PRG's Thoughts

This article was first published at https://www.huffingtonpost.in/pranav-gandhi/archer-deepika-kumari-asks-some-difficult-questions-about-women-in-indian-sports-in-this-documentary_a_23267671/ on 14/11/2017 Every once in a while a documentary comes a long that sparks a revolution. It takes an issue that plagues our society and ignites a generation into action. ' Ladies First'  is the documentary that could be a game changer for women in India. On the face of it, the documentary tells us a story that every Indian sports fan is already familiar with. In reality, we live in an impenetrable sports cocoon that has trapped us in the twenty-two yards of the cricket pitch so much that one of the most inspiring journeys of an Indian athlete has gone unnoticed. The documentary tells the heart wrenching and inspiring story of Deepika Kumari, a girl from the tiny village of Ratu, Jharkhand. Born into poverty, her home had all the problems that come with the territory. Th

This article first appeared at https://www.huffingtonpost.in/pranav-gandhi/happy-10th-birthday-ipl-thank-you-for-doing-so-much-for-indian-s_a_22018753/ on 4/4/2017 April 2008 was an interesting time. The world's economy was imploding. A young Senator Barack Obama battled Washington heavyweight and former first lady Hilary Clinton in the Democratic primary and Tata Motors had acquired Jaguar and Land Rover a month before. There was also 18 April 2008. Not a date that most of us would remember, but history will note it as the most significant date in Indian sports. It was the day of the first match of the Indian Premier League. Blasphemous statement? Not even close. It is truer than you can imagine. As it approaches its tenth birthday the impact of the IPL in its short run has been astounding. The league has been tainted with many labels and criticised accordingly. The cheerleaders, parties and the unceremonious ouster of the league's chief architect Lalit Modi. Th

This article first appeared at https://www.huffingtonpost.in/pranav-gandhi/this-is-hands-down-the-indian-sportsperson-of-the-year-2016_a_21622156/ on 8/12/2016 This has been a year like no other. If you've had any semblance of a pulse you'll know that 2016 has been filled with the good, the bad and the shocking. Sports was no different. In international sports you had  Leicester City's improbable EPL title , Usain Bolts  third triple  and  Phelps owning more gold than Bappi . Then there was  Spieth's 12 th  hole at the Masters ,  Portugal winning the Euro , Djoko's  start to the year and of course his end to the year , I could go on. On the Indian side, we had our moments—Kohli and Ashwin became greater, Vijender Singh became a champion and hockey showed signs that it may be on its way back. Then you had the debacle at the Olympics—a two-medal return from Brazil despite the highest of expectations. On the surface of it, Indian sports had a below average y

This Article Fist Appeared at https://www.huffingtonpost.in/pranav-gandhi/who-are-the-real-ambassad_b_9784560.html on 29/04/16 Does it matter what  Dipa Karmakar 's preparation plans are to win an Olympic medal? No. Is it important to check with the Indian Olympic Association what support rower  Dattu Bhokanal  needs before Rio? Definitely not. Is it critical that Team India's final run up to the games be planned in a manner so encouraging and supportive that the country wins more medals than ever before? Don't be preposterous. The most important story in India about the ultimate event in sports--The Summer Olympic Games--is whether Salman Khan was the  right choice for Goodwill Ambassador. My knee-jerk reaction was that a sports person should be appointed as Goodwill Ambassador to a sporting event. I thought the choice of Salman was senseless. I was wrong. This entire debate is senseless. Do you remember our Goodwill Ambassador to the 2012 London Gam