In India, sport (apart from cricket and football to some extent) is never given the importance it deserves. It is not the highest priority in the country, and parents still tell their kids to concentrate on studies rather than take up a game. Thus when a sportsperson or a team from the country reaches the pinnacle fighting against all odds, it is a moment to celebrate.
While India is a country that has a diverse sports culture, many sportspersons from the country have reached the top rankings in their respective sports over time. They beat rivals from all around the world to become the top-ranked player or team in their field, which is an incredible achievement in itself.
To be the best in the world is something that every sportsman dreams of. Some achieve that goal while some others are not so fortunate. On that note, here, we take a look at five sports in which India or an Indian holds the top ranking in the world.
#5 Siril Verma (Badminton – junior men)
Young Indian shuttler Siril Verma is currently ranked world number one in junior men’s category. In the latest rankings released last week by the BWF, Verma was right on top of junior world rankings.
The 16-year-old claimed the top ranking for the first time in January earlier this year. His performances in 2015 helped his cause. At the World Junior Badminton Championship in 2015, he clinched the silver medal despite entering the tournament as an unseeded player.
On becoming the number one player, Verma had said, "I am happy to become No. 1. But my aim is to become No. 1 in the senior category as well."
However, the youngster, who trains under Pullela Gopichand, had slumped to the second position in the junior rankings. Recent good showings, which includes an appearance in the final of the Russian Open Grand Prix 2016, helped him reclaim the top position.
#4 Mariyappan Thangavelu (Paralympic High Jumper)
Mariyappan Thangavelu, the high jumper who made India proud in the Rio Paralympics 2016, is ranked the number one in the world. He achieved this incredible feat in his debut year at senior level earlier this year before the Paralympics.
At the Paralympics, the 20-year-old, he became India’s first Paralympic gold medallist since 2004 as he jumped 1.89m to secure his gold medal.
Reaching the top was never easy for Thangavelu. He lost his right leg after a disastrous accident when he was only five years old. However, the youngster beat all odds and went on to win the gold medal at the IPC World Athletics Championship in Dubai and climbed to the top of the rankings for the first time.
Before going to Rio, Thangavelu said, “I might be world number 1, but things back home are pretty bad. My mother is still paying off the debt, and I hardly earn anything so I have nothing to contribute. But sometimes life is bigger than that no?”
#3 Sania Mirza (Tennis – Women’s doubles)
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza has recently completed 80 weeks at the top of the women’s doubles ranking in the world. She clinched the top spot in April, 2015 and no one has been able to topple her yet.
In 2015, she became the first Indian to become the number one in WTA’s doubles rankings after her triumph in the 2015 Family Circle Cup. Hee partnership with Swiss tennis player Martina Hingis bore instant fruit and the pair went on to win three consecutive grand slams – the Wimbledon in 2015, the US Open in 2015 and the Australian Open in 2016.
Speaking on her achievement, Mirza had said, “It’s a dream for every kid to be No. 1 one day. No tournament has been as special to me as the Family Circle Cup and no tournament will ever be as special to me, because I became No. 1 here."
The three grand slam titles have helped her to hold on to her top ranking for so long and her fans hope that she stays there for much longer.
#2 Kabaddi
Both the Indian men’s and women’s Kabaddi team are the undisputed number one teams in the world. Their achievements speak for themselves as they continue to dominate the sport over the years.
In the recently concluded Kabaddi World Cup, the men’s team went on to clinch the gold medal for a record 7th successive time after defeating Iran in the final. In fact, since the induction of the tournament, India has claimed the top honors every time.
In the Asian and South Asian Games as well, the neither the men’s nor the women’s team has never returned empty handed, clinching the gold medal every single time.
The sport, although not featured in the Olympics, is widely popular with 75 nationalities on four continents play the game. Quite rightly, not a single nation has even come close to claiming the top rank in Kabaddi – a sport that is truly India’s own.
#1 Cricket
Cricket is by far the most popular sport in the country and that India is at the top of the rankings does not come as a huge surprise. The men’s team are ranked number one in Test cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin heads the bowler's list in Test matches, and of course, Virat Kohli is the top ranked batsman in T20 cricket. Jhulan Goswami also heads the list as the top ODI bowler in women’s cricket.
The Indian Test team under Virat Kohli climbed to the top of the rankings after the 2nd Test win against New Zealand in October overtaking Pakistan in the process. This is the fourth instance that the team achieved this feat and 2nd time under Kohli.
Off-spinner Ashwin, after his good showing against the Kiwis, reclaimed his number one ranking in Test cricket in October. Ashwin is the world number one all-rounder in Test cricket as well. Indian batting mainstay Virat Kohli claimed the rank one batsman in T20 cricket powered by his marauding knocks at the World T20.
Former India women’s team captain Jhulan Goswami claimed the numero uno position among bowlers in ODI cricket, and this was the third time when she had been the world number one.
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