India, Dec. 28 -- You could call it the Year of Hope, the Year of the Underdog, or even the Year of Redemption. You could paint a picture of David slaying Goliath, of monoliths falling, or even of tyrants being overthrown. You could wax philosophical about the rise of a new breed of champions, the emergence of the latest version of the modern global athlete, or even a generational awakening. There was enough in 2025 for each of these sporting hyperboles to be in play. And while they may be exaggerations - for no one can judge the march of human excellence in real time - it was indeed an extraordinary year of power shifts. The grains of sand that shift with the wind, silent and unseen, gathered enough mass in 2025 to topple the dune. For a t...