Mumbai:
A very busy schedule beckons Indian sportspersons in 2010 which will see two of the biggest sports events to be organised in the country - the FIH Hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.
The year will also see the conduct of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou in China, and competition and the hosts, having topped the last Olympic Games held in their backyard, are sure to pull out all stops to keep their domination in most disciplines intact.
The nation's legion of cricket fans would be keeping their fingers crossed that the threshold Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men passed by mounting the peak of the Test ratings for the first time would urge them to reach even greater heights.
The first major sports of the year is the Hockey World Cup, slated from February 28-March 13 in New Delhi. It would be a litmus test not only for the host nation but also their foreign coach Jose Brasa to show the sport's followers that India still belonged to this level.
Indian hockey has teetered from one disaster to another over the years and the fans, dwindling after each setback, are fervently hoping that the team turns the corner and starts the hard climb back to the top of the heap.
No longer among the top 10 hockey playing nations, the World Cup - being held only for the second time in the country - offers India the ideal chance to get back among the elite men's teams with the support of home crowd.
While the players have struggled on the hockey field, the administrators have done no better off it. A new body to control the game in the country - Hockey India - is yet to show signs of having taken charge of running the game well.
The Nationals had been given the go-by for the last few years by the now suspended Indian Hockey Federation and the players and followers are looking forward to HI having an elected body of representatives at the earliest leading to a revival of the game at the domestic level.
The October 3-14 Commonwealth Games, also in Delhi, would see top-class action in the priority disciplines of athletics and swimming.
With countries like Australia, England, Canada, Jamaica and Kenya and South Africa, to name a few, aiming for rich pickings in track and field, India's athletes have their task cut out not to end up also-rans in this high-quality field.
The administrators, racing against time to complete the venues which are behind schedule, have an equally tough task of conducting an error-free Games with the world media in attendance to single out even small glitches.
The Indians' performance in CWG would give an inkling about how prepared are the country's sports persons for the Asian Games scheduled in China from November 11-27.
In some disciplines the CWG standards are higher while in others the Asian levels are a notch above the former.
But to excel in both these events a lot of planning needs to be done by the concerned federations and whether they have been on the ball would be known by November-end.
Shooting is one discipline in which India are set to garner a number of medals at these two multi-sport events, especially in CWG.
In 2006 Melbourne CWG, 19 out of the 49 medals the country won, including half of the 22-strong gold heist, came at the shooting range.
There are other disciplines like tennis, archery, badminton and boxing in which India would be hoping to reap a rich harvest of medals in CWG.
Hockey is also one of the disciplines and the competition would be only slightly lower than the World Cup and it would be an excellent platform for gauging the progress of both men and women ahead of the Asian Games.
In cricket India have the World T20 to look forward to from April end to show their mettle after a disastrous outing in England this year.
The willow game will make its debut in the Asiad in China and the fans would not be content with anything less than a gold medal.
The team also has the chance to show its superiority at home and abroad against South Africa in the same year.
The Proteas are set to tour India for two Tests and three ODIs in February while the reciprocal series would be held in December in South Africa.
Visits by Australia, for a seven-match ODI rubber, and New Zealand (full series of Tests and limited overs games) are also on the anvil in October-November.
Chess great Vishwanathan Anand is to defend his world crown in Sofia, Bulgaria in April against the host country's Veselin Topalov and the Indian fans of the 64-square game are awaiting the retention of his title.
The year will also see the conduct of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou in China, and competition and the hosts, having topped the last Olympic Games held in their backyard, are sure to pull out all stops to keep their domination in most disciplines intact.
The nation's legion of cricket fans would be keeping their fingers crossed that the threshold Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men passed by mounting the peak of the Test ratings for the first time would urge them to reach even greater heights.
The first major sports of the year is the Hockey World Cup, slated from February 28-March 13 in New Delhi. It would be a litmus test not only for the host nation but also their foreign coach Jose Brasa to show the sport's followers that India still belonged to this level.
Indian hockey has teetered from one disaster to another over the years and the fans, dwindling after each setback, are fervently hoping that the team turns the corner and starts the hard climb back to the top of the heap.
No longer among the top 10 hockey playing nations, the World Cup - being held only for the second time in the country - offers India the ideal chance to get back among the elite men's teams with the support of home crowd.
While the players have struggled on the hockey field, the administrators have done no better off it. A new body to control the game in the country - Hockey India - is yet to show signs of having taken charge of running the game well.
The Nationals had been given the go-by for the last few years by the now suspended Indian Hockey Federation and the players and followers are looking forward to HI having an elected body of representatives at the earliest leading to a revival of the game at the domestic level.
The October 3-14 Commonwealth Games, also in Delhi, would see top-class action in the priority disciplines of athletics and swimming.
With countries like Australia, England, Canada, Jamaica and Kenya and South Africa, to name a few, aiming for rich pickings in track and field, India's athletes have their task cut out not to end up also-rans in this high-quality field.
The administrators, racing against time to complete the venues which are behind schedule, have an equally tough task of conducting an error-free Games with the world media in attendance to single out even small glitches.
The Indians' performance in CWG would give an inkling about how prepared are the country's sports persons for the Asian Games scheduled in China from November 11-27.
In some disciplines the CWG standards are higher while in others the Asian levels are a notch above the former.
But to excel in both these events a lot of planning needs to be done by the concerned federations and whether they have been on the ball would be known by November-end.
Shooting is one discipline in which India are set to garner a number of medals at these two multi-sport events, especially in CWG.
In 2006 Melbourne CWG, 19 out of the 49 medals the country won, including half of the 22-strong gold heist, came at the shooting range.
There are other disciplines like tennis, archery, badminton and boxing in which India would be hoping to reap a rich harvest of medals in CWG.
Hockey is also one of the disciplines and the competition would be only slightly lower than the World Cup and it would be an excellent platform for gauging the progress of both men and women ahead of the Asian Games.
In cricket India have the World T20 to look forward to from April end to show their mettle after a disastrous outing in England this year.
The willow game will make its debut in the Asiad in China and the fans would not be content with anything less than a gold medal.
The team also has the chance to show its superiority at home and abroad against South Africa in the same year.
The Proteas are set to tour India for two Tests and three ODIs in February while the reciprocal series would be held in December in South Africa.
Visits by Australia, for a seven-match ODI rubber, and New Zealand (full series of Tests and limited overs games) are also on the anvil in October-November.
Chess great Vishwanathan Anand is to defend his world crown in Sofia, Bulgaria in April against the host country's Veselin Topalov and the Indian fans of the 64-square game are awaiting the retention of his title.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
