Author: Boria Majumdar

She looked fit and focussed as she walked into the hotel in Jaipur. It was our first meeting in some months and my first question had to be on her fitness. Sporting the PV Sindhu smile, it was as if she was expecting it. “I am back to full fitness,” she said. “I did not want to take a chance and aggravate it. Hence the break. Now I am back to my 100 percent and have been training well. The next four tournaments – Malaysia, France, All England and Swiss – will tell me where I stand.” Her father, who…

After a hard-fought derby, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are back to the grind on Saturday evening. Both teams making the top six is essential for the success of the ISL and the subsequent growth of Indian football. Except Kerala, Bengaluru and Goa, teams which have substantial fan groups backing the teams, no other outfit comes close to Mohun Bagan or East Bengal. In fact, in terms of legacy, these two clubs are unmatched. With rich histories going back more than a hundred years propping them, it is no surprise that both these clubs have thousands of fans who will…

It is a really thin line between brilliance and stupidity. Between confidence and overconfidence, and between self-belief and arrogance. If the lofted shot over mid-off had come off in Vizag and not landed in Ben Stokes’ hands, it would have ranked as a stroke of aggression from Shreyas Iyer. Because it did not, it will go down in history as an example of overconfidence. A moment that could have cost India the match and, for the second time, exposed the immaturity in Iyer. But does Shreyas, a man of talent, always need to live on the edge? Play in a…

PR Sreejesh is a legend of Indian sport and is not done yet. Be it fitness or passion, he is still right up there with the very best in the world and looking forward to the Paris Olympics. It is quite unbelievable when we think of it. How does he look back at this incredible journey? This is what Sreejesh said: “When I started, I did not even think of 50 games, let alone 300. You don’t think you can play 100 games for your country, and then when it starts to happen, you just go with the flow and…

Ben Stokes felt technology played spoilsport in Vizag when Zak Crawley was given out. For India and Kuldeep Yadav, however, it was the turning point in the game. Crawley gone for 73, and India could sense victory. Kuldeep, who had literally pleaded with Rohit Sharma to take the review, was a bundle of emotion when ball-tracking showed three reds. He literally couldn’t control himself, and his screams were proof what the wicket meant to him. For Kuldeep, the last few years have been tough. Benched on occasions, he had also lost his spot in the Indian T20 team. Playing for…

From not winning a medal at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to winning 22 medals at the Asian Games, the transformation in Indian shooting is a fascinating story. It is best epitomised by the young Sift Kaur Samra. She has already won a Paris 2024 quota for India in the 50m 3-positions event at the World Championships in Baku in August. And in China, she gave us evidence why India can dream about her in the future. Leading the final from the very first series, Samra shot 469.6 to obliterate the world record by 2.6 points to…

Plenary session announcement We will have 4 plenary sessions spread across two days. And while we announce them one by one, I am delighted to announce that on 7 March 2024, with just months before the International Olympic Committee – IOC Olympic Games in Paris, we will have a session with the two individuals who have made history for India at the Olympic Games- Abhinav A. Bindra OLY and Neeraj Chopra. It will also have Adille Sumariwalla, President of the Athletics Federation of India donning the role of moderator. #Trailblazers2Conclave Know Your Panelists: The man who played a pivotal role…

India were reeling at 40-4 when Sachin Dhas walked in. Uday Saharan, the captain, was on 4 off 15 balls at the time and was looking very uncomfortable. Dhas, however, was unperturbed. At 48-4, he played a pull over mid-wicket that was picture perfect. Rather, it was the shot of a man in control and with a kind of arrogance that pegged South Africa back. The transfer of weight, the swivel, and the perfect timing. Dhas had started to establish himself in the middle and, in doing so, given the Indian innings some much-needed oxygen. Scoring at more than a…

Niccolo Campriani is a great champion of our times. An Olympic legend who won back-to-back gold medals in London 2012 and Rio 2016, and has thereafter gone on to make a significant impact on sport as an administrator. His work on the refugee project with our own Abhinav Bindra has helped change lives. Now as Sports Director of LA 28, Campriani was involved in the process that decided to choose cricket as a part of the LA 28 Games. With Nicco, a mind like no other, you are able to deep dive into the deeper meanings of sport. “When you…

It was a conversation with Ian Bishop days after the World Test Championship final in June 2023. And even before I asked him anything, he said to me, “Jasprit Bumrah.” After a brief pause, he added, “India have not had Bumrah in the World T20 and the WTC final. You need Bumrah if you have to win such key tournaments.” Had Bumrah been at The Oval when Australia were 76-3, who knows what might have happened. While counter history is always fascinating and we love such scenarios, the truth is Bumrah is one of the greatest, if not the best,…