It was yet another spectacular day. Every session was packed to capacity, and every comment was met with applause. Gukesh put it well: “I am here for chess. I want my sport to be celebrated. And this is a very important gathering.”
Every sport was celebrated. Chess, hockey, cricket, football, and Paralympic sports. India’s best athletes gathered at the Trailblazers Conclave to enthrall us all. From bursts of laughter when Sreejesh explained why he kept speaking to the goalpost to stay calm in the second half of his career, to Gukesh sharing how he felt just seconds before his bungee jump, to a quiet auditorium as stars highlighted the work still to be done, it was truly a special day.
Olympic champions like Lovlina and Mirabai opened up about issues such as menopause, while Barreto spoke about Sunil Chhetri’s return.
Venkatesh Iyer brought smiles as he revealed the secret to making Gautam Gambhir smile, while Gukesh made headlines by expressing his desire to meet MSD in Chennai and learn leadership lessons from him.
Today marks the third and final day, and it promises to be just as exciting. In every sense, this has been India’s best sports conclave. To everyone at Revsportz who made it possible, this is the best birthday gift I could have hoped for.
A truly special moment came when Gukesh walked up to me at lunch with a small birthday gift, his personal chessboard, used for training, autographed just for me. It was overwhelming.
The highlight of the day, however, was reserved for Captain Fantastic, Harmanpreet Singh. He told me, “Bhai, I missed last year. I couldn’t miss it this year. I know this is the best conclave, and I wanted to thank you for all your support for us and for hockey. This is a superb event.”