India’s biggest sports conclave grows larger each year. What began as a one-day gala in its inaugural edition has now evolved into a three-day extravaganza, with its glamour increasing year on year. It goes without saying that the level of work pressure has risen correspondingly.
For a three-day event, preparations are a hundred times more demanding. And for me, given that my father, Raja Chowdhury, serves as the event manager, my colleagues jokingly claim that after my shift at RevSportz, I have to work a second shift at Orion Graphics, his company, where I assist him whenever required. I was with the Orion Graphics team during their work overnight on 5th March, for the stage and hall set-up for the event.
From three weeks before the event, I found myself in the office every single day, handling one task or another related to the conclave. Among the most challenging responsibilities was finalising the event schedule, which was a constant moving target. It would change at least twice a day — not an exaggeration.
At least one athlete or speaker would request a shift, and the entire flow would be disrupted. One of the biggest lessons I took away from this year’s scheduling process was the importance of using Google Sheets, rather than Excel, to maintain a dynamic and collaborative document. Sharing it with everyone allowed for real-time updates and ensured the most accurate information.
This year, RevSportz invested in an entire podcast set-up, designed to be a permanent addition to our operations but primarily meant for the conclave. A number of trips were made to Kolkata’s famous Metro Goli with my colleagues Trisha Ghosal, Debasis Sen, and Navanil Bhattacharya to set up the equipment.
However, the next hurdle was to arrange the perfect setup for the event. Initially, the room we’d selected for the podcasts had an echo problem, so the entire setup had to be shifted to a different room on the morning of Day 1. Kudos to Arka Rudra, Debasis Sen, Swapnil Mukherjee, and Navanil Bhattacharya for managing the transition so professionally. They went on to produce 25 podcasts, which will continue to be played for the audience in the days to come.
As for me, my main focus was preparing for the panels and podcasts I was moderating. I had the honour of moderating three panels: Gold Medal Stories, with Trisha Ghosal; Comeback Stories, alongside our COO Sharmistha Gooptu; and I was on my own for Miracles Happen, a session with Payal Nag and her coach, Kuldeep Vedwan.
Payal’s session will remain etched in my memory forever. The way she shared her journey of overcoming her idol, Sheetal Devi, in the nationals and the subsequent live demonstration of her shooting technique was nothing short of a spectacle — a moment I’m certain will remain unforgettable for everyone present. I’m incredibly thankful to our captain, affectionately known as ‘Boss’, Boria Majumdar, for giving me the opportunity to moderate three such significant panels on such a grand stage.
I also thoroughly enjoyed hosting three podcasts — with Navdeep Singh, Yogesh Kathuniya, and Mona Agarwal. Navdeep and Yogesh, who are now friends after covering them for so long, made for easy and engaging conversations. We exchanged backstage stories, and I’m confident the viewers will enjoy these conversations. Mona’s stories, especially when she sang a Bengali song during the podcast, were the cherry on top of the experience.
For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to walk the ramp, and I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The attire provided by House of Pataudi gave me a regal feeling, and walking the ramp with my colleagues Swapnil Mukherjee and Gargi Raut was nothing short of star-studded, especially with a packed audience. In a moment of fun, I decided to take a selfie with the audience in the background — I’m sure this will become a highlight for the promotional material for the Empowerment Walk at Edition 4 (laughs).
Lastly, I must mention an incident that, for a while, felt like a personal crisis: my laptop was stolen, but thankfully, it was recovered within an hour. A huge thanks to the entire security team at ITC Sonar, who acted quickly by reviewing CCTV footage and locating the device. That hour, however, felt like the longest of my life. While the laptop itself was valuable, it contained priceless memories in the form of photos from our trips to Hangzhou and Paris — a reminder of how precious memories can be.
In conclusion, from managing media accreditation and registrations to preparing for my own panels, and simultaneously handling several crises alongside my colleagues and friends at RevSportz, the three days of the event were nothing short of remarkable.
The months of preparation leading up to it were intense, but nothing compares to the sense of pride that comes from being part of an event of this magnitude, which makes national headlines. Being involved in this gala is truly an honour, and all I can say is that I’m already looking forward to Trailblazers 4.0, as I’m certain everyone else is too.
Also Read: On and off the stage: Many takeaways from RevSportz conclave