Famous Sports Personalities (Indian & International) | General Knowledge for Young Learners - Class 1 PDF Download

Most Famous Sports Personalities in India

Virat Kohli

• Virat Kohli is the captain of the Indian Cricket team and is considered one of the best batsmen of this era.
• His love for cricket, vibrant personality, and involvement in social causes have kept him in the spotlight.
• Last season, he achieved a remarkable feat by being the first player ever to win all three major ICC Awards.
• In 2019, he was the captain of both the ICC Test and ODI teams.
• He maintained the number 1 position in the ICC rankings for both ODI and Test batsmen.
• Throughout his career, he has scored over 13,848 runs in 292 ODIs with a strike rate of 93.58.
• Beyond cricket, he married Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma in December 2017.
• Since their marriage, the couple has secured some of the best endorsement deals of their careers.
• Virat became one of the most successful and recognized sports figures in India at a young age.

Sachin Tendulkar

M.S. Dhoni

Yuvraj Singh

• Yuvraj Singh (often called Yuvi) is considered one of the greatest cricketers in India.
• Yuvi played a crucial role in India's victories in the World Cups of 2007 and 2011.
• He was named man of the tournament in the 2011 World Cup, earning 4 man of the match awards during the event.
• At the age of 29, while at the peak of his career, Yuvi was diagnosed with cancer.
• Despite this serious illness, he fought bravely and overcame significant challenges.
• Yuvi is also well-known for hitting 6 sixes in an over in international cricket.
• He announced his retirement after he was not selected for the Indian team in the 2019 World Cup.

Harmanpreet Kaur

• Harmanpreet Kaur is an Indian cricketer who serves as the captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket team. 
•  One of her most remarkable achievements is scoring 171 runs against Australia during the 2017 Women’s World Cup semi-finals, which was crucial in helping India reach the finals. 
•  In recognition of her talent and contributions to cricket, she received the Arjuna Award from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in 2017. 
•  In July 2023, while India was touring Bangladesh for a women's cricket series, Kaur was involved in a controversy. She reacted to being given out by hitting the stumps with her bat. 
•  In 2023, under her leadership, the Mumbai Indians team won the very first Women’s Premier League (WPL). 

Greatest Indian Footballer: Sunil Chhetri

• Sunil Chhetri is a well-known Indian professional football player who plays as a striker or winger. 
•  He is often called Captain Fantastic and is the 4th highest goal scorer in international matches among active players, following Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Ali Daei. 
•  Chhetri holds the record as the all-time top goal scorer for the Indian National Football team, with a total of 94 goals in 151 matches. 
•  On June 18, he scored the first goal in a 2-0 win against Lebanon during the final of the 2023 Hero Intercontinental Cup, playing a crucial role in helping India win the tournament. 
•  He is also the most capped player for the Indian Football team, meaning he has played the most games for the national team. 
•  On June 21, Chhetri achieved his fourth hat-trick for the Indian national team in a 4-0 victory over Pakistan during a group stage match of the 2023 SAFF Championship. 
•  Many famous sports figures, including Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, have supported him throughout his career. 
•  Even after his retirement, Chhetri remains the most famous football player in India. 

Dutee Chand

• Dutee Chand is a successful athlete from India who competes in sprinting events. 
•  She is the third Indian woman to qualify for the Women's 100 meters race at the Summer Olympic Games. 
•  In 2018, Dutee won a silver medal in the women's 100 meters at the Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia, marking the first medal for India in this event since 1998. 
•  In May 2019, Dutee became the first openly gay athlete in India by sharing that she is in a same-sex relationship with someone from her village. 
•  Her announcement received significant attention, especially since her parents and local community opposed her, labeling her actions as unethical and unacceptable. 
•  Despite the criticism, she received support and admiration from the LGBTQ community and many celebrities worldwide for her courageous choice. 

Neeraj Chopra

• Neeraj Chopra is a prominent figure in India, especially known for his skills in Javelin Throw and athletics.
• He surprised everyone by winning a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• In 2016, he became the IAAF World U20 champion and set a world junior record with a throw of 86.48 meters at the U20 championships.
• In 2017, Neeraj secured another gold medal at the Asian Athletic Championships with a throw of 85.23 meters.
• He made an impressive debut at the Commonwealth Games, winning a gold medal in his first appearance.
• Neeraj became the first Indian athlete to win the gold medal in Javelin Throw at the Asian Games, where he set a national record with a throw of 88.06 meters.
• In July 2022, he broke his own national record with a throw of 89.94 meters at the Stockholm Diamond League.
• In August 2023, he won a gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.17 meters.
• After winning several international medals, Neeraj Chopra has become one of the most well-known sports figures in India.
• He made a remarkable comeback ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics by winning his first gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games.

