Behold the glory: Top 5 sporting years of Independent India

Disclaimer – These years are the top five sporting years for independent India (in chronological order) as per my opinion, and the readers’ list may differ from mine.

India as a nation has had very limited success in sports. While the sporting scene has slowly but surely been improving in the country, the fact is that the golden moments of Indian sport have been few and far between. Here is an attempt to look at the top five years in Indian sports since independence.

1952

KD Jadhav – India’s first individual Olympic medallist

Independent India got its first individual Olympic medal when Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, or KD Jadhav as he is more commonly known, won bronze in freestyle wrestling. It is said that the welcome he received when he returned to India was a sight which had to be seen to be  believed. He was welcomed in grand fashion at his home town in Karad (Maharashtra) with dhols and bullock cart processions.

India continued its dominance in the field of hockey by winning the gold medal under the captaincy of K D Singh ‘Babu’. It was the fifth time that the country had won hockey gold.

1983

If there is one year which is responsible for making India a cricket-crazy nation, then it has to be 1983. Kapil’s Devils achieved the unthinkable when they won the cricket World Cup by defeating two-time world champions and title favourites West Indies. It was this victory that gave the belief to the Tendulkar’s of the country to make cricket as their career.