All Indian Women Who Shone At CWG 2018

Sixty six medals -- that's what India's sportspersons are bringing home from the 21st Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast. The haul includes 26 gold medals, 20 silvers and 20 bronze medals. With this, India ranks third after Australia (198 medals) and England (166 medals). This is also India's third best performance in the Commonwealth games so far.

All CWG 2018 updates here

Except the names of the star badminton players, Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth, the legendary Mary Kom and paddlers were the centre of attraction.

This is a welcome development for the country’s sports arena as it opens numerous doors to aspirant women. Not only did women shine at the podium this year with the highest medals tally, they also created a gender-balanced space within. They deserve all the limelight they are receiving.

The Indian players gave a stellar performance and we couldn’t be happier!

Here’s a list of all women who made India proud:

Badminton: 6 Medals (2 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze)

Yes, the all-Indian women's singles final we had been longing for finally happened. Pullela Gopichand’s pupils faced off each other and it was a nail-biting match. Saina Naiwal beat PV Sindhu. While Saina bagged the gold in women’s singles, Sindhu had to settle for the silver. Saina scored another gold in the mixed team events. Meanwhile, N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa took home a bronze medal.

Boxing - 9 Medals (3 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze)

This is the arena where no one other than boxer MC Mary Kom (48kg) slayed. This is the first time the Olympic bronze medallist and five-time world champion was competing in the CWG and clinched her maiden gold.

With this win, she became the first Indian woman to win a boxing GOLD at the #GC2018 in her first attempt

35-year-old “Magnificent Mary” had earlier won the gold medal in the Asian Boxing Championships in Vietnam in November last year. Her overwhelming career was missing the one medal from the pile of trophies. Overall, country’s highest-ever medal haul in the sport, hitting a total of 9 medals

Also Read: Not ready to hang up her gloves: Remembering Mary Kom’s finest Sporting Moments

Athletics - 3 Medals (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)

It was Discus thrower Seema Punia who won a silver in the Women’s Discus Throw. A bronze came from another thrower in the fray, Navjeet Dhillon. Punia won the medal with an attempt of 60.41m and Dhillon with 57.43 points. With her best effort, Punia clinched her fourth successive CWG medal while Dhillon clinched her maiden medal.

Table Tennis – 8 Medals (3 Gold, 2 Silver and 3 Bronze)

This was the zone where unexpected names came up. 22-year-old Manika Batra was in the limelight the most. Manika scripted history as the first Indian woman to bag the gold medal in table tennis singles final at CWG. She won four medals in the Commonwealth Games and two of them are gold. She guided the Indian women’s team to a historic gold, and also claimed the women’s doubles silver in table tennis.

While Manika paired with Mouma Das in women’s doubles and won silver, her teaming up with Sathiyan Gnanasekaran won them a bronze in mixed doubles.

Shooting - 16 Medals (7 Golds, 4 Silver, 5 Bronze)

The spotlight was on youngsters here. The teen shooting sensation, Manu Bhaker, clinched the women's 10m air pistol gold medal and 17-year-old Mehuli Ghosh won a silver in women’s 10m air rifle event while Heena Sidhu picked up a gold medal 25m pistol shooting and a silver in 10m air rifle event.

Veteran women’s rifle shooter Tejaswini Sawant won gold in women’s 50m rifle event as well as a silver 50m rifle prone event. While Shreyasi Singh won gold in double trap shooting, another Indian, Anjum Moudgil, won silver in women’s 50m rifle event. Apuvi Chandel got the bronze in women’s 10m air rifle event.

Squash – 2 Silver Medals

Defending champions Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa won the silver medal in women's doubles. This was Joshna's first and Dipika's second medal at Gold Coast, having won a silver in the mixed doubles with Saurav Ghosal.

Weightlifting - 9 Medals (5 Golds, 2 Silvers, 2 Bronze)

Manipur’s pride – India’s first two gold medallists at the Commonwealth Games 2018 — weightlifters Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu gave stellar performances. World champion weightlifter Mirabai (48 kg) broke all records with a claim of India's first gold medal.

Wrestling - 12 Medals (5 Golds, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze)

Vinesh Phogat won Gold in Wrestling in the women's 50 kg freestyle event. India got another medal when one of India’s biggest medal hopes, Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, suffered a setback and had to settle for a bronze in the Women’s 69kg freestyle category. Pooja Dhanda (57kg) picked up silver medals while Divya Kakran (68kg) notched a bronze on her CWG debut. Another defending champion Babita Phogat (53kg) brought home a silver, while debutant Kiran settled for a hard-fought bronze.

India haven't had done this well since its best performance till date during the 2010 Delhi Games, which produced a tally of 101 medals — 38 gold, 27 silver and 36 bronze and the second highest medals tally of 69 came at 2002 in Manchester: 30 gold along with 22 silver and 17 bronze. Their smart strategies certainly exceeded expectations and won the hearts of millions across the nation. You cannot not love these women!

READ: #KheloIndia Will Hone Young India’s Sporting Talent

Also Read: Does India take its sportswomen seriously?

Read More Stories By Ria Das