Author: S Kannan

Sumit Nagal continues to make waves on the global tennis circuit. On Monday, the maverick from Jhajjar, Haryana scaled a peak when he achieved a singles ranking of 80 on the ATP computer. Before you ask what’s the big deal, it is. Indian tennis has struggled to produce singles players for years now. That Nagal, who was almost facing an existential crisis due to lack of funds, has bounced back in such fashion is a fairytale. Nagal was modest when he spoke to RevSportz briefly on Monday. “It’s just a small milestone of where I want to be,” he said,…

Viewed passionately from beyond the boundary, the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has thrown up more innovations. It does not matter whether the die-hard T20 fan gets his adrenaline high from inside the cricket arena or on TV screens or smart phones. A change for the better has come through the Smart Replay System, which has definitely speeded things up for more accurate reviews. Was this change needed in the first place, one may well ask. Almost a month ago, news emerged of how much more technology would be used further in the IPL. The intrusion of…

A movie on Indian football. Don’t scoff. Agreed, Indian football is not doing well today and carping critics will take less than a minute to use social media platforms to lampoon players and the chief coach. Heartless or insensitive, the choice of words for such comments is minus thought. This is Eid time, when everyone celebrates. What better time than this for the devout to watch a movie, Maidaan, on Syed Abdul Rahim saab, a coach who brought glory to India long before social media was even thought of. The Hyderabadi legend was all but forgotten and Maidaan will revive…

Neeraj Chopra and media share an intense relationship. On Thursday, at an online media interaction organised by JSW Sports, the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist talked of preparation and being in good health before the Paris Olympics. When the golden boy from Tokyo spoke of health, it was both physical and mental. Neeraj spoke in Hindi, a language he is most comfortable with. “I am in good space and mentally well prepared. When I went to Tokyo, there were some doubts, a few things to be ironed out. Now I feel everything is in place. Andar pataa hai mujhe, he said,…

Call it a game changer or something radical, the decision of World Athletics to award prize money to track and field athletes who win medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has been received with huge applause. For old-timers, this decision may seem bizarre, for Olympic medals are about honour, patriotism and excelling for the nation. Perhaps, the athletics body had offered a hint of the change in philosophy years ago, when the IAAF (International Amateur Athletics Federation) changed its name to World Athletics (WA). The prize money at an Olympics is not the sole criteria…

A statement from the Commonwealth Games Federation given to a wire service on Monday suggests things are back on track for hosting the 2026 edition of the Commonwealth Games. There is fresh hope the 2026 Games will not be abandoned, as the CGF is in talks with “many counties” but wants to keep things under wraps now. Once Victoria state, Australia, decided to opt out as hosts, there has been massive confusion. Many countries from Asia were approached but both Singapore and Malaysia turned down requests to host the Games due to prohibitive costs. In fact, the grapevine says Britan…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has picked My Health, My Right, as the theme for World Health Day 2024. As one who works with the RevSportz family, it is, indeed, heartening that the topic of health is being given the most importance by this platform. It is wonderful to have heard elite athletes and Para athletes share thoughts on such an important subject. No, not just because they are legends and have a proven track record, but because budding athletes and the common person will listen to these stars. Their stories on health and fitness are real and thought provoking.…

Sumit Nagal, ranked World No. 95 in singles on the ATP computer at the start of this week, has had mixed luck. On Wednesday, India’s top singles player lost a tough match, where he had enough chances against Lorenzo Sonego, in the second round of the ATP 250 Grand Prix Hassan in Marrakech, Morocco. After the three-set loss (6-1, 3-6, 4-6) to Sonego, Nagal tweeted his feelings in a short and sweet way. “Tough loss in Marrrakech, time to learn, regroup, move forward,” he said, making it clear how he viewed the result. Nagal had chances aplenty in the third…

Elite athletes have their own way of preparing and peaking for a big competition. Even though Manu Bhaker, the pistol queen, has clinched a quota place for India in the 25-metre event at the Paris Olympics, she knows, she is “under trial”. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), left red-faced after zero medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and in Tokyo three years ago, has tweaked the selection policy. There will be four trials, two each in April and May in Delhi and Bhopal, before the teams are finalised for Paris. India has won 19 quota places till now.…

Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Mirabai Chanu’s return to competitive weightlifting, after almost six months, at the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, today, is much awaited. The diminutive lifter had left the arena in pain and trauma at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, last October, when she collapsed in pain. For those who watched the Indian being helped off the field of play, it was not a good sight. She had sustained a major thigh injury. On Monday (April 1), Mirabai Chanu will figure in the 49kg weight category with 10 other lifters from other countries. The weigh-in is…