India Gallops in Sports in 2022; Lets Recap!

2022 has been an unforgotten year for Indian sports fans. A great follow-up to an almost equally outstanding 2021, when the nation’s athletes shone brightly at the Tokyo Olympics, it was a year of many firsts and historic accomplishments for Indian athletes on the international scene.

The heights Indian athletes reached in 2022 are recapped here:

World Championships And Diamond League Bear Neeraj Chopra’s Signature

It would have been challenging for Neeraj Chopra to maintain that perfect run in 2022 after winning the gold medal in the Olympics in Tokyo the year prior.

India’s performance at the competition was at its highest level yet thanks to the Olympic champion’s second silver medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon. Since Anju Bobby George’s bronze medal in the long jump at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris, India has only won two medals on the international scene.

After finishing second in the Stockholm event and first in the Lausanne’s leg—the first victories by an Indian in the Diamond League—Neeraj qualified for the Zurich final of the Diamond League. After a stellar showing in the Swiss city, he became the first Indian to win a Diamond League championship.

Throughout this time, Neeraj Chopra consistently smashed the national record; his most recent throw, 89.94 metres, came in the Stockholm Diamond League competition.

A Commonwealth Games Of Numerous Firsts In Birmingham

At the Commonwealth Games this year, Indian participants left with 61 medals, including 22 gold, 16 silver, and 23 bronze. There were also unexpected victories among the weightlifters, wrestlers, boxers, badminton, and table tennis players, who also outperformed expectations.

Lawn Bowls, a sport that had previously gotten little attention from Indian sports fans, came to light with the women’s team winning a gold medal and the men’s team taking home a silver. India had never previously participated in the sport and had taken home a gold at the Commonwealth Games.

Indian competitors in the track and field also made significant firsts. Eldhose Paul defeated fellow countryman Abdulla Aboobacker to win India’s first-ever 1-2 finish at the Games and win the country’s first triple jump gold at the CWG 2022. In the men’s long jump, Murali Sreeshankar brought home India’s first silver medal.

In Birmingham, the women’s cricket and hockey teams from India both won medals.

The highlight of the race was steeplechaser Avinash Sable, who finished with a silver medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, wedged between two Kenyans, in a time that set a new national record. Race walkers Priyanka Goswami and Sandeep Kumar also earned podium spots.

First-Ever Badminton Victory In The Thomas Cup

The Indian men’s badminton team, led by Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, contributed to yet another chapter in Indian sporting history in the Thomas Cup 2022, which was played in Bangkok, Thailand.

In the pivotal match, Indian shuttlers put up a polished performance to overcome Indonesia, the current winners of the league and most successful team with 14 championships, 3-0 to win their first Thomas Cup title.

Boxing World Champion Nikhat Zareen

If Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen had won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, she would have viewed 2022 as a good year.

However, the Indian boxer outdid himself by also taking home the title of world champion.

Aside from Mary Kom, she is the only other person to win a world championship abroad.

Indian Women’s Hockey Team Wins Inaugural Women’s FIH Nations Cup

India performed admirably in their inaugural season, taking on Argentina and other powerhouses and finishing a respectable third.

Savita Punia and the business entered the eight-team competition in December with a specific objective in mind. They advanced to the semifinals by winning all three of their group matches, defeating a tenacious Irish opponent in a shootout. A crucial match between the Indians and Spain ended with a 1-0 Indian victory.