“I am so glad my daughter will be able to see me in the yellow jersey,” said an emotional Ravichandran Ashwin when asked about his return to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. “It means a lot to us as a family.”
While saying that he was a bit nervous about the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand, Ashwin called India a cricketing superpower and asked everyone to take pride in what the team has been able to achieve. He suggested we ignore the stupid debate over unfair advantage.
If Ashwin set the tone with Deep Dasgupta, offering valuable insights as part of the session, Sourav Ganguly stole the show in an hour-long interaction at the Tata Steel Trailblazers Conclave. The hall was more than packed to capacity, with people standing everywhere to catch a glimpse of the sessions. When Ganguly said, “Rohit, Virat, Gill, Rahul and Iyer must be feeling: why did we not get to play on those pitches in Pakistan, for if they did, each time India would have crossed 350”, the crowd couldn’t stop cheering.
Turning the Dubai-advantage debate on its head, Sourav said, “What option did India have? It is a Government of India call. And had the Indians played in Pakistan, every batter would have relished the chance to score a 100. So this advantage issue is actually a non-starter.”
While Ganguly was met with thunderous applause multiple times during the session, the moment came when he took to the stage to felicitate Payal Nag, quadruple-amputee archer from Bolangir, alongside NRAI President Kalikesh Singh Deo. The entire hall had stood up by then. “Payal is proof anything is possible,” said Ganguly. “I am there for anything she needs.” Sagar Daryani, founder of Wow Momo, was overwhelmed and announced on stage that Wow Momo would support Payal starting today. If an athlete gets corporate support at a conclave, what more can we ask for?
Make no mistake, it was India’s best sports conclave. Incredible women achievers, on International Women’s Day, weighed in with stories of comebacks. Each time Nikhat Zareen, Tania Sachdev, Rani Rampal, Mona Agarwal, Rubina Francis or Anju George narrated a story, the audience joined in the celebration.
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In all honesty, it feels overwhelming that we pulled it off. Three days, 30 sessions, over 35 athletes and more than 60 speakers. The national media coverage is proof that the conclave is now India’s go-to sports forum. Thanks to the support of all the sponsors, led by our presenting partner, Tata Steel, we could manage to do it.
While it all seems overwhelming as I write this on the morning on March 9, I have to say my team at RevSportz, now 47 strong, deserve every accolade. They worked tirelessly for five months to put everything together. As the messages of congratulations pour in, and as athletes and members of the press say great things on social media, it is imperative that I celebrate my team. They know we are here to disrupt and change the narrative of Indian sport. In three years, we already have. The conclave is evidence. And when every athlete asks: so how can you match this next year, we know this event has done its job. Thank you, team, for all your hard work.
But then, work never stops, and it is time to move the focus back to the mega final today, with three of our colleagues in Dubai leading the coverage. Onwards and upwards.
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