29 August, Friday: In India, it is no exaggeration to say that sporting activity is above all religions. India's sporting history is rife with nostalgic moments of triumph that celebrated the country as it was maturing in its relationship to sporting activity. From Olympic golds to World Cups, these momentous victories have a bearing on India's representation in the globe as a whole. Below are the top ten inflection points.
1. Indian Men's Hockey Team wins Olympic Bronze (2024)
The Indian hockey men defeated Spain 2-1, with Harmanpreet Singh's goals in the third-place playoff to claim the 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medal. This was historic for the sport in India and their second Olympic bronze in a row.
2. Nikhat Zareen wins World Boxing Gold (2022)
At the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in 2022 in Istanbul, boxer Nikhat Zareen defeated Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas in the final to win the gold medal in the 52kg category. In addition to M.C., Zareen was the fifth Indian woman to win a gold medal in boxing at a world championship.
3. Neeraj Chopra wins Olympic Gold (2021)
Neeraj Chopra won India's first Olympic gold medal in athletics at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,with a javelin throw of 87 points and 58 meters. Chopra was the first Indian to achieve this honor, and it was a historic win for Indian athletics that changed the sporting landscape in the country.
4. P.V. Sindhu wins Badminton World Championships (2019)
In 2019, P.V. Sindhu became the first Indian to win gold at the BWF World Championships, making India's name in international badminton stronger.
5. Mary Kom wins Record Sixth World Title (2018)
Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom is an Indian Olympic boxer. She is the only six-time World Amateur Boxing Championship winner, the only female to have won a medal in every one of the first seven World Championships, and the only boxer, male or female, to have won eight World Championship medals. Mary Kom won her sixth World Championship gold in 2018. She defeated Hanna Okhota of Ukraine in the 48kg final.
6. India wins six medals at the London Olympics (2012)
India claimed six medals at the London Olympics, 2012. Saina Nehwal (badminton bronze), Mary Kom (boxing bronze), Yogeshwar Dutt (wrestling bronze), Gagan Narang (shooting bronze), Sushil Kumar (silver in wrestling), and Vijay Kumar (silver in shooting) aided India in securing its then-highest Olympic medal haul of six medals at the 2012 London Olympics. This performance, which featured India's first-ever badminton medal, was a great improvement for the nation.
7. Abhinav Bindra wins India's first individual Olympic Gold (2008)
Abhinav Bindra became the first individual Olympic gold medalist of India in 10m air rifle shooting at the Beijing Olympics 2008. He is famous for his tally of medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games and for winning both the World and Olympic championships in shooting simultaneously.
8. India wins the ICC Cricket World Cup (2011)
India won the ICC World Cup in 2011, ending a 28-year wait by defeating Sri Lanka in the finals. India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, thus becoming the first country to win the Cricket World Cup final on home ground. Dhoni’s iconic winning six remains iconic in Indian cricket history.
9. Kapil Dev leads India to the first Cricket World Cup (1983)
India won the first-ever Cricket World Cup in 1983. Kapil Dev led the Indian cricket team, which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup, first-ever Indian captain to lift the Cricket World Cup. Kapil's iconic 175* (not out) against Zimbabwe is still an all-time classic.
10. Dhyan Chand and India's Hockey hat-trick Glory (1936 Olympics)
The hockey icon Major Dhyan Chand captained India at the Berlin Olympics 1936, to claim its third consecutive Olympic Gold. He was referred to as a magician, mesmerizing the globe with his skill in Hockey.
From Dhyan Chand's hockey magic in 1936 to Neeraj Chopra's Olympic victory in 2021, India's sporting history has been characterized by moments of courage, pride, and unforgettable triumph. These milestones not just commemorate sporting excellence but also symbolize the aspirations of a billion individuals.
