Author: Abhijit Deshmukh

Abhijit Deshmukh, Pune A bit of wind, a bit of the sun — it was almost perfect weather for a long jumper. On a busy Saturday afternoon, hundreds gathered at Pune’s Savitribai Phule University Sports Complex to witness the return of the Commonwealth Games, and the Asian Games medallist Murali Sreeshankar at the Indian Open Athletics Meet. Every time Sreeshankar stepped onto the track, he received massive support from the crowd, which clapped in rhythm to lift him. He opened with a 7.84m jump, but the moment of the day came after his fourth attempt. Sreeshankar knew it was a…

Representing India at the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha for the tenth consecutive time, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran knows better than most just how steep the climb is in international table tennis. With giants like China, Japan, and South Korea dominating the sport for decades, breaking through as an Indian paddler requires not just talent, but relentless perseverance. “This is my 10th World Championship and every time it feels special,” said Sathiyan. “With the new format of just 32 seeds, I’m facing Thibault Poret from France (seeded 29th) in the first round – a tough opponent who recently made the finals…

Abhijit Deshmukh from Doha When legendary Jan Zelezny became the coach of double-Olympic-medalist Neeraj Chopra, it was expected that 90m will Czech-in soon. And why not? Jan Zelezny has thrown 90m on numerous occasions. He made sure that Neeraj achieved it in the Diamond League in Doha. Neeraj’s last training session before the Doha meet was very light. No throws, stretching and a bit of sprint. He didn’t even lift a javelin during his session on Thursday. But that’s how strategy and planning are done. After crossing the 90m mark at Doha meet, Neeraj spoke to Revsportz exclusively. Finally the…

Abhijit Deshmukh from Doha After Neeraj’s event got over, most of the journalists were asking the media manager – when he would come to the mix zone? Knowing Neeraj, one could guess that it would take time. When asked by fans for selfies and autographs, he rarely disappoints anyone. I even saw Parul Chaudhary’s event from the mix zone and did her interview. Neeraj was still giving selfies to everyone. Even before I got to interview him in the mix zone, he gave fist bump to a security guy. As it was a landmark for Neeraj, I wanted it to…

Abhijit Deshmukh in Doha An athletics event in May in the Middle East can raise eyebrows. How can athletes participate in Diamond League competitions held in such hot and humid conditions? However, as the sun sets, the heat decreases and sometimes the weather might be blissful. But again, the humidity sometimes increases. The Doha Diamond League might be one-day event, or rather one evening, but it surely is one of the more challenging ones due to its unpredictable weather. Most of the athletes trained at an arena next to Qatar Sports Club from 5 pm. Neeraj Chopra arrived around 6…

Abhijit Deshmukh in Doha, Qatar Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra has won almost all the javelin titles available. He has been Olympic champion, world champion, diamond league medallist, and Asian Games and Commonwealth Games champion. But the 90m throw continues to elude him. In an exclusive chat with RevSportz ahead of the Doha Diamond League 2025, Neeraj addressed several topics, including his recent promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian army. “I feel proud to be part of Indian army,” he said. “I joined Indian army at the end of 2016. It wasn’t that I didn’t have other options anywhere…

Abhijit Deshmukh at Stade de France Javelin throw qualifications always take place in the morning, while the finals are held in the evening. That’s always the norm. After Neeraj qualified for the final, I asked him about the conditions during these sessions. It is a fairly normal question to ask. He mentioned that temperatures are generally lower in the evening compared to the morning and that the mindset for the finals is completely different. Gina’s are always different. To quote him, “Achaa Tagda competition hoga,” using the word “Tagda” to emphasize the strong field where many throwers met the direct…

Abhijit Deshmukh in Paris In an unforgettable final, 37-year-old Novak Djokovic, the oldest player in men’s singles history to reach this stage, faced the 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz. The players had an evenly matched head-to-head record of 3-3 before the gold medal match, and their record on clay was 1-1. Djokovic had defeated Alcaraz the last time they met on clay at the 2023 Roland Garros tournament. In what might be his final Olympic appearance, Djokovic claimed victory over Alcaraz with a score of 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2). Despite being straight-set win, the match was a gruelling affair, which lasted two…

Abhijit Deshmukh from Paris At the Rio 2016 Olympics, my first Olympics, I had the opportunity to visit the Great Britain House. It was a relaxed place with music, beer, and screens to watch the Olympics, just like any pub in the UK. It was a good place for networking. Although it wasn’t impressive, a thought came to my mind: why is there no “India House”? We have such a rich culture and heritage, and so much to showcase. At the Tokyo Olympics, India House was planned, but due to the pandemic, no country was allowed to have their house.…

On the legendary clay of Roland Garros, the phrase “Victory belongs to the most tenacious” was brought to life in an electrifying doubles match that left fans on the edge of their seats. While Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are often celebrated for their dominance in singles, it was the American duo of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek, who stole the spotlight with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over the Spanish pair in the Paris 2024 men’s doubles quarter-finals. Nadal and Alcaraz, renowned for their clay-court prowess, faced a formidable challenge against the seasoned Americans. Ram and Krajicek displayed impeccable teamwork…