how important are the female athletes in india in sports (60-70 world)
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Indian sport has seen a massive rise in the number of it's female athletes shining at the world stage since the turn of the millennium.
The first moment of glory for Indian sportswomen came at Sydney 2000 when the legendary Karnam Malleswari won bronze, making her the first Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic medal.
More importantly, Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.
It was an incredible effort - Karnam had overcome a loss of form and dealt with a new weight category like the champion athlete she was - to win the historic bronze.
She may not have stood on the top step of the podium but Karnam Malleswari had given the country something far more important - the self-belief for Indian women athletes to know that they too could bring a lot of pride to the nation.
It inspired the next generation of Indian female athletes - be it MC Mary Kom, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu or Sakshi Malik to push themselves, fight through the odds and lay claim to being among the best in the world by winning Olympic medals.
We take a look at what has driven Indian women in sports towards their goals, in their own words.
Saina Nehwal’s hunger to be the best
Saina Nehwal is the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in badminton.
Saina Nehwal is the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in badminton.
New records were witnessed thanks to Saina Nehwal’s bronze at London 2012, which was India’s first-ever medal in badminton at the Olympic Games.
When she returned home with the medal, Saina Nehwal became an icon for Indian youth and Olympic dreamers. She has added many more medals, including at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, since then to her tally.
But what is it that pushes the Indian shuttle star to give her best every time she takes to the court?
I want to be the best, it's not about the ranking, it's about being consistent over a period of time.
Not just for men, proves Mary Kom
The first Indian woman boxer to win a medal at the Olympics, MC Mary Kom has been a trailblazer for Indian sports women in many ways.
Be it her six world titles or her return to the ring post-pregnancy, this legend is everything that an aspiring Indian woman athlete looks for in a role model.
Mary Kom on dealing with pressure
But despite her achievements, Mary Kom too wasn’t spared of the rhetoric that boxing is a man’s sport. However, the Indian legend chose to answer her critics in a way she knew the best.
People used to say that boxing is for men and not for women and I thought I will show them someday. I promised myself and proved myself.
The flyweight has won a record six World Boxing Championship golds.
In her final Olympic appearance atTokyo 2020, Mary Kom won her first bout but narrowly fell to Ingrit Victoria, a fellow Olympic bronze-medallist, in the round of 16.
Her 'Magnificent Mary' moniker is one that befits her huge status in the sport.
India has produced great boxers in the men’s category in the past but the Manipur-born southpaw has surpassed all their exploits. She continues to be an inspiration for the nation, and in particular, a huge motivation for sports women in India in particular.
It's all in the mind for PV Sindhu
Few Indians have stood on the Olympic podium with a silver medal around their neck. Only one other Indian, wrestler Sushil Kumar, has ever won two individual Olympic medals.
The first Indian ever woman to do so is PV Sindhu. Her accomplishments at Rio 2016 gave the sport added impetus while her historic win at the BWF World Championships established India as a major challenger at the top.
P.V. Sindhu on her obsession with Olympic gold
At Tokyo 2020, PV Sindhu made it two medals in two Olympic appearances with bronze in the women’s singles.
One of the aspects that has driven PV Sindhu over the years is her single-mindedness to achieve greatness.
The greatest asset is a strong mind. If I know someone is training harder than I am, I have no excuses.
Today, badminton is recognised as a sport in which India has a global reputation. And PV Sindhu, along with Saina Nehwal, has helped propel it to unprecedented heights, and especially for Indian women in sports.
Sakshi Malik’s fight until the end
Wrestling and India have a glorious history to fall back on at the Olympics. Be it KD Jadhav in 1952 or Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt since the turn of the century, it’s a discipline that has produced medal winners for the country.