You win some, you lose some. In life, and in sports. For India, 2016 was a fairly impressive year in sports, in spite of a largely disappointing performance at the Rio Olympics.
The year started off on a promising note, with the Indian national football team winning the SAFF Cup, beating Afghanistan 2-1. The Afghans took the lead but the gritty Indians came from behind, with goals from Jeje Lalpekhlua and skipper Sunil Chhetri, which saw the hosts win the trophy for the seventh time. Chhetri was once again in the thick of action in the AFC Cup months later, where he led Bengaluru FC into the finals—the first Indian club to reach the finals of the football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation. Though they lost by a solitary goal to Iraqi club Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Air Force Club), it rekindled the country's interest in club football.
Sakshi Malik celebrates after winning the bronze in women's 58kg freestyle wrestling at Rio Olympics | AFP
Meanwhile, on the cricket field, Team India had mixed fortunes in limited overs format under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Australia beat India 4-1 in the ODI series but the Men in Blue managed to exact revenge by crushing the Aussies 3-0 in the T20s. India continued to dominate in the shortest format of the game, with a 2-1 series win against Sri Lanka and the Asia Cup triumph beating Bangladesh by eight wickets. However, they were beaten by West Indies by seven wickets in the semifinal of the World T20.
In whites, however, Team India had a dream run in 2016 under a dynamic and aggressive Virat Kohli, who became the first Indian captain to win five successive Test series—against Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand and England. In fact, India has been unbeaten in the last 18 Tests—a record—having won 14 of those. The recent 4-0 win over England at home ensured Kohli and his team will end the year as the number one Test team.
Martina Hingis (L) and Sania Mirza with the Australian Open trophy in Melbourne | AFP
The women's cricket team, too, had an year to remember, with successive series wins over Australia in T20s, and Sri Lanka in T20s and ODIs. Though the World T20 was a disappointment for the Indian eves, they blanked the West Indies 3-0 in the ODI series soon after.
It would be fair to say that 2016 was the year of Indian women sportspersons. India had won six medals at the 2012 London Olympics, and so, expectations were high from the Indian athletes at the Rio Olympics. However, the largest ever Indian contingent—118 athletes—returned with only two medals. Shuttler P.V. Sindhu won the silver in singles while wrestler Sakshi Malik won bronze, sparing India's blushes. Though golfer Aditi Ashok—who became the first Indian woman golfer to qualify for Olympics—and gymnast Dipa Karmakar did not make it to the podium, their performances were widely appreciated.
Vijender Singh (L) in action against Tanzania's Francis Cheka during their WBO Asia-Pacific Super-Middleweight boxing match at the Thyagaraj Stadium in Delhi | AFP
At the Rio Paralympics, too, a 45-year-old Indian woman shot putter—Deepa Malik—made the country proud by becoming the oldest athlete to win a Paralympic medal. She also became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympics. India won three more medals at the Rio Games—Devendra Jhajaria won the gold in javelin throw while Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Singh Bhati won the gold and bronze in high jump respectively.
It was a bright start to the year for Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza, having won the Australian Open doubles title with Martina Hingis. The hugely successful pair who set 2015 on fire, winning 14 titles in only 14 months including three Grand Slams, however, parted ways a few months later. In men's tennis, too, India had a reason to cheer, with Leander Paes winning the French Open mixed doubles with Hingis.
Suad Natiq Naji (R) of Iraq's Air Force Club fights for the ball with C.K. Vineeth of JSW Bengaluru FC during the AFC Cup final in Doha | REUTERS
India's dominance in the South Asian Games continued this year, too. With a record 308-medal haul, which included 188 gold, they emerged champions for the 12th consecutive time. It was a monumental leap for the Indian contingent, which won 175 medals, including 90 gold, in the last edition held at Dhaka in 2010.
Kabaddi was another sport where India reigned supreme this year. Though its supremacy was never in doubt, the team lost 32-34 to South Korea in the opener. But the Indians quickly overcame the scare and bulldozed the other teams to reach the final, where they faced their familiar foes Iran whom they had defeated in 2004 and 2007 World Cups. Iran led by five points at half-time but India produced a stunning turnaround in the second half and won the match 38-29 to win its third consecutive World Cup.
Indian junior hockey players celebrate with the trophy after defeating Belgium in the final of the Junior World Cup Hockey 2016 in Lucknow | PTI
Hockey was another sport in which India won the World Cup this year. The men's junior team beat Belgium 2-1 in the final to be crowned world champions for the second time—the first being in 2001. The senior men's and women's teams, too, had their moments, winning both the versions of Asian Champion's Trophy. While the women's team beat China 2-1, their male counterparts scored a thrilling 3-2 win over arch-rivals Pakistan.
And not to forget, Vijender Singh, who successfully defended his WBO Asia-Pacific Super Middleweight title with a knockout win over Tanzania’s Francis Cheka. With eight wins in as many bouts, Singh is unbeaten till date in his pro-boxing career.
