All posts tagged: Sport

Longest I have stayed away from the sport: Bhavani Devi

Longest I have stayed away from the sport: Bhavani Devi

Published by Webster

Indian fencer Bhavani Devi was still learning the basics of the sport as a 12-year-old when Chennai hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Fencing Championships. Fencers from nine countries had flown in to compete, and a young Bhavani skipped her school to watch the action closely. On Wednesday, as India concluded its successful hosting of the Asian Senior Fencing Championships, Bhavani reflected on how watching international fencers had helped her gain valuable experience. “The last big event was the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Chennai in 2006. I went there as a spectator and skipped school just to watch the competition. So I understand how watching international-level fencing at that age inspired me to perform better,” Bhavani Devi told The Bridge. “I remember the last time Indians watched a fencing event was during my Tokyo Olympics campaign. After that, I don’t know if many people had the opportunity to watch a fencing competition featuring the Indian team. So it is great to fence in front of the Indian audience,” she added. Mentally prepared for my return Bhavani underwent …

The superstitious rituals behind the world’s most analytical sport

The superstitious rituals behind the world’s most analytical sport

Published by Webster

Cricket and numbers go hand in hand. Strike rate, wagon wheels, match-ups, pitch maps, expected runs and format-by-format comparisons keep fans busy for hours. Yet something deeply human still survives in the middle of all that data. Players with access to video analysis, biomechanics and nutrition plans can still refuse to change gloves during a good innings, a batter might put on the left pad first for years and a fielder may always sit in the exact same dressing-room spot. In cricket, these superstitions almost make sense. The sport is built on repetition. The same run-up, the same grip, the same trigger movement and the same routine between balls. When margins are this thin, a ritual is not always just superstition. Sometimes it is a way to focus. When luck becomes part of the game plan Some stories have become part of cricket folklore. Steve Waugh famously carried his red handkerchief when he went out to bat. Sachin Tendulkar has often been linked with the habit of putting on his left pad before his right. …

The VR combat sport making its Asian Games debut

The VR combat sport making its Asian Games debut

Published by Webster

Virtual Taekwondo, a digital version of the traditional combat sport, is set to be included at the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The discipline first gained international attention at the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Esports Series held in Singapore in June 2023, where it made its global debut. What is Virtual Taekwondo? Virtual Taekwondo is an immersive, non-contact combat sport played using virtual reality (VR) technology. Athletes wear VR headsets and motion-tracking devices that capture their movements and translate them into a digital arena. Unlike traditional taekwondo, competitors do not physically strike each other. Instead, players face a virtual opponent and score points through precise and powerful kicks. The objective is to land accurate strikes to the head and body while building the highest score on the power gauge before the match ends. In one-on-one contests, athletes use their entire body as a controller. How will it be played at the Asian Games? At the Asian Games, Virtual Taekwondo will feature a mixed-gender individual competition. The event will be contested through a 16-player …

‘When your brother also plays same sport…’

‘When your brother also plays same sport…’

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Jun 4, 2026 09:36 AM IST Krunal Pandya was an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) setup this season that succesfully defended their Indian Premier League (IPL) title. For both Pandya and RCB, there were significant milestones – RCB became just the third team to have won consecutive IPL titles, after famously having waited 17 years to win their first last season. For Pandya, this was the fifth time he had won the title, having won it four times in the past with the Mumbai Indians. It was also the second time he didn’t have his brother Hardik with him on the champions’ podium, with the latter instead having a forgettable season as captain of MI. Krunal and Hardik famously share a close relationship that has been seen on the cricket field a number of times in the IPL and with the Indian team. “Obviously, we have played together,” said Krunal in an interview with the Times of India. “We have always discussed cricket in terms of tactical, technical stuff …

