Chanakya Chaudhary, Tata Steel vice-president (Corporate Services), inaugurated Trailblazers 2.0, India’s biggest sports conclave which will see the participation of 40 champion athletes, coaches and administrators across different disciplines, as well a diverse section of corporates, at the ITC Royal Bengal in Kolkata on Thursday.
The conclave got off to a rousing musical start with an inspirational concert by Taal Tarang, a band from Manovikas Kendra, a not-for-profit organisation that works for the welfare and rehabilitation of children with disabilities.
Opening the two-day conclave, organised by RevSportz, Mr Chaudhary said Tata Steel realised the importance of such deliberations and the massive interest of the sports ecosystem in learning from the thought processes and insights of the champions who have been brought together under one roof. “I am glad what was a small thought has taken such shape,” he said.
He recalled Tata Steel’s association with Indian sports dating back to more than a century, when Sir Dorabji Tata led India’s entry into the Olympic movement. Highlighting Tata Steel’s pioneering role in Indian archery and how it continues to scout talent at grassroots level, Mr Chaudhary said he looked forward to the conversations over the two days.
In his welcome address, Boria Majumdar, RevSportz founder and editor-in-chief, said the conclave was the meeting point of the entire sports ecosystem, including 25 Asian Games and Asian Para Games medallists among the 40 athletes, besides two individual Olympic Games gold medallists, Abhinav Bindra and Neeraj Chopra.
“Revsportz has not made it a ticketed event because the idea is to have the sporting ecosystem benefit from the conclave,” he said. “If even one person feels inspired by any of the stars and takes to sport, Trailblazers 2.0 is a success. It is a celebration of the process of sport rather than only a celebration of winners.”
Majumdar said RevSportz stood for equality and sensitivity and hence was mindful about including conversations on athletes’ mental health and gender equality. “We have to think of all these groups and encourage them,” he said.