PRG's Thoughts

--> What if we defined talent differently in sports? What if instead of using the standard definition of talent, which is traditionally based on the physical abilities of an athlete we start giving weightage to the ‘mental’ strength of the individual? How would this new definition change the way we look at sportspersons? Let’s try it on for size. If we are adding an individual’s ‘mental’ abilities to the definition of talent we probably need to define what we mean by ‘mental’ abilities? Is it the ability to perform under moments of pressure? Yes. That definitely is a factor. Hitting sixes and boundaries in the last over of a match, raising your game when it is 4-4 in the fifth set of a tennis match and of course lining up to kick a penalty. This mental ability to perform when it counts the most, is a skill and talent that only the best in the business have had over the years. But this only makes up a small part of an athletes mental ability. The second par...

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. T...

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 spor...

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 201...

If the IPL were played during the time of the Mahabharat the Indian Media would have blamed it for influencing Duryodhan’s behavior. It would have happened and you know it. Duryodhan, being a prince and all, would have definitely owned a team or maybe even been a cricketer in the league. Then when he attempted to strip Draupadi in front of the whole court there would be debates on news channels connecting his IPL team to what he was doing. It’s like the two players who went to a rave in Juhu that got busted. Must be the IPL that sent them to the rave right? Because I am sure the owners of their team told them that they should attend a rave where there will be drugs. Or the owner who got in to a scuffle with security, it must be the IPL. Because lets be honest, we have never heard of Bollywood stars that have had similar problems. Am I right Saif and Salman? Why didn’t they go after Bollywood? But here- it must be the IPL. Finally, there is the player who allegedly mis...

The college football (American Football) season kicks off in full swing this Saturday. For most of you that means nothing at all. But for those of you who went to one of the big sports schools in the US, it is the beginning of the best four months of the year. The excitement of the season for us college football fans is as much as what we feel for the world cup or any big sporting event. I love my Texas Longhorns as much as the Indian Cricket team or Roger Federer or Tiger Woods. Now, if you are wondering why am I writing about a sport that only three people in India really care about, it is because India can learn a lot from the American system of talent and sports development. After the recent series in England the lack of depth in our sports teams is pretty evident. The system in American Sports is very clear. It is applicable for all American sports but to make it easier I will use football as an example. Right from the 10 th and 11 th grade in high school a talented fo...