List the sports in which India has won major cups or championships in the last five years.
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As 2016 comes to an end, India can celebrate yet another year of sporting achievement. Its sportspersons have done the nation proud with some very inspiring performances and continue to stand up as role models for the younger generation.
2016 will also be remembered as a year when women outperformed men in many sports and took charge in holding up the Indian flag. Another positive fallout has been the recognition that various past and existing sportspersons have been receiving through films and biopics from Bollywood, all of which have further spurred interest and investment in sports.
We revisit some of the sporting glory moments of India in 2016.
Rio Olympics saw India participate with its largest contingent till date, but had to draw consolation with just one silver and one bronze medal. The highlight of the global event was Badminton player PV Sindhu, who won her first silver medal losing to Carolina Marin of Spain in the Women’s final, while Sakshi Malik won a bronze in the final of the 58-kg Women’s Freestyle wrestling. The fact that the two women emerged to hold up the Indian flag against some very tough competition was a remarkable and praiseworthy achievement.
But it was Dipa Karmakar’s most unexpected ‘Produnova’ moment that won her millions of fans back home, when she pipped leading gymnasts to reach the final and missed the bronze medal by a whisker. She continues to be an icon for other enthusiastic gymnasts.
India’s Paralympic athletes came out to demonstrate that India had more sports champions in her fold than she was aware of. They collectively made the nation proud and drew attention to the fact that para athletes, too, could bring laurels for the nation and deserved the same recognition as regular champion achievers.
Answer:
Sports in India refers to the large variety of games played in India, ranging from tribal games to more mainstream sports such as field hockey, kabaddi, cricket, badminton and football. India's diversity of culture, people, and tribes are reflected in the wide variety of sporting disciplines in the country.
Cricket is the most popular sport in India, the country has hosted and won the Cricket World Cup on multiple occasions. Field hockey is the most successful sport for India at the Olympic Games; the Indian men's team have won thirteen Olympic medals including eight gold medals. Other popular sports in India are badminton, football, shooting, wrestling, boxing, tennis, squash, weightlifting, gymnastics, athletics, table tennis, basketball, volleyball, and cycling. Popular indigenous sports include chess, kho-kho, kite-fighting, leg cricket, polo, snooker, and gillidanda.
Kabaddi is an ancient sport and one of the fastest growing sports of India. India won many matches and seasons of kabaddi at the Asian Games and all three seasons of the Kabaddi World Cup (Standard style).
India has hosted and co-hosted several international sporting events, most notably the 1987, 1996 and 2011 Cricket World Cups, the 1951 and 1982 Asian Games, the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Domestic professional sports leagues in the country include the Indian Premier League (Twenty20 cricket), the I-League and the Indian Super League (football), the Pro Kabaddi League (kabaddi), the Hockey India League (hockey), Premier Badminton League (badminton), the Pro Wrestling League (wrestling), the Ultimate Table Tennis league (table tennis), and the Pro Volleyball League (volleyball). The Ultimate Kho-Kho League is expected to launch in 2020, having attracted a major sponsorship deal with Dabur.
Major international sporting events annually held in India include the Chennai Open in tennis, the Indian Open in golf, and the India Open in badminton.
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna is India's highest award for achievement in sports, while the Dronacharya Award is awarded for excellence in coaching.