The year 2023 was one of reckoning for Indian sport. While Indian sport stars continued to soar to greater heights on the field, the battles behind the scenes often spilled over.
The year started with some of India’s top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia and Olympian Vinesh Phogat, taking to the street to protest against then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The wrestlers found little support in the power corridors of Indian sport despite Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament, being accused of sexually harassing several wrestlers, including a minor. Though Singh was dismissed as the WFI president, one of his aides, Sanjay Singh, was elected to the post on 21 December. Within a week, the Union sports ministry also suspended the newly formed WFI for hastily announcing U-15 and U-20 national trials in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh—Brij Bhushan’s stronghold—by the end of the year.
The year ended with Malik, India’s only woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal, quitting the sport in tears hours after Sanjay Singh’s election. She deemed it a battle lost. The episode threw light on the systemic struggles Indians, especially women, have to face, no matter how many medals or laurels they have won.
The silver lining? In possibly the longest and most public protest launched by Indian athletes, it proved that some of them were not afraid of taking on a much bigger enemy and championing causes beyond the sports field. Even if it came at a hefty price in their careers.
Though the wrestlers’ protest has left an indelible mark on Indian sports history, as the year draws to a close, we look back at the happier, affirming times. When Indians excelled in a more objective, black and white world of sports. When they inspired and empowered.
MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 30, 2023 من Mint Mumbai.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 30, 2023 من Mint Mumbai.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Air fares in Sep quarter rise, Q3 may be worse
Multiple public holidays have sparked demand for short trips to domestic destinations, said Indiver Rastogi, president & group head of global business travel at Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel. This year, Independence Day, Janmashtami, Onam, Eid and Ganesh Chat-
Yes, the world is hotter than it has been in 2,000 years or so
A scientific study of tree rings confirms global warming is for real
As a non-resident, is there a tax liability on exiting Indian MFs?
I have been investing in mutual funds for the past four years. Last year, I moved to Dubai and am currently a non-resident Indian NRD). Say, if] exit all my mutual fund investments now, would I have zero tax liability? —Name withheld on request.
Mergers off but PSB privatization still on
T 'he Centre doesn't have any plan to merge public sector banks (PSBS) in FY25, though it will not ditch plans to privatize PSBs during the fiscal, two people aware of the matter said.
Think Tesla Is In Trouble? Pity Even More Its Wannabe EV Rivals
The combined market value of six prominent wannabes hit 400bn in 2021, but today they are worth 65bn
Has The Growth Of Our Economy Translated Into Domestic Jobs?
While the covid shock and other setbacks got in the way, data indicates that employment in India is on a firm recovery path
Financial Sector Reforms Plan To Be Unveiled Post Elections
The govt will cut its stake in five PSBs this fiscal to comply with Sebi’s listing guidelines
Generative AI Is Not Ubiquitous In The Business World-Not Yet
While some AI tools racked up users, some firms are proceeding with caution, or not at all
Wipro’s CEO switch was not about its share price
Shareholder value data does not explain the firm's change on top. In a flux-filled field like infotech, business performance counts for more and Wipro's challenge still seems quite steep
How not to blow a major chunk of your travel budget on visas
Rejection of visas can impact your travel costs, especially when you have to cancel flight and hotel bookings