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 as a reader. I didn’t know it then, but it turned out to be the best decision I could have made.
I never studied media or journalism, yet four years later, I’ve covered three major international events, the Hangzhou Asian and Para Asian Games, the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, and the England vs India Test series earlier this year. It still feels unreal.
But the most overwhelming assignment will always be the FIH Hockey World Cup 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. The moment our Boss, as we fondly call him, said, “You and Rahul (Giri) will cover the Hockey World Cup,” my immediate reaction was: “Me?”
I had joined RevSportz as a social media publisher. I remember doing 27 posts in a single day across three platforms with Trisha di and I genuinely enjoyed the grind. During the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, I worked odd hours, constantly publishing content. But being on the ground, reporting, standing in front of the camera, that had never even crossed my mind.
But as he always says, “Give opportunities and disrupt the mainstream.” And true to that philosophy, Boria sir sent both Rahul and me, absolute rookies in the media world, to cover a World Cup featuring 16 top teams. It was overwhelming, but it changed everything. It is something the top management, Boria sir and Sharmistha ma’am, have always believed, giving opportunities.
That was the first event where I wrote a match report. With almost no idea how to “create content,” Rahul and I decided to film a walkthrough vlog from the hotel to the stadium and to our surprise, it worked. People loved it.
The first sight of the blue turf, the media box, the mixed zone, taking interviews and fan bytes, everything happened so quickly that it became an intense crash course in how major tournaments are actually covered. No journalism classroom could have replicated that learning.
Then came China, my first international trip (not counting a childhood family visit to Nepal). The Asian Games in Hangzhou, just after the Covid scare, was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. First with Trisha di, then alone for the Para Asian Games, those weeks changed my worldview. So many nations together in one place, the Games village, the media village, the sense of unity despite global conflicts, it was special.
Why this detour in discussion? Because that freedom, to explore stories beyond the obvious, is what sets RevSportz apart. I remember doing a piece on a cycling group from Guangzhou, led by an eighty-year-old man, who rode hundreds of miles to reach Hangzhou just to witness the Games.
It had no direct “Indian news value” in a year with 111 Indian medals but it’s a story that stays with you. It gives you a sense of joy and completeness, the feeling that you are doing journalism that matters, not merely chasing headlines. And at RevSportz, we are encouraged to pursue such stories without worrying about fitting into a mainstream mould.
Personally, I’ve always been drawn to in-depth human stories rather than breaking news. And RevSportz gives space to all kinds of narratives, from a major update from the Indian cricket camp to a 63-year-old Uruguayan footballer making the Guinness World Record by playing fourth-division football. Every story has its place, and receives respect.
With the new RevSportz × BIBS initiative, a certificate course in media and sports management, I’m even more excited. It’s a project that will allow us to balance media and academics, something I’ve learnt from the Boss, and wished to do.
RevSportz is more than a company to me. At every step, everyone has helped. Trisha di, my mentor in media production, and I have had long discussions about creating documentaries, one is soon to come, the Brigg Town story. Again, something RevSportz encourages, creativity and freedom.
These four years have been magical. So many stories, so much to learn from everyone, seniors and friends. Having been part of the family almost from the beginning, it’s a privilege to be on this journey. Every single day feels like another step towards building a legacy. Happy Anniversary, RevSportz.
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