RevSportz

It is a huge occasion for Mohammedan Sporting club as they are set to make their debut in Indian Super League against Northeast United on Monday, September 16, 2024. The 133-year-old club (established in 1891), has a rich history and legacy associated with it. Regarded as one of the three giants of Calcutta football (along with East Bengal and Mohun Bagan) Mohammedan Sporting won the first ever Calcutta Football League in 1934. In fact, the club went on to win the league for a record five consecutive times. Post Independence, Mohammedan Sporting became the first Indian club to win a football tournament on foreign soil by lifting the Aga Khan Gold Cup in 1960. The club had its golden era during the time of former president late Irfan Taher, when they won all major titles in Indian club football from 1980-84. Funds kept coming in with the city’s top businessmen sponsoring the club. In the 1980s the club even received a donation from legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar. Following the success in early ‘80s there was a sudden decline as there was not much success. As a result, city’s top businessmen lost interest to fund the club. Read: https://lnkd.in/gmdFxYGx

Neeraj Chopra has revealed in a social media post that he competed in Brussels with a fractured metacarpal. Despite the injury, he went on to finish second, just a centimetre behind Anderson Peters. In his tweet, he also said that he would now aim to come back fitter and stronger, and strive to get better. I just want to add one thing to that –he should also come back happier. I met Neeraj on multiple occasions in Paris. And each time, I felt he was being a little too hard on himself. As an elite athlete, it is expected that he would want to win. Everyone is the same. But in his quest for excellence and perfection, and because he is carrying the hopes of a billion, is he trying too hard and putting himself under undue pressure? Is he being fair on himself? Read: https://lnkd.in/g_k_fuCJ

The Indian campaign at the Chess Olympiad has got off to a robust start. After four rounds, the contingents are topping the charts in the open section and the women’s section as well. Both teams won all four rounds. They are tied on points with other countries, but ahead on tie-break scores. The likes of Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh, D Harika, Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali have played some stunning games. However, this is just the beginning. The most crucial rounds lie ahead, where they will face tougher opponents when the challenge will get stronger. They will have to handle the pressure and be at it, all the time, relentlessly. Read: https://lnkd.in/g3eNiBzs

It was the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) annual prize distribution ceremony, and Mohammed Shami was a special invitee. As host, it was my job to engage him, Ajay Jadeja and Sandeep Patil in a 45-minute chat show. From a news standpoint, Shami was the go-to man. When is he expected to make a comeback? Will he play a couple of Ranji Trophy matches soon for Bengal? How confident is he about the Australia tour and how will he prepare in the next couple of months? There were a number of questions I needed to ask Shami. And the best thing was that he was in a fine mood and willing to engage. His answers were well thought out and he was fully switched on. When asked when we could expect him back, Shami turned a tad philosophical. “Jitna jaldi aap NCA se nikal sakte ho utna achha hai. NCA naam sun ke hi man kharab ho jata hai. Matlab aap abhi fit nahi huye ho [The sooner you can leave the NCA, the better. Just hearing the name NCA worsens your mood. It means you’re still not fit],” he said. “You want to get fit as soon as possible. You want to come back and do what you love doing, and I hope I will be back soon and play a couple of Ranji Trophy matches for Bengal.” Read: https://lnkd.in/gamsy7d8 Boria Majumdar

It’s a cliché in sports that the loudest of statements are not made from the mouth. A player’s performance speaks for him or her and often, he or she may not have to say anything. In cricket, runs made or wickets taken or catches held can be more eloquent. One need not have to be vocal. Ishan Kishan put in that kind of a performance in the ongoing Duleep Trophy match. It was his first first-class outing in a long time and representing India C against India B, the left-handed batter made 111 in the first innings. It was a typically aggressive knock from the diminutive player from Jharkhand and the runs came when the team needed them. Read: https://lnkd.in/gYnEuSMV

Not too long ago, there were a series of questions asked of Indian hockey. India had lost 0-5 to Australia in a five-test series down under, and there was a national clamour ahead of the Olympics that not all was well in the national team set-up. Questions were asked of coach Craig Fulton and skipper Harmanpreet Singh, and not many gave India a chance in Paris. The team, however, stayed focussed. Each time we met in Bengaluru at the camp, it seemed there was a sense of calm. They were able to cocoon themselves from all the negativity out there and focus on the job at hand. They knew what they were doing and the outside noise wasn’t relevant. Read: https://lnkd.in/gJ6M3hq5

