New Delhi: Exactly 21 years ago on this day, a relatively unknown 23-year-old Leander Adrian Paes brought home India's first individual Olympic medal.


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Paes was a part of the 49-member contingent sent by India to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. 


India had failed to bag a medal in the previous three editions of the quadrennial games. The last individual medal for India had been achieved 11 Olympic games prior, back in 1952. 


A medal from a player who was ranked 127 among singles competitors at that time and who had entered the draw through a wild-card was not expected.


In the first match of his Olympic campaign, he lost his opening set to Richey Reneberg of USA but from there, he fought all odds, won eight straight sets to set up his semi-final clash against Andre Agassi.


He lost to Agassi 7-6, 6-3 and went up against Brazil's Fernando Meligeni for the bronze medal match. Against Meligeni, he was one set down but he fought on, rallied from behind to beat the Brazilian 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 and brought home the bronze.


Paes, now 44, continues to play professional tennis, and continues to win Grand Slams - 18 of them, to be precise. He has notched up over 700 doubles win, and last year turned out for his seventh straight Olympics in Rio.