Sportskeeda's Indian Sportsperson of the Year 2015 - counting down from No. 10 to No. 1
2015 is coming to a close, and the year has shown us several athletes young, older, new and experienced, who put in some brilliant performances in their respective sports. In a country with no dearth of sporting talent – talent that is not highlighted enough – these athletes have defied the odds, set records, and broken paths and barriers.In doing so, they’ve dented the invisible glass ceiling that athletes are restricted by in India, where sporting careers are not viewed with much regard unless they are in cricket. Despite the trials they faced on course to achieving their dreams, these athletes persevered until they found success.Here are our picks for India’s 10 standout talents from the 2015 sporting season, culminating in the crowning of Sportskeeda’s Indian Sportsperson of the Year 2015.Related: Sportskeeda’s Sportsperson of the Year: Our top 10 list
#10 Apurvi Chandela
Indian shooter Apurvi Chandela may only be 22 years old, but she’s already displayed prodigious skill at every event she’s played. At 21, the young woman won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, hosted in Glasgow, Scotland.
This year, she put in standout performances at the ISSF World Cup and the ISSF World Cup Shooting Finals. Participating in the 10m air rifle event, she won Bronze at the initial event in Changwon, Korea, progressing to the finals of the event in Munich, Germany.
There, she’d go one better, pulling off a brilliant performance to take the silver medal at the event.
Following the ISSF Finals, Chandela won a host of medals on the home stage and she took gold in the 10m air rifle at the National Championships in Delhi.
Considering she has already won gold at the world stage, Chandela is hopeful of a good performance at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and if her track record is anything to go by, she will do well in Brazil. If she is able to carry her 2015 momentum into the new year, she could well be the first ever Indian woman to win Olympic gold.