Author: Rohan Chowdhury

Over the last 24 hours, the talk of the town has been the chaos at Vivekananda Yubabharati Krirangan (VYBK) during Lionel Messi’s ‘GOAT Tour of India’ event. After the organisers failed to meet spectator expectations, the Argentine superstar — along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul — left the stadium after a brief 15‑minute VISIT. What followed was disorder and unrest inside the venue. During this period, Messi was largely surrounded by local politicians, their social media teams, security personnel and photographers, with little visible coordination or crowd management. Fans, who had paid thousands of…

With 48 teams divided into twelve groups this time, the FIFA World Cup 2026 might not feature the typical ‘Group of Death’, as most top sides have been separated. We still have to wait for four top teams from the European qualifiers, with several contenders in the queue, but for now, Group H appears the most intriguing, consisting of two previous World Cup winners, the side that defeated defending champions Argentina in Qatar, and a nation that drew considerable attention during qualifying. They are Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. Here’s what to expect from Group H: H1: Spain…

Brazil under Carlos Ancelotti might be under the spotlight as the South American giants, since Japan-South Korea in 2002, haven’t found their mojo in recent FIFA World Cups. A fourth-place finish on home soil in 2014 was their best finish since then. Haiti make a comeback after 1974, their only previous appearance in the tournament, while Scotland return to the biggest stage after 28 years. Their last appearance was in France 1998, where Morocco and Brazil were in their group. C1: Brazil (WR-5) Fixtures vs Morocco, June 14, 3:30 am, New Jersey Stadium vs Haiti, June 20, 6:30 am, Philadelphia…

India produced one of their finest-ever collective performances at the ISSF World Cup Final (WCF) Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Doha’s Lusail Shooting Complex, returning with six medals — two gold, three silver and one bronze — across four action-packed days. Only China finished ahead in the medal tally, but India’s mix of rising teenagers and seasoned Olympians ensured a memorable end to the 2025 season. Teenage Debutants Steal the Show The opening day belonged to India’s young 10m air pistol sensations. Suruchi Phogat, still in her teens, stunned the field by winning gold with a junior world record score of 245.1, while…

In about six months, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will kick off, the first edition featuring 48 teams. So far, 42 teams have already secured their spots for the showpiece event. The remaining six berths will be filled from 22 teams still in contention. Of these six spots, four will be decided via the UEFA play-offs and two through the FIFA intercontinental play-offs. On Friday, 5 December, at 10:30 pm IST, the draw for the World Cup will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, United States. The 48 teams, including the…

I think it was 12 February 2022 when I got a call from Trisha di (Ghosal) asking me to come in for an interview. I didn’t know much about the company or what it aimed to do and, funnily enough, on the very same day, a senior from the AIFF called offering me an operations role for the I-League 2022–23 season, a position I had held before. I chose to go for the RevSportz interview. Maybe the idea was simply to work in Kolkata while pursuing my MBA. The area of trust was Boria Majumdar, someone I’d followed for long…

The Empowerment Cup 2025 came to an end as Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Siliguri emerged victorious after defeating United Kolkata Sports Club (UKSC) 2–0 in the grand finale at Bhawanipore Club Dakshineswar Young Men Association Ground on Sunday. The 16-team, 11-a-side women’s football tournament, which began on the 22nd of this month, featured an excellent display of football, highlighted by top-class goals, saves and overall skills. Both teams booked their place in the final through contrasting routes in the semi-finals. SSB powered past JSSPS Ranchi with a commanding 3–0 win, while UKSC battled through a tightly fought contest against Nita…

Rohan Chowdhury The inaugural season of the Empowerment Cup has been running successfully for the last five days at the Bhawanipore Club Dakshineswar Young Men Association Ground. In fact, across ten matches so far, the tournament has delivered both spectacular goals and deeply inspiring stories. Not a single match has ended in a stalemate. The packed winter-afternoon crowds have been treated to high-quality football, and the energy across the ground perimeter has matched the intensity on the field. While Bengal teams such as United Kolkata Sports Club, Gayeshpur Football Academy and SSB Siliguri have shown promising performances, it is the…

The opening day of the RevSportz Empowerment Cup 2025 saw a goal fest at the Bhawanipore Club Dakshineswar Young Men Association Ground as both the contests produced eleven goals combined. The first game of the day saw United Kolkata Sports Club humble K Mahila FC Joypur 9-0 while the second encounter saw an even affair between Adibashi Unite Shyamnagar and Matribhumi Soccer Club Asansol. The game ended 1-1 after regulation time and the Shyamnagar side advanced to the next round after a 5-4 win in penalties. UKSC, a professional side based in Kolkata, which participates in both women’s and men’s…

Eden Gardens: Ravi Vithal’s fandom began in protest. During apartheid, he supported every side that played against South Africa. But after democracy arrived in 1994, his allegiance shifted permanently. We met him on Day 2 at Eden Gardens during the India–South Africa Test, enjoying his birthday present with his son and reflecting on what 31 years of supporting the Proteas has meant. The third day of the Test, November 16th, was his birthday, and his son had arranged this tour to Kolkata as a birthday present. Temba Bavuma’s team perhaps made the occasion even more memorable with their win over…