world chess champion at 18. A double Olympic medallist shooter at 22. No Olympic champion, but two Chess Olympiad gold-winning teams.
The showstoppers featured two young protagonists who captured the imagination of sport followers beyond the cricket field and stamped their world-class skills across the chess board and inside the shooting range: Gukesh D and Manu Bhaker.
Manu, just 22, who had been through a full cycle of tasting dizzying success at an early age followed by dampening failure, sprung back to life with a bang in a largely moderate Paris Olympics for India. Gukesh, all of 18, who had until last year pasted photos of past world chess champions as his laptop wallpaper, became one himself to sign off India's sporting 2024 on a high.
That Gukesh's tryst with becoming the youngest-ever world champion went back to a late scramble to even qualify for the Candidates tournament is a touch ironic. Once the teen from Tamil Nadu set foot down that path, there was no stopping him.
Alongside R Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi, Gukesh turned up for the Candidates in Toronto in April battling odds to earn the right to challenge world champion Ding Liren. Pre-tournament punts, though, went up in smoke once Gukesh got down to business against some of the top players.
Denne historien er fra December 31, 2024-utgaven av Hindustan Times Gurugram.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 31, 2024-utgaven av Hindustan Times Gurugram.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
DSP: I was prepared for Kissik and Oo Antava comparisons
As long as you don't let success get to your head, you are not bothered by the outcome,\" says composer Devi Sri Prasad, also known as DSP, who is pleased with the reception of his music for Pushpa 2: The Rule.
Sparks of Trouble for Coldplay Gujarat gig!
Ahead of its highly anticipated India tour, British rock band Coldplay is making headlines again!
Aubrey's husband, director Jeff Baena, dies by suicide
Actor-comedian Aubrey Plaza is mourning the loss of her husband, director Jeff Baena, who died at the age of 47.
Rohit and Virat still have the hunger, says Gambhir
No one in the team will say it, but they are all surely thinking it.
Lebrun brothers, the French connection in Thakkar's rise
Manav Thakkar, India's No.2 male paddler, noticed how the Lebrun brothers, the French siblings who have taken the table tennis world by storm, would \"invent stuff\" after training sessions even as the others would wind down.
HIL route to making India return
Many sidelined from the national squad have bounced back via the league, Rohidas being a shining example
Shooter Saurabh rediscovers his touch at Nationals
For five years from 2018, Saurabh Chaudhary would hold his Morini pistol so steady and shoot with such precision that it was assumed the prodigiously talented youngster would win an Olympic medal for India.
SBI Steps Up Heat With Large Collateral-Free Study Loans
India's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has begun offering collateral-free study loans of up to ₹50 lakh for students heading to top foreign universities, entering an arena dominated by top private lenders.
Guj, Andhra, Delhi Shine As Key Performers In Logistics
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Delhi have been identified as leading performers in India's logistics sector, according to a new report.
Foxconn Sees Record Revenue on AI Demand
Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, beat expectations to post its highest-ever revenue for the fourth quarter on continued strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers.
