Sports Year-Ender 2024: As we near the end of 2024, it has been a landmark year for India in the world of sports. This year witnessed India’s triumph in the ICC World Cup after 13 years, a historic performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and the Indian women’s hockey team clinching the Asian Champions Trophy for the record third time, among other significant achievements.
Let’s take a look at India’s top achievements in sports throughout 2024:
2024 T20I World Cup
Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India eased the pain of heartbreak from the 2023 ODI World Cup final defeat by clinching the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies. The Men in Blue faced South Africa in a thrilling match and won by a narrow 7-run margin, clinching their second T20 World Cup title. This victory marked India’s first ICC trophy in 11 years, since the 2013 Champions Trophy, and their first World Cup title in 13 years, following the 2011 ODI World Cup.
Paris Olympics 2024
Although India experienced more heartbreaks than joyful moments at the Paris Games, several Indian athletes delivered standout performances that are worth highlighting.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Manu Bhaker made history by winning India’s first medal, a bronze in shooting and became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal. She later earned a second bronze in the mixed team 10m air pistol event with Sarabjot Singh. Swapnil Kusale added a third shooting medal, marking India’s best-ever performance in the sport at the Olympics. The Indian men’s hockey team secured bronze, matching their Tokyo 2020 success, and Neeraj Chopra claimed silver in javelin, becoming India’s most successful individual Olympian. Aman Sehrawat also made history as India’s youngest Olympic medallist with a wrestling bronze. However, India faced disappointment with six near-misses, including fourth-place finishes by Lakshya Sen, Mirabai Chanu and Bhaker, and Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification before her historic final.
India’s Standout Paris Paralympics 2024 Performance
The Indian battalion pulled off the country's best-ever performance at the 2024 Paralympic Games, winning a total of 29 medals, 10 more than in the Tokyo edition. The medal tally included 17 in athletics, 5 in badminton, 4 in shooting, 2 in archery and 1 in judo. Notable achievements included Avani Lekhara becoming the first Indian woman to win two golds, Dharambir and Parnav Soorma clinching a historic one-two finish in athletics and Sumit Antil defending his javelin title with a new Paralympic record. Mariyappan Thangavelu became the first Indian to win medals in three consecutive Paralympics, while Preethi Pal made history as the first Indian to medal in a track event. In archery, Sheetal Devi became India’s youngest Paralympic medallist, and Harvinder Singh became the country’s first-ever Paralympic archery champion.
D Gukesh Becomes Youngest-Ever World Chess Champion
Dommaraju Gukesh made history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion at just 18 years old. The Indian Grandmaster defeated reigning champion Ding Liren of China in the 14th and final round of the 2024 World Chess Championship, held in Singapore. Gukesh surpassed the record set by Russian legend Garry Kasparov, who won the title at 22 in 1985.
Women's Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2024
India triumphed in the Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2024, with the Indian hockey team remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament to claim the title. Team India made history by defeating China 1-0 in the final, securing their third Asian Champions Trophy crown. With the win, India became the joint most successful team in the tournament's history, matching South Korea with three titles each.