The achievers’ club

A look back on some of the major achievements of sportspersons from the State

December 30, 2016 12:01 am | Updated 12:01 am IST - HYDERABAD:

As the year 2016 slips into the pages of history, a few persons from the State have left an indelible mark in the world of sports — headed by none other than champion shuttler P.V. Sindhu, the first-ever Indian to win a silver medal in badminton at the Olympics in Rio this year.

It was a performance which grabbed the attention of the entire nation and gave the sport a fresh impetus. Winning China Open later, and coming runner-up at the Hong Kong Open and being the semifinalist in the Dubai BWF Super Series, Ms. Sindhu showed that she is in her own zone!

Injury-prone Kidambi Srikanth was the second Hyderabadi to reach the men’s singles quarterfinal at the Olympics in Rio, before losing to Chinese legend Lin Dan. This dazzling shuttler’s big feats include winning the Syed Modi Open and the South Asian Games gold this year.

And, for the 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, it has been more or less a forgetful year, more so because of the injuries which never saw at her best. She did, however, win the Australia Super Series title before the Olympics.

On the tennis circuit, Sania Mirza continued to be the biggest achiever, finishing the year on a high — retaining her world no. 1 ranking in women’s doubles. Interestingly, she has the fourth-longest reign at the top stretching 90 consecutive weeks — a mind-boggling achievement given the fact that tennis is played across the world and the intense competition demands someone to be at his or her best. The Australian Open Grand Slam doubles title this January was Ms. Mirza’s high point.

In women’s cricket, Mithali Raj came up with another special performance helping India win the Asia Cup recently; a champion, who never ceases to surprise her critics with her consistency.

Far away from the media glare, soft-spoken giant performer Dronavalli Harika entered the top five in world women’s rankings — an incredible feat by the 25-year-old achiever, who to her credit has won against big names like British grandmaster Nigel Short, Wesley Barbaso So of the Philippines, world no.1 Hou Yifan, and world no. 3 Koneru in the Isle of Man championship.

In the boxing ring, Nizamabad girl Nikhat Zareen made news by reaching the semifinals in the 51-kg category of the senior women’s national championship. She was stunned not just by her opponent, Neeraja, but also by the “erratic jury.” The former world junior champion is clearly proving to be a cut above the rest as she chases the ultimate dream of representing India at the Olympics.

Not to be left far behind, the smiling S. Appoorwa delighted carrom lovers by winning the World Cup women’s singles title (for the second time) in Birmingham — a stunning performance from the affable champion who cannot think of being away from the table even for a day.

On the other hand, R.D. Dinesh won the US Open carrom championship singles earlier this year. At the same event, Vemuri Anil Kumar was named the ‘most valuable player,’ bringing further laurels to the sport.

There were cheers on the cricketing front too, with Hyderabad reaching Ranji quarterfinals, and, more importantly, coming back into the elite fold.

There are quite a few more from less-popular disciplines who have made a mark with their feats, showing their intention to break into the big league.

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