National Sports Day special: Where India stands in the world of sports

Squash

At the recently concluded Asian Youth Games, the Indian squash contingent grabbed 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze. Kush Kumar beat Mohd Syafiq Kamal of Malaysia in the men’s final to bring home the sole gold medal.

Ranking

Highest ranked Indian: Dipika Pallikal: World No. 15

Basketball

The Indian men’s basketball team competed in the FIBA Asian Championships recently, held in Manila, Philippines. India managed to finish 11th after beating Bahrain in the last match. Against Japan, India had a healthy lead and had they won that match they would have finished in the top 10.

Coach Scott Fleming’s men lost all their matches in the second round but ensured they avenged their early loss against Bahrain.

Ranking

Men’s Basketball team: 58

Women’s Basketball team: 40

Chess

Grandmaster and former world junior champion Abhijeet Gupta won the Commonwealth Chess Championship held in South Africa in July 2013. It was a clean sweep of medals as veteran Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua got the silver medal and Grandmaster M.R. Lalith Babu won the bronze.

Among women, Soumya Swaminathan won the silver medal, while national women’s champion Mary Ann Gomes won the bronze.

The Indians also swept the junior section with G. Akash winning the gold, Sahaj Grover getting silver and Rakesh Kulkarni securing the bronze medal. Kulkarni also won the South African Open blitz championship.

World chess champion Vishwanathan Anand is confident of defending his title when he faces Magnus Carlsen in Chennai in the World Chess Championship. The event in set to start in November 2013.

Ranking

Highest ranked player: Vishwanathan Anand, world no. 7