A year of few highs
Sportstar's February 1 edition takes readers through a review of India at the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics—from Manu Bhaker's double Olympic bronze and Neeraj Chopra's silver to India's historic medal tally at the Paralympic Games. This edition also provides a recap of the resurgence of the Hockey India League, badminton's exclusion from the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and the rise of the new Big Two in tennis—Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
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Indian hockey’s revival: A year of triumph and transition
From Olympic glory to the resurgence of the Hockey India League and bidding farewell to some of the sport’s greatest pillars, 2024 was an extraordinary year for Indian hockey. After an underwhelming first half of the year, both the men’s and women’s teams bounced back to secure titles on the international stage. Indian men’s hockey team coach Craig Fulton’s ‘defend to win’ philosophy was in full flow, while Harendra Singh returned for a second stint as head coach of the women’s team, turning around its fortunes after a string of disappointing results under Janneke Schopman. Hockey year-ender review by Joan Mathew Jacob .
Shuttling between?brilliance and despair
Even though 2024 was a mixed bag for Indian shuttlers, promising achievements by youngsters and para-athletes offer hope for a?brighter future. The sport's exclusion from the upcoming 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Glasgow, Scotland, was perhaps the biggest news from the sport last year. This move copped flak from some of India’s prominent names in badminton, given the country’s impressive tally of 31 medals in the racquet sport at the CWG. Apart from this revelation, the year witnessed retirements, heartbreaks, and athletes criticising their federations. Badminton year-ender review by Rajdeep Saha .?
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Manu Bhaker leading the charge in?Indian shooting’s revival
The 22-year-old’s?twin Olympic medals, Paralympic successes, the emergence of 16-year-old Parth Mane and the upcoming Shooting League of India highlight a transformative year for the sport.?The Olympic success was reflected in India’s Paralympic campaign as well, where Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals at the Games. Shooting year-ender review by Santadeep Dey .
Duplantis soars, Neeraj shines: Athletics powerhouses stand out again
Armand Duplantis dominated 2024 athletics,?breaking pole vault records?while Neeraj Chopra continued to be India’s flagbearer with an Olympic silver.?In the men’s 100m race, the USA’s Noah Lyles claimed gold in a thrilling photo finish, edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by just five-thousandths of a second. The USA finished the Paris Games as the most successful nation in athletics, with 34 medals, including 14 gold. Athletics year-ender review by Pranay Rajiv .
Big Two dominance marks?start of a new dawn
For the first time since 2002, none of the iconic Big Three — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer — captured a Grand Slam singles title. The new Big Two — Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz — instead dominated in 2024, winning titles aplenty and assuring the tennis world that the sport is in good hands. Meanwhile The age-defying Djokovic proved he’s not washed up at 37 by securing gold at the Paris Olympics. Tennis year-ender by Paul Fein?in the latest edition of his column, Vantage Point.