Halfway into 2018 here’s a toast to Indian women in sports who are shining brighter than ever. A long list of record-smashing sprees came during the 21st Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast in April this year. We also saw PV Sindhu and Smriti Mandhana making it to the Forbes List Of 30 Under 30 Asia 2018 list. So, let’s recap the moments when Indian sportswomen ruled the podiums.
Mirabai Chanu
Securing India’s first gold medal at CWG, Weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu broke six records in six lifts to finish first in the women’s 48 kg category with a combined effort of 196 kg! World Champion Chanu lifted more than double her body weight, claiming her second CWG medal, following a silver clinch in Glasgow four years ago.
READ: Who Is Mirabai Chanu? Know More About This Manipuri Sensation
Manu Bhaker
The 16-year-old shooting prodigy Manu Bhaker won the women’s 10m air pistol gold medal at the CWG 2018. Prior to that, she won two gold medals at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup. At her maiden senior World Cup, she became the new sensation in pistol shooting. She won the women’s air pistol gold at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany, becoming the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the event.
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Apurvi Chandela
A stunning bronze medal by Apurvi Chandela came at the Commonwealth Games who had earlier smashed her own Commonwealth Games qualifying record from four years back by scoring 423.2
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Mehuli Ghosh
Newbie Ghosh, a bronze medallist in her maiden ISSF World Cup outing in Mexico, bagged a silver at CWG. Ghosh (17) was a debutant who missed the gold by a whisker, in the women’s 10m air rifle event.
Tejaswini Sawant
Veteran women’s rifle shooter Tejaswini Sawan bagged a gold in the women’s 50m Rifle Prone event on the opening day of ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol stage in Munich in May this year. The 37-year old shot gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia too.
Mary Kom
MC Mary Kom clinched a medal in Women’s Boxing at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast too, becoming the first Indian woman to achieve the feat. The Olympic bronze medallist and five-time world champion has another gold in her kitty for this calendar year, from the India Open boxing tournament, took place earlier this year.
Also Read: Not ready to hang up her gloves: Remembering Mary Kom’s finest Sporting Moments
Elavenil Valarivan
Elavenil won her second International Shooting Sport Federation Junior World Cup gold in the women’s 10m air rifle event at Suhl, Germany in June. The 18-year-old had won the gold medal at the Junior World Cup in Sydney in March, setting a new world record. She became world champion at the ISSF Munich World Cup apart from claiming a silver medal at the Changwon World Cup.
Mahima Agarwal
Another young Indian who has brought glory at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney, Australia, by claiming a silver medal in the 25m pistol women’s team. Mahima, who belongs to the Jabalpur’s Gun for Glory Academy, teamed up with Arunima Gaur and Tanu Rawal to win the medal. The accumulative score of the trio put them on the second spot.
Sanjita Chanu
Weightlifter Sanjita Chanu gave India two consecutive gold medals in the women’s 53 kg category at the Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast. With a total lift of 192 kg in snatch plus clean and jerk, Sanjita is among the elite weightlifters internationally.
Muskan Bhanwala
Muskan Bhanwala clinched maiden gold at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney, Australia. Muskan bagged the gold medal in the Women’s 25m Pistol event. The 16-year-old had finished fourth at last year’s Junior World Cup in Suhl
READ: #KheloIndia Will Hone Young India’s Sporting Talent
Manika Batra
A 22-year-old Manika Batra scripted history as the first Indian woman to bag the gold medal in table tennis singles final at the CWG. She won four medals in the Commonwealth Games and two of them are gold. In latest, the Delhi girl claimed women’s title in National Ranking tournament on Tuesday (July 10).
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Deepika Kumari
Archer Deepika Kumari won her first individual gold in six years at the Salt Late World cup last month. To her credit, she already has four silver medals at the Archery World Cup stage.
Hima Das
Sprinter Hima Das (18) became the first Indian woman finalist at CWG. On June 10, she made it to 400m semi-finals as the fastest runner in heats at World U-20 Athletics.
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Dipa Karmakar
India’s topnotch gymnast Dipa Karmakar clinched the gold medal in the vault event of FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup at Mersin, Turkey on July 8. She championed a career-threatening surgery. Dipa won accolades at the Rio Olympics for performing the ‘vault of death’ — the Produnova.
Heena Sidhu picked up a gold medal 25m pistol shooting and a silver in 10m air rifle event, CWG. Discus thrower Seema Punia who won a silver in the Women’s Discus Throw. India’s women compound team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Muskan Kirar and Divya Dhayal clinched a silver medal in the Archery World Cup in May.
Women's Cricket
Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jhulan Goswami, Smriti Mandhana made it to the headlines in 2018. No. 1 Batswoman in ICC Ranking last year, Raj became the first Indian to score 2000 T20I runs, achieved the feat of playing most number of ODIs too. Goswami became the first woman cricketer to get 200 ODI wickets this year.
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Women's Hockey
World No 10, the India women’s hockey team returned from their successful Spain Tour in June. They defeated the World No 11 Spanish team 3-2 in the third match and 4-1 in the fifth match while drawing the second match 1-1.
On June 12, Hockey Star Sushila Chanu notched up 150 International Caps.
Women's Badminton
The star badminton players, too, were the centre of attraction. Pullela Gopichand’s pupils Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu faced off each other and it was a nail-biting match. Nehwal beat Sindhu and bagged the gold in women’s singles. Saina scored another gold in the mixed team events. Meanwhile, N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa got us a bronze medal.
Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal Karthik won silver in Women’s Double Squash at CWG, 2018. Other prominent aces who joined in the league of champions are sprinter Dutee Chand, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues, tennis champ Karman Kaur Thandi, Manpreet Kaur, shooter Shreyasi Singh, Anjum Moudgil. Pooja Dhanda, Babita Phogat.
Featured Image credit: Firstpost
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