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India is not a sporting powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination, but since its independence, the country has produced many heroes and especially heroines in the realm of sports who have made the nation proud.
In a country that is obsessed predominantly with cricket, the achievements of those playing other games, especially the women, are often ignored. But apart from world-class cricketers, India has produced some of the finest sportswomen in every sport, be it athletics, tennis, badminton, weightlifting etc.
These women deserve credit, not just for winning medals for the country, but also for popularizing their respective sports, which, at many times, are overshadowed by their male counterparts. However, their grit, hard work, and determination to overcome the obstacles of our sporting culture is exemplary and must be cherished.
For a country, which has produced so many great sportswomen, selecting the top 3 sportswomen from the history of Indian sports was a very difficult task. But in this article, I have attempted to do just that and trust me, it was not an easy task.
I have tried to list and rank the players based on the following parameters:-
1) Individual Sport - The player must be associated with an individual sport. In team sports, it is very difficult to ascertain the true calibre of a player.
2) Performances at the World Events (World Championships and Olympics) - It is often said that If you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best. A sportswoman's true sporting character comes out when she has to perform under pressure against the world"s best.
Thus, performances at only the World Championships and Olympics were taken into consideration. Performances at other sporting events like the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games, the SAFF Games etc, where selective countries participate, weren't considered.
3) The colour of the medal won - It is said that you never win the silver, you only lose the gold. Winning a medal at any world event, be it World Championships or Olympics, is not a small achievement, Despite that, the colour of the medal always adds extra weight to your performance.
For this reason, medal tally formula will be implemented. eg) The person winning a gold medal will be given higher weightage than a person winning more number of silver or bronze medals.
Now, without much ado, let us look at the players who have made the list of top 3 Indian sportswomen of all time:-
#3 P.V Sindhu (Badminton)
At number three, we have shuttler, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu. She is just 23 years old and despite her young age, finds a place in the list. She is one of the most consistent performers in the women's badminton circuit, not only in India but also in the world.
Her performances at the world events have been impressive too.
World Championships:- At such a young age, she has already won 4 medals at the World Championships which is the most by any Indian. Her tally includes 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals. She accounts for 50 percent of the total medals won by India at the Badminton World Championships.
Olympics:- She has 1 Olympic medal to her name. She became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal when she reached the final of the women's singles event at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the second ever Indian woman behind Saina Nehwal to win a medal in badminton for India.
Sindhu has an impressive tally of 5 medals at world events, including 3 silver and 2 bronze medals. However, the only thing missing from her impressive medal collection is a gold medal at a world event. With age on her side and her peak yet to come, she definitely has got the necessary skill and talent to fill that void and achieve more accolades in the sport for India. However, as things stand at present, she makes the list at number three.
#2 Karnam Malleswari (Weightlifting)
At number two, we have Karnam Malleswari. She is a retired Indian weightlifter. She is the first woman in the history of Indian Olympics to win a medal. She broke India's 50-year old jinx of not having a female Olympic medallist when she won the bronze medal in the 69 kg category at the Sydney Olympics.
Her performances at the world events have been extraordinary as well.
World Championships:- Karnam Malleswari has an impressive record when it comes to winning medals at the World Championships. She has won a total of 4 medals, which includes 2 gold medals and 2 bronze medals. She was a world champion in 1994 and 1995.
Olympics:- She has 1 Olympic medal to her name as well. She became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Olympics when she won a bronze medal in 69 kg category at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and till date, she remains the one and only Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic medal.
Karnam Malleswari rewrote the history books by winning the historic medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. With her impressive medal tally of 5 medals, which includes 2 gold medals and 3 bronze medals, she definitely deserves to be on the list at number two.
#1 Mary Kom (Boxing)
Mary Kom takes the top position in the list. Mary Kom is an Indian boxer, hailing from Manipur. She has had a great career and brought laurels to the country on countless occasions.
She has been claimed as the best ever women boxer by many. Pundits across the world and her performances at the world events like the World Championships and the Olympics certainly back that claim too.
World Championships:- Mary Kom has an impressive haul when it comes to winning medals at the World Championships. She has won a total of 6 Medals, which include an astonishing 5 gold medals and 1 silver medal.
This rich haul of 5 gold medals and 1 silver medal puts Mary Kom at the top of the all-time list in women's boxing, when it comes to winning the most number of medals at the World Championships.
Olympics:- She has 1 Olympic medal to her name. She became the first Indian female boxer to win a medal at the Olympics when she won a bronze medal in the 51kg category at the London 2012 Olympics and till date, she remains the one and only Indian female boxer to qualify for the Olympics, let alone win an Olympic medal.
With a total of 7 medals, which include 5 golds, 1 silver, and 1 bronze, Mary Kom, without any doubt, is a source of inspiration for any sportsperson not only in India, but also around the world. She is a true great of the game and her amazing performances in the ring for such a long time, makes her take the top spot in the list.
