13 Indian athletes who have been World No. 1
It’s no secret that sport is not the highest priority in India, so when a sportsperson defies the odds to reach the pinnacle, it’s something to be celebrated. Not only do they fight a culture which has not traditionally promoted and adopted sport, but they also surpass the achievements of athletes blessed with better infrastructure and resources.Despite the nature of the country’s sporting landscape, several sportspersons have given it everything to achieve the World No. 1 ranking. Most recently Saina Nehwal achieved the No. 1 ranking, after winning the Indian Open Super Series title. On that note, here are 12 other Indian sportspersons who reached the World No. 1 position.
#1 Viswanathan Anand (Chess)
The flag-bearer for Indian chess over the past 20 years, Anand has won the World Championship five times and made it to the finals on several occasions. In total, he held the world number one position for six months, across different periods.
His first tenure was from Aprill in 2007 to October of the same year, he then surrendered the position to Vladimir Kramnik in early 2008. However, he regained the position in the April of 2008 and held it till July, reaching a peak rating of 2803.
He would eventually go onto surrender the title to Bulgaria’s Veselin Topalov