Behold the glory: Top 5 sporting years of Independent India

2010

Saina Nehwal after winning the gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games 2010 were marred by administrative controversies prior to the start of the event. However, once the games started, it looked like the Indian contingent had worked up some serious home advantage as they bagged 101 medals (highest ever medals tally for India) which included 38 gold. Saina Nehwal contributed to this tally of gold medals. She went on to win five international titles to become the world number 2 in 2010.

It was also the year of the Asian Games and India again put in a record breaking performance, bagging 64 medals which included 14 gold.

And if other sports are doing well in the country, there is no way cricket can be left behind. Into his 21st year of international cricket, Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman ever to score a double hundred in one day cricket. He did this against South Africa at Gwalior.

Notable Omissions

1958 – Milkha Singh got independent India its first individual gold medal when he won gold at the 1958 Cardiff Commonwealth Games.

1980 – Prakash Padukone became the first Indian to win the coveted All England Badminton Championship. (Pullela Gopichand replicated this feat in 2001).

1998 – This year is best remembered for Sachin’s desert storm in Sharjah and the words of Tony Greig on the match – “They are dancing in the aisles in Sharjah.” Apart from the success in cricket, the Indian hockey team also won gold in the Asian Games.

2011 – While the Indian cricket team won the World Cup at home, apart from this victory there was no other achievement of notable significance for Indian sports.