A year of many firsts for Indian sports

Intro: The year 2022 was a year of many firsts and historic achievements by Indian athletes on the world stage

1. Neeraj Chopra stamps his mark

For Chopra, things only got better. The Olympic champion won yet another silver at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, giving India its best performance at the event to date. This is only the second medal India has won on the world stage since Anju Bobby George’s bronze medal in the long jump at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris.

Neeraj qualified for the Diamond League Final in Zurich after placing second in the Stockholm meet and first in the Lausanne leg, the first-ever victory by an Indian in the Diamond League. He became the first Indian to win a Diamond League title after an outstanding performance in the Swiss city.

Neeraj Chopra repeatedly broke the national record during this time, and his most recent personal best throw of 89.94 metres came in the Stockholm Diamond League competition.

2. Commonwealth Games in Birmingham

Shooting, which has contributed to the majority of India’s medals at the Commonwealth Games to date, was removed from Birmingham 2022’s schedule, making it unlikely that India will bring home an impressive haul.

However, Indian athletes rose to the occasion and came away with 61 medals, including 22 golds, 16 silvers, and 23 bronze.

With the women’s team earning a gold medal and the men’s team taking home a silver, Lawn Bowls, a sport that had previously received little attention from Indian sports fans, came to light.

Eldhose Paul earned India’s first triple jump gold at CWG 2022 after defeating fellow countryman Abdulla Aboobacker to give India its first-ever 1-2 finish at the Games. Murali Sreeshankar won India’s first silver medal in the men’s long jump.

The Indian hockey teams and women’s cricket teams also bagged medals.

The highlight of the competition was steeplechaser Avinash Sable, who finished with a silver medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase and set a new national record.

3. Maiden Thomas Cup badminton win

At the Thomas Cup 2022 held in Bangkok, Thailand, the Indian men’s badminton team, captained by Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, helped write yet another chapter in Indian sports history.

Indian shuttlers put up a professional performance to defeat Indonesia, the competition’s reigning champions and most successful team with 14 championships, in the decisive match 3-0 to won their first Thomas Cup championship.

4. Nikhat Zareen becomes boxing world champion

Nikhat Zareen, the fifth Indian woman to win the title after the legendary MC Mary Kom, Laishram Sarita Devi, Jenny RL, and Lekha K. C., defeated Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong, a Tokyo Olympian, 5-0 in the Women’s World Boxing Championships 2022 final.

She is also the only one besides Mary Kom to become a world champion abroad.

5. India defeat Spain 1-0 to win FIH Women’s Nations Cup

India clinched the inaugural FIH Women’s Nation’s Cup title with a 1-0 win over Spain in the summit clash. The win sealed India’s berth in the 2023-24 Pro League. Gurjit Kaur scored the all-important goal in the sixth minute from the penalty corner as the Commonwealth Games bronze medalists ended the eight-nation tournament with five wins on the trot.

Image courtesy of (Photos: Twitter)

Share this post