The development of Indian sports has seen a surge in recent years, with the country emerging as one of the top contenders in a variety of disciplines. This rise to prominence is due in no small part to the contributions of female athletes who have worked hard and competed at the highest level. 2023 promises to be an exciting year for sports, and it’s time to take a closer look at some of the top female athletes that are sure to make their mark on Indian history. From badminton players and tennis stars, to cricket players and more, here are 10 of the hottest Indian female athletes you can expect to see dominating in 2023.
P.V Sindhu
P.V Sindhu is an Indian professional badminton player who currently ranks 2 in the world by Badminton World Federation. She is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal and the first Indian badminton player to win a medal at the Badminton World Championships. Sindhu has also won two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, making her one of the most successful Indian athletes of all time.
Saina Nehwal
Saina Nehwal is an Indian professional badminton player who was ranked No. 1 in the world by Badminton World Federation from 2015 to 2016. She is the only female player from India to have won a singles gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and Thomas Cup. In addition, she has also won silver and bronze medals at the World Championships and Asian Championships respectively. Nehwal has received several awards including the Arjuna Award in 2009 and the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, in 2010.
Sania Mirza
Sania Mirza is an Indian professional tennis player who has been ranked by the Women’s Tennis Association as India’s No. 1 player in both singles and doubles. She has won six Grand Slam titles in her career, including three in women’s doubles and one in mixed doubles.
Born: November 15, 1986 (age 29), Mumbai, India
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Spouse: Shoaib Malik (m. 2010)
Current ranking: World No. 1 (in doubles); World No. 48 (in singles)
Mary Kom
Mary Kom is an Indian Olympic boxer hailing from the northeastern state of Manipur. She is a five-time World Amateur Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. Mary Kom has also been ranked as the Number 1 amateur boxer in the world for several years. In 2012, she became the first Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic medal, when she won the bronze medal in the women’s flyweight category.
Kom’s success has led her to be considered a role model for young women in India, and she has been honoured with a number of awards, including the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award.
Deepika Kumari
Deepika Kumari is an Indian archer. She was born on the 3rd of June, 1994, in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Deepika started practicing archery at the age of eleven, when she joined the Akhada Archery Club in her hometown. She quickly rose through the ranks and soon began representing India in international competitions.
Deepika Kumari is one of the most successful Indian athletes of all time. She has won numerous medals at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships. In 2012, she even won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, becoming the first Indian woman to do so.
Deepika Kumari is not only a talented athlete, but also a very beautiful woman. This has made her one of the most popular female athletes in India. Deepika is often seen as a role model for young girls across the country
Jwala Gutta
Jwala Gutta is a professional badminton player from India. She has been ranked as high as number eleven in the world by the Badminton World Federation. She has won numerous titles including the National Badminton Championships and the Syed Modi International Badminton Tournament. She was a member of the Indian badminton team that won the bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Dipa Karmakar
Dipa Karmakar is an Indian artistic gymnast. She is the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympic Games, and she competed in the vault and floor exercise events at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Karmakar was born on 9 August 1993, in Agartala, Tripura, India. Her father, Dulal Karmakar, was a weightlifter, and her mother Gouri Karmakar was a volleyball player. She started training in gymnastics at the age of six. In 2007, she won a bronze medal in the Junior National Championships.
In 2014, Karmakar qualified for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She finished fourth in the vault final with a score of 14.366. In 2015, she won a gold medal in the vault event at the Asian Gymnastics Championships with a score of 15.066. She also won a bronze medal in the floor exercise event.
Karmakar competed in the vault and floor exercise events at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She finished seventh in the vault final with a score of 15.216.
Vinesh Phogat
Vinesh Phogat is an Indian freestyle wrestler. She was born on August 25, 1994, in Bali, Haryana. Phogat comes from a wrestling family; her father and uncles were all wrestlers, and her cousin Geeta Phogat is India’s first female Olympic wrestler. Phogat began training in wrestling at the age of 12, and made her international debut in 2010.
Phogat has won numerous medals at both the national and international level. In 2012, she won a gold medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships, becoming the first Indian woman to do so. She followed this up with a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Indian woman to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in wrestling. Phogat also won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships, making her the first Indian woman to win a medal at that tournament.
In 2016, Phogat became the first Indian woman to qualify for the Olympics in wrestling. She competed in the women’s freestyle 48 kg event at the 2016 Summer Olympics, but was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Phogat is currently ranked #1 in India in her weight class, and #5 in the world.
Sushila Chanu
Sushila Chanu is an Indian Hockey player who has represented India at the senior level. She was a member of the Indian team that won the Gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games.
Sushila started playing hockey at a very young age and was soon selected to represent her state in the Under-16 category. She made her debut for the Indian senior team in 2012 and has since then been a regular member of the squad. Sushila is known for her speed and agility on the field, which makes her a dangerous opponent for any team.
Sushila was part of the Indian team that won Gold at the 2014 Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea. She also represented India at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Heena Sidhu
This 25-year-old Indian shooter is currently ranked number one in the world in both 10m air pistol and 25m pistol events. A two-time Olympian, she won a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and is the first Indian woman to top the International Shooting Sport Federation world rankings. She was also honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2013.
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