SPORTS

During the inaugural speech of the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, Chief Minister Stalin noted that of the 73 Indian grandmasters, 26 were from Tamil Nadu. “That means 36% of Indian grandmasters are from Tamil Nadu. It is a game of intelligence and mathematics and Chennai can be rightly called the chess capital of India,” he said. But while cricket and chess are held in high regard in the state, with the necessary conditions for success, a look at other sports in the city presents a sorry picture. The impact of COVID-19 and the absence of support has hampered…

The Karnataka state women's team is battling it out in the ongoing National Women's Football Championship in Arunachal Pradesh. For the talented team and their captain Tanvie Hans, it's a constant struggle for opportunities, yet they give the game their best. In the concluding part of this series on women's football, we look at the professional women players. It’s Wednesday, which means that Brishti Bagchi, 25, only has three practices today. In less than two weeks, she will be on a plane headed to Madrid to play professional football, a dream she has had since she was a little girl.…

It’s still dark out, the roads are as quiet as you’ll ever hear them in Bengaluru. The relative peace and quiet here is disturbed only by an energetic herd of 10 young girls. Monisha Mercelline leads this pack of girls - some barefoot, others in flip flops - to a dirt field by Sri Chamundeshari Park in Koramangala 8th Block. Monisha is a programme coordinator at the non-profit Maarga which works with children from slums. She had woken up around 4 am to round up the girls aged between 12 and 18, visiting each of their residences. “Initially, we used…

Over 100 girls descended upon Bangalore Football Stadium on a July evening for their chance to make the Karnataka state women's team. Twenty two of them took the field in a scrimmage, in hopes of impressing the scouts and earning a spot on the roster. Others sat in the stands, taking off shin guards and cleats, sweat dripping from having just played. Some others wait down by the field for their turn. A few huddle in small groups, laughing and taking pictures, while others sit alone, stoically watching the game. All of them there for one reason - their love…

This month, the Karnataka state women’s football team is in Arunachal Pradesh, in high hopes of winning the Women’s National Football Championship. As the national championship enters its 25th year, the women’s game in India and Karnataka is at a turning point too. More women than ever are playing the game, and the official machinery is keen to support them. Playing for Karnataka at the national championship is 15-year-old Tanya Gupta, who scored the winning goal in the Independence Day Cup in Bengaluru last month. That tournament was opened to women just this year, for the first time in its…

If you want to be a professional sportsperson, what training options do you have in Bengaluru? Where do you go if you can't afford private coaching or training facilities? In this edition of Citizens Live, Olympian Pramila Aiyappa and para-athlete Shalini Saraswathi share their thoughts. Currently, there are only two major sports training facilities in Bengaluru - state government's Kanteerava Stadium, and central government's SAI (Sports Authority of India) centre in Kengeri. Pramila, a heptathlete who had trained at SAI, says that all facilities are not available under one roof. Currently a coach, Pramila had represented India in the 2000…

The 9th Annual Eureka Run sponsored by CanFin Homes is scheduled for 5:45 AM on February 24th, at Elliot’s Beach, Chennai. The run is organized by Aid India, a non-profit working on improvements in learning quality of children in villages. Aid India uses the annual Eureka Run as a platform to create awareness about issues that plague the field of education and its impact on the lives of children in Tamil Nadu. In the 1083 remote villages that it works in, Aid India aims to boost children's confidence by building skills in Spoken English, Mental Maths and Science.  Its unique…

Badminton seems to be attracting a fair bit of attention in Chennai these days. While the Chennai Smashers have gained popularity in the Premier Badminton League, players like S Sankar Muthusamy are putting Tamil Nadu's name upfront in the world badminton arena. Last October, Sankar Muthusamy became the first player from Tamil Nadu to bag a bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Junior Championship, in the Boys Singles U-15 category. “He is also the first player from the state to have won the national singles. Sankar's achievements have been an inspiration for many to pursue the sport. More people have…

With a long coastline, Chennaiites have the luxury of a sand track for their sporting activities, especially athletics. The sand track is the cheapest facility for many athletes, including the youth from fishermen communities, who can be seen practising on beach roads. The 210 playgrounds maintained by the Greater Chennai Corporation also facilitate daily practice for the potential athletes. But can we really provide the kind of infrastructure needed for athletes to compete and shine on the global arena ? Perhaps not. While the existing facilities are good for athletes in the early training phases, mastering the sport requires well-equipped…

Scenes from the summer past in a Kodambakkam corporation ground: A flurry of activity, with boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 16 engaged in a variety of tasks-- zipping around the grounds learning to control a football as their coach guided them through the moves. Or, training in traditional forms such as silambattam, a form of martial arts using canes. Or learning folks dances popular in Tamil Nadu. A break from school that would've otherwise been spent idling thus turned productive, thanks to the local Police Boys and Girls Club that organised the summer camp for the youth of…