67 years on, Indian Athletes continue to shine

With the dawn of a new sporting age, India boasts of some of the best athletes in the world. These athletes have been inspiring the future generations to seize the opportunity by taking up sports and make India proud wherever they grace the field.  Ink salutes some of the heroes who have taken India to a new paradigm in the sporting world on this Independence Day special.

Current Discuss throw record holder, Krishna Poonia

The list starts with the female athlete named as Krishna Poonia. Born in the city of Agroha in Haryana, on 5^th May 1977, she is currently the national women’s champion in the discus throw event. She has the national record registered in her name of throwing the discus at the distance of 61.51 metres. In the last held Commonwealth Games, she clinched gold in this very event. She also won the bronze medal twice in the Asian Games, held in the city of Doha and Guangzhou.

Mary-Kom- Power house from the Northeast

Mary Kom, female boxer from Manipur and five time World Boxing Champion, came back from a two-year sabbatical to clinch her fourth successive World Amateur boxing gold in 2008, a feat that prompted the All India Boxing Association (AIBA) to describe her as 'Magnificent Mary'. Mary Kom had won four title of World Boxing Championship in the 46 kg category but her fifth title came in the 48 kg category. Mary Kom set the record to have won a medal in each one of the six World Championships. She is the only women boxer to have been awarded with the Arjuna Award and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.

Sunil Chhetri, Football Captain, India

Sunil Chhetri, Indian football player, Mohun Bagan FC, is following the footsteps of Baichung Bhutia to claim his name in the international football scenario. Born on 3rd August, 1984, Chhetri initiated his talent in Delhi. He was selected as the AIFF player of the year 2007. His international debut was in the Nehru Cup in 2007. Chhetri joined Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon for the 2012/13 season. Also, he is the first Indian to represent a Major League Soccer club, Kansas City Wizards when he formally signed for the team in 2010.  In 2013, he was made as the captain of the India Football Team.

Ace badminton star, Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal, born on March 17, 1990, hailing from Hyderabad, is a Khel Ratna winning badminton player currently ranked number fifth in the world by Badminton Federation. Saina is the first Indian woman to reach the singles quarterfinals at the Olympics and the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships. Saina Nehwal made history in 2009, becoming the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament, by clinching the Indonesia Open with a stunning victory over higher-ranked Chinese Wang Lin in Jakarta.

Sardara Singh, Indian Hockey Star

Sardara Singh, born in 1986, emerged among the best hockey players in the country. Over the years, he has scored a number of match winning performances for India. Some of his biggest achievements include: Best player of tournament at the 2012 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, player of the tournament at 2010 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and player of the tournament at 2010 Olympic Qualifier. In the recently concluded Hockey India League, he was the highest paid player bought at the price of Rs 42.49 lakh.

Abhinav Bindra, The Olympic Gold medalist

Abhinav Bindra is the brightest star among a new breed of talented Indian shooters. Born on 28 September 1983, Bindra developed the passion for the game at an early age. He became a shooter at the age of fifteen and the youngest participant at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Bindra came into limelight by winning a bronze medal in the 2001 Munich World Cup, with a new junior world record score of 597/600 and fetched international accolade to India by winning India's first individual Olympic gold medal in 2008.

The spirit of sportsmanship has always been an essential ingredient in bringing the nation together. At the highest level of each game, these athletes have been able to deliver their best and hoist the nation’s flag in light of excellence and making a billion plus population proud.