Step 1: Understand the question and the award. The question asks for the first sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna, which is India’s highest civilian award, given for exceptional service or performance. We need to find out which sportsperson was the first to get this honor.
Step 2: Think about what we know about the Bharat Ratna and sportspeople. The Bharat Ratna has been awarded to many famous people in India, but not many sportspersons have received it. Let’s look at the options and think about their achievements and when they might have received this award.
Step 3: Analyze each option one by one. Let’s go through the list of sportspersons:
- (A) Kapil Dev is a famous cricketer who led India to win the Cricket World Cup in 1983. He’s a legend in cricket, but he has not received the Bharat Ratna. He has received other awards like the Padma Bhushan, but not the Bharat Ratna. So, this option is not correct.
- (B) Virat Kohli is another famous cricketer, known for his amazing batting records. As of May 31, 2025, he’s still an active player and has won many awards, like the Padma Shri in 2017. However, he has not been awarded the Bharat Ratna. So, this option is also incorrect.
- (C) Sachin Tendulkar, often called the "God of Cricket," is one of India’s greatest sports icons. He has broken many records, like scoring 100 international centuries. Sachin received the Bharat Ratna in 2014, after he retired from cricket in 2013. This was a historic moment because he was the first sportsperson to receive this award. This option looks promising.
- (D) M.S. Dhoni is another cricket legend, known for leading India to win the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He retired in 2020 and has received awards like the Padma Bhushan in 2018. However, as of May 31, 2025, he has not received the Bharat Ratna. So, this option is not correct.
Step 4: Confirm the first sportsperson. From the options, Sachin Tendulkar (option C) received the Bharat Ratna in 2014, and he was indeed the first sportsperson to get this award. No other sportsperson before him, including Kapil Dev, had received it, and neither Virat Kohli nor M.S. Dhoni have received it by 2025. Therefore, the correct answer is C, which is Sachin Tendulkar.