Sports

Her journey began on a school track and led her through lockdowns, injuries, and doubt. With every hurdle cleared, Jyothi Yarraji moved closer to her dream, rewriting Indian athletics along the way.

At 19, a medical diagnosis forced Devaki Dhar to step away from the track she loved. Months later, she returned with a new way of training, thinking, and listening to her body, and ran a race she never thought possible again.

From packed stadiums to frozen lakes and backyard training grounds, Indian athletes created moments in 2025 that stayed with us. These 10 stories capture the wins, firsts and breakthroughs that reshaped how India watched sport.

Real Kashmir FC was born from devastation after the 2014 floods, when two friends handed out 100 footballs to aimless boys in Srinagar. What followed became a movement that carried a valley from despair to national glory — rewriting Kashmir’s story through courage, community and the power of sport.

At 21, Shafali Verma represents a kind of ambition we rarely pause to understand. Her story is shaped by early responsibility, setbacks, and an honesty that does not try to impress anyone. From Rohtak’s narrow lanes to lifting a World Cup, she shows what determination looks like when you look at it up close.

In Colombo, a group of women who play cricket by listening rewrote what the game can stand for. Their unbeaten run is filled with small acts of bravery and belief that invite you to see this victory from the inside.

From a rented auto to the boxing ring, Minakshi Hooda’s rise to world champion shows the power of grit, family support, and unshakable belief.

From travelling miles to get the cricket gear to living room practice sessions, meet the people behind India’s women champions and the legacy they are building for girls who dare to dream. This is their story of belief, support, and revolution in the making.

Sharun Arora leads Chennai Super Klean, a team that started with local clean-ups and now represents India at the Spogomi World Cup. Through strategy, teamwork, and purpose, they show how environmental action can become a powerful and competitive movement on the global stage.

When Himanshi Rathi lost her vision in Class 12, she could’ve stepped back. Instead, she turned to chess — mastering the game she once struggled to imagine, and becoming India’s first woman to win a medal at the Asian Para Games.