It’s August 15, India is celebrating its 71st Independence Day on Wednesday and we are proud to share some of the historic moments of Indian sports which will fill your heart with moments of glory and pride. Whether its legendary Kapil Dev and the Indian Cricket team lifting the coveted world cup trophy in 1983 or the men’s hockey team winning the Gold medal at 1948 Olympics in London our sportspersons have always led the country’s name at the top.
On this auspicious day, let’s take a look at 5 such moments of glory in our Independence Day special:
1. 1948: India’s Olympic gold medal
Long back our Indian hockey team had achieved some magnificent goals and had even won gold medals at the Olympic Games but that was all for a team which was still a British colony. Fortunately, the 1948 Olympics in London saw India winning its 1st medal as an independent nation. After crushing the tough Netherlands team 2-1 in the semi-final, the Indian team did magic and thumped Great Britain 4-0 in the finals to the change the destiny of hockey in India.
2. 1980: Prakash Padukone Conquers All England Open
You must definitely know about the All England Championships which was one of the most important tournaments where the best players from all over the world used to take home the prize. Indian shuttler Prakash Padukone, displayed the power of India to the whole world as he went past a tough field to finally win the championships. Further, he also has to his credit the two Asian Games bronze medals in the team event and has Commonwealth Games men’s singles gold which proves his unique talent.
3. 1983: India wins the first cricket world cup
How can we forget Kapil Dev and the Indian cricket team heroics at 1983 world cricket championship? It was the 3rd edition of world cup and India had already given a phenomenal performance in the group stage to fight England in the knock-out stage. Finally, India defeated hosts England to play against the West Indies in the finale. Well, Lady luck smiled on Kapil and Co. as India defeated the defeat the defending the champions and clinch the title of world champions.
4. 1986: PT Usha’s Gold at Seoul Asiad
PT Usha was at the peak of her powers at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. Well, the 22-year-old Usha did magic as she won 5 medal- 4 golds and 1 silver, which is a record for a single athlete at an international event. Further, she had even won 2 silver medals at 1990 Beijing games after recovering from a heel injury.
5. 2007: Viswanathan Anand wins Chess title
Viswanathan Anand silenced his critics in World Chess Championship 2007 after winning the tournament. While his winning score was 9 points out of 14 with a total of 4 wins and 10 draws. Moreover, he was the only undefeated player in the tournament. Excellent isn’t it?
6. 2008: Abhinav Bindra shoots for Gold at Beijing Olympics
Shooter Abhinav Bindra created history by winning a gold medal in the 10m Air rifle event at 2008 Beijing Olympics as he became India’s 1st individual gold medalist at the Summer Games. Moreover, it was India’s 1st Olympic gold medal since the 1980 Olympics.
7. 2011: MS Dhoni brings back world cup after 28 years
After a flop show in the previous edition of the world cup in 2007, Indian cricket team turned the fortune in their favour with hard work and dedication. The team’s victory in 2011 is one of the biggest victories in the history of Indian sport. MS Dhoni smashing a six to clinch the title will be reminisced by Indians for several years.
In the 21st century, Indian sports has reached different heights with many youngsters opting for a career in sports and take the legacy forward.
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