Vaibhav Raghunandan : All

Vaibhav Raghunandan
Story of Indian wrestling’s Greco-Roman Stepson
19 Feb 2020
The gold medal by Sunil Kumar, after a gap of 27 years, at the Asian Wrestling Championships even as Indian freestyle grapplers conquered the world in the same period, paints the rather bleak…
Vaibhav Raghunandan
Sole for a Soul: Nike’s Chokehold on World Athletics
10 Feb 2020
The international governing body for athletics (IAAF) brings new rules for footwear that, by design or coincidence, again seem to favour Nike. The sportswear manufacturer controls the narrative in…
Vaibhav Raghunandan
SAI Kokrajhar: Tales From an Indian Sports Outpost
05 Feb 2020
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) Kokrajhar centre in Assam, in an area known for student agitations, demands of regional autonomy, rubber plantations and golden tailed langurs, has produced scores…
Vaibhav Raghunandan
CAA Protests: Eerie Silence! Why the Indian Sports Star Refuses to Speak Up
24 Dec 2019
Citizenship Amendment Act protests (CAA protests): In a healthier and more robust society sportspersons would have plenty to say about our problems — from caustic Hindutva, to the vast inequities in…
Vaibhav Raghunandan
Referees: The Silent Scapegoats
08 Dec 2019
Incidents over the course of the current season of the Hero Indian Super League have put the focus on those officiating the sport. We examine some of the ground realities of working as a referee in…
Vaibhav Raghunandan
Hero I-League 2019-20: Opening Weekend Talking Points
02 Dec 2019
India’s football season is well and truly underway. Since we have been on about it for half a year, we watched all the games that TV allowed us to. From bore draws to technical glitches, it was all…
Vaibhav Raghunandan
The Return of the I-League The Competition Indian Football Thrives On
22 Nov 2019
The 13th season of the I-League is set to roll from November 30 after riding a storm that threatened the existence of the competition and the clubs in it. The league, which taps into the grassroots,…
Vaibhav Raghunandan
Indian Football Team Caught in a Vortex of Indecision
19 Nov 2019
As the Indian football team gets set to take on Oman in a FIFA World Cup qualifier away fixture in Muscat, coach Igor Stimac is yet to figure out what his best team is, a problem that inhibits his…
Vaibhav Raghunandan
FIH, Hockey India Set to Gloss Over Cracks With Another Desi World Cup Spectacle
16 Nov 2019
India is set to spend crores to host another FIH Men's Hockey World Cup even as the game struggles in traditional pockets across the country. The International Hockey Federation, on its part, seems…
Vaibhav Raghunandan
Indian Hockey Teams Enter Tokyo Olympics: Five Takeaways from the Qualifying Campaign
04 Nov 2019
Both the Indian men's and women's hockey teams were far from perfect in their qualifying campaign for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. More game time, and a structured long-term plan for development, beyond…