From Sreeja Akula’s purple patch to heartbreaks for Mike Tyson and Vinesh Phogat, what made news in 2024?

The news of table tennis being excluded from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games struck a sour note, but the paddlers delivered several inspiring performances over the past year.

Sreeja Akula had her best year on the international circuit yet, winning singles titles in both the WTT Feeder and Contender series. She also registered an impressive win over World No. 2 Chinese player Wang Yidi during the ITTF World Team Championships.

Ayhika Mukherjee also braved the odds to beat World No. 1 Sun Yingsha, but the Chinese team proved too strong over the entire tie. Ayhika and Sutirtha Mukherjee rounded off a successful year with bronze medals in the women’s doubles and team events at the ATTU Asian Championships.

Italy’s Massimo Costantini returned for a third spell as head coach of the national team as the men’s and women’s teams waded through their maiden Olympic campaign. The women’s team of Sreeja, Manika Batra, and Archana Kamath made it to the quarterfinal stage, while the men’s team lost in the opening round.

There was a fair share of farewell announcements too. Legendary Chinese paddler Ma Long called time on his Olympic career after helping his team secure the top spot in the men’s event, sealing his sixth gold medal.

Archana announced a shock retirement from the sport after the Games, opting to pursue higher education instead.

There was more anguish in store for fans of kabaddi. The International Kabaddi Federation banned India from participating in international events due to the lack of clarity in the running of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI).

The court-appointed administrator running the AKFI for the past five years has yet to delegate powers back to the newly elected body of officials. The confusion surrounding the apex body meant India missed out on the first-ever World Beach Kabaddi Championship in Iran.

The event proved to be a resounding success for the host nation, which emerged as the champion after defeating Pakistan 41-34 in the final. Iraq and Kenya were awarded joint bronze medals.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the international arena, the Pro Kabaddi League flourished, producing two first-time winners in two editions — Puneri Paltan and Haryana Steelers.

The 70th Senior National Men’s Kabaddi Championship was held in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, where Railways’ four-year title run was brought to a halt by Haryana.

There were many high-profile bouts in the world of boxing, none more eagerly anticipated than the clash between former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and celebrity Jake Paul in Texas.

The 58-year-old came out strong in the initial rounds but eventually faded in his first bout in 20 years as Paul sealed a convincing win.

Riyadh hosted another marquee event of the year as Oleksandr Usyk retained his WBA (Super), WBO, and WBC world heavyweight titles after a unanimous decision win over Tyson Fury.

There was a tinge of desi flavour ahead of the Tyson-Paul showdown as Neeraj Goyat defeated Whindersson Nunes in a super-middleweight undercard bout.

Neeraj, who was the first Indian boxer to make the WBC rankings, dominated the fight to secure a unanimous decision victory with a 60-54 scoreline.

The world of amateur boxing wasn’t as fruitful from an Indian standpoint, as none of the pugilists managed to win a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Lovlina Borgohain and Nishant Dev were one step away from a podium finish, losing in the quarterfinal stage. Nikhat Zareen, Preeti Pawar, and Amit Panghal suffered defeats in the round of 16.

The Summer Games were also mired in a gender controversy after calls were made to disqualify Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting on the grounds that they supposedly failed a gender test.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) adhered to the rule book, allowing the athletes to compete as they complied with the required criteria. Khelif eventually went on to win gold in the welterweight category, while Lin claimed gold in the featherweight grouping.

During the year, India also decided to switch allegiance from the International Boxing Association (IBA) to World Boxing, following the former’s tussle with the IOC.

Wrestling in India has been embroiled in a continuous spate of controversies over the past couple of years, and 2024 was no different.

The National Wrestling Championships returned amid utter confusion — one event was held in Pune by some WFI officials, while another was conducted in Jaipur by the IOA-appointed ad hoc committee.

Double World Championship bronze medallist Vinesh Phogat competed in two weight categories in the Asian Olympic Games qualifier held in Patiala, emerging the winner in the lighter division.

Bajrang Punia did not make it to the quadrennial event and was placed under suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and United World Wrestling for his ‘refusal’ to provide a urine sample.

Aman Sehrawat won India’s only wrestling medal at Paris 2024 in the 57kg category, becoming India’s youngest Olympic medallist in the process. However, the wrestling competition in Paris was clouded by the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Vinesh.

The 30-year-old pulled off a major upset against reigning Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan on her way to becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to qualify for a final, securing at least a silver medal. But fate had other plans.

