2023 in Sports: Wrestlers on Streets, World Cup Fleets, History Made by Athletes

From the tragedy of #WorldCup & #WrestlersProtest to the triumph of #NeerajChopra, a lot happened in sports in 2023.

2023 in Sports: Every major sporting incident of this year, from the wrestlers protest to India's World Cup campaign, and from Neeraj Chopra's triumph to R Praggnanandhaa's moves.

(Photo: PTI/Altered by The Quint)

To claim a lot happened this year in sports will be an accentuation of laxity, for events of 2023 significantly altered the sporting landscape, both India’s and the world’s. More often than not, the world marvelled at the innumerable superlative achievements. When it didn’t, it was made to apprehend how, beyond the crusades of equality in sports, some are still more equal than others.

So, let’s have a look at every major sporting incident from 2023:

1. When Wrestlers Took to the Streets

The year started with a monumental jolt for the Indian sporting fraternity. On 18 January, the nation’s top wrestlers – including Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, alongside Vinesh Phogat – sat on a dharna in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, accusing the then president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, of sexual harassment.

What has happened over the last eleven months? 

A lot, yet subsequently, not much. A chargesheet against Brij Bhushan was filed by the Delhi Police, elections were being held to form a new WFI committee, wherein the newly-elected president, Sanjay Singh, is believed to be a close aide of Brij Bhushan.

With Sakshi Malik announcing she will retire if Sanjay Singh remains the president, and others deciding to return national awards, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) had to interject. As of now, the new WFI committee remains suspended, with an Indian Olympic Association-appointed ad-hoc committee looking after operations.

2. New Dawn for Female Cricketers, Finally

As the female wrestlers continue to wage their war against all odds, the female cricketers of the nation had a propitious year, albeit after years of partisanship. Fifteen years after the first ball was bowled in the Indian Premier League (IPL), its female counterpart, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) commenced its journey.

It was followed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing a pay parity model, wherein both male and female cricketers would earn the same match fee. In a rather exultant epilogue to the year, the Indian women’s cricket team secured their first-ever victory over Australia in Test cricket, beating them by eight wickets.

3. Female Boxers Punch Above Everyone’s Weights

Some thousand kilometres away from Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium, where the final of WPL’s inaugural edition was being held, four female Indian pugilists celebrated their remarkable achievement in New Delhi’s KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.

Nikhat Zareen, Nitu Ganghas, Saweety Bora and Lovlina Borgohain won gold medals in their respective categories at the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, equalling India’s best-ever medals tally in this competition.

4. Retirement of Tennis Royalty

In a career spanned across two decades, which includes six Grand Slams – three in mixed doubles, and as many in women’s doubles – Indian tennis royalty Sania Mirza opted to abrogate her throne.

With Madison Keys as her partner, Sania’s last competitive appearance was in February’s Dubai Tennis Championships, where she suffered a Round of 32 defeat.

5. Dhoni ‘Still Hasn’t Left’

In complete contrast to the previous event, two years after stating he ‘still hasn’t left behind’ after lifting his fourth IPL title, the perpetual phenomenal called Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the tournament’s joint-most successful captain, at the age of 41.

Under his leadership, Chennai Super Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets, in a final which took place over two days. Needing four runs off the last ball, Ravindra Jadeja struck a boundary to effectively ensure Dhoni plays for another season, as a ‘return gift’ to the fans.

6. Three Trophies, But Controversy Still Shrouds Indian Football

The Indian football team had an exemplary start to the year, which translated into three trophies – Tri-Nation Series, Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Championship. Beyond the accolades, however, it subsequently resulted in India having a sub-100 FIFA ranking for the first time in five years.

Yet, the effervescence dampened in the second half, where the team not only missed out on the King’s Cup and Merdeka Tournament, but also found its coach, Igor Stimac, shrouded in controversy for reportedly seeking an astrologer’s help for football decisions.

