From T20 WC triumph to Gukesh making history: Key events in sports in 2024

Trailblazing comebacks and teary goodbyes marked an eventful year

  WIN-ESH: Ahead of what would have been a historic final in the women’s 50 kg wrestling event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for being just 100 gm overweight. En route to her final, Vinesh pulled off the biggest win of her career, when she defeated defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the opening round. After her heartbreaking exit, Vinesh, 29, announced her retirement 

  Tears in Tokyo, Podium in Paris: In 2021, Manu Bhaker left Tokyo’s Asaka shooting range in tears after a pistol malfunction cut short her Olympic dreams. In Paris, three years later, those tears turned into unadulterated joy. Bhaker became the first Indian woman shooter to clinch two Olympic medals 

 

  CHECKMATING HISTORY: D Gukesh, 18, was crowned the youngest-ever world champion, dethroning China’s Ding Liren at the 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore. This victory follows India’s stellar performance at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, where the men’s and women’s teams clinched gold, along with four individual gold medals 

  Guns ‘N’ Roses: Avani Lekhara won India's first gold medal in the women’s 10 m air rifle event at the Paralympics. This was her second consecutive gold medal in the event, making her the first Indian woman athlete to win multiple medals at the Paralympics.  India won 29 medals including seven gold, nine silver, and thirteen bronze. The Games marked India's highest ever medal tally at the Paralympics  

  Gold Rush: Novak Djokovic, at 37, fulfilled his lifelong quest for an Olympic gold by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in a riveting final. Overcoming years of heartbreak, he became the oldest Olympic singles champion in tennis history, adding the missing piece to his illustrious career and cementing his legacy as one of the greatest 

 

Superman Signs Off: PR Sreejesh, who helped orchestrate Indian hockey’s revival and was a reason the team won its second consecutive Olympic bronze medal, announced his retirement from the sport at the Paris Olympics 

  Gender Bender: Imane Khelif (left) and Lin Yu-ting each won gold in boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics amid a global furore over whether they were eligible to compete in the women's division 

  Calypso King: Moments after India’s epic win over South Africa in the World T20 final in Barbados, head coach Rahul Dravid was joyously flipped in the air. The triumph in the Caribbean was Dravid’s redemption, under whose captaincy India endured a forgettable first-round exit in the 2007 ODI World Cup in this part of the world 

 

LA ROJA, CUARTO: Spain were crowned Euro 2024 winners after a pulsating 2-1 victory over England at Olympiastadion. It marked an unprecedented fourth European championship for La Roja, even as England continued their search for an elusive international title 

  HOME TRUTHS: Months after their World T20 high, India crashed to their first Test series defeat at home in 12 years against New Zealand, a team that brutally exposed their vulnerabilities against quality spin bowling. This was the first time since 1933 that India were whitewashed at home in a series with three or more matches 

  Waltzing Into Sunset: (From left) Ravichandran Ashwin, James Anderson, Rafael Nadal and Sunil Chhetri  bid farewell this year, leaving behind rich legacies that inspired millions, and reshaped the landscape of their respective sporting domains