During the weigh-in ahead of the final, Vinesh was found to be 100 grams over the prescribed weight, disqualifying her from the competition. An appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport also did not bear fruit.

The excruciating circumstances had a profound impact on the wrestler, leading her to announce her retirement from the sport at the end of the Games. She went on to contest the Assembly Elections in Haryana, beginning her political career with a victory in the Julana constituency.

It was a case of too close yet too far for Mirabai Chanu in Paris, as the veteran weightlifter finished an agonising fourth in the women’s 49kg event.

The Tokyo 2020 silver medallist ended her attempts just one kilogram short of bronze medallist Surodchana Khambao of Thailand.

India’s Preetismita Bhoi and Bedabrat Bharali were declared the best lifters at the 2024 IWF Youth World Weightlifting Championships in Lima.

Preetismita broke the world record in the women’s 40kg clean & jerk, while Bharali won gold in the 67kg category. In all, India won six gold, four silver, and eight bronze medals.

The inclusion of squash in the roster for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 was the highlight of the racquet sport in 2024. Veteran Saurav Ghoshal announced his retirement from professional squash in April after a 22-year career.

Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh had breakthrough seasons in 2024. The 16-year-old Anahat won nine PSA Challenger titles during the year, while Abhay clinched his tenth PSA title with the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy in Kuala Lumpur.

In the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), India’s Puja Tomar became the first-ever Indian fighter to register a win in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) after a split-decision victory over Brazil’s Rayanne dos Santos in Louisville.

Dricus Du Plessis had a year to remember, claiming the middleweight title with a split-decision win over Sean Strickland in January. The South African retained the title in August, forcing Israel Adesanya into submission with a chokehold.

In 2025

The Indian sports bandwagon will carry over from the frenetic Olympic year to a relatively low-key year in 2025.

The Indian paddlers will be in action in the WTT Feeder and Contender series during the early part of the year, leading up to the all-important World Table Tennis Championships in Doha in May.

With the Pro Kabaddi League concluding before the start of the new year, kabaddi enthusiasts will be looking forward to the Senior Nationals for the first major kabaddi action of the year.

The impasse between the AKFI and the world body must be resolved for India to participate in the home World Cup later in the year.

Bajrang’s suspension and Vinesh’s retirement leave Indian wrestling in need of new heroes, and the younger generation will aim to fill the void with strong performances at the upcoming Asian and World Championships.

The standoff between the IOC and the two world bodies — IBA and World Boxing — puts boxing in a state of limbo ahead of Los Angeles 2028.

Indian pugilists will be hoping for a quick resolution and clarity on the LA roster, as well as seeking to put behind their Olympic medal drought by bagging a few at the men’s and women’s World Championships this year.

Anshul Jubli will aim for his first UFC win when he faces Quillan Salkilld in a lightweight bout, while Puja Tomar will look to build on a positive 2024 as she prepares to take on Shauna Bannon in a strawweight fight.

Look out for

Diya Chitale: The 21-year-old opened her new year with a 3-0 win over senior and higher-ranked Ayhika Mukherjee in the qualifiers of the WTT Star Contender in Doha to make the main draw.

This could very well be the harbinger of good things for the young paddler. Last year, she even defeated Manika Batra in the Ultimate Table Tennis, showing that she’s not afraid to take on experienced players.

As of January 7, Diya is ranked 122nd in the world. This year may very well be the season she breaks into the top 100, or beyond.

Ayan Lohchab: Ayan Lohchab made a sensational Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) debut in the recently concluded Season 11, earning the coveted New Young Player award while playing for runner-up Patna Pirates.

This youngster showcased exceptional composure and skill throughout the season, amassing 184 raid points in 25 matches.

Ayan dominated the mat, leaving defenders bewildered with his speed, agility, and precision. He recorded seven Super 10s while contributing nine valuable tackle points to his team’s defence.

Ayan’s fearless spirit and impressive adaptability have established him as a rising star in the world of Kabaddi.

Puja Tomar: The year 2024 was an eventful one for Puja Tomar. She became one of the few Indians to secure a UFC contract and made history as the first from the country to win a bout in the promotion.

She beat Rayanne dos Santos in her maiden bout via split decision. In the first quarter of 2025, the UP-born fighter will take on Ireland’s Shauna Bannon.

Puja’s powerful jabs and strong ground-and-pound technique will help mitigate her reach disadvantage, giving her an excellent opportunity to register consecutive wins in the UFC.