7. Spain’s Female Footballers Pack a Powerful Kick – Be It on the Ball or the Chief

In the international football community, the story that made the most headlines – quite unfortunately – involved Spanish football federation’s (RFEF) then chief, Luis Rubiales, who forcibly kissed a female footballer, Jenni Hermoso, after Spain’s triumph at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final.

With Hermoso stating Rubiales’ actions did not involve any contest whatsoever, and both the Spanish players and fans protesting for his dismissal, FIFA handed Rubiales a three-year suspension – in stark contrast to the fate of India’s female wrestlers.

8. Bullseye in Archery

Another Indian female trailblazer who had a record-breaking year is Aditi Gopichand Swamy, who became the youngest-ever senior archery world champion. At the age of only 17, Aditi won a gold medal at the 2023 World Archery Championships, held in Berlin.

Giving her company on the elite list at that competition were Parneet Kaur, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Pravin Deotale, as India secured four medals – their highest-ever tally.

9. Chess’ Champs of Tomorrow

In a mostly unvarying shine exuded by the new generation of India’s chess stars, no one shone brighter than Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, who became the youngest-ever finalist of the Chess World Cup.

At only 18 years of age, Praggnanandhaa made it to the final of the competition in Baku, before eventually losing out to five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen – albeit, not before four rounds of combative gallantry

10. Neeraj Chopra – The ‘Complete’ Athlete

Only three days after Praggnanandhaa’s final, Neeraj Chopra – arguably India’s most unwaveringly consistent athlete – essentially ‘completed’ javelin throw by winning the only medal his cabinet missed – a World Athletics Championships gold.

At the final in Budapest, Neeraj secured the gold medal with an 88.17m throw, which was then his season-best mark, before it was surpassed by his 88.88m throw at the Asian Games – also resulting in a gold medal.

11. 100 Medals? Too Few. How About 107?

Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal was, but only one of the 28 that India earned, in what was an unparalleled campaign at the 2023 Asian Games. Whilst the ‘mission 100’ was once deemed too audacious by pragmatists, the Indian contingent not only reached their target, but transcended it.

India secured 107 medals, of which 38 were silver and 41 were bronze, alongside the 28 gold medals. Athletics – where India secured 29 medals, and shooting – earning 22 medals, were India’s strongest suits, while some medals – like the gold won by the Indian dressage team – were historic firsts.

12. Badminton’s Brothers of Destructions, and Records

Extending India’s already prolonged list of sporting firsts in 2023 were two badminton stalwarts, who won India’s solitary gold medal in this sport at the Asian Games – Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.

The ‘Sat-Chi’ pair, often affectionately called the brothers of destruction, climbed to the apex of the BWF men’s doubles rankings after their triumph in Hangzhou, becoming the first-ever Indian doubles pair to have a world number one ranking.

13. Messi Equals Infinity

The path walked by Lionel Messi in international football was redolent of Dhoni’s IPL feat – that of unrelenting greatness, even at the dusk of one’s career. A year after propelling Argentina to their third FIFA World Cup title, Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or award.

With 462 points, Messi was adjudged to be the undisputed showstopper of one of the sport’s grandest shows, with his nearest competitor – Erling Haaland – being 105 points behind.

14. World Cup Wait Extends

If only the year ended on 18 November, 2023 would have been immortalised in Indian sporting history. Except, it didn’t, and on 19 November, the world collapsed on 1.4 billion people. Or so it seemed, at least.

India’s near-flawless campaign at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup saw them winning ten consecutive matches – all of them being one-sided affairs – before an agonising six-wicket defeat to Australia in the final.

15. Beyond the Trophy, Kohli Prevails

Beyond the defeat and its immediate aftermath, however, what will be remembered from the 2023 World Cup are the numerous records created by Indian cricketers, with the most notable of them being Virat Kohli’s 50 ODI centuries.

Having started the competition on 47 ODI centuries – two shy of Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 – the former Indian captain recorded three-figure scores against Bangladesh and South Africa in the league stage, and then against New Zealand in the semi-final, to become the first player in the game’s history to have 50 ODI centuries to his name.