Author: Deshwale Sports Desk

India’s women’s hockey team did not win the World Cup. They did not even reach the semi-final. Yet days after their campaign ended, Hockey India handed them a cash reward of fifty lakh rupees. No trophy, no medal, no final. Just a check, and a lot of pride. At first glance, this looks like a mismatch. Sport, especially in India, has always run on a simple rule: you win, you get rewarded. Gold gets garlands and crores. Fourth place usually gets forgotten. So why did a fifth-place finish suddenly become worth celebrating with real money? The answer lies in where…

Sport has a special way of bringing an entire country together. When an Indian athlete stands on an international podium and the Tricolour rises behind them, the moment feels bigger than the medal itself. Over the years, Indian sportspersons have competed, won and broken barriers across different disciplines. On National Sports Day, here are 10 athletes who have made India proud on the world stage and inspired millions along the way. 1. Major Dhyan Chand: The Hockey Legend Major Dhyan Chand remains one of the most celebrated names in Indian sporting history. Known as the “Wizard of Hockey”, he was…

आज पूरे देश में राष्ट्रीय खेल दिवस मनाया जा रहा है। दफ्तरों में इनडोर खेल प्रतियोगिताएं हो रही हैं, कॉलेजों में फिटनेस कैंप लग रहे हैं, और सोशल मीडिया हैशटैग से भरा पड़ा है। यूजीसी ने देश भर के उच्च शिक्षण संस्थानों को 28 से 30 अगस्त तक खेल गतिविधियां आयोजित करने का निर्देश दिया है। बड़ी सरकारी बीमा कंपनियां भी अपने दफ्तरों में तीन दिन का खेल अभियान चला रही हैं, ताकि कर्मचारियों को शारीरिक गतिविधि के लिए प्रेरित किया जा सके। यह सब देखकर लगता है जैसे देश अचानक खेलप्रेमी बन गया हो। लेकिन सवाल यह है कि…

भारतीय ट्रायथलॉन में प्रतिभाओं की बढ़ती संख्या और पैरा-स्पोर्ट्स के मजबूत होते आधार की झलक पुणे में देखने को मिली। श्री शिव छत्रपति स्पोर्ट्स कॉम्प्लेक्स, बालेवाड़ी में 14 से 16 अगस्त तक आयोजित इंडियन ट्रायथलॉन फेडरेशन मिनी ऑरेंज नेशनल एंड एज-ग्रुप ट्रायथलॉन चैंपियनशिप में देशभर से रिकॉर्ड 449 एथलीटों ने हिस्सा लिया। प्रतियोगिता ने न केवल ट्रायथलॉन की लोकप्रियता को रेखांकित किया, बल्कि महिला, जूनियर और पैरा-एथलीटों की बढ़ती भागीदारी को भी सामने रखा। इस चैंपियनशिप का सबसे खास आकर्षण महाराष्ट्र की शाश्रुति विनायक नकाड़े रहीं। उन्होंने महिलाओं की PTS4_5 श्रेणी में स्वर्ण पदक जीतकर पैरा-ट्रायथलॉन में अपनी प्रतिभा और…

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Smt. Raksha Khadse led a BRICS Friendship Cycling Event in Visakhapatnam on August 23. The event formed part of the 87th edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle. The cycling event took place alongside the BRICS Youth & Sports Ministers’ Meeting hosted by India. Ministers and Heads of Departments from Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, the UAE, Iran and South Africa also joined the event. Their participation highlighted the spirit of friendship and cooperation among BRICS nations. At the same time, the event…

Mumbai (Anil Bedag): After more than two decades in television and digital entertainment, Nivedita Basu has taken on a new challenge. She is now a competitive squash player. Basu took up squash seriously after the age of 40. Today, she represents Maharashtra on the Masters circuit and is a seeded player in her category. Her journey shows that age does not have to limit new ambitions. Sport has always been close to Basu. She grew up in a family with a strong sporting background. Her father played tennis and squash. Her mother competed at the national level in table tennis…

He didn’t score the winning goal or make the decisive save. He simply made sure Spain never needed either, until it mattered most Most World Cups introduce the world to a striker or a winger, someone whose highlight reel writes itself. Occasionally, a defender rewrites the story instead. At this tournament, that was Pau Cubarsí. At 19, the Barcelona centre-back was named the FIFA Young Player of the Tournament, an award that has previously gone to Pelé, Kylian Mbappé and Enzo Fernández. The number behind it is the real headline: across eight matches, Spain conceded just once, in a 2-1…

How Ferran Torres turned a lifetime of being underestimated into the goal that gave Spain the World Cup He wasn’t even on the pitch when the final began. For 105 minutes at MetLife Stadium, Spain had done almost everything but score, dominating possession, starving Lionel Messi of the ball, watching Emiliano Martínez fling himself across his goal line several times. Argentina, reduced to ten men after Enzo Fernández saw a second yellow card, had nothing left to attack with. Still, 0-0 held. Then, 39 seconds into the second half of extra time, Nico Williams rose to head a long ball…

How Ferran Torres turned a lifetime of being underestimated into the goal that gave Spain the World Cup He wasn’t even on the pitch when the final began. For 105 minutes at MetLife Stadium, Spain had done almost everything but score, dominating possession, starving Lionel Messi of the ball, watching Emiliano Martínez fling himself across his goal line several times. Argentina, reduced to ten men after Enzo Fernández saw a second yellow card, had nothing left to attack with. Still, 0-0 held. Then, 39 seconds into the second half of extra time, Nico Williams rose to head a long ball…

For international powerlifter and entrepreneur Gaurii Manochaa, success is not defined by physical strength alone. She believes true victory begins in the mind, where confidence, discipline and resilience are built long before stepping onto the competition platform. Having represented India at international events, Gaurii says every tournament has taught her valuable lessons about handling pressure, overcoming fear and constantly striving to become a better athlete. Reflecting on her journey, Gaurii admitted that she was nervous during the early stages of her competitive career. However, with experience came confidence and a greater sense of purpose. She said that competing for India…