In 2023, India’s sporting glory was at its best. Be it an unprecedented medal haul at the Asian
Games or the many firsts across several world championships, India proved its dominance over
sports with enough resolute and a steely resolve. The collective success will certainly serve as an
inspiration to the Indian athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Here’s some of the major
achievements:
The Awesome Asiad
With a record haul of 107 medals that included 28 gold, 38 silvers and 41 bronze, India set a new
benchmark at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023. It was the first time in Asian Games history that
India’s medals tally crossed the three-figure mark. While Neeraj Chopra was the favourite for the
javelin throw gold, his compatriot Kishore Jena’s presence made it anything but easy for the Olympic
champion in the Hangzhou Games. Jena briefly led Chopra, logging 86.77m with his third throw and
logged his personal best of 87.54m with his fourth. However, Chopra pulled off his season’s best of
88.88m in his fourth attempt to defend his Asian Games crown as India achieved a 1-2 finish in the
men’s javelin throw event.
The gold medals won by Avinash Sable, Parul Chaudhary, and Annu Rani were no lesser feats. Sable
set an Asian Games record in the men’s 3000m steeplechase. Parul Chaudhary triumphed in the
women’s 5000m race with one of the most remarkable finishes. It was the first time that a woman
had clinched medals in both the women’s 3000m steeplechase (silver) and the 5000m in an Asian
Games edition. Annu Rani, despite struggling for form for the majority of the season, stepped up on
the big stage to win women’s javelin throw gold. India eclipsed past achievements in archery as well.
The nine medals won by Indian archers included five golds. India had won only 10 medals in archery
in the previous 18 editions of the Asian Games.
Archery was a standout sport in 2023. For the first time in the history of archery in India, the nation
won 107 medals in 16 international competitions ranging from senior world championships to the
Asia Cup. The icing on the cake was the performance of para archers, especially the armless Sheetal
Devi, who won a pair of medals, including a gold, on her debut at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.
Shooters, led by Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, won 22 medals at the Asian Games which
included seven gold medals. Four of the seven gold medals came with world records.
The No. 1 Shuttlers
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became the first Indian doubles pair in history to take the
world No. 1 spot in the badminton rankings in October. Shetty and Rankireddy won three BWF titles
this year. Known as the ‘Brothers of Destruction’, the Indian duo also made history by winning
India’s first gold medal in badminton at the Asian Games as well as the Badminton Asia
Championships. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have been nominated to receive the
prestigious Khel Ratna award, India’s highest sporting honour, at the National Sports Awards 2023.
It’s Neeraj again!
Having settled for silver at Oregon 2022, Tokyo Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra fulfilled his quest
of winning the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships at Budapest 2023. By doing so,
Chopra became the first Indian in the 19 editions of the championships to win a gold medal. The
Indian ace has now won every major prize in his sport. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem fell short of
Chopra’s 88.17m effort by 35 cm to win the silver medal. Despite the intensity of the India vs
Pakistan clash, the Neeraj Chopra vs Arshad Nadeem rivalry at the world championships was
different and showcased the genuine essence of the Olympic spirit. Kishore Jena and DP Manu
finished fifth and sixth, respectively, to give India a historical achievement of three athletes in the
top six of a world athletics championships.
Historic feat
At the Budapest World Championships, Indian athletes excelled not only in the javelin throw but also
in the 4x400m relay. Comprising Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal, and
Rajesh Ramesh, the Indian relay team made a notable impact in an event historically dominated by
powerhouses like the USA, Jamaica, and Great Britain. The Indian relay team finished second behind
world record holders USA with an Asian record time of 2:59.05 in the heats and made the final for
the first time in history. The Indian team left in its wake Great Britain (3rd; 2:59.42) and Jamaica
(5th; 2:59.82). Despite narrowly missing out on a medal and securing fifth place in the final, the
Indian quartet’s remarkable performance turned many heads. The same team went on to win the
gold medal at the Asian Games later in the year.
Chess champion
Indian chess Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, at just 18 years old, became the youngest
player to reach the FIDE World Cup final in August, following an incredible run where he defeated
world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura and world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana. Praggnanandhaa is only the second
Indian to reach the final after India’s first grandmaster, Viswanathan Anand. Although
Praggnanandhaa lost the final against the four-time world champion and Norwegian Grandmaster
Magnus Carlsen, he secured a spot in the Candidates tournament in 2024. The 22-year-old Vaishali
Rameshbabu became the third female Grandmaster from India. With this accomplishment, Vaishali
and her younger brother, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, became the first-ever pair of Grandmaster
siblings from India.
Shooting stars
The World Archery Championships 2023 in Berlin was an Olympic qualifier for recurve archers. While
India faced disappointment on that front, the country’s compound archers made it a historic event
for India with three gold medals and one bronze in August. The 17-year-old Aditi Swami and Ojas
Pravin Deotale, 21, won India’s first-ever women’s and men’s individual gold medals at the world
championships. Additionally, Aditi Swami became the youngest archer to win an individual gold
medal at the senior world championships. Indian veteran Jyothi Surekha Vennam claimed the bronze
medal in the same event. Aditi and Jyothi also combined with Parneet Kaur to win the gold medal in
the women’s compound team event.
Hockey high
India’s men’s hockey team scripted a remarkable turnaround in the Asian Champions Trophy final
against Malaysia. Trailing 1-3 in the opening half, they staged an inspiring comeback to secure their
fourth title, displaying sheer determination and prowess.
Cricket Charisma
India’s cricket journey in 2023 was marked by moments of brilliance despite facing defeats in major
finals like the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup against Australia. Led by Rohit
Sharma, India sustained their dominance, securing top rankings across all formats throughout the
year. Virat Kohli scored his 50th ODI century during the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals against New
Zealand, eclipsing his idol Sachin Tendulkar’s record. Tendulkar himself was present at the
Wankhede Stadium to witness the slice of history.
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