CHENNAI: A cricket World Cup, half a dozen Olympic medals, two chess world champions and a historic double in Chess Olympiad, the year 2024 gave Indian sports fans many reasons to celebrate. Besides, there were heartbreaks as well with New Zealand clean-sweeping Rohit Sharma & Co in a three-Test series, shuttlers and boxers returning empty-handed from Paris. A look at the highs and lows of 2024...
Highs
T20 World Cup
Cricket connoisseurs from the country were awaiting an ICC title for more than a decade and their prayers were finally answered in June when India defeated South Africa in the final to lift the T20 World Cup. Since 2013, when they last won an ICC title (Champions Trophy), Indian cricket team had endured heartbreaking losses in the knockouts, including 2023 ODI World Cups and two World Test Championships finals. The T20 trophy in Barbados healed all those wounds and restored fans' faith in their favourite stars.
Euphoria in chess
Chess witnessed an unprecedented success as 18-year-old D Gukesh became the youngest-ever world champion, a record that had been held by Garry Kasparov for decades followed by Koneru Humpy's triumph at the FIDE Women's World Rapid Chess Championship. Before these twin titles, India achieved stellar success at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest with the men's and women's teams winning gold in their respective categories, cementing India's dominance in the game.
Shooters' show in Paris
After two successive failures in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, Indian shooters returned to winning ways, clinching three bronze in Paris. Manu Bhaker became the first Indian athlete to clinch two medals at the same Games. She first bagged a bronze in the women's 10m air pistol event and then teamed up with Sarabjot Singh to win bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. Swapnil Kusale made it three by finishing third in the 50m rifle 3 positions.
Rise of para athletes
The country's para-athletes bagged 29 medals at 2024 Paralympics for their most successful campaign ever at the Games. India finished 18th on the overall medals table, and in all, they won seven gold, nine silver and 13 bronze. Para-shooter Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold.
Back-to-back Olympic bronze for hockey team
Once a powerhouse of hockey with eight Olympic gold under their belt, the Indian men's team touched the nadir when it could not qualify for the 2008 Beijing Games. They were back on the podium in Tokyo when they won a bronze and Harmanpreet Singh and Co claimed it again in Paris by beating Spain 2-1.
Lows
0-3 home series loss to Kiwis
The historic 0-3 loss against visiting New Zealand in a three-Test series rattled the Indian team to the core. The clean sweep also meant India's impeccable record of not losing a home Test series since 2012 also got broken. The heartbreaking loss severely dented India's chances of making it to the third consecutive final of the World Test Championship.
Shuttlers' no-show at Games
Since Saina Nehwal's bronze in 2012 London Games, badminton had given the country an Olympic medal in each edition. Given their track record and ominous form of their doubles specialists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu's knack of winning medals at the biggest platforms, India were confident of keeping their record intact in Paris. Unfortunately, shuttlers turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments at the Games. Lakshya Sen reached the medal round only to lose despite winning the first game.
IOA infighting, NSFs in mess
Off the field, the year will be remembered for infighting in the Indian Olympic Association with the executive members revolting against president PT Usha. Such was the chaos that the International Olympic Committee had to interfere to bring the house in order. The national sports federations, too, followed the suit with most of them being embroiled in controversies. The sports ministry and the Sports Authority of India only added fuel to the fire as they continued to rule with iron fist.
Football downward spiral
Indian men's football went from bad to worse as two managers combined could not find a single win. The national team went winless -with six losses and five draws - throughout the year. India failed to qualify from the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign in the process. Igor Stimac, who was at the helm since 2019, got sacked. It led to a war of words between All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey and Stimac. Manolo Marquez replaced Stimac but could not change the script.
Women's cricket team fails to impress
Women's cricket team failed to qualify for the semifinals of the T20 World Cup for the first time since the 2018 edition. Harmanpreet Kaur-led side lost against New Zealand and Australia in the league phase to bow out.