Author: Rohan Chowdhury

Rohan Chowdhury in Paris While visiting Paris for the first time, most travellers would have the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum high on their must-see list. The Louvre, home to Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, is an iconic landmark. As a person deeply attached to my hometown of Kolkata, I never imagined that a visit to this world-famous museum would evoke memories of the bustling crowds of Kolkata’s Durga Puja. One leisurely day, while covering the Paris Olympics, my colleagues and I decided to visit the Louvre. As we emerged from the metro station, we were met with streets teeming…

Rohan Chowdhury in Paris The saying “A silver is a gold lost” suggests that winning a silver medal can feel bittersweet — tinged with the disappointment of just missing out on gold. But the recently concluded Paris Olympics offered countless memorable moments that proved that silver can sometimes shine as bright as gold. In today’s social media-driven world, where instant fame can be just a viral post away, some athletes who didn’t secure the top podium spot still captured the world’s attention. Some received more social media traction than their gold-winning counterparts, turning them into overnight sensations. Take Yusuf Dikec,…

Rohan Chowdhury in Paris PR Sreejesh is more than just a name in Indian hockey. He’s an emotion, a symbol of perseverance, and a hero. Known affectionately as “Sree Anna” by his fans in Kerala, Sreejesh was the indomitable guardian of the Indian goalpost for years. His contributions were nothing short of legendary, especially when he played a crucial role in helping the men’s hockey team clinch a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. That it was the second bronze medal in successive Games, made it special. Sree Anna’s journey has been an inspiration to many, and as he…

Rohan Chowdhury in Paris India’s men’s hockey team won the bronze medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics defeating Spain 2-1. Winning back-to-back medals in hockey last happened at the 1972 Munich Games, when the team retained the bronze they had won in Mexico City in 1968. Harmanpreet Singh had an incredible campaign in Paris, scoring 10 goals alongside captaining the side. Apart from his penalty corner conversions, Harmanpreet had been instrumental in holding the defence and midfield and supplying the ball up front. PR Sreejesh, India’s legendary goalkeeper, played his last international game. He had announced his retirement from the…

Rohan Chowdhury in Paris Yet another 4th finish. India’s 6th of the Paris 2024 campaign, as the Tokyo 2020 silver medalist finished with 199 points and missed the podium by a kilogram to Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao in the women’s 49 kg weightlifting. China’s Hou Zhihui created history with her last lift in Clean and Jerk, an Olympic Record of 117 kgs in the category. It was the lift that all Indian fans and Chanu looked forward to. Both Hou and Chanu were on a total of 199 and had the Chinese failed that lift, Chanu’s bronze would have been secured…

Rohan Chowdhury in Paris Shamsher Singh’s shot went inches above the goal in the dying seconds and the hooter was blown soon after. India’s dream to reach the Olympics hockey final after 44 years was shattered following a 3-2 defeat against Germany in the semi-final at Paris. The match started well for India, as Harmanpreet Singh once again found the target from a penalty-corner and gave his team the lead in the first quarter. Indian hopes started to fade by the end of the third quarter, as by then Germany were leading 2-1. Credit once again to the No.…

Rohan Chowdhury in Paris Neeraj Chopra is again in the headlines, with his season’s best throw of 89.34m, in his first attempt in the men’s javelin qualification round in Paris 2024. He looked confident from the beginning, taking his usual warm-up strides along with his challengers Anderson Peters and Arshad Nadeem, his two big competitors, were in his group, but Chopra had the first throw to make. The run-up looked graceful as ever till the time he launched his javelin up in the air, which flew way past the yellow qualification line. People had to wait a few seconds to…

The Paris Olympics has been a stage for extraordinary athletic feats: Simon Biles, Noah Lyles, Leon Marchand and more. Manu Bhaker made India proud by bagging two bronze medals in shooting. However, the event has also seen its share of contentious moments, disputes over refereeing decisions. Refereeing controversies are not new to Indian sports enthusiasts. The infamous FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar saw a goal being allowed after the ball was dragged from out of play into the pitch. This decision significantly impacted the game’s outcome. In Paris, some controversies have emerged. During the men’s hockey quarterfinal between India…

Rohan Chowdhury in Paris India’s men’s hockey team achieved a historic 3-2 victory against Australia in their final Pool B match at the Paris Olympics 2024. This win was India’s first Olympic triumph over Australia since the 1972 Games. Despite being a group match, the victory significantly impacted India’s ranking in Pool B. As the second-placed team in Pool B behind Belgium, they will now face the third-placed team from Pool A in the next round. That will either be Great Britain or Germany, who play later on Friday. The final moments of the match were reminiscent of the Tokyo…

Rohan Chowdhury in Chateauroux Walking through the stone-paved streets of the small French town of Chateauroux offers a charming blend of tradition and modernity. Just a three-hour train ride away from Paris, stepping out of the quaint railway station out here feels like entering the pages of a storybook, with the atmosphere reminiscent of traditional European hamlets. On the third evening of our coverage of the Paris Olympics, my colleague Abhijit Deshmukh and I found time to explore the town centre. Public bus rides in Chateauroux are free and almost empty —a stark contrast to what we are used to…