Famous personalities of Sports in Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Infrastructure Development

• The government has constructed 15 stadiums at the district level and 8 stadiums at the block/tehsil level as part of developing sports infrastructure.
• Other facilities built include gymnasium halls, multipurpose halls, swimming pools, yoga-badminton halls, a synthetic track at Ch. Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, and a hockey Astro-Turf in Nehru Stadium, Gurgaon. Additionally, an Astro Turf at Shahbad, Kurukshetra is under construction.
• HUDA has completed a sports complex in sector 3 Panchkula, providing facilities for cricket pavilion, athletics stadium, volleyball, basketball ground, and badminton hall. A sports complex is also being developed in Sector-38, Gurgaon, with the play fields of cricket and athletics track already completed.
• An international standard sports complex has recently been completed in Faridabad in collaboration with the Government of India at a cost of Rs.8.43 crores.
• The state government is making efforts to develop sports infrastructure, and the Chief Minister has approved two big projects: the construction of a modern sports complex in about 83.13 acres of land in Sector 6, Rohtak, and the construction of sports facilities on 6.5 acres of land in a village/block by the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board, with the funds provided by Haryana State Rural Development Fund.
• The Chief Minister has also approved the construction of block-level stadiums in 152 villages.

Important sports personalities of Haryana

Kapil Dev

• Kapil Dev Nikhanj, born on January 6th, 1959, is a former Indian cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time. He is also one of the famous personalities of sports in Haryana. He was the captain of the Indian cricket team that won the 1983 Cricket World Cup. 
• In 2002, he was named by Wisden as the Indian Cricketer of the Century and is considered as one of the best all-rounders in cricket history. Kapil Dev was India's national cricket coach from October 1999 to August 2000.
• Kapil Dev was known for his graceful action and potent outswinger, which made him India's main strike bowler for most of his career. He also developed an effective inswinging yorker during the 1980s, which he used against tail-enders. 
• As a batsman, he was a natural striker of the ball who could hook and drive effectively. He was an aggressive player who often helped India in difficult situations by attacking the opposition. He was nicknamed "The Haryana Hurricane" and played for the Haryana cricket team in domestic cricket.
• Kapil Dev retired in 1994, holding the world record for the most number of wickets taken in Test cricket. This record was later broken by Courtney Walsh in 2000. 
• At the time of his retirement, he was also India's highest wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs. He is the only player in cricket history to have taken more than 400 wickets (434 wickets) and scored more than 5,000 runs in Tests, making him one of the greatest all-rounders to have played the game. On March 8th, 2010, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Sakshi Malik

• Sakshi Malik is a female Indian wrestler who competes in the freestyle category.
• In the 2016 Summer Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the 58 kg weight class, making her the first Indian female wrestler to ever win an Olympic medal, and the fourth female athlete from India to win a medal at the Olympics.
• She is one of four female wrestlers in the JSW Sports Excellence Program, along with Vinesh Phogat, Babita Kumari, and Geeta Phogat.
• Prior to her Olympic success, Malik won a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, and a bronze medal at the 2015 Asian Wrestling Championships in Doha.

Geeta Phogat

• Geeta Phogat was born on December 15, 1988 and is a freestyle wrestler.
• She achieved a significant feat by winning India's first gold medal in wrestling at the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
• Geeta Phogat is the first Indian female wrestler to have qualified for the Olympic Summer Games.

Babita Kumari

• Babita Kumari Phogat is a female wrestler from India.
• She won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and a bronze medal at the 2012 World Wrestling Championships.
• Babita is the daughter of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a wrestler who received the Dronacharya Award, and the sister of Geeta Phogat, who won India's first gold medal in wrestling at the Commonwealth Games.
• She also has a cousin, Vinesh Phogat, who won a gold medal in the 48kg category at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Yogeshwar Dutt

• Yogeshwar Dutt is an Indian freestyle wrestler who was born on November 2, 1982.
• He won a bronze medal in the 60 kg category at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
• The Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri in 2013.
• Dutt also won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Yuzvendra Chahal

• Yuzvendra Chahal, who was born on July 23, 1990, is a professional cricketer from India who represents Haryana in domestic cricket. He specializes in leg break bowling. 
• Chahal has the unique distinction of having played for India in both chess and cricket, a rare feat. He holds the record for being one of only two players in the history of T20 cricket to have taken six wickets in a single match.
• Chahal is a member of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team in the Indian Premier League. In 2017, he was picked for the national squad to play in a three-match T20I series against England. Additionally, he was a member of the Indian Under-16 chess team.

Vijender Singh

• Vijender Singh, born on October 29, 1985, is a renowned Indian boxer from Kaluwas, Bhiwani district in Haryana. 
• He currently holds the titles of WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight Champion and WBO Oriental Super Middleweight Champion.
• Singh completed his education in his village and later earned a bachelor's degree from a college in Bhiwani. 
• He received training in boxing at the Bhiwani Boxing Club, where he was spotted by coach Jagdish Singh who recognized his potential and encouraged him to pursue boxing. 
• His training in boxing was under the guidance of the renowned Indian boxing coach Jagdish Singh.

Sushil Kumar

• Sushil Kumar Solanki, born on May 26, 1983, is a renowned Indian freestyle wrestler who competes in the 66 kg weight category. 
• He has won numerous accolades, including the 2010 world championship title, a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, and a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, making him the only Indian athlete to win two individual Olympic medals.
• Kumar's bronze medal win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was India's second Olympic medal in wrestling and the first since Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav won a bronze medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics. 
• He was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in July 2009, which is the highest honour given to sportspersons in India. 
• Kumar had the honour of handing over the Queen's Baton to Prince Charles during the Queen's Baton Relay for the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. 
• He also won a gold medal in the 74 kg weight category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.