down to stand between the mob and the taxi. He then told the mob that they would have to kill him before going forward. They eventually left and the family fled.

•  Vijender Singh

He earned this title thanks to his looks. Apart from being a successful boxer, his good looks prompted the foreign media to give him this title.