Ravichandran Ashwin

• R Ashwin is a well-known Indian cricketer and a bowling allrounder who bowls with his right arm and uses off-break techniques. 
•  He has played a crucial role in the Indian bowling team in recent times. 
•  Ashwin faced significant criticism during the IPL when he "mankaded" star batsman Jos Buttler from the Rajasthan Royals. 
•  He is recognized as the fastest Indian bowler, and in some records, he is even listed as the joint-fastest bowler in the world to achieve the milestones of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, and 450 wickets in Test cricket based on the number of innings he bowled. 
•  As of June 2024, Ashwin is ranked as the top bowler in Test cricket. 

PV Sindhu

• PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, is one of the most well-known badminton players in India. 
•  At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, she won a gold medal in the women's singles event. 
•  In July 2022, she also secured the women's singles title at the Singapore Open, a BWF Super 500 tournament, by defeating the Chinese player Wang Zhi Yi. 
•  Sindhu made her return from an injury during the first tournament of 2023, which was the Malaysia Open. 
•  In February, she helped the Indian team win a bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships, marking India’s first medal at this championship. 

• Saina Nehwal is a well-known badminton player from India.
• She is the first Indian shuttler to win an Olympic medal.
• Saina has achieved over 24 international titles in her career.
• Out of these, 11 titles are from the Super Series.
• She has played a significant role in making badminton popular in India.
• A biopic about her life and accomplishments was created after films on MS Dhoni and Milkha Singh.
• In this film, actress Parineeti Chopra portrayed Saina Nehwal.

Mary Kom

• Mary Kom is a celebrated Indian boxer from the North-Eastern state of Manipur.
• She is a six-time World Amateur Boxing Champion and is the only female boxer to earn a medal in all seven World Championships.
• At the 2012 London Olympics, Mary became the first Indian woman boxer to qualify for the Summer Olympics.
• She won a bronze medal in the 51 kg flyweight division at the Olympics.
• Mary Kom participated in the Keep India Smiling Foundational Scholarship program, which provides scholarships and mentorships in education, sports, and community development.
• In 2018, she made history by becoming the most successful boxer in the Women’s World Championships after winning her sixth gold medal with a unanimous 5-0 victory against Ukraine’s Hanna Okhota.

Lakshya Sen

• Lakshya Sen is a young badminton player from India who mainly competes in singles events. 
•  He gained attention in 2016 after achieving success in the junior badminton circuit. 
•  Lakshya is a former world junior number 1. 
•  He won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships. 
•  In 2022, he was the runner-up at the All England Open. 
•  Lakshya was part of the Indian team that won the Thomas Cup in 2022. 
•  He achieved a remarkable victory by winning the gold medal in the men’s singles at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham. 
•  In February 2023, he contributed to the Indian team winning a bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships. 
•  On July 9, 2023, in Calgary, Canada, he won the Canada Open final by defeating Li Shifeng from China in straight sets, with scores of 21-18 and 22-20. 

Gautam Gambhir

• Gautam Gambhir is regarded as one of the most skilled yet often overlooked cricketers in history. 
•  He announced his retirement from cricket in December 2018 after not being picked in the IPL auction. 
•  Gambhir had some significant performances when the Indian team needed him the most. 
•  His remarkable innings in the World Cup will always be cherished by Indian fans. 
•  In 2019, he joined the ruling BJP party and recently won the election for the East Delhi seat in the Lok Sabha. 
•  A true patriot, Gambhir often makes headlines with his opinions on social media. 
•  After hearing about the retirement of his fellow left-handed batsman and former Indian star Yuvraj Singh, he suggested that the BCCI retire jersey number 12 in honor of him. 
•  In IPL 2024, he assisted KKR in winning their third IPL title as their mentor. 
•  Currently, he is preparing to become the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. 

Hima Das

• Hima Das, also known as "Dhing Express", is a talented sprint runner from Assam, India.
• She made history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in a track and field event at the international level during the IAAF World U20 Championships.
• On September 25, 2018, she was awarded the Arjuna Award by the Honorable President, Mr. Ram Nath Kovind.
• The Government of Assam named her as the state’s brand ambassador for sports.
• She has signed an endorsement deal with Adidas, the second-largest sports brand in the world.
•  Hima Das serves as UNICEF India's first-ever youth ambassador for sports. 
•  She holds the Indian national record in the 400 meters with a time of 50.79 seconds, achieved at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.