Year-ender 2024: Sporting glory!

It perhaps took 76 years for Assam to finally witness someone donning the 'Men in Blue colours. Established way back in 1947-48, the Assam Cricket Association (ACA), which happens to be the governing body of the sport in the State, has produced numerous players who went on to make it big but couldn't make it through to Team India.

Often criticised for his failure to make the most of it in the much-fancied Indian Premier League (IPL), Riyan Parag dictated terms this time with his stellar performances, leading to his selection for the Zimbabwe series. He was the T20 tournament's third-highest run-getter, scoring 573 runs in 16 matches. He was also a part of the Indian cricket team that toured Sri Lanka this year.

2024 was also a year of highs and heartbreaks for Assam. Tokyo 2020 bronze winner Lovlina Borgohain was almost assured of a medal if she had won her quarterfinal bout. However, she had to return empty-handed after losing to top-seed Li Qian of the People's Republic of China. In Olympic boxing, two bronze medals are awarded, one each to the losing semi-finalists.

On the other hand, India had many instances to celebrate in sports this year and was once again able to capture global attention with a series of magnificent achievements. From winning the T20 World Cup to Gukesh Dommaraju becoming the youngest-ever World Chess champion, to athletes putting up commendable performances at the Olympic Games, 2024 will certainly go down in the history books as a year to remember.

India finally ended an 11-year ICC trophy drought by winning the T20 World Cup. However, things weren't that easy for the Men in Blue, as it might have been all misery with 30 runs needed off the last 30 balls, and David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen still at the crease. Anyone would have barked on them to chase it any day. But on that day in Barbados on June 29, things weren't supposed to go the Proteas way. Led by special bowling performances from the ever-dependable Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh, India snatched a victory out of the jaws of defeat to end their 13-year wait for a World Cup trophy, India defeated South Africa by seven runs to win the tournament for the second time.

India's campaign at the Paris Olympics ended with six medals, a tally one short of the record total from Tokyo 2020. We were at the No.71 spot in the medals tally, well behind nations much smaller than us. With five bronze and one silver, the world's most populous country did not win a single gold medal.

However, when compared to past Olympic Games, the Paris results were not too disheartening. It was perhaps India's third-best outing at the Summer Games after Tokyo and London 2012. Shooter Manu Bhaker delivered an outstanding performance, securing two bronze medals in the 10-metre air pistol category (individual and team events). India's 'Golden Boy', Neeraj Chopra, continued to dazzle in athletics by winning a silver medal in javelin throw. This was India's only silver medal from the Paris Olympics. The Indian men's hockey team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, clinched a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. This achievement marked another milestone in Indian hockey's resurgence, following their Tokyo bronze in 2021. The team also won the prestigious Champions Trophy earlier in the year, underscoring their dominance in the sport.

Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju scripted history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess champion at just 18 years old. He achieved this remarkable feat by defeating China's Ding Liren in Singapore.

With the highs, also came some lows and controversies. A potential gold was snatched from Vinesh Phogat's hands, sending shockwaves not just in India but all around the world. Phogat was disqualified on the morning of the final for being 100 g over weight. Even though she appealed her disqualification in the Court of Arbitration for Sports, the decision stood, and Phogat's dream of an Olympic medal was trashed, as were the hopes of a billion Indians.

By Kausav Baruah