It is one thing to plan. A very different thing to see that plan come good. Team RevSportz worked nonstop for six months, day in and day out, to ensure that India’s best sporting minds came together for two days of meaningful dialogue. We made sure that we had the best of Olympic and Paralympic sport come, meet each other and inspire. Help clarify doubts, and make a difference. Legends like Abhinav Bindra meeting future greats like Shriyanka Sadangi, Sift Kaur Samra and Esha Singh. Sourav Ganguly and Saurav Ghosal meeting young athletes and exchanging ideas. Leander Paes speaking to them about how to handle pressure. PR Sreejesh and Savita Punia catching up. Six Paralympic champions making their point about empathy, and not sympathy. Kalyan Chaubey and Igor Stimac coming together for the betterment of Indian football.
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All this happened. Neeraj Chopra spoke of how he would go to Paris the best prepared, in defence of the incredible gold medal he won in Tokyo. Ganguly said you need to win to create such a legacy – the mindset is what matters. What was most important was that a 500-seat auditorium was packed all day. Not a seat left. The media were there in numbers, and my colleagues from the fraternity backed us all the way.
The climax, with Bickram Ghosh and team, was sensational. But then, we need to keep going. Another intense day is lined up with some of the greatest names, headlined by women achievers on International Women’s Day. The Trailblazers Conclave 2.0 is only half-done.
While all the sessions have been stellar, my highlight so far was something that happened backstage. Abhinav meeting Shriyanka and Sift for coffee, and having an informal chat with them. That’s how the baton gets passed on. New stories are written. Sport becomes one, and we turn into a nation where the legends mentor the next generation. Having been able to do that at the Trailblazers conclave, we feel elated. The attempt has always been to make a difference, and the promise is to not stop at anything.