The Eminent Sports Personalities In India Other Than Cricket

While cricket is undoubtedly the most popular sport in India, there have been some eminent sports personalities in our country who have earned significant renown by excelling in other sports as well.

Let us now throw some light on such eminent sports personalities who have not only brought glory to the country but have also earned a lot of respect for themselves:

1) Neeraj Chopra: One of the eminent sports personalities, Lieutenant Colonel Neeraj Chopra is an Indian javelin thrower. He is one of only two Indians to win an individual Olympic gold medal, the youngest Indian to do so in an individual event, and the only one to win gold on his Olympic debut. By winning a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics, he became one of only five individual Indian athletes to win multiple Olympic medals.

2) P.V. Sindhu: Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is a renowned name when it comes to badminton. Regarded as one of India’s most successful athletes, Sindhu has secured medals to become the badminton World Champion and only the second Indian to win tournaments like the Olympic Games, World Championships, and the World Tour. She won two consecutive medals at the Olympic Games and is on the list of “eminent sports personalities in India”.

3) Mary Kom: Mangte Chungneijang “Mary” Kom is an Indian Olympic Boxer, politician, and former Member of the Rajya Sabha. She is the only female boxer to get a medal in every one of the first seven World Championships, and the only boxer to secure eight World Championship medals. Known by the nickname ‘Magnificent Mary’, she was the only Indian female boxer to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics, competing in the flyweight (51 kg) category and winning a bronze medal, giving herself a place among the eminent sports personalities of India.

4) Viswanathan Anand: Viswanathan Anand is an Indian Grandmaster, a two-time World Rapid Chess Champion, a five-time World Chess Champion, and a World Blitz Chess Champion. He was the first Grandmaster and played an important role in making chess famous in India, thus becoming an eminent sports personality in India.

5) Major Dhyan Chand: Dhyan Chand was an Indian field hockey player. He is regarded as the best field hockey player in history. His skill is compared to that of the footballer Pele. Every year, his birth date, 29th August, is celebrated as National Sports Day in India. The Government of India in 1956 gave Padma Bhushan to Dhyan Chand. Chand has earned three Olympic medals (1928, 1932, 1936), thereby securing a place among eminent sports personalities.

6) Sania Mirza: Sania Mirza is an Indian former professional tennis player. She got six major titles, 3 each in women’s doubles and mixed doubles. She was the number one Indian singles player in the WTA rankings from 2003 until she retired from singles in 2013. Over the course of her career, Mirza has built a reputation as one of India’s most recognized, top-earning, and impactful athletes, thus securing a place in the list of eminent sports personalities.

7) Milkha Singh: Milkha Singh, another eminent sports personality also known as “The Flying Sikh”, was an Indian track and field sprinter who was introduced to the sport while serving in the Indian Army. He won gold in the 400m at the Asian Games as well as the Commonwealth Games. In 1959, he was given the Padma Shri by the Government in recognition of his sporting achievements.

8) Abhinav Bindra: Abhinav Bindra is an Indian former sport shooter and a businessman. He won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics and became one of the only two Indians to have won an individual Olympic gold medal. Bindra is also the first Indian to simultaneously hold the World and Olympic titles in the men’s 10-meter air rifle event; he won these honors at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2006 World Championship, making a name for himself among the eminent sports personalities of India

9) Saikhom Mirabai Chanu: Mirabai Chanu is another renowned athlete, a famous Indian weightlifter. She secured a silver medal in the women’s 49 kg category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She has won gold in the Commonwealth and World Championships. In 2018, the Indian Government awarded her the Padma Shri and the Khel Ratna Award. 

10) Sunil Chettri: Sunil Chhetri is an Indian footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru. He is the all-time top scorer in ISL history, the fourth-highest goal scorer, and the most-capped player and all-time top goal scorer of the Indian National Team. He is regarded as the greatest Indian football player ever and therefore deserves a place in the eminent sports personalities in India list.

So no doubt cricket in India is very popular, and so are the cricket players. They are more famous, earn more than any other sportsman in our country, but still there are some eminent sports personalities who have not only gained popularity for that particular sport but also gained individual popularity and became famous, also allowing them to a position where they are more financially stable.