Year in Review 2021: Top 10 Indian sporting moments of the year – Photos News , Firstpost
The year was one to remember for Indian sports lovers with numerous unforgettable moments at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. There were some massive feats and there were unnecessary controversies. We take a look at the top-10 sporting moments from an Indian perspective.
1/10
For India, there was no bigger sporting moment than Neeraj Chopra winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics. On the penultimate day of the delayed Summer Games, Neeraj’s throw of 87.58 meters made him India’s second Olympic gold medallist in an individual event after shooter Abhinav Bindra in 2008. He also became the first Indian to win a track and field medal at the Olympics. AP
2/10
No country has won more Olympic medals in hockey than India. But that period of dominance had long gone. India hadn’t won an Olympic medal in hockey for nine straight games, including 2008 when the country failed to qualify. That streak ended in Tokyo with a bronze medal, a 12th for the men’s team. AP
3/10
India women’s hockey team came narrowly close to winning a medal of their own at the Tokyo Olympics. With losses against Argentina and Great Britain, the Rani Rampal-led side turned things around from a dismal start in Japan. By beating Ireland, South Africa and mighty Australia, India progressed to the last-four before going down. The team exceeded all expectations especially after a forgettable 2016 Olympics where India finished bottom. AFP
4/10
Indian cricket team’s remarkable series win in Australia was one of the biggest moments outside of Olympic sports. For context: India had been bowled out for 36 runs in the first Test. Virat Kohli, the team captain, had to return home for the birth of his child. Many in the squad picked up injuries. By the time the fourth and final Test came around, India had to include net bowlers to make up the 11 players. India then became the first team to beat Australia at The Gabba in 32 years. A fighting 2-1 series win remains one of the highlights of the year. AP
5/10
If the Indian Olympic contingent impressed many, the Paralympians took it up a notch. With 19 medals, including five gold medals, it turned out to be the highest amassed by the country at a Paralympics. The story of the para-athletes, their struggles, sacrifices and in some cases the misfortunes, made the achievements even more heartwarming. Image credit: Twitter/@Media_SAI
6/10
Shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has had a torrid couple of years. After the highs in the past that took him to the pinnacle of the rankings, he missed out on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. But he bounced back by winning a silver medal at the BWF World Badminton Championships in Huelva, Spain. He became the first Indian male badminton player to reach the final. Before him, Prakash Padukone, B Sai Praneeth had won bronze medals. This year, Lakshya Sen added himself to the list too. AFP
7/10
At the Tokyo Olympics, PV Sindhu added another medal to her glittering CV. By winning the bronze medal, she became the first female Indian athlete to win multiple medals at the Summer Games. Sindhu had won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics and this time she went down to Tai Tzu Ying in the semi-final. AP
8/10
There were many memorable moments at the Olympics and plenty of “firsts” for Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics. One of the biggest was fencer Bhavani Devi becoming the first Indian to qualify for the sport at an Olympics. On debut, she won the first round but stumbled at the next hurdle. A massive feat nonetheless for the Chennai fencer. AP
9/10
In March, Mithali Raj became the leading run-getter in women’s international cricket, going past Charlotte Edwards’ tally of 10,273 runs. Raj and Edwards are the only players to amass over 10,000 runs in women’s international cricket. Raj brought up the milestone in an ODI against South Africa. Twitter/ @ICC
10/10
Not every moment was one of jubilation in Indian sport in 2021. Virat Kohli stepped down as India’s T20I captain with Rohit Sharma to takeover. However, that transition of power came with controversy when BCCI removed him as ODI captain as well and the announcement came in the form of a mere footnote in a press release. Before departing for South Africa, Kohli addressed the media and the situation got worse with clear indiciation of Test skipper and board, especially BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, presenting contradictory facts. A mess that was certainly avoidable. AFP
