A silver at the Olympics, a chess Oscar and the world junior chess title ensured the Indian flag flew across the globe during 2004.
If Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's silver at the Olympics gave India a reason to celebrate, Viswanathan Anand's third Chess Oscar and Pendulya Harikrishna's world junior title were the icing on the cake.
These achievements stood out in a year in which the junior national team won the Asia Cup hockey title and rising star Sania Mirza clinched a clutch of international tennis titles to enhance her reputation as a player to watch.
But woman long jumper Anju Bobby George, who was touted as a sure Olympic medallist, disappointed at the Athens Games as she finished a disappointing sixth.
Overall, the Olympics were a huge disappointment, but Rathore shot 170/200 in the double trap finals to save India the blushes - and sports administrators a close scrutiny - as the 34-year-old's was the lone medal for India's 75-member contingent.
Before Rathore, who finished 19 points behind Ahmed al Makhtoum of the United Arab Emirates, only three Indians had won individual silver medals at the Olympics.
They were wrestler KD Jadhav (1952 at Helsinki), tennis ace Leander Paes (Atlanta in 1996) and woman weightlifter Karnam Malleswari (Sydney in 2000).
{{/usCountry}}They were wrestler KD Jadhav (1952 at Helsinki), tennis ace Leander Paes (Atlanta in 1996) and woman weightlifter Karnam Malleswari (Sydney in 2000).
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