The 20-year-old boxer from Haryana took up the sport at 11 and punched her way up. Before that, she’d defeated China’s Chengyu Yang, who was No 2 seed, at the Asian Boxing Championships 2026. At the Commonwealth Games in August, she won Gold in the women’s 60kg category.
Priya Ghanghas, boxing. Iconic behaviour.
In interviews, she’s said she learnt how to rein in her aggression and unleash it at the right moment.
Sharma, 17, became the third-youngest player to win a BWF Super 300 World Tour Title in August, at the Taipei Open. It was a win for India after 18 years; the last Indian who did it was Saina Nehwal, in 2008. At 23, the former sprinter became the first Indian judoka to win Gold at the Commonwealth Games in August. Other than Tababi Thangjam’s silver at the Summer Youth Olympics 2018, India has never produced global judo champions.
Tanvi Sharma, badminton. Sharma, who’s from Punjab, has caught the world’s attention with her powerful smashes and deceptive strokes, a technique she learned from her coach Park Tae-Sang, who has worked with PV Sindhu. High praise. Asmita Dey, judo. It wasn’t easy. But Dey channelled the grief into her training. Judo still hasn’t found widespread support in India. So, Dey will have to fight her way to the top.
And Sindhu herself praised Sharma for “having the courage to take on the best”.
She had a debilitating knee injury, and her father passed away last year.
The Tamil Nadu sprinter clocked a 10.53-second run in the semifinals of the National Youth Athletics Championships in Ludhiana last month, breaking India’s U-18 national record of 10.63 seconds. Then, he broke his own record, scoring a 10.46-second run in the finals. And yet, the 18-year-old, who’s a perfectionist, felt he could’ve done better. He wants to bring his personal best up to 10.30 seconds.
Neil Samraj, sprint. We’re already breathless thinking about it.
