Author: S Kannan

For any employee, 15 months of working in an organisation is long enough time to talk about it, what it stands for, what its goals are, and what it has achieved. Having begun my journey with RevSportz in September 2023, a few weeks before the Asian Games in Hangzhou, it was a new experience. There were some well-meaning folks who said joining a start-up would be a wrong decision. Not that I cared, since I had earlier, in 2007, made the shift from a big broadsheet to a start-up tabloid. It was seen as a mindless decision due to the…

The war against doping in sport is a massive one. In India, the NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) is making massive efforts to make athletes aware about the harmful effects of doping as well as raise awareness. Last but not the least, the athletes, even from the grassroots level, are warned of dire consequences should someone flunk a dope test. On Friday, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Sports Minister, launched the KYM (know your medicine) app, another positive step in educating athletes on medicines, often referred to as drugs. “Our athletes are the pride of the nation and it is essential…

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has constantly been making changes for the better so that no athlete or coach feels left out while applying for the national sports awards. In the past, these awards were presented on August 29 every year, the birth date of hockey legend Dhyan Chand. It was due to the efforts of a former top-ranked bureaucrat in the Sports Ministry that a decision was made to change the dates. Why? In years when an Asian Games or Olympics were held, these Games sometimes ended after August 29. It is well known that someone…

India wanting to host the 2036 Olympics and Paralympics is a realistic dream. For those who wake up to the Olympics every four years and say a country with a population well in excess of a billion can win only a few medals, the mentality is different. Sadly, this mentality reflects the lack of a sporting culture in India. It also brings to the fore pessimism, since India have not won medals in bulk at a single edition of the Olympics. If that is the yardstick, does winning 29 medals in the Paris 2024 Paralympics not mean anything? It does,…

You could well call it a coup of sorts. Superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will train with legend Jan Zelezny from 2025. The last few days have seen a flurry of activities on social media, first with Neeraj posting an emotional message for his outgoing coach Klaus Bartonietz. The German was more than a coach to the Indian legend as he guided him through highs than lows. It saw Neeraj win two Olympic medals – gold in Tokyo and silver in Paris 2024. There was a speculation that Neeraj and his coach were parting ways. For all those who have…

One has to celebrate the spirit of Rohan Bopanna, the lone soldier ploughing through the tennis battlefield for India in doubles with Matt Ebden for company. As the duo head into ATP Tour finals to be held in Turin, Italy, from November 10 to 17, the 44-year-old Indian is excited as well as happy at how he has performed this year. Not doing well in the Paris 2024 Olympics is something that he would like to forget, but as a pure doubles’ exponent — a dying breed — the tall Coorgi has kept the Indian flag flying. “Making it to…

It’s a bit perplexing. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suspended grants to the Indian Olympic Association and asked the NOC (National Olympic Committee) — to set its house in order. At the same time, when the news broke out on Wednesday (November 6) that India is serious about its bid to host the 2036 Olympics and the Paralympics, the IOC office did reach out to the IOA office for more clarity. This shows that the IOC is not taking India’s interest lightly at all, since this is the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has himself spoken about…

It’s official. India wants to host the 2036 Olympics and Paralympics, but the big question is when and where. On Tuesday, news flew thick and fast, with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports being quoted first, India had submitted an official letter through the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). It was addressed to the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission. By late evening on Tuesday, the news was confirmed through a video posted by PT Usha, president, IOA, attesting that the National Olympic Committee had written in October 2024 to the IOC. To start with, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had…

The 100-day break prescribed by Dronacharya Jaspal Rana for Manu Bhaker, Paris Olympics star, is over. It will be back to the grind from this week in Dehradun at his own ranges. “A long break was needed, and, at the same time, I had asked Manu to keep working on her fitness,” Rana told RevSportz on Wednesday. “She has been doing the fitness routines and we are looking forward to starting from scratch all over again.” To be away from the shooting ranges for over three months was something Manu enjoyed. She was able to take her Masters exams in…

The Draft National Sports Governance Bill, 2024, which has been placed in the public domain by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for feedback is an honest attempt to promote good governance. It is well-known how multiple national sports federations (NSF) in India have faced governance issues over the years. Add to that corruption, officials wanting to cling on to power forever, and athletes suffering for no fault of theirs, and the draft bill attempts to cover all aspects. Surprisingly, given that the bill has not been read by most people, there is already much negative feedback. In the…