Indian sporting community is entire of iconic Indian sportswomen who have achieved great accolades, fame, and recognition. This Women’s Day, I have decided to make a list that will celebrate this excellency. Therefore, relax and let me take care of your sporting needs by bringing an all-new list of some of the best sportswomen in India.
Best Indian Sportswomen Who Broke The Stereotype
India is a land of wonders. The country is built on some age-old principles that make the backbone of the country’s social ecosystem. However, these ideas also leave zero space for women to come to the forefront. In fact, they are put into specific stereotypes andare expected to remain there without questioning the system.
This Women’s Day, I want to start a conversation about women excelling in sports. I have compiled a humble list of some of the most iconic and memorable Indian Sportswomen who have made huge waves in the world of sports, and have successfully made their country proud.
Before I start with the list, I just want to clarify that this list is not a ranking list. In fact, this is more of a celebration of all the females who were once told that they would not make it. But, they still managed to break the stereotypes and went on to become some of the best athletes of all time.
Geeta Phogat
First up is Geeta Phogat, one of the Phogat sisters. She is a freestyle wrestler and is one of the trailblazers of her time. Geeta was the first female wrestler to win gold in the Commonwealth Games. She comes from a long line of wrestlers and athletes. She is considered to be one of the most celebrated Indian sportswomen of her time. In fact, there is a movie that tried to record the journey of the Phogat sisters from humble beginnings to gold medals. A true inspirational tale that is known to enrapture people with the human side.
Babita Phogat
Babita Kumari Phogat is Geeta Kumari Phogat’s younger sister and is also one of the most celebrated sportswomen of our time. Like her elder sister, she started her career with Commonwealth Games. Babita won her first gold medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Currently, she has taken a hiatus from sports to join politics.
Deepika Kumari
Deepika Kumari’s journey to the top was not the easiest thing. She had to face a lot of persecution and hardship to get where she was. Deepika Kumari started from a humble background but eventually rose to the top. 1 In archery.
Sania Mirza
Samia Mirza needs no introduction to tennis fans in India. At the height of her career, Nobody was even capable of coming close to her. Sania Mirza successfully managed to become one of the biggest names in the tennis community by defeating some of the top 10 players like Hingis, Petrova, and Kuznetsova. Hence, she is the gold standard for excellence in Tennis.
Saina Nehwal
What Sania did for tennis, Saina did for badminton. Saina began her career back in 2012. Soon enough, Saina became one of the top three badminton players of all time. To date, Nehwal is one of the most iconic badminton players of all time and a shining beacon for most Indian sportswomen.
PV Sindhu
Saina Nehwal is irreplaceable. However, PV Sindhu is the only player who might hold the top position alongside Nehwal. Sindhu was born in Hyderabad. Sindhu chose badminton as her career choice after she finished her undergraduate education. Back in 2020, Sundhu was crowned as one of the best Indian Sportswomen. Hence, she definitely deserves to be on this list.
Mary Kom
Indians have very specific ideas and perceptions about Indian women. As a result, when a woman won the Olympic Bronze for Boxing, it was a landslide moment for the Indian sporting community. Kom instantaneously became an icon after winning the Bronze. In fact, there is a biopic that tries to record Kom’s journey from a small village of Manipur to the boxing center stage.
Jhulan Goswami
The Indian cricketing community is incomplete without Jhulan Goswami. Goswanu has been playing for more than a decade and has established herself as one of the biggest names in the cricket community. Goswami has been awarded several accolades for her work in the cricketing sphere. Back in 2007, she received the title of Player Of The Year. As a result, she was soon selected to captain the Women’s Cricket Team.
Dipa Karmakar
Dipa Karmakar is one of the best and finest gymnasts of India. She hails from Agartala and has proven herself to be one of the best and finest female gymnasts in the world. In fact, she is one of the few Indian gymnasts who tried to attempt the toughest vault of all time, Produnova. As a result, she deserves a spot on our list of some of the best Indian sportswomen of all time.
Mithila Raj
Jhulan Goswami walked so that Mithila Raj could walk. Still, Raj is one of the finest cricketers of all time. She is widely considered to be one of the finest cricketers of all time. She grew up in a traditional Tamil family in Jodhpur. In fact, she is the only player who has been a right-handed batswoman for around 20 years.
Anju George Bobby
Many people might not know Anju George, but she was one of the finest track and field stars of her time. Anju won several medals throughout her career and went on to become one of the most celebrated Indian sportswomen in the high jump and long jump. As a result, she won sports as well as social accolades for her contribution to the game.
Sakshi Malik
Next up is Sakshi Malik. Malik is a freestyle wrestler who managed to win hearts as well as medals. She won the Bronze back in the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 58 Kg section. Sakshi was born in Haryana and was inspired by her grandfather to wrestle. As a result, she always alludes to him in her speeches. Apart from sports, she has also influenced society to have a broader outlook on females.
