Is PV Sindhu India's greatest individual athlete ever?

[Gollum]

Not including chess even though IOC recognizes it as a sport. Don't want the thread to digress over silly debates.

 

My vote: Dhyan Chand or Balbir Singh Sr., 2 of the greatest field hockey players of all time, I mean GOATs, not just ATGs. Together combined to win 6 Olympic gold medals, would have been 8 if not for WW-II....'40 and '44 cancelled.  Only sport where India  can boast to be the best at, historically speaking. And one of the most dominant reigns by any sports team.

 

Rare photo of the 2 legends

 

PS: Sorry, didn't see the 'individual' in thread title

Edited August 1, 2021 by Gollum

[maniac]

@Gollum I think this is about individual sport kinda like difference between Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps. So Dhyanchand, Sachin, Rohit Sharma () don’t qualify 

Edited August 1, 2021 by maniac

[Gollum]

He passed away last year, almost 100 years old.

 

Less than one year after independence, London Olympics. We won all group games, SF and then F against Great Britain. India beat them 4-0, 2 goals by Balbir Sr. Historically important match, iconic in every sense because we humiliated our colonizers in their backyard. 

 

 

[maniac]

Since topic on Sindhu

 

She is undisputedly the no.1 sportswomen india has produced at this point, unless one of the girls end up winning a gold  in this edition to challenge here.

 

debate should be about 2nd best

Saina Nehwal,

Sania Mirza (plays in a highly competitive sport like tennis so need to be given respect there)

K.Malleswari

Mirabai

Lovlina

P T Usha (given her accomplishments at a time when there were 0 facilities for Indian women)

Mary Kom

S.Malik

 

and maybe some other names skipping my mind 

[maniac]

Watch out for Kamalpreet Kaur. Not jinxing her and she might very well fall at the final hurdle this event  but something about her. Nerves of steel and just beastly talent. Never seen an Indian woman in any track and field  event look a cut above some ladies from China and Eastern European  countries.

Apparently was scouted on pure talent without playing at the high level too many times before.

 

This lady is a beast and if not this edition she will do great in the future. A star in the making if everything aligns.

 

Passes that eye test for sure. She has that It factor I keep talking about 

 

Edited August 1, 2021 by maniac

[Gollum]

17 minutes ago, maniac said:

@Gollum I think this is about individual sport kinda like difference between Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps. So Dhyanchand, Sachin, Rohit Sharma () don’t qualify 

Oops sorry guys, didn't read the title properly, just saw Mariyam's post where she mentioned Sachin and assumed it was overall.

 

For individual my pick is Milkha Singh, simply because athletics is a much more competitive sport than badminton, shooting, wrestling etc. And we have some challenges in winning in track events, our bodies aren't made for doing well in them. And also because of Milkha's background courtesy partition violence, the odds he conquered, that Rome race often being talked about as one of the greatest races of all time. 

 

Among women yes, I think PV Sindhu just above Anju Bobby George who tbh was denied her chance at Olympics glory because of Russian doping cheats. Sindhu second greatest overall and if she gets another medal in Paris (plus few more successes in other major events like world championships) it will be hard to not call her overall greatest from India. 

 

Honorable mentions: Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar, Vijay Amritraj, Mary Kom, few more there.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Gollum

[raki05]

46 minutes ago, neel roy said:

Vishwanathan Anand for me

Sindhu, Sushil Kumar,Bindra comes next. 
 

*’sports person i meant not athelete

Vishwanathan Anand is not an athlete

[maniac]

2 minutes ago, raki05 said:

Vishwanathan Anand is not an athlete

He is the kind of athlete every Indian middle class parent dreams about. Training Equipment ke liye train station se ek magnetic chess board chal jayega, no concerns about getting hurt and to show off to people how intelligent their kid is

Edited August 1, 2021 by maniac

[neel roy]

3 minutes ago, raki05 said:

Vishwanathan Anand is not an athlete

:) i corrected it. Said sportsperson

[Gollum]

2 hours ago, kohli said:

Can someone told me where is saina nehwal. Is she playing in Olympic ?

Didn't qualify.

[Trichromatic]

 

[Gollum]

19 minutes ago, raki05 said:

Vishwanathan Anand is not an athlete

Neither are our shooters. Better to call them sportspersons following IOC definition. 

[beetle]

24 minutes ago, maniac said:

Watch out for Kamalpreet Kaur. Not jinxing her and she might very well fall at the final hurdle this event  but something about her. Nerves of steel and just beastly talent. Never seen an Indian woman in any track and field  event look a cut above some ladies from China and Eastern European  countries.

