Boria Majumdar

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.

Twenty-nine medals, with seven gold and nine silver medals. From one in 2012 to four in Rio and 19 in Tokyo, it has been a story of exponential growth for India at the Paralympics. India had not won seven gold medals in the last four editions of the Paralympic Games combined, a statistic good enough to put in perspective the Paris 2024 campaign. While each of these gold medals is a story, the seventh and last gold medal, which catapulted India into the top 20 of the medal rankings, is a fascinating tale of resilience and determination.

The Delhi High Court on Friday set aside the decision of the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) Players Status Committee (PSC) to ban Anwar Ali and directed the PSC to conduct the proceedings afresh.

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.

India doesnt have a goal scorer who can replace Sunil Chhetri, who recently retired from international football, and it was yet again evident in the Intercontinental Cup. A cursory look at all participating teams reveals that almost all of them have foreign strikers playing for them. Unless there are Indians players fulfilling the scoring duties for their teams in the domestic league, how and where would they get opportunities to hone their skills and be ready to represent their country against quality teams in international tournaments.

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?

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.

It was perhaps fitting that Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan were at the crease when Bangladesh started to celebrate. The Test series win against Pakistan will rank as one of their best moments ever in cricket, and very justly so. Beating Pakistan 2-0 in a Test series was not something even the greatest of Bangladesh supporters would have imagined possible. Strange things happen in cricket, and this was indeed one such with serious repercussions for the sport going forward.

It was a hostile crowd to start with. And the match was against the host nation in China. If anyone watched the game closely, he or she would agree that the umpiring left a lot to be desired. In fact, at one point India's captain, Harmanpreet Singh, was so exasperated with the on-field umpire that he gestured to his players that the umpire was not able to comprehend, nor was he willing to listen!

As the India-Bangladesh series starts today, one of the main subplots that I am keen on is how the Indians tackle quality spin. India’s record against the turning ball in…