Hima Das
Back in 2018, Hima Das showed the world what she is capable of. Hailing from a humble background, she had to go through some really difficult times in order to reach where she is currently standing. Das established her dominance after setting a 400-meter record. She completed the race in just 50.7 seconds.
Dutee Chand
India has produced some really amazing track and field superstars, and Dutee Chand is one of them. She always imagined herself as a national athlete, and he worked towards that dream tirelessly. She represented India in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Apart from that, Dutee is a member and advocate of the LGBTQ+ community Of India. Hence, she is one of the rarest Indian sportswomen who has influenced several aspects of Indian society.
Karnam Malleswari
Karnam Malleswari winning a medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics was no less than a wonder. Malleswari not only won medals but also managed to win the hearts and minds of the whole nation. Malleswari won a total of 29 international medals. Hence, she certainly deserves her spot in this list of some of the most phenomenal Indian sportswomen of all time.
Bula Chowdhury
Bula Chowdhury is a native-Bengali swimmer who managed to be one of the few who did the impossible. Bula came from a humble family. As a result, she had to face a lot of persecution while becoming one of the most prominent swimmers of all time. She was the first Indian woman to cross the English Channel. As a result, her efforts immortalized her to a great extent.
Tania Sachdev
Tania Sachdeva is the only chess player who was featured on our list. Tania is an Indian Chess Player who managed to win FIDE titles like International Master and Woman Grandmaster. Tania was born in Delhi and started playing chess at the age of 6. Tania’s mother introduced her to chess. Rest is history.
Rani Rampal
Rani Rampal was born on December 4th, 1994. Rampal started playing hockey at the age of 15. In fact, she was the youngest player to play for the Indian national Hockey team. She made her debut back in the 2010 World Cup. Even though she did finish her schooling, she did not get the chance to receive a graduate degree. Hence, she is definitely one of the most dedicated Indian sportswomen of her time.
Deepika Pallikal
Even though many people might not even know about squash, our country is currently breaking new ground with the help of Deepika Pallikal. Dipika Pallikal walked the toughest path. She not only chose to be an athlete, but she also chose a sport that does not have much recognition in the Indian Subcontinent.
PT Usha
Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha, or PT Usha, was a shining beacon for all the Indian sportswomen who were looking to make a career in the track and field. PT Usha was born in Koothali, a small town in Kerala. From there, Usha managed to make the journey to the forefront of the global athletic community.
Vinesh Phogat
The newest Phogat of the Phogat clan is Vinesh Phogat. Like her cousins Babita and Geeta Phogat, Vinesh is an established freestyle wrestler. Coming from a long line of wrestlers, He has easily become one of the biggest names in the wrestling community. In fact, she is the only Indian female wrestler who has been awarded the Laureus World Sports Awards.
Apurvi Chandela
Apurvi Chandela is definitely one of the rarest specimens of human excellence. Apurvi Singh Chandela is a shooter who competes in the 10-meter air rifle events. Back in 2019, Apurvi won a Gold medal for her impeccable shooting skills. She even won the prestigious Arjuna Award.
Jwala Gutta
Jwala Gutta came before Saina and Sindhu, but she certainly left her mark on the global badminton community. She represented India in several sporting events and has brought home some amazing accolades. Jwala Gutta was ranked at #6 at the height of her career. However, she did not receive enough recognition for her efforts, unlike most other badminton players who came later.
Mirabai Chanu
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is one of the best and most prominent weightlifters in recent times. As per sources, Chanu had to literally fight with her immediate surroundings in order to become one of the most prominent Indian sportswomen in weightlifting. She has represented India in the Commonwealth Games more than once. As a result, she deserved this spot on this list.
Manu Bhaker
Like Apurvi Chandela, Manu Bhaker is an amazing shot. She represented India back in the 2018 ISSF World Cup and even won two gold medals. Hence, she deserves her spot on this list of some of the best and most prominent Indian sportswomen.
Manika Batra
Manika Batra is synonymous with excellence in the game of table tennis. As of the time of writing this article, Manika Batra is one of the most iconic and best table tennis players in India. She is an absolute trailblazer when it comes to table tennis. She won countless accolades due to her table tennis skills, including a Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Bhavani Devi
Fencing is a very specific sport. Hence, it is never easy to break into it. However, Bhavani Devi managed to do the impossible and became one of the most prominent Indian sportswomen in fencing.
The Closing Statement
With that, you have reached my article regarding some of the best and most prominent Indian sportswomen of this generation. Women who have represented and made India proud with their impeccable sporting skills and achievements. Keep following our page for more such sporting-related content and stories.
