The game changers

MC Mary Kom: When Mary Kom was felicitated with the Padma Vibhushan earlier this year, it marked the formal recognition of an athlete who has fought stigma, banished stereotypes and braved through severe personal crises, to rise to the top of a sport long perceived as a no-go zone for Indian women. A prominent activist and an incumbent member of Parliament in India’s Rajya Sabha, Kom is, arguably, the greatest amateur boxer on the planet. A recipient of the silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics, Kom was gutted on missing out altogether in the 2016 Rio edition and continues to strive to shine at Tokyo 2020, where a gold medal will complete her outstanding set of achievements in the ring. Documented on page in her 2013 autobiography Unbreakable and portrayed on the silver screen in her biopic a year later, Kom has already been immortalised in Indian minds. And at 37, she shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.

Sania Mirza: A trailblazer for women’s tennis in India, Sania gave her country what it sorely lacked at the start of the 21st century — a bona fide female sensation on the tennis court. The most decorated woman in Indian tennis, Mirza has navigated through a topsy-turvy career since turning pro in 2003, enjoying unparalleled highs as well as shattering nadirs. After making waves as a singles player in the first few years of her career, which saw Mirza register a number of firsts for India across grand slams, she shifted her focus to doubles, which was to be her true calling. Mirza followed a fabulous run with Mahesh Bhupathi in mixed doubles with one of the greatest double acts in modern tennis with Martina Hingis, winning half a dozen majors along the way. 2015 marked the zenith for the Hyderabadi superstar, whose string of successes could have been far longer were it not for a series of serious injuries. Motherhood had sidelined Sania completely since 2018, before she returned with a bang to claim the Hobart International alongside Nadiia Kichenok in January 2020, proving to her detractors that she still has a few golden aces up her sleeve.

P.V. Sindhu: Following in the footsteps of Saina Nehwal, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu has not only revitalised women’s badminton in India but also taken it to previously unscaled heights. The debate over whether Sindhu has already eclipsed Nehwal, or may one day do so, will go on for quite a few years to come, but, at 24, she is, indisputably, the face of Indian badminton today. What has set Sindhu apart is not so much her talent (incredible as it is), but her tenacity and sheer refusal to abandon her most cherished dreams. Having lost consecutive finals at the BWF World Championships in 2017 and 2018, Sindhu showed her strength of character when she turned the tide of history to become the first Indian woman to be a badminton world champion in 2019. Still chasing the elusive world number one ranking (which Nehwal attained in 2015) and an Olympic gold, more gilded chapters remain to be written in Sindhu’s remarkable story — a tale defined, above all else, by a desire to never give up.

Mithali Raj: The first female cricketer to complete two decades of service for her country on the international stage, Mithali Raj has been a symbol of endurance for Indian women’s cricket at the highest level. A holder of multiple enviable records — including the tally for most runs in the women’s game — Raj is also the only Indian captain to lead a team in two separate 50-over World Cup finals. Although India fell short on both occasions, Raj’s legacy remains intact, solidified in the annals of India with several individual honours, among which are the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri. But Mithali Raj does not merely represent numbers and accolades; over the years, she has come to shape and shake narratives concerning the Indian women’s cricket team. At times, her immense influence in the dressing room has stirred up controversy, most notoriously in a face-off with then coach Ramesh Powar during the 2018 ICC Womens’ T20 World Cup. Characterised by her indomitable will and insatiable hunger for runs, Raj has inspired a generation of Indian women to conquer the world with bat in hand, and although no longer active in the shortest format of cricket, she continues to be an exemplary figure for a nation whose cricketing heritage she has enriched beyond comparison.

Koneru Humpy: Sporting supremacy is often as much about cerebral competence as it is about physical prowess, and as one of India’s smartest minds of all time, Koneru Humpy has always had the former in abundance. The reigning World Rapid Chess champion, Humpy has reached three semi-finals of the Women’s World Chess Championships, having bagged a whole host of awards at the youth level when competing against both girls and boys. India’s youngest Woman Grandmaster and Asia’s youngest Woman International Master, Humpy has also brought laurels in team chess for India, most notably with a pair of gold medals at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. Still ranked as India’s number one female chess player, Humpy continues to be the yardstick of greatness in an increasingly competitive domain for Indian women.

