Abhinav Bindra’s 2008 Olympic Gold medal in Shooting has beaten Team India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup victory to be adjudged India’s best sporting moment ever by ESPN India’s 31-member jury. The list is part of ESPN’s initiative to curate the top 20 moments as a tribute to the greatest achievements in the country’s rich and varied sporting history. The jury comprised current and former sports personalities, journalists and influencers like Rahul Dravid, Jeev Milkha Singh, Cedric D’Souza, Michael Ferreira, Jaidip Mukerjea and Rohit Brijnath, among others.
“Those are the highlights of my career. I made the mistake of admiring my opponents. I started appreciating their good shots, but in today’s professionalism, they would laugh at it”, said Ramanathan Krishnan on his reaching the Wimbledon Semifinals in 1960 and finding the 19th place on the list.
Billiards found a place in Indian history when Wilson Jones, as a first to the nation, won the World Billiards Championship in 1958. “The world title came to India for the first time, so that was the happiest moment of my life,” Jones said about his feat. His achievement stands at 14th place.
Veteran tennis star leander Paes whose Olympic Bronze in 1996, Atlanta, features on the 13th position recalls he was back then playing emotional tennis. “I wasn’t thinking. All I can promise is that every time I go on court I will give my best,” he said.
The list of 20 was shortlisted from 75 best sporting moments. “The exercise is a small but valuable step towards putting the spotlight on the feats that have shaped Indian sports and inspired generations of athletes,” Sambit Bal, Editor-in-Chief, ESPN India, South Asia, said.