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Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal. There is more in common between the two than just the letters of their first names that have left many confused. Both hail from the south Indian city of Hyderabad, which is also home to many more glorious athletes.From the first Indian Test Captain, Colonel CK Nayudu to India’s first ever World Number one in tennis, it is hard to encapsulate the contribution of Hyderabad to Indian sport.Let us take a moment and look at the city’s rich contribution to sport.
#10 Syed Abdul Rahim
‘Rahim Saab’ as he became universally renowned, Syed Abdul Rahim was the invisible force that guided Indian football to its apex.
Not only was he the coach who helped India clinch the Gold medal at the 1951 and ‘62 Asian Games, he also helped India finish fourth at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, an achievement which is still considered India’s greatest in the sport.
While the football fraternity in India continues to pay its respects to the man who practically shaped the sport in the country, it is sad to note that his achievements continue to be ignored by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Indian government.
#9 Mukesh Kumar
Mukesh Kumar was one of the leading hockey players in India in the 1990s. Kumar appeared in national colours in 307 matches and scored 80 goals.
As a part of the Indian contingent for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 1991, Kumar essayed an instrumental role in guiding India to its second win in the event, scoring the winning goal in the final against Pakistan. His other notable achievements include helping India clinch the Gold at the Asian Games in 1998, where he scored three goals.
He was honoured with the Arjuna award in 1995 and the Padma Sri in 2003 for his contribution to Indian hockey.
#8 Mir Khasim Ali
Mir Khasim Ali was a mere 11 years old when he started playing Table Tennis in 1960. In ’65, he went onto win the junior National Championships and subsequently forayed into the senior circuit.
In 1968, he won the senior national championships and affirmed his position as the best TT player in India. A player who liked to dominate the proceedings, his aggressive approach to the game saw him earn fans across the nation.
His greatest accomplishment in the sport, however, came in 1971, when he finished runner-up to Trevor Taylor at the Commonwealth Championships. Ali ended his TT career in ’76.
#7 Colonel CK Nayudu
Cottari Kanakiya Nayudu or more popularly referred to as CK Nayudu holds the distinction of having been Indias first ever Test captain.
Nayudu, who was conferred the rank of Colonel of Holkars Army in Indore, played first class cricket till the ripe old age of 68. Renowned equally for his debonair style and attitude as he was for his enterprising game, Nayudu was named Wisden Cricketer of the year 1932, following his highly successful tour of England in 1932, when India made its debut in international cricket.
When India toured England in 1932, Nayudu played all 26 first class matches, scoring 1842 runs and prised 65 wickets. The under-23 inter-state cricket tournament is named the CK Nayudu Trophy in his honour.
#6 Pullela Gopichand
Pullela Gopichand’s win at the All England Open Badminton Championships in 2001 ended India’s 21-year drought at the marquee event in badminton. It was only fitting that Gopichand, a disciple of Prakash Padukone emulated his teacher.
At the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998, Gopichand won the silver in the team event and the bronze in the individual event. However, his achievements aren’t restricted to the badminton court. After retiring from the game, Gopichand started a coaching academy that has been the training place for the likes of Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth and many other international players.
#5 VVS Laxman
No self-respecting Indian fan will disagree with the fact that VVS Laxman’s 281 against Australia at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata is, by far, the greatest test innings ever by an Indian.
Laxman was nothing short of a wizard. On his day, he could make an attack that boasted Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, to boot, look pedestrian. Laxman, it can be safely said, was probably the only thing that stood between Australia and complete domination over cricket. It was Laxman’s gem of an innings, which had, after all, stopped Australia, which was on a 16-match winning streak right in its tracks.
No other batsman possessed Laxman’s dexterity with his wrists. Although Laxman brought a slightly languorous streak to the game, his laidback nature only served to make his batting even more delectable.
Along with Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, Laxman formed the bulwark of the Indian middle-order for over a decade and was largely responsible for helping India win Tests overseas. In a career that lasted 16 years, Laxman played 134 Tests, scoring 8781 runs at an average that was only a shade under 46.
#4 P V Sindhu
Born to volleyball players, it remains a wonder as to what made PV Sindhu pick up the badminton racquet over a volleyball. But, India, for sure is grateful that she chose badminton.
In 2013, Sindhu created history by becoming the first Indian woman badminton player to bag a medal at the World Championships, which was Indias first since Prakash Padukone won the bronze in 1983.
Sindhu has since gone on to break into the top 20 of the BWF rankings, and in 2014, she bagged her second medal at the World Championships conducted in Copenhagen.
While Saina Nehwal is the present of Indian badminton, 19-year-old Sindhu, who already has a bunch of medals under her belt, is the future of Indian badminton.
Earlier this year, Sindhu was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in India, becoming the youngest to be bestowed with the honour.
#3 Mohammad Azharuddin
Before his career was brought to an abrupt halt over the match-fixing controversy, Mohammed Azharuddin had successfully acquitted himself as one of India’s best captains and batsmen. Azharuddin, who was forced to end his career with 99 Tests, would, many years later, after the courts exonerated him in the match-fixing scandal, regret at having missed out on a milestone.
Although he was one of India’s most successful test captains, it is for his contribution with the willow that Azharuddin is most fondly remembered. Azharuddin still holds the record for scoring hundreds in the first three tests of his career. Extremely wristy, Azharuddin had the uncanny ability to make batting look ridiculously easy.
In Tests, Azharuddin scored 6216 runs at an average of 45.03, while also touching the three figure mark on 22 occasions. In ODIs, although his record isn’t as illustrious, he was one of the pillars of the batting line-up in the 1990s. In the 50-over format, Azharuddin scored 9178 runs in 334 matches at 36.92.
#2 Sania Mirza
Premjit Lal, Ramanathan Krishnan, Vijay Amritraj, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi.
All players mentioned above can lay claim to the sobriquet of legend. But, prior to the advent of a young teenager from Hyderabad, the name of a woman was conspicuous by its absence on the list of Indian tennis greats.
At the Australian Open in 2005, Sania Mirza scripted history, becoming the first Indian woman to enter the third round of a singles’ Grand Slam event. Consequently, women’s tennis in India had found the icon that it had long sought for. Months later, Sania claimed her and India’s first WTA title and by the end of 2005, had broken into the top 40 of the WTA rankings.
10 years and many injuries later, Sania is the top ranked player on the WTA doubles rankings. In order to prolong her doubles’ career, Sania was forced to jettison her singles’ career, which held a lot of promise. But, seeing as how she has three mixed doubles’ Grand Slam titles against her name, it may not be a decision she regrets.
When the Indian government carved out the state of Telangana last year, the newly elected state government named her Telangana’s Ambassador.
#1 Saina Nehwal
While Indian badminton has seen a number of stalwarts, Saina Nehwal continues to tower over the sport in India, above everybody. Saina’s importance to Indian badminton, and sports in the country, at large, cannot be measured just by numbers.
While statistics are, no doubt, important, they fall woefully short of expressing the significance of Saina to the country. The bronze that she won at the London Olympics in 2012, which, incidentally was India’s first in the sport at the quadrennial event, became a source of immense pride to the entire nation.
While it is impossible to understate the roles that Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand have played in putting India on the global badminton map, Saina has, in her own way, been a pioneer and has steered the sport in India to much greater heights than either of them managed. Moreover, it wouldn’t be too far from the truth if it were to be said that Saina has essayed a huge role in making badminton the second most popular sport in the country.
