Author: S Kannan

These are exciting times for Indian shooting. Late on Friday, in Granada, Spain, Manu Bhaker shot a bronze medal in the ISSF World Cup, a warm-up event before the Paris Olympics. What is unique is the event was not the 25m sports pistol but air pistol. Last year, Manu Bhaker had sealed a quota place for India in the sports pistol event at the Asian Championship. Yet, she had rued being dropped from the air pistol team. As a build-up for the Olympics, the National Rifle Association of India has been sending plenty of marksmen for the World Cups abroad,…

In what can be termed as a major embarrassment for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has categorically stated that the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has done no wrong and would continue to be recognised by the world body. On February 3, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had suspended the PCI as they had failed to hold elections to the executive committee in the stipulated period. Even as the PCI had announced dates for the elections on March 28 at the general assembly, the suspension came as a big surprise.…

Sport loves the underdogs. More so, when an athlete punches above his or her weight, whatever be the discipline, not necessarily boxing. The success story of Shriyanka Sadangi, from Sambalpur in Odisha, is also a case study. When the unassuming 29-year-old was picked to represent India in the rifle events – 10metre and 3position – at the Asian Championships in Changwon, South Korea, few shooting buffs were surprised. When Shriyanka had finished fourth in one of the important trials before the Asian Championship last year, it was a clear sign she was ready to peak. Indian rifle shooting is blessed…

Jyothi Yarraji, the name has to ring a bell. Twenty-four years old, lithe and full of energy, the girl from Vizag dared to take on the Chinese in their own backyard at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year. Everyone knows, in track and field, the officials in-charge in Hangzhou did not distinguish themselves well. There was more than just an error, with both Jyothi, as well as how Neeraj Chopra’s first throw with the javelin, did not get registered. Neeraj required to produce another massive effort to seal gold and emerge winner. But for sheer guts, which Jyothi spilled…

There is a big difference between scoring a century in cricket and cracking the 100-barrier in the rankings on the ATP computer. As Indian tennis fans celebrated the arrival of Sumit Nagal into an elite club – he was ranked 98 this Monday – it’s time to feel good. In the world of tennis, where players begin competing in their early teens and the promising stars break into the Top 100 by 15 or 16, Nagal has been a late bloomer. Yet, what is important, as winter makes way, is that there is a spring in every step which Nagal…

Sumit Nagal outhit Italian Luca Nardi 6-4, 6-1 to win the ATP Challenger on Sunday in Chennai. When the new ranking comes out on Monday, Nagal will be inside the Top 100 for the first time. The projected ranking is 98. This has been a brilliant last few months for Nagal. After he was not given a wild card at the Australian Open, Nagal went through the wringer of the qualifiers and won three rounds. And when he won a round in the main draw in Melbourne, it was sensational. To shift down from the big events to a series…

Indian golf looks in the pink of health. The way the two ladies, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar, fired in the 2023 season, there is every possibility both could be representing India at the Paris Olympics this year. In addition, at least three male golfers are also in the mix for the Summer Games, the way rankings stand at present. The big differences between qualification in a team sport and an individual one are interesting. For example, the Indian men’s hockey team made the cut for Paris by winning gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year. Superstar Neeraj…

Zeeshan Ali is one of the most low-profile faces in Indian tennis. Yet, for those who have known the character in various avatars – national champion, Davis Cupper, coach and now non-playing captain – he has performed each role quietly. At almost 54, he has been part of the sport at home for over four decades. His singles exploits in the 1980s were well known, having made it to No. 126 in the rankings on the ATP computer. Son of another famous tennis guru from Calcutta (now Kolkata), Akhtar Ali, Zeeshan has been in the coaching role now for almost…

The tag of legend fits Mahesh Bhupathi perfectly. In 1997, when the tall and strapping Indian won the French Open mixed doubles crown with diminutive Rika Hiraki in Paris, he created history. Bhupathi, most famous for his electrifying backhand return of serve, which could find every possible angle on a tennis court, was a sheer delight. Well-groomed, articulate and a shrewd student of the game, Bhupathi won four men’s doubles titles at the Grand Slams and seven in mixed doubles. Sadly, he could not win an Olympic doubles medal, though he and Leander Paes featured in many attempts. Bhupathi will…

The lexicon defines “bizarre” as something unusual or weird. If you apply the same phrase to the high-octane sport of Formula One, Lewis Hamilton signing up with Ferrari from the 2025 season in a whopping 40-million-plus-pounds deal numbs you. Sample this – the 2024 F1 season will roar to life on March 2 in Bahrain and end on December 8, 2024 in Abu Dhabi. During the 24 races in the immediate calendar, Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, will be with Mercedes. This is his team, the one which gave him six world titles. But then, the Briton, who will be…