India Shines Bright in 2024
Naveen Kumar
| 22-01-2025
· Sport Team
The year 2024 has been nothing short of extraordinary for Indian sports, with athletes from various disciplines delivering performances that captivated millions.
From historic victories on the global stage to personal milestones that rewrote records, India’s presence in international sporting arenas grew significantly.ments across multiple sports. Let’s take a closer look at the highlights that made 2024 an unforgettable year.
Dear Lykkers, whether it was cricket, athletics, tennis, or chess, Indian athletes proved their mettle, securing medals and accolades that will be remembered for years to come. The year witnessed a monumental T20 World Cup victory, India’s best-ever Paralympic performance, and outstanding achieve

T20 World Cup Victory After 17 Years

India triumphed in the 2024 T20 World Cup, lifting their second-ever title after a 17-year wait. In a thrilling final, India overcame South Africa by a narrow seven-run margin in Barbados. Virat Kohli played a pivotal role, scoring 76 runs in India’s total of 176/7.
The Bowling Heroics: India’s bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, were instrumental in the win. Hardik’s figures of 3-20 helped restrict South Africa to 169/8, despite a fiery 52 from Heinrich Klaasen. The victory ended an 11-year ICC trophy drought for India, with emotional retirements of Kohli and Rohit Sharma adding significance to the triumph. This also marked Rahul Dravid’s final tournament as India’s head coach, with Gautam Gambhir set to succeed him.
Unbeaten Run: India maintained an unbeaten record throughout the tournament, defeating USA, Ireland, and Canada in the group stage, and later outclassing Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Australia in the Super Eights. The semifinal saw India overpowering England to secure a place in the final.

India at Olympics: A Silver and 5 Bronze

The 2024 Paris Olympics saw India secure six medals, including one silver and five bronze. Neeraj Chopra, the defending Olympic champion in javelin, claimed a silver with a season-best throw of 89.45m, missing out on gold to Arshad Nadeem.
Manu Bhaker’s Historic Feat: Manu Bhaker made history as the first Indian to win two medals in a single Olympic Games, securing bronze in both the women’s 10m air pistol and mixed 10m air pistol events. The men’s hockey team clinched a bronze, continuing India’s proud legacy in the sport.
Other Medalists: Athletes like Swapnil Kusale (Shooting), Aman Sehrawat (Wrestling), and Sarabjot Singh (Shooting) added to India’s medal tally, marking a significant achievement for the country at the 2024 Olympics.

Avani Lekhara’s Historic Feat and Best-Ever Showing at Paralympics

Avani Lekhara made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals. Her victory in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, coupled with a world record, cemented her status as one of India’s most successful Paralympic athletes.
India’s Best-Ever Paralympic Performance: The 2024 Paralympic Games marked a milestone for Indian sports, as the country secured its best-ever performance, bringing home 29 medals — seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze. This achievement surpassed the previous best of 19 medals at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Historic Athletics Finish: India also made history in athletics with a one-two finish in the men’s club throw F51, where Dharambir and Parnav Soorma claimed gold and silver respectively. Other notable athletes like Sumit Antil, Mariyappan Thangavelu, and Sheetal Devi also etched their names in history.

Rohan Bopanna’s Australian Open Triumph

At 43, Rohan Bopanna achieved a career-defining milestone by winning the men’s doubles title at the 2024 Australian Open. Partnering with Matthew Ebden of Australia, Bopanna defeated Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6(0), 7-5 to clinch the coveted Grand Slam title.
Oldest World No. 1: With this victory, Bopanna became the oldest player to achieve World No. 1 status in men’s doubles. His success at the iconic Rod Laver Arena proved that age is no barrier to success in professional sports, making his Grand Slam win even more remarkable.

Olympiad Victory and Gukesh’s Chess World Championship Win

India continued its ascent in the world of chess, with the Indian men’s and women’s teams winning gold at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, marking a historic achievement for the country.
Gukesh’s World Chess Championship Victory: D. Gukesh, the 18-year-old chess prodigy, made history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, breaking a record held by Garry Kasparov for decades. Gukesh’s victory, where he defeated China’s Ding Liren, was a monumental achievement, further solidifying India’s dominance in chess.

Indian Women’s Table Tennis Team Makes History

In 2024, the Indian women’s table tennis team made history by securing the country’s first-ever medal at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in the women’s team event. Competing in Kazakhstan, the team of Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Ayhika Mukherjee, Sutirtha Mukherjee, and Diya Chitale won bronze after a determined semifinal effort.

Puja Tomar’s UFC Victory

Puja Tomar made history by becoming the first Indian to win a UFC fight. She defeated Brazil’s Rayanne dos Santos in a thrilling strawweight bout, securing a split decision victory with scores of 30-27, 27-30, and 29-28.

2024 — A year to remember

Video by ICC

Milestone for Indian MMA: Tomar’s victory marked a significant milestone for Indian mixed martial arts, signaling the rise of Indian fighters on the global stage. Her success sent a message that Indian athletes are capable of competing at the highest level in UFC, and she dedicated her victory to the Indian fans and fighters.