You can argue with me on this but there is nothing more satisfying than seeing an athlete or a team from your country performing well at the international level.
In that regard, 2019 has been a great year so far.
Our athletes have delivered great performances at the highest levels, putting the country on the world map – one medal and trophy at a time. Here we look at some of the moments that prove 2019 is the watershed moment for Indian sports.
1. 22-year-old Sumit Nagal from Haryana made his Grand Slam debut at the US Open by winning a set against GOAT Roger Federer.
He ultimately lost to the Swiss legend but he is the first athlete in the history of Indian tennis to achieve this feat and that’s not shabby at all.
No typo: Sumit Nagal (@nagalsumit), a 190th-ranked qualifier, takes the first set from Roger Federer in the first round of the #USOpen, 6-4. FOLLOW: https://t.co/Wd83pemvJ2 pic.twitter.com/Fl7GgWKaKI
— TENNIS (@Tennis) August 27, 2019
2. PV Sindhu became the first Indian to win gold at the World Championships by thrashing Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara 21-7, 21-7.
The victory came after a lot of anguish and wait, because she has previously won 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at the event.
Indian flag at the top, Indian Anthem in the background. World championship to India for the first time. Congratulations to PV Sindhu and all Indians🇮🇳#PVS pic.twitter.com/1x8nP66Y3U
— Jain (@jainszg) August 25, 2019
3. Sunil Chhetri became the second-highest international goal-scorer among active players, leaving behind Argentine legend Lionel Messi.
We went crazy as Chhetri overtook Messi and sent India ahead😍#indifoot #IndianFootball #BackTheBlue #BleedBlue #BlueTigers #LetsFootball #HeroIntercontinentalCup #INDvTJK pic.twitter.com/qhRHgX3v9B
— indifoot (@indifoot) July 7, 2019
4. ‘Dhing Express’ Hima Das won 5 gold medals in less than a month at athletics meets in Poland and Czech Republic, grabbing eyeballs across the globe.
Hima Das, thank you for raising the bar and creating a new milestone for Indian sportsmen to aspire for!
— Sreerupa Chowdhury (@Sreerupa_C) July 20, 2019
Hima Das the first Indian (male or female) to win Gold at a track and field event at the world stage, and who won 5 golds in the last month.#womeninsports #HimaDas pic.twitter.com/ZR0ikVeycz
5. Aishwarya Pissay became the first Indian woman to win a motor sport title when she won the 2019 FIM Bajas World Cup.
Breaking many stereotypes in the process, 24-year-old Aishwarya came back from an injury to race her way to the top.
Aishwarya Pissay of TVS clinches the Fim Baja World Cup 2019 Women’s Category. She finished 4th in the Hungary Round which concluded today. #Fmsci congratulates India’s first #FIM World Cup champion. pic.twitter.com/ftPndXOApv
— FMSCI (@fmsci) August 12, 2019
6. Indian women’s rugby team scripted history by registering their first-ever international 15s victory. The team secured 3rd position in the tournament.
Indian women defeated a higher-ranked Singapore, 21-19 at the Asian Rugby Women’s Championship Division 1.
7. 17-year-old Komalika Bari became second Indian woman to win recurve cadet gold after Deepika Kumari won the title in 2009.
She won the the gold on the final day of World Archery Youth Championships in Madrid.
8. Dutee Chand became the first Indian woman to win 100m gold in a global event when she emerged as the fastest runner at the 30th Summer Universiade.
23-year-old sprinter clocked 11.32 seconds to claim the title.
9. Para badminton star Mansi Joshi won gold at the World Championships, which was her first at the tournament.
Not just her, India won as many as 12 medals at the Para World Championships this year, making the country incredibly proud of their achievement.
10. B Sai Praneeth became the second Indian men’s singles shuttler to win a medal at the World Championships after he claimed bronze at this year’s edition.
The last time it happened, the player was Prakash Padukone and the year was 1983.
11. Our national team made us proud by winning the inaugural T20 Physical Disability World Series held in England.
As we were busy focusing on other things, the side silently won the tournament, beating the hosts by 36 runs.
12. 16-year-old Jeremy Lalrinnunga from Mizoram broke the Asian, Youth World and Commonwealth records in the snatch category at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship. He lifted 134 kilograms.
