Top 5 unsung heroes of Indian sports in 2017

1. Jyoti Gulia

Jyoti Gulia with the tricolor

This woman's feat arguably deserved to be on the front page of the morning papers, rather than the marriage of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. This boxer, who hailed from Rurki village near Rohtak, had her own 'Dangal' story, but with a twist. Unlike the father, who coerced his daughters into wrestling in the movie, her father, as well as her family was dead against Jyoti pursuing a career in the boxing.

However, this flyweight boxer successfully fought against all odds, to emerge as a champion, both on and off the stage. She created history by defeating Ekaterina Molchanova of Russia comprehensively 5-0 to win the gold medal at the AIBA Youth Women's World Boxing Championships, held at Guwahati in November 2017.

Incidentally, Jyoti belongs to the same category as her idol, and boxing star MC Mary Kom, so this means that Mary Kom is now up for some serious competition in 2018, if she aims to win a medal at the upcoming Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.