2024 In Sports: India's T20 WC Win, Gukesh's Chess Triumph, Nadal's Retirement And More

The year 2024 has been eventful in the world of sports, with major events including the T20 World Cup and the Paris Olympics keeping sports enthusiasts hooked to their television and OTT screens.

With the growing importance of sports in India, many young and talented athletes have got a chance to showcase their skills alongside champions across the globe and enhance their craft.

From star footballer Lionel Messi getting injured during the Copa America finals to Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat losing her spot in the Olympics final due to disqualification, sports lovers have experienced waves of emotions that are hard to overlook. 

Following the Indian cricket team's defeat in the 2023 One Day International World Cup, their victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup brought immense joy to the country's cricket fans.

India has also submitted a formal bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. This is expected to help the nation to build an atmosphere, which is conducive for sports other cricket as well.

Here is a list of major sports events in 2024:

The Indian men’s cricket team emerged victorious in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa. From Suryakumar Yadav’s match-winning catch to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announcing their retirement from the T20 format, cricket fans experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.

Apart from India, Afghanistan’s top-notch performances against Bangladesh and Australia in the tournament have made them a team to watch out for in the near future.

The New Zealand women’s cricket team won their first ever T20 world title against South Africa while India failed to enter the semifinals of the tournament.

India's entry into the semis depended upon Pakistan’s win along with an inferior net run-rate compared to India. New Zealand defeated Pakistan by a convincing 54 runs victory and crashed India's chance to enter the semifinals.

In a nation committed to cricket, the Indian Premier League remained one of the most-watched sporting events. The 74-match tournament, which pitted 10 teams against each other, was rigorously followed by the fans.

Whether it was the 'Orange Army' or the 'Whistle Podu' fans, IPL enthusiasts were constantly on the lookout for news and updates related to their favourite franchises. The tournament was won by the Kolkata Knight Riders.

"Mari chhori chhoro se kam hai ke"— the dialogue from a popular Bollywood movie highlights the growing presence of women in sports. Women's Premier League, designed on the lines of IPL, is a key example.

Veteran players like Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Harmanpreet Kaur are some of the top female Indian cricketers featured in the tournament.

The tournament was won by Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

India won a total of six medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including five bronze and one silver. The shooting events were a major highlight, with India securing three bronze medals. Young talents like Manu Bhaker and Swapnil Kusale were able to showcase their skills on the global stage.

Bhaker won bronze medals in the 10m pistol and 10m pistol mixed team shooting events at the Paris Olympics.

Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling after a heart-breaking disqualification from Paris Olympics. Phogat was the first Indian women to reach the wrestling finals, but her dream was devastated as she failed to meet the weight requirement on the morning of the gold medal match against the USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt.

As per the final medal tally, the United States of America topped the list with 40 gold medals followed by China while India ranked 71^st in the medal tally. 

The 2024 Paris Paralympics was the most successful game for India as the athletes won a record-breaking 29 medals—seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze. The Indian contingent at the Paralympics excelled at multiple events including badminton, shooting and archery.

 As per the final medal tally, the People’s Republic of China topped the list with 94 gold medals followed by Great Britain, while India ranked 18^th.

The Indian team won gold medals in both men’s and women’s category at the 45^th International Chess Federation Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Apart from winning team gold, India also bagged four individual gold medals at the tournament held in September.

Gukesh Dommaraju, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi won gold in the men's event. Meanwhile, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev won their games and claimed gold in the women's competition.

India’s 18-year-old grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju made history on Thursday by defeating China’s Ding Liren to win the 2024 World Chess Championship. This victory makes him the youngest ever world champion. Gukesh is also the first teenager to claim this title.

He joins the ranks of Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand as the second Indian to win the prestigious crown—the first since Anand's victory in 2012.

The four grand slam tournaments, the Australian Open, The French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open have created new records in the 2024 edition. Their popularity reached new heights with a combined viewership of almost 2 billion in more than 200 countries. More than 3,360,000 fans attended the matches, a 10% surge as compared to 2023.

India’s Rohan Bopanna won his maiden men's doubles Grand Slam alongside Australia’s Matthew Ebden, defeating Italian pair of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the Australian Open. The 43-year-old Bopanna becomes the oldest ever player to win a grand slam, breaking Jean-Julien Rojer’s record to lift the French Open men’s double trophy at the age of 40 years.

The recently concluded Davis Cup 2024 was Rafael Nadal’s final international tournament. Spain’s Nadal lost his farewell game against Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarter finals.

Before the Davis Cup, Nadal was seen last at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Due to his injury, he missed the US Open and the Laver Cup. In October, the Spanish player announced his retirement from international games, with the Davis Cup being his last tournament.

Spain won the 17^th edition of UEFA European Championship for a record fourth time, defeating England 2-1 in the finals. The team won all the seven games in the tournament, dominating the series from the start to the finish. The 16-year-old, Lamine Yamal becomes the youngest ever footballer to participate in the Euro Championship, representing Spain in the 2024 edition.

England on the other hand, lost its second consecutive European Championships finals. Italy had defeated England on its home soil in 2021 in a penalty shootout. The English side continues its search for a major trophy win since the 1966 World Cup victory.

Lionel Messi-led Argentina won their second consecutive Copa America trophy, defeating Colombia in the final game. The Argentinian side has so far won a record 16 Copa America titles.

In the intense final against Columbia, Messi’s injury forced him to leave the field. However, Lautaro Martinez’s strike in the 112th minute during the extra time helped the team attain the glory.