Indian football is not in great shape. The national team is at its lowest ebb in years, and there is nothing much to look forward to. More than results, the Anwar Ali issue has hogged headlines in the last two months and as I have written earlier, no one really benefitted from the unsavoury saga. In every way, football needs an injection of positivity. Something that the fans can draw on to keep their hopes alive. May be that’s why this year’s ISL is perhaps the most important ever. It has to give Indian football a new lifeline, and restore belief that the sport isn’t destined for the recycle bin in this country. We need Indian players to make a mark, and the league to be competitive and compelling. A strong league could translate into a strong national team, for that’s the only hope left for Indian football. As someone from Kolkata, I am delighted with the inclusion of Mohammedan Sporting, India’s original super club in the pre-WW II years when Mohammed Salim even played for Glasgow Celtic. Kolkata will host not two, but six derbies this season, and each will be a sell-out affair. The presence of thousands of fans will be the best advertisement the ISL can hope for, and if that happens, it won’t need cricketers to promote the brand next season. While cross-promotion is always welcome, to see just Bhaichung Bhutia and Sunil Chhetri in the ISL promotional is evidence that we don’t really have other brands in Indian football who can bring audiences to the ground. This is why it is an opportunity for some like Lalliazuala Chhangte and Apuia. Time to become the poster boys of the sport, leaving the Sunil and Bhaichung generations behind. Read: https://lnkd.in/gJAaUthS

There is a lot of talk about Vinesh Phogat levelling a series of allegations against PT Usha and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) that she now heads. She has even said that her medal was lost because the legal case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) wasn’t fought well. If we listen to her interview, she makes three key points: First, Usha went and met her at the village and, without her permission, clicked a photograph and posted it on social media. That Usha had gone to meet her was known to us all in Paris. Usha and Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala addressed the media an hour after meeting her, giving out all details to the media. If Usha did have the photo clicked without Vinesh’s consent and then posted it, she is right to ask if it was ethical. One would, in fact, expect Usha to clarify this point. However, posting the picture had absolutely no bearing on her being disqualified and losing the medal. Read: https://lnkd.in/gDzN_eAG

The second round of matches for the Duleep Trophy are set to begin on Thursday morning, with India B facing India C at the ACA ADCA ground in Anantapur. At the same time, India A go head-to-head against India D at the Rural Development Trust Stadium. With India B and India C having secured victories in their previous games, they will be eager to maintain their winning streaks. Players in form will look to continue impressing, knowing that strong performances could significantly boost their chances of earning a spot on the Indian team in the near future. Rinku Singh’s inclusion in the India B squad, due to players leaving for the Test camp, gives him the perfect chance to prove he’s more than just a big hitter. This is an opportunity for him to shine in the longer format. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Musheer Khan after his impressive 181 against India A, which made him the third-highest scorer on Duleep Trophy debut. Although dismissed for a duck in the second innings, consistent performances could fast-track Musheer into the senior side soon. Read: https://lnkd.in/g8jDVf8X

Anwar Ali for East Bengal (PC: East Bengal/X)While the Anwar Ali saga is all set to continue, the truth is that whatever the final outcome, no one really wins. Mohun Bagan might get Rupees 12.9 crores in compensation, but they have lost the best defender India has at the moment. East Bengal, while getting Anwar, will now have to spend 30-plus crores on the player for 5 years, which includes the 6.45 crores fine which the club has to pay. Also, the transfer ban will hurt them in January, and again before the start of the next season. Anwar, who is now banned, will miss the bulk of the Indian Super League (ISL) and also have to pay 6.45 crores as fine. Finally, Delhi FC has been strongly indicted for doing something unethical, and will also face a two-window transfer ban. What the Players’ Status Committee (PSC) has tried to do is send out a strong message, that those under contract cannot do this. If they do, it hurts everyone. It is a message for every player who might feel aggrieved and resort to something like what Anwar did. Without the FIFA rules being implemented in India, Anwar was always on slippery ground. While he wanted to safeguard his future, the way he did so has resulted in this claim of unjust or illegal termination. It is also interesting that the ban was announced a day after the Intercontinental Cup finished, proving that All India Football Federation (AIFF) was clearly aware of what was going on and wanted the national team’s assignment to get over. Read: https://lnkd.in/gQRBBW-N