Sportsperson of the year 2010

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Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I’d pick him. He is such a random choice simply because he has been around for so long. When I thought about this post I went through every Indian sportsperson who had achieved something this past year his name was impossible to ignore.

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an odd choice for Indian Sportsperson of the Year. His career is so storied and the bar he sets himself is so high that he would really have to do something spectacular to even be considered. For Sachin to ‘wow’ us at this stage in his career, or set new marks and personal bests is unlikely right? Think again.

Most runs in test cricket in 2010: Sachin Tendulkar (1396 runs)
Most centuries in test cricket in 2010: Sachin Tendulkar (6)

Both these records are personal bests. He has scored five 50s and six 100s in 19 innings. When a sportsman who is already considered one of the greatest of all time has a personal best year, can anyone else have a shot at Sportsperson of the year?

If he retires after the 2011 World Cup his legendary career will end with the most fantastic year - 2010, his last hurrah.

Honourable mentions go to:
Gagan Narang
Sport: Shooting
Why: 4 Golds Commonwealth Games, 2 Silvers Asian Games

Sushil Kumar
Sport: Wrestling
Why: World Championships Gold, CWG Gold, Asian Championships Gold

Saina Nehwal
Sport: Badminton
Why: Two Super Series titles, Gold Commonwealth Games

Leander Paes
Sport: Tennis
Why: Two Grand Slam wins in Mixed Doubles

Other Awards
Breakthrough performance
Arjun Atwal: Because his win on the PGA is no small achievement. What he does with it in 2011 will be interesting to watch.

Coach of the year
Gary Kirsten: His best quality? You don’t even know he is there. Unlike Chappell, Kirsten has done his job quietly, built the trust of the team and taken India to the top of the world test rankings.

Biggest Disappointment
The IPL controversy: LalitModi is gone. Kings XI is gone. Rajasthan Royals… gone. We had such a good thing going and then we threw it away. Lets hope some of it gets salvaged.

2011 make or break year
Somdev Devvarman: He just won the CWG and Asian games gold medals. If he doesn’t make a mark on the tour in 2011, I don’t see him doing much damage in singles after that.

Sport that needs more coverage in 2011
National Football League (India’s Soccer League): If Indian fans cheered and watched the NFL only half of what they watched the EPL the league will get a big boost.

Watch this space for my next post on what sport events to look forward to in 2011

This blog was published at www.gqindia.com http://www.gqindia.com/content/sportsperson-year-2010

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