4 champions of Indian origin who were in the news this week

India is a country of youth. A proud nation that has produced numerous talents in the past and continues to do so. One of the fastest-growing democracies and economies in the world, we have made a name for ourselves globally. Indians throughout history have championed in various fields. The limits to which we have outgrown the boundaries of the country and reached the far-far away foreign nations is unbelievable. It’s not a far-fetched notion that every continent you step on today has one or more champions of Indian origin and there have been quite a few such names this week. As for the youth of today, and the leaders of tomorrow, the legacy of excellence still continues. This week of July came as a surprise gift, where youths having Indian origin emerged victorious on various global stages- science, sports and reality cooking shows. Learn more about the Indian-origin champions that shined brightly this week on the global skies. 

1) Sirisha Bandla

Born in the Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, Sirisha Bandla successfully returned home from the test-flight of Unity 22. At the age of 34, she became the second Indian-born woman to fly to space, after Kalpana Chawla, and the fourth Indian to reach space. A graduate in aeronautical engineering, Sirisha Bandla, astronaut No. 004, was assigned the role of Researcher Explorer in the crewed flight test to outer space by Virgin Galactic’s Unity 22. 

2) Justin Narayan

History repeated itself when Indian-origin Justin Narayan won the title of MasterChef Australia Season 13 – the most prestigious culinary title in the country. Along with the trophy, he also bagged the prize money of USD 250,000. Justin presented the judges of MasterChef season 13 with varieties of Indian foods over the course of the show. Upon winning the grand title, the latter took to his Instagram account to express his overwhelming gratitude. 

3) Kumar Rocker

Born to American National Football Player Tracy Rocker and Lalitha ‘Lu’ Rocker, 21-year-old Kumar Rocker made a name for himself when he was drafted as the 10th pick for the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the New York Mets. He is one of the first Indian-origin players to become a pro-baseball player. Kumar’s maternal grandparents had immigrated to the United States of America from India. His success story is quite similar to the Hollywood film Million Dollar Arm (2014), which is based on two Indian baseball players Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel.

4) Samir Banerjee

17-year-old Samir Banerjee made India and Vizag proud when he won the junior men’s crown at Wimbledon, beating his opponent Victor Lilov. His father, a chemical engineer was born and brought up in Assam, while his mother Usha, was born in Visakhapatnam and brought up in Hyderabad. A resident of New Jersey, Banarjee won the title in the final held at All England Club on 11 July 2021.