ESPN India curates Top 20 moments in Indian sports history

Showcasing ESPN’s expertise in all things sports, ESPN India announced Abhinav Bindra’s Olympic gold from 2008 as the best moment in Indian sport. This moment was part of ESPN’s initiative to curate the top 20 moments as a tribute to the greatest achievements in the country’s rich and varied sporting history. The top 20 moments were announced starting 6 July with the No.1 moment being unveiled on 15 July.

“It was no easy task for the jury to rank these performances that spanned nearly a century, but it was hugely fulfilling. The best thing about the process was exploring the rich history of Indian sports and sportspersons who have defined it. This exercise is a small but valuable step towards putting the spotlight on the feats and events that have shaped Indian sports and inspired generations of athletes to strive for excellence,” said Sambit Bal, Editor-in-Chief, ESPN India, South Asia.

The top 20 moments in Indian sport was curated by a 31-member jury consisting of current and former sports personalities, journalists and influencers with the likes of Rahul Dravid, Jeev Milkha Singh, Cedric D'Souza, Michael Ferreira, Jaidip Mukerjea and Rohit Brijnath, among others.

The initial list included 75 best sports moments before the jury began the process of selecting the final 20. Once the jury rankings were in, each sporting event was given points based on where it featured on a jury member's ranking system: 20 points for each No. 1 ranking, 19 for a No. 2, and so on.

The stars of the winning moments also shared their memories and reactions:

“Those are the highlights of my career. I made the mistake of admiring my opponents. I started appreciating their good shots, but in today’s professionalism, they would laugh at it”, said Ramanathan Krishnan on his reaching the Wimbledon Semifinals in 1960.

“The world title came to India for the first time, so I can very safely say that was the happiest moment of my life,” said Wilson Jones on winning the Billiards World Championship in 1958.

“I was playing emotional tennis.I wasn’t thinking.All I can promise is that every time I go on court I will give my best,” said Leander Paes, remembering the moment he won the Olympic Bronze for Tennis in Atlanta, 1996.

The initial list included 75 best sports moments before the jury began the process of selecting the final 20. After the jury presented their initial ranking, each sporting event were assigned points based on where it featured on a jury member's ranking system: 20 points for each No. 1 ranking, 19 for a No. 2, and so on.  The winning events were then finalized based on their cumulative scores.

ESPN’s Top 20 Moments in Indian Sport are: