MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPORTS AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL DURING THE YEAR 2001-2002

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS

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The Annual Report of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports highlights the major achievements in Sports at international level during the year 2001-2002. The year 2001-2002 saw a resurgence in Indian Hockey in the international arena. During the year, Junior Hockey team of India won the 7^th World Cup at Hobart (Australia) held from 9^th-21^st October, 2001. India won the Junior World Cup for the first time and by a convincing margin. Senior Indian Hockey team also won the first Challengers Champion’s Trophy held from 7^th to 15^th December, 2001 at Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

• In Chess, Vishwanathan Anand won the FIDE Chess Tournament held at Merida in Mexico from 16^th – 21^st May, 2001.
• Abhin Shyam Gupta won the French Open Badminton Championship held at Paris from 15^th – 18^th March, 2001.
• Indian Athletic team participated in the 6^th Asian Cross Country Championship held at Kathmandu from 21^st –24^th April, 2001 and secured 2^nd position in all categories.
• India participated in the World Cup Qualifying matches in Football held in April, 2001. India beat UAE by 1-0, drew with Yemen 1-1 and lost to UAE 1-0.
• Indian team won 3 silver and 1 bronze medal at the 15^th Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship held at New Delhi from 14^th-20^th April, 2001.
• Master Shashi Kiran won the Asian Zonal Chess Championship held at Colombo from 4^th-15^th May, 2001 and secured 3^rd position at the Young Masters Chess Tournament held at Switzerland from 22^nd-27^th May, 2001.
• Abhinav Bindra secured 3^rd place in the 10 M Rifle Shooting and created a new Junior World Record at the World Cup Championship held at Nulich from 4^th-11^th June, 2001.
• Ms. Protama Kumari won silver and Nandani Devi won bronze in the Senior Women Asian Weightlifting Championship held at Jeonju (Korea) from 11^th to 17^th July, 2001.
• India’s Junior Athletic team won 1 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze medals at the Junior Asian Athletic Championship held at Brunei from 16^th-18^th July, 2001.
• Indian Badminton team participated in the Malaysian Open (17^th-27^th July, 2001) and the Indonesian Open (23^rd-29^th July, 2001) Championships where P. Gopichand reached the semi-finals.
• Indian Sr. Hockey (men) team qualified for the World Cup by securing the 5^th position in the World Cup Qualifier Tournament held at Edinburgh (Scotland) from 17^th-19^th July, 2001.
• India’s Aparna Popat won the Ladies Single and B.R. Meenakshi was the runner up in the Asian Satellite Badminton Championship held at Bangalore from 8^th-11^th August, 2001. Chetan Anand won the Men’s Singles by defeating Allan Tai of Malaysia.
• Indian Volleyball team secured the 2^nd position at the Asian Qualifying Tournament (Pool D) for World Championship held at Doha (Qatar) from 10^th-13^th August, 2001.
• Indian Wrestlers participated in the World Junior Wrestling Championship held at Uzbekistan from 9^th-13^th August, 2001. Pawan Kumar and Palwinder Cheema won gold medals and Mukesh Khatri won a bronze medal.
• The medal haul of India at the 9^th Asian Rowing Championship held at Yangling (China) from 22^nd-29^th September, 2001 included 2 silver and 4 bronze medals in various categories.
• India won 27 medals at the IV Commonwealth Shooting Championship held at Bisley (England) from 21^st August – 1^st September, 2001 which included 13 gold, 6 silver and 8 bronze medals. India emerged as the overall champions.
• Indian Jr. Boys Hockey team secured the 3^rd position at the 5^th National Jr. Invitational Tournament held at Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) from 26^th August – 2^nd September, 2001.