2023 didn't turn out to be the year we lifted the cricket world cup again, but Indian sports beyond cricket saw many firsts, records, and historic wins. Here are the most prominent
From (L to R): Neeraj Chopra, Avinash Sable and Nikhat Zareen.
Top performers of 2023 who turned heads, made headlines.
Middle-distance runner Avinash Sable won the 3,000 m steeplechase in the Asian Games, eclipsing the previous Games record by nearly three seconds. He won a second medal in the Hangzhou Games, bagging a silver in the 5,000 m. The 29-year-old also made it to the final of the Diamond League, a marquee competition for the top eight athletes who qualify through a series of track and field events.
Early in the year, 17-year-old grandmaster Gukesh was awarded the Player of the Year by the Asian Chess Federation. In August, he proved why he indeed was one as he toppled Viswanathan Anand—five-time World Champion and India’s first Grandmaster—as the top-ranked Indian chess player in the Fide rankings for the first time in 36 years. He also beat compatriot Raunak Sadhwani to become the 2023 Junior Speed Chess champion.