Serena Williams: Perhaps no other sportswoman embodies sustained superiority better than Serena Williams, whose 39 grand slams make her the most prolific tennis player active today. Starting out somewhat in the shadow of her elder sister Venus Williams, Serena quickly carved her own identity — that of a ferocious baseline player with indefatigable energy — and has been the only vestige of constancy in the rapidly shifting world of women’s tennis over the last decade. Neither a spate of world-class rivals, nor injuries, nor pregnancy, has been able to stop this serial winner from doing what she does best — accumulating points with ruthless zeal, irrespective of surface. Although question marks have appeared over Serena’s record in grand slam finals over the last few years, she is still ideally placed to overtake Margaret Court’s singles haul of 24 majors, which would officially cement her place as the greatest wielder of a tennis racket in history.

Danica Patrick: Driving forward in a man’s world, quite literally, Danica Patrick’s monumental impact on female racing drivers is encapsulated in her famous victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300, still the only race in IndyCar Series history to be won by a woman. In a sport where individual identities are largely obscured under layers of clothing and sophisticated machinery, Patrick stood out for her polarising personality. Perennially respected, if not always loved, she was the first female to race full-time in IndyCar and NASCAR, and has retained her appeal as a marketing sensation following her retirement in 2018. Patrick’s has always been a saga of curiosity, of keeping fans on the edge of their seats even as she sped past tightly fastened in hers, and it is this curiosity that will determine her status for posterity — the curiosity for when, if at all, she can be replaced.

Maria Sharapova: The most marketable woman in sport for the best part of this century, Maria Sharapova may have bid farewell to the court last month, but is unlikely to disappear from the public eye anytime soon. The six-time grand slam winner may not have become the eternal adversary for Serena Williams she seemed destined to be — having upstaged the American to win Wimbledon as a teenager — but what makes Sharapova unique is the aura she has cultivated for herself outside her original profession. An entrepreneur, a fashionista, and one of sport’s most glamorous celebrities, it might be tempting to ponder whether Sharapova — like David Beckham — is more of a cultural icon than a sporting one. Regardless of where that discussion concludes, what is irrefutable is that for more than a decade and a half, Sharapova has stomped the court and glided along the red carpet with equanimity, equally unmissable in either capacity.

Ronda Rousey: Bold, brutal, belligerent, and unapologetically badass, Ronda Rousey has left an indelible impression wherever she has gone. First hogging the limelight in the wake of her historic Olympic bronze medal in judo for the USA in 2008, Rousey went to become one of the most recognisable fighters in the world during her stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), whose hall of fame she joined as its first female inductee in 2018. Voted as the best female athlete of all time in a 2015 ESPN fan poll, Rousey has also enjoyed success in showbiz and is currently under contract with sports entertainment’s signature company, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). From conquering one and all as an unstoppable force in the UFC to battling depression and losing her undefeated streak, Rousey’s efforts and choices have been alternately venerated and vilified; but in the litmus test of power and passion, she has invariably emerged vindicated.

Megan Rapinoe: More gifted players may have graced women’s football than Megan Rapinoe, but nobody has been able to soak up attention quite like her, both on and off the pitch. Winner of the Ballon d’Or Feminin and FIFA’s The Best Women’s Player in 2019, Rapinoe is not just the best female footballer on earth, she is also one of global sport’s most outspoken voices. Distinguished by her relentless goal-scoring and her pink tresses for the United States of America and club team Rein, Rapinoe has been a fervent advocate of LGBT rights, pushing ceaselessly for greater justice and equality in football and society. Openly critical of authorities and those in the highest offices of power — including the current American President, Donald Trump — the two-time world champion came out as gay prior to the 2012 Olympics, and has managed to repeatedly synchronise her footballing credentials with words and acts of social and political dynamism, essaying her role as a force of change in contemporary sport.