New Delhi: With less than a week to go, the calendar year is all set to bask in the glory of its sporting tales which folded up across the globe. The year witnessed multiple global events staged in different parts of the world and different seasons. Be it the Paris Olympics and Paris Paralympics, European Championship 2024, Copa America 2024, and Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, the sporting fans were never left short of entertainment and theories to throw at each other.
Sports has turned into a catalyst that changes innumerable lives. One can find the spirit to fight relentlessly and one can find solace in the fact that no efforts go in vain even if it doesn’t help them meet fruition. There is a day when you are in tatters and then the next day you see yourself going full throttle at your thing. In earnest means, that’s how the best comeback stories in sports, or life in general, are scripted inadvertently.
Let’s sit on our couches and chairs (please don’t be mad at me in case you are standing and reading this) and then take a flashback at the most captivating comebacks in the year 2024.
1) Simeone Biles
US gymnast Simeone Biles has been an inspiration for sportspersons back in her country. It’s the year 2021 when the Columbus-born athlete faces the ignominy of pulling out of the team event from the Tokyo Olympics, Biles didn’t have an easy time to continue with the sport. She even thought that her career was all but over but then a two-year break worked in her favour and then came the Paris Game, which turned out to be propitious for the 27-year-old.
Already decorated as the most successful American gymnast at the Olympics, Biles won three more gold and one silver medals to take her Olympic medal tally to 11. She won gold in women’s artistic individual all-around, women’s vault, and team all-around with Suni Lee, Hezly Rivera, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey. She claimed silver in the floor exercise.
2) Spain national football team
Spain were knocked out by Italy in the 2020 Euros three years ago. It was a complete path of redemption for La Roja, who won the UEFA Nations League in the 2022-23 season before finally laying their hands on a major silverware. Spain’s golden period is often talked about dominating the global football stage from 2008 to 2012 with two Euros and the quintessential FIFA World Cup.
This was a young team, whose transition was started by Luis Enrique in 2021, and it reaped rewards for Luis de la Fuente. It was the collective efforts of the team blend of experienced campaigners and promising youngsters. There were 10 different goalscorers for Spain in their victorious campaign as they prevailed over the likes of Germany, France and England to win the title.
3) Manu Bhaker
Indian shooter Manu Bhaker garnered attention for her sporting journey after she became the first individual athlete to bag two medals in a single Olympic season. The 22-year-old accounted for two bronze medals in the women’s 10m air pistol individual event and mixed team 10m air pistol event with Sarabjot Singh. She missed a third medal in the women’s 25m air pistol event after finishing fourth in the final.
It was a befitting high for Manu after enduring the lows in Tokyo three years ago. A gun malfunction in the heats of the individual event denied her progression in the final and she went through a tough phase in her own shooting circuit followed by a split with coach Jaspal Rana. The two kept aside the differences and reunited in 2023 with the common goal of redemption at the quadrennial showpiece. Manu has been an icon now across the country.
4) Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) always have the spotlight in the Indian Premier League. No matter where they are positioned on the table or how abysmally they perform, their fans have an unconditional love with them and are vociferous enough to express their praise for the team players. The IPL 2024 was a topsy-turvy for the Men in Red and Black colours.
The Faf du Plessis-led side started its season with a lone win in the first eight matches before a whirlwind turnaround by winning all six remaining matches. In their final league match against Chennai Super Kings, RCB had to win the match by 18 runs or more to qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs. They posted 218 in the first innings and restricted the Yellow Army to 191 in the first innings.
5) Rishabh Pant
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant suffered a life-threatening accident in December 2022. He was bruised and battered with injuries on his body and was forced to use sticks to walk. He missed action for the complete 2023 calendar year. It was only in IPL 2024 that Pant returned to competitive cricket. He fast-tracked his selection for the Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2024.
He made 171 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 127.61 in the tournament as India lifted their second T20 World Cup after 17 years. He returned to his favourite format in Test cricket and scored a century in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, levelling the record of MS Dhoni for most Test centuries by an Indian keeper (six each). Pant’s comeback only embodies his determination and mental toughness as many experts found him not to be returning to the field after the horrific road accident.
2024 witnessed remarkable sports comebacks We bring you’ll some stories which highlight the power of perseverance and the human spirit’s capacity for overcoming adversity. From US gymnast Simone Biles redemption at the Olympics to Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant’s marvellous comeback from accident, we have noted some brilliant sporting stories of the year. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
