5 Indian Sportsmen Who Have Served India For the Longest Tenure

India has a knack of producing gems in every sector. Be it politics, science or the field of sports. Now, whenever we talk about sports in this country we only talk about cricket. Other games like hockey, football, chess, hockey are often neglected by us. Legends like Dhyan Chand, Milkha Singh and Mary Kom have not only made a mark but have also carried their respective sport to a whole nother level. Today we will look at 5 such sportsmen who have represented India at the top of the world rankings for the longest tenure and how their success has impacted the sporting industry.

1. Vishwanathan Anand (Chess): He has represented India for almost 20 years in the game of chess. Anand has won five world championships and made it to the finals on several occasions. Overall, he embraced the number one position for six months, across different periods.
2. Leander Paes (Tennis): Leander Paes is no ordinary name in the tennis circuit. The stalwart has represented India for almost two decades, triumphing several grand slams in both singles and doubles category. He has held the number one spot at various divisions of the sport in different categories. 
3. Deepika Kumari (Archery): Deepika Kumari is arguably one of the finest athletes to represent India in the field of archery. She was world number one at the 2012 London Olympics and was India’s best hope to attain gold at one of the grandest events. Deepika, however, lost to Amy Oliver in the very first round. The archer is among the elite category of women who have represented India at the top of world rankings. 
   
4. Sachin Tendulkar (Cricket): Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar also known as the god of cricket. If Cricket is a religion in this country then Sachin is most certainly the god of this religion. With over 34000 runs under his belt Sachin was potentially the best batsmen this game has ever produced. He was at the top of icc world rankings across different formats and periods. He was ranked world’s top test batsmen in the years 1994,1998 and 2000. 
5. Pankaj Advani (Billiards): Pankaj is the only player with world titles in both Snooker and Billiards in all structures and remains operative in both the sport. He is without a doubt one of the legends of the game. With 59 titles under his name, Pankaj happens to be one of the most decorated sportsmen. Not only the titles, Pankaj has also perennially represented India on top of the world rankings on numerous occasions.    

These are few of the sportsmen who have represented India at the grandest of stages. Their fame and legacy in their respective sport has created a demand and worked well for the market as a whole. It is only because of the contributions made by Indian sporting icons that now the field of sports is considered as a profession. Not only it teaches you essential skills but also helps you to work upon yourself.