Author: Boria Majumdar

He is one of the great stories of our times. In fact, it isn’t wrong to say each time we see Mohammed Siraj run in and pick up wickets for India, each of us starts to feel good about sport. Here is someone who is all effort. Even if there is a dropped catch off his bowling, all you will see Siraj do is smile. His effort in trying to save the boundary off his own bowling when there were no fielders at mid-on, with half the side standing in the slip cordon, was proof of what Siraj is all…

A month earlier, the narrative was about the importance of a preparatory camp ahead of the Asian Games. Then it became about somehow putting a team together. Now it is about reaching on time to somehow take the pitch ahead of the first game. I had first written this on 15 September 10am in the morning saying the Indian football team will only fly out on the 17th evening and reach China on 18th evening, less than 24 hours before playing their first match against China. Many did not believe me then and thought it was a sensationalist story. No…

Coming second with a throw of 83.80 meters in Eugene Oregon in the Diamond League Final, Neeraj Chopra capped a memorable DL season with two first place and two second place showings. In sport you are considered a true great if you are able to win on a day, which isn’t really one of your best. It is about attrition and staying in the contest. About not giving up and digging deep. That’s what we have seen from Neeraj Chopra last night at the Hayward Field in Eugene Oregon. In difficult conditions where every participant struggled in dealing with the…

EXCLUSIVE Boria Majumdar, Rohan Chowdhury, Trisha Ghosal With so much speculation surrounding the Indian football squad for the upcoming Asian Games, it poses a great challenge for both the coach and the players, especially in terms of preparation for a showpiece tournament that India have not been part of since 2014. With less than 24 hours to go before they take off for Hangzhou, and after multiple changes and iterations, the team is finalised. In an exclusive interview with RevSportz, Igor Stimac, the head coach, opened up on the preparations for the much-anticipated Asian Games and what the nation can…

Exclusive Rohan Bopanna has had the most amazing year and he isn’t done yet. From making the semi finals at Wimbledon to going one better at the US Open and making the finals with Matt Ebden, the 43 years 6 month old star, has also created a world record in the process. He is now the oldest man to play a US Open Men’s Doubles final in the Open era having surpassed Daniel Nestor’s record. And later today he will turn up one last time for India in the Davis Cup bringing to a close an illustrious career spanning nearly…

I write this on September 15 at 10am. According to the original itinerary, the Indian football team was to train in Thailand and leave for China from Thailand on September 16, to get in two practice sessions ahead of the first game against China on September 19. The camp did not happen for reasons now known to all, and the team made it back to India on September 12 before the players went back to their ISL clubs because the FIFA window was over. From the information available, ten players from the formally announced list are yet to receive their…

In a major development centering the Indian Football team’s participation at the Asian Games, RevSportz has learnt that skipper Sunil Chhetri and Coach Igor Stimac are both trying to make a special request to the ISL clubs to release 2 players each and in some case 1 based on the latest list submitted by the coach to the AIFF. They both feel that it is the only way India can be competitive and if the clubs do this it won’t harm their ISL preparations or AFC cup chances. This is a final ditch attempt at a compromise formula where everyone…

After days of uncertainty, the Indian football team for the Asian Games is finally out. And Sunil Chhetri, India’s greatest star, is the one who will lead the young team to China. Is this India’s best team possible? NO. Is the situation ideal? NO. Can the team be competitive- YES. With the club versus country debate raging and other unnecessary controversies taking up a lot of newsprint, it wasn’t easy for the stakeholders involved. The Asian Games is not part of the FIFA window and hence the clubs are within their rights not to release key players. It took much…

In a major development for Indian football, AIFF and FSDL have finally come together and ensured that Sunil Chhetri will lead the Indian Football Team to China at the Asian Games. Ending huge speculation this is now final. And the team will be announced anytime now. Over the last two days hectic negotiations have been going on between the AIFF top brass and FSDL officials. And eventually in national interest, this decision was taken. Sunil Chhetri had earlier said how much he is looking forward to leading the team in Hangzhou. It is also expected that coach Stimac will accompany…

How do I remember Shane Warne? Walking the first couple of steps before jogging on to the bowling crease and giving the ball a rip – classic Warne. And with him around, anything could happen. For years, the ball was transformed into a canvas in the hands of the artist. Each time he flicked his wrist, we would see colours of a different hue. Mike Gatting witnessed it first hand in what we now know and recognise as the Ball of the Century. The ball, under the impact of the many revolutions Warne had imparted on it, had little…