Was it badminton sensation PV Sindhu, who became the first Indian to win the World Championships gold medal? Or is it the young shooting progidy Saurabh Chaudhary? Or his India colleague Elavenil Valarivan, who recently took over as World No 1? What about India's heroes on the cricketing field -- Virat Kohli? Rohit Sharma?
\n\n\n\nThe hockey year in review.\n\n
India registered a comfortable 4-0 win in their last league match of the four-nation hockey tournament.
This was India's second match following their 2-1 victory over hosts Japan on Thursday.
Sania Mirza's was officially named for the coveted Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award on Friday. The Hyderabadi lady is only the second tennis player to be nominated for the country's highest sport honour.
The draw gave the two teams their first points from two outings at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament.
Pakistan won the other semi-final beating South Korea 2-0.
Egypt beat Ghana 1-0 while South Africa routed Nigeria in the men's hockey play-off matches at the Afro-Asian Games on Wednesday.
The teams will now play-off for 5th-6th positions in the women's hockey tournament at the Afro-Asian Games.
India won the Afro-Asian Games hockey league match 4-2 and topped the pool.
Three first-half goals helped the World Cup winners overcome Nigeria for a place in the semi-finals in women's hockey tournament at the Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Pietie Coetzee scored a fine hat-trick as South Africa beat India 3-1 in the women's hockey tournament at the Afro-Asian Games.
Prabhjot Singh and Gagan Ajit Singh scored a brace each in a 5-1 victory in the men's hockey tournament at the Afro Asian Games.
During the camp prior to the Asia Cup in Malaysia, gag orders were slapped on all the players, a move which evoked a lot of debate.
Bajit Dhillon, Bajit Saini and Mukesh Kumar return to the Indian team for tournaments in Australia.
Sanjita Chanu had tested positive for an anabolic steroid during an in-competition testing at the National Games in Gujarat in September-October last year.
Yi Chong Sin scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 victory in the four-nation tournament in Japan.
The best-ever medal haul at the 2018 Asian Games is a leap forward for India sport after the Commonwealth Games medal spurt.
The 36-year-old Jhajharia, who is the first Indian to win two Paralympic gold medals, was the first choice of the awards selection committee.
The Phogats became a household name in the country after the success of Hindi film 'Dangal', which is based on the lives of Phogat sisters, all of them wrestlers, and their father who coached them against all odds.
A 'versatile' and 'speedy' Gurbaj Singh will be key to the Indian hockey team's success in the upcoming 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia, feels the national side's vice-captain and goalkeeper P R Sreejesh.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday.
Long-distance runner Lalita Babar was named Sports Person of the Year at the India Sports Awards 2015 in New Delhi on Monday.
India thrashed China 9-0 to stay in the hunt for top spot in the round-robin league competition of the fourth Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Kuantan, Malaysia on Tuesday.
India has always been a difficult place to work for foreign hockey coaches due to difference of opinion with national federations and bureaucratic hurdles.
Paralympic gold-winners Avani Lekhara, Sumit Antil, Pramod Bhagat, Krishna Nagar, Manish Narwal were also given the Khel Ratna at a dazzling awards ceremony on Saturday.
Heptathlete Swapna Barman added a dash of heroism to her historic gold medal
- 'I hope our training on creating early pressure will be evident when we go into the competition'
Tokyo should remain the benchmark and source of inspiration till at least Paris 2024. In the shorter run, India's preparations for the Asian and Commonwealth Games next year must begin based on lessons learnt now, asserts Raj Kishore Mishra, former joint secretary at the sports ministry.
Asian champions India have never won the Champions Trophy in its last 36 editions but will be hoping to claim the feat in the tournament's last edition.
Indian hockey captain PR Sreejesh, who played a pivotal role in his side's 2-1 win over Argentina at the Rio Olympics, said it's his job to "give life" to the team in the dying moments of a match. Leading 2-0 with Chinglensana Singh and Kothajit Singh's strikes in the first three quarters, India survived a final-quarter onslaught from Argentina for a nail-biting win to virtually secure a quarterfinal berth at the men's hockey competition.
India has just 28 Olympic medals to its credit since making a debut back in 1900.
Australia and France made the quarter-finals of the Hero FIH Junior Men's World Cup after registering contrasting victories in their respective Pool B matches today at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
Devendra Jhajharia, on Tuesday became the first para athlete to receive India's highest sporting honour -- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna -- along with hockey star Sardar Singh, who has endured trying times off the field in the last one year.
Led by young flag-bearer Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the athletes, clad in blue suits, waved to the crowd with small flags in their hands.