Apparently was scouted on pure talent without playing at the high level too many times before.

 

This lady is a beast and if not this edition she will do great in the future. A star in the making if everything aligns.

 

Passes that eye test for sure. She has that It factor I keep talking about 

 

Take it back ...please don't jinx...

[Gollum]

Even when Saina was at her peak and Sindhu an emerging teenage star, we could see signs of greatness. While Saina was consistently good she struggled in big events and 18-19 yo Sindhu from nowhere won 2 bronze medals in World Championships, regularly beating higher rated and more accomplished veterans. Also taking the fight to top Chinese players then. Her game wasn't fully developed, but the fighting spirit was something we don't often associate with Indian sportspersons. 

 

Hope she wins gold in Paris completing the set of 3 colors of Olympic medals. 

 

Love how she doesn't give a * about meaningless matches and tournaments, she has a negative H2H (7-9) against her opponent today @SK_IH, after today she has 2-4 record in last 6 matches against the Chinese...the two wins being bronze medal match today and World Tour Finals 2019. Wins which matter. 

[Trichromatic]

7 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Even when Saina was at her peak and Sindhu an emerging teenage star, we could see signs of greatness. While Saina was consistently good she struggled in big events and 18-19 yo Sindhu from nowhere won 2 bronze medals in World Championships, regularly beating higher rated and more accomplished veterans. Also taking the fight to top Chinese players then. Her game wasn't fully developed, but the fighting spirit was something we don't often associate with Indian sportspersons. 

 

Hope she wins gold in Paris completing the set of 3 colors of Olympic medals. 

 

Love how she doesn't give a * about meaningless matches and tournaments, she has a negative H2H (7-9) against her opponent today @SK_IH, after today she has 2-4 record in last 6 matches against the Chinese...the two wins being bronze medal match today and World Tour Finals 2019. Wins which matter. 

 

 

That's the most amazing part. As if she is made of different genes.

[Real McCoy]

40 minutes ago, raki05 said:

Vishwanathan Anand is not an athlete

 

38 minutes ago, maniac said:

He is the kind of athlete every Indian middle class parent dreams about. Training Equipment ke liye train station se ek magnetic chess board chal jayega, no concerns about getting hurt and to show off to people how intelligent their kid is

He is certainly a better athlete than ICF armchair athletes. Even in chess, you need physical exercise. Bobby Fischer and Victor Korchnoi exercised regularly. Anand also played tennis

[SK_IH]

10 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Even when Saina was at her peak and Sindhu an emerging teenage star, we could see signs of greatness. While Saina was consistently good she struggled in big events and 18-19 yo Sindhu from nowhere won 2 bronze medals in World Championships, regularly beating higher rated and more accomplished veterans. Also taking the fight to top Chinese players then. Her game wasn't fully developed, but the fighting spirit was something we don't often associate with Indian sportspersons. 

 

Hope she wins gold in Paris completing the set of 3 colors of Olympic medals. 

 

Love how she doesn't give a * about meaningless matches and tournaments, she has a negative H2H (7-9) against her opponent today @SK_IH, after today she has 2-4 record in last 6 matches against the Chinese...the two wins being bronze medal match today and World Tour Finals 2019. Wins which matter. 

Great post!! 

After witnessing so many breakdowns in crucial encounters recently although mostly in cricket, Sindhu is such a refreshing change. I tell ya I don't follow Badminton but the way she approached today's match & the opponent, she made it feel like she was always superior. Performing when it matters is the hallmark of any great sportsperson & Sindhu ticks that box comprehensively.

[neel roy]

1 hour ago, Gollum said:

Pankaj is a legend, but not GOAT in either of those disciplines, the numbers are misleading and include team events, amateur titles etc. 

 

Billiards GOAT is Mike Russell. His great rival Geet Sethi is India's greatest, he has 1000+ break like Mike Russell. Maybe Pankaj can surpass Geet in a few years time.

 

Professional snooker is the real deal, Ronnie, Hendry, Davis those guys. 

Why doesn’t Pankaj paticipate in pro snooker?

[rollingstoned]

4 minutes ago, SK_IH said:

Great post!! 

After witnessing so many breakdowns in crucial encounters recently although mostly in cricket, Sindhu is such a refreshing change. I tell ya I don't follow Badminton but the way she approached today's match & the opponent, she made it feel like she was always superior. Performing when it matters is the hallmark of any great sportsperson & Sindhu ticks that box comprehensively.

Even the previous match it took a redlining tai tzu to beat her. She rarely.just gives it away. 

 

If she had played this version of tzu in the final  I have a feeling she would have won. Oh well. 

 

[Vickydev]