New Delhi:
Indian sports scaled lofty heights in 2016 with some phenomenal results coming from sportsmen across different sporting disciplines. 2016 has been a great year for Indian sports right from Indian cricket team's rise to the Number One spot in Test cricket to the star raiders annexing the World Kabbadi title for a record eight time.
It was revival of sorts for Indian hockey with the senior team getting among the top teams in international hockey.
The men's team ended runner-up to Australia in the Champions Trophy and beat arch rivals Pakistan to win the Asian Champions Trophy for the second time.
The Junior team also ended their 15 year long title drought to lift the Junior Hockey World Cup.Indian soccer also had their moments under the sun when FC Bengaluru became the first Indian club to make it to the finals of the AFC Cup.
Here are the top 10 Sporting achievements of Indian team in 2016.
1. 2016 Kabaddi World Cup: India defeated Iran in the grand finale to win their 8th World title
Defending champions and seven-time title holder India defeated arch-rivals Iran by 38-29 to emerge victorious in the grand finale of the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup played in Ahmedabad.
Winning their third title on the trot, India pulled off a brilliant comeback after being down 13-18 at half-time. Iran team lead by Meraj Sheykh gave a tough fight to the Indian team. It was in the final crucial moments when Indian players showed some great performance. Star raider Ajay Thakur emerged as the key player for the team as he guided team to this scintillating win with his crucial 12 points.
2. India beats arch rivals Pakistan 3-2 to lift Asian Men's Champions Trophy
Indian hockey team brought laurels to the nation after beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the finals of the Asian Champions Trophy played at Kuantan, Malaysia.Pre-tournament Favourites India edged past the Pakistanis 3-2 in a hard fought final to reclaim the trophy and present a perfect Diwali gift to the nation.
3. T20 World Cup 2016 Semi Final: West Indies beat India
West Indies beat England by four wickets to clinch the World Twenty20 title at Eden Gardens. Carlos Brathwaite scripted a sensational victory for the West Indies by hitting Ben Stokes in last over for four sixes to clinch the trophy. The Windies chased down 156 runs in 19.4 overs.
England have got 155 after being reduced to 23 for 3 in 4 overs.
Joe Root scored 54 runs and Willey contributed in late overs to help England. Badree was the pick of the bowlers to claim 2 wickets for just 16 runs in his four overs.
4.Junior World Cup Hockey: India end fifteen year title drought, defeat Belgium 2-1 to win title
Hosts India clinched the Junior World Cup Hockey title by beating Belgium 2-1 in the grand finale played at the Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow. The summit clash proved to be a one-sided affair with the hosts completely overpowering their European counterparts from the very start.
Indian colts finally ended their 15-year title drought by lifting the trophy in front of their home crowd in a jam-packed Dhyan Chand. The Man of the Match award was awarded to Gurjant Singh for his sensational performances.
5. India dethrone Pakistan to become number one Test team
India defeated New Zealand in the second Test at Kolkata to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. With this victory, India reclaimed the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings.
India were top of the Test rankings after they had defeated West Indies 2-0 in August but were quickly dethroned by Pakistan when they incredibly came back from a 2-0 deficit to draw a four-match Test series in England 2-2. This is the fourth time India tops the ICC Test rankings.
6. India beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets to win 6th Asia Cup title
India clinched the Asia Cup trophy for a record sixth time after beating hosts Bangladesh by eight wickets, riding on Shikhar Dhawan’s scintillating 44-ball-60 in a rain-truncated final.
While Sri Lanka have won the continental title five times and Pakistan twice, India’s title triumph makes them the ahead of their continental neighbours.
7. U-19 World Cup: West Indies defeat India by five wickets to claim
The West Indies defeated India by five wickets, claiming their first World title. Bangladesh's captain Mehedi Hasan was named player of the tournament, while England's Jack Burnham and Namibia's Fritz Coetzee led the tournament in runs and wickets, respectively.
8. Bengaluru FC becomes first Indian soccer club to reach the finals of the AFC Cup
Bengaluru FC put their names in the golden annals of Indian Football after they became the first Indian club to reach the final of the AFC Cup.
They did fall short in the final hurdle losing the match 0-1 to Iraqi side Air Force Club, but their journey to reach that final while competing in a league which is fighting for its existence is a story for the ages.
9. India beat Afghanistan 2-1 to lift SAFF Cup title for 7th time
India exacted sweet revenge of their last edition defeat as they beat defending champions Afghanistan 2-1 in the summit clash in a dominating display to lift theSouth Asian Football Federation Cup for the seventh time.
India, who had lost to Afghanistan 0-2 in the final of 2013 edition in Kathmandu, were clearly the better side in the final match between the two best teams of the regional tournament though they had to come back from one goal deficit and had to settle thematch in the extra time.
10. Last minute goal helps India defeat China 2-1 to win 4th Women’s Asian Champions Trophy final
Achieving a major milestone, the Indian Women's Hockey team has emerged victorious at the 4th Woman's Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament by defeating China by 2-1.
The tournament which concluded in Singapore saw a great game of hockey in the final where the Indian woman held their nerves to clinch the trophy. Ace striker Deepika emerged as the pick of player after scoring the winning goal in the final few minutes of the match.
