Author: Boria Majumdar

Boria Majumdar in Paris India has traditionally been known to mess up on the finer points related to athletes’ comfort and well-being at the Olympic Games. Vinesh Phogat crying out in pain in Rio, in the absence of a proper medical team, was a grim reminder. Not so in Paris. The presence of Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala has made a real difference in that regard. What is also as important is the conscious effort to ensure athletes’ comfort. At the insistence of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Ministry, 40 portable air conditioners were delivered to the Indian contingent…

Boria Majumdar in Paris “It doesn’t matter how you are playing the whole year, but when it’s the Olympics, you need to peak in that particular week,” said Prakash Padukone ahead of Lakshya Sen’s badminton men’s singles quarterfinal against Chou Tien-chen. True to those words, Lakshya played some incredible badminton to advance into the semi-finals. He seems to have peaked at just the right time. Soon after the match, Sen, who seemed in a hurry to go and watch the other quarterfinal, said: “I don’t mind whoever I play. I will watch the match and strategise with my team. I…

Boria Majumdar in Paris Lakshya Sen versus HS Prannoy had just ended, and it was a no-contest. Lakshya, riding on some stellar form and some fantastic shots, won the match easily against his senior rival and made it to the quarterfinals. Prannoy, batting physical and mental fatigue, had expectedly lost and his Olympic dreams were over. For the few Indian journalists who were there in the mixed zone, it was a routine interaction. Lakshya said he would try everything to be at his best for the quarterfinal, while Prannoy had come because there is a compulsion to do so. Every…

Boria Majumdar in Paris Lakshya Sen is the only Indian player left in the badminton. Harsh, but true. And he will be up against Chou Tien-chen today in what promises to be an exciting quarterfinal. With Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty losing out and with PV Sindhu failing to go past He Bingjiao, he is the only hope left for India in the sport. Speaking to Boria Majumdar, RevSportz editor-in-chief, Prakash Padukone exuded confidence about Lakshya, and said while he wasn’t promising a medal, Lakshya was indeed playing well and doing exactly what he needed to do. Extracts from the…

Boria Majumdar in Paris She was in tears, and understandably so. Months and years of effort, and it had all ended after the crushing loss. “For two days, I did not eat anything or drink water even,” said Nikhat Zareen. “I did not sleep at night. If you don’t eat, how will sleep? If I had won, all of this would be looked at as positive. Now, people will say I am giving excuses, so I don’t want to say much.” She was already crying by then. “I tried my best, and now will take a break,” said Nikhat. “I…

Boria Majumdar in Paris It is the round-of-16 match that none of us wanted. And did not want to speak about either. And yet, it is now upon us. Two of India’s best, two of our absolute favourites, clash on the Olympic stage with one advancing to the quarterfinals. HS Prannoy v Lakshya Sen is a tough one to call. On form, it has to be Lakshya. But as an Indian sports lover, you just don’t want to call this one. I’d much rather buy myself a glass of Coke, sit in the media centre and follow the action, rather…

Boria Majumdar in Paris In all the excitement surrounding the Paris Olympics, there are some serious issues as well that have cropped up with food and hygiene. The Indians, or a sizeable section of the Indian athletes, are unhappy with the arrangements in the athletes village. One athlete, speaking on condition of anonymity said, “I have to order food from outside literally every day, because when I reach the end of the queue and to the food table in the dining area, it is almost over. They don’t refill immediately and it takes 20-25 minutes to reach the front of…

Boria Majumdar in Paris It was around 11am Paris time and Rani Rampal, one of my favourite athletes, called. “Your coverage is fantastic,” she said. Then, we discussed Manu Bhaker for a bit and how many medals India could expect. I reminded Rani of Tokyo and the humongous effort the girls had put in. And the fact that she had given me her jersey after the win against Australia. Covering an Olympic Games isn’t easy. You have to be ready to do 18-hour days. Be tireless. Also be prepared to face the trolls, who will all come at you saying…

Boria Majumdar in Paris It was always going to be the match to win for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. And yet again, in the middle court, a French player was playing, which meant that that crowd was as loud as ever. But nothing mattered to them from the start. Focussed and determined, they set the pace. Against a famed Indonesian team, which has played some close matches with them in the past, one expected a tougher fight. It wasn’t. The Indians were just too good. That’s what it was. They played at a level very different from their opponents…

Boria Majumdar in Paris There has been a lot of abuse hurled at Deepika Kumari. Why hasn’t she won a medal? It is as if she has committed a crime by not winning. The truth is her performance in the women’s team quarterfinal was poor. Criticism is fair. But abuse? Why is it that her effort to make it to the Olympic Games after motherhood is being ridiculed? And why is she being constantly trolled? For the record, India’s cricket team did not win an ICC Trophy for 11 years. Sachin Tendulkar did not win a World Cup until nearly…