Author: Boria Majumdar

It was in 2004 that Devendra Jhajharia travelled to his first Paralympic Games. Unlike in 2024, when the Prime Minister, Sports Minister, members of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and many more will give the Paralympics team traveling to Paris a fitting send-off (fixed for later today), one person accompanied Jhajharia to the airport back in 2004. That was his father. And as Devendra, current President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), very pertinently recounted, “My father said to me: if you win a medal toh badlao aayga. Agar har jate ho toh kuch nahi badlaega [if you…

Hope she reconsiders the retirement and decides to make a comeback and fight her demons. As we celebrate our 78th independence day, there is a kind of gloom this morning as followers of sport. With the Vinesh Phogat appeal dismissed, her last hope was dashed last night. While it was not a surprise, based on the events of the last few days a kind of hope had also been kindled. Vinesh, people close to her tell me, is devastated. “It is as if she is having to relive the 7th August morning again. She is in no position to speak…

It was a night like no other. And with the verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) now announced, it is perhaps time for everyone to know what actually transpired on the night of August 6, hours before Vinesh Phogat was to grapple in an Olympic final. What all did Vinesh try, and how did she and the Indian contingent in Paris go about things? What eventually led to her disqualification on the morning of August 7? To better understand the sequence of events, we actually need to start with Tokyo 2020. Vinesh was considered one of the…

First things first. The verdict is now expected on 16 August 6 pm Paris time. So the wait continues for us all and most for Vinesh. A lot has been said to me over the past few days on the Vinesh Phogat issue. Not everything can be written, and not everything is true either. Things get overhyped and it is essential that we filter information before we put it out in the public domain. One thing, however, is worth asking here: Was it all worth it? Should an athlete go through all that she did for that elusive medal? Is…

There have already been enough and more arguments on the Vinesh Phogat case. And as we expect the judgment to come today, here are the possible scenarios. First, I don’t expect this case to get done on Tuesday. If Vinesh is awarded the silver, United World Wrestling (UWW), in all probability, will appeal the decision. Similarly, if Vinesh isn’t given a favourable verdict, chances are that she too will appeal. Either way, this could continue for a few more weeks or months. Coming to the case itself, UWW has opposed Vinesh on the basis of rules. Time and again, its…

The Paris Olympics are done, and it is time to go home. While the Indian campaign has been modest, team RevSportz has done its absolute best here at the Games. As a young organisation less than three years old, we had made an ambitious plan for Paris. To get a team of seven to the Olympics was considered crazy. How could we spend so much money? How would we generate so much revenue? Is this model of getting seven journalists to a Games sustainable? Honestly, as founder and editor-in-chief, I did not have answers to these questions. All I knew…

Boria Majumdar in Paris Just hours before the closing ceremony of Paris 2024, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) issued the following statement: “The Indian Olympic Association President Dr PT Usha today clarified that the responsibility of weight management of athletes in sports like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and judo is that of each athlete and his or her coach and NOT that of the IOA-appointed Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team. Dr. Usha said that each Indian athlete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in such sport had his or her own support team. These support teams have…

Boria Majumdar in Paris As a journalist, you are supposed to be objective. Our job is to report and state facts. And yet, at times, it becomes difficult. Impossible almost. When you see a Vinesh Phogat lose out because of 100 grams, or a Nishant Dev miss out to a bad decision, you are often conflicted and forced to abandon that tag of objectivity. That’s what an Olympic Games is all about. As the Games come to an end, I want to draw attention to four such moments which left me in pain. Heartbreaks are natural in sport, and that’s…

Boria Majumdar in Paris As a student of history, I love my artefacts. And a trip to Omega House in Paris takes you down memory lane. From the 1932 watch which was used to time-keep at the LA Olympics to how the timekeeping process changed over time to make sure that no athlete was at a disadvantage, it is a beautifully curated installation that has been a high point for me in Paris in the middle of all the hustle of sport. Located at Hotel de Poulpry in a narrow bylane, you might miss Omega House if you aren’t told…

Boria Majumdar in Paris At the time of writing, 9 pm Paris time, we still don’t have the operational outcome of the Vinesh Phogat hearing. What we do have, however, is an incredible effort from Aman Sehrawat, who won bronze in the 57kg freestyle wrestling at the age of 21. This medal serves as a beacon of hope for the sport, especially after what happened to Vinesh. From the very start of the bout, Aman looked in control. Except for the first 40 seconds, always his weak point, he never gave up control of the fight. By midway in the…