FIFA’s Gianni Infantino, Trump’s favourite sport administrator

FIFA’s Gianni Infantino, Trump’s favourite sport administrator

Published by Webster

In May 2015, as dawn broke over Zurich, plain-clothed FBI agents moved through the corridors of the luxurious Baur au Lac hotel. Curtains were drawn to shield embarrassed football officials from television cameras as they were escorted out. The images travelled around the world: FIFA, football’s untouchable empire, finally under siege. The arrests marked the beginning of the end for the old order. Sepp Blatter would soon be gone. Michel Platini’s succession plans would collapse. FIFA, battered by corruption scandals and criminal investigations, needed a new face. When those curtains were eventually pulled back, another figure emerged from the wreckage: Gianni Infantino. The Swiss lawyer – with a perfectly round bald head – whom most football fans recognised only as the man standing on stage during UEFA Champions League draws, reaching into glass bowls to pull out little balls containing team names. A functionary and master of ceremonies was nobody’s idea of the most powerful man in world sport. But a decade later, Infantino has become precisely that. He is close enough to US President …

Serena Williams is returning to pro tennis at age 44 after nearly 4 years away from the sport

Serena Williams is returning to pro tennis at age 44 after nearly 4 years away from the sport

Published by Webster

Serena Williams is returning to professional tennis at age 44 after nearly four years away from the sport. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has accepted a wild card invitation to play doubles at the upcoming Queen’s Club grass-court tournament in London, the WTA Tour announced Monday. Williams also made a post on social media with the caption, “Guess everybody heard the news.” The post had a video with her phone ringing, during which she said, “I gotta change my number.” The Queen’s Club tournament starts next Monday and the WTA said Williams will play “with a partner to be announced in due course.” A return on grass will raise speculation that Williams also plans to compete at Wimbledon, which starts June 28. She’s won seven singles titles at the All England Club. Williams has not competed since bidding farewell at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, Williams said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis. “Serena brought the game to another level …

Lamine Yamal enters debut FIFA World Cup with the sport at his feet; glory beckons for football’s most must-watch star

Lamine Yamal enters debut FIFA World Cup with the sport at his feet; glory beckons for football’s most must-watch star

Published by Parlour News

Replacing Lionel Messi on FC Barcelona’s right-wing and in its attack is a feat that should feel almost impossible. It is a credit to the immense talent, mentality, and quality of Spain’s Lamine Yamal that he has stepped into the role of being that player – all as a teenager, and now, one of the most recognisable faces in world football. Lamine Yamal has already led Spain to a EUROs championship. The FIFA World Cup is next on his bucket list. (AFP) Already having been the heart and soul of Spain’s run to the Euro Championships in 2024, Lamine is set to play a star role at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, where he leads the line for a resurgent Roja squad seeking to find their second trophy after their 2010 success. Lamine will celebrate his 19th birthday the week before the Final at MetLife Stadium – as a player born for the big moment, he will want to give himself the greatest birthday gift imaginable. Lamine’s quality and talent is almost …

Vinesh Phogat is the ultimate ‘zidd’ of Indian sport

Vinesh Phogat is the ultimate ‘zidd’ of Indian sport

Published by Webster

A lot has already been written, spoken and discussed about Vinesh Phogat and the Wrestling Federation of India saga. Every layer has already been examined in great detail by journalists, experts and on social media. What’s brewing within the WFI or what preparations Vinesh is quietly undergoing for her big return on May 30 is something no one truly knows. But one thing is clear: the pressure to perform now will be far greater than what she experienced at the 2024 Paris Olympics. While everyone is discussing the chronology of events, very few have touched upon what it means for a woman to return to the elite level while still in her late postpartum. Here’s how I, as a mother, a journalist, and, most importantly, an athlete, look at the entire episode through these three lenses. As a mother, the physical and emotional toll that Vinesh has already undergone is commendable. According to the International Testing Agency (ITA), Vinesh was eligible to compete from January 1, 2026, barely six months after the birth of her …

Kevin Pietersen backs David Miller after DC’s last-over heartbreak against GT in IPL 2026: ‘That is sport’ | Cricket News

Kevin Pietersen backs David Miller after DC’s last-over heartbreak against GT in IPL 2026: ‘That is sport’ | Cricket News

Published by Webster

3 min readApr 9, 2026 07:17 PM IST Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has backed David Miller after the South African left-hander came under heavy criticism for not taking Delhi Capitals (DC) over the line in their IPL 2026 match against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Wednesday. The 44-year-old praised Miller for walking out to bat despite nursing a hand injury, adding that his ball striking was “absolutely unreal”. “David Miller batted beautifully last night. His ball striking was absolutely unreal. Many wouldn’t have gone back out to bat with his hand injury, but he did! The way he was batting, he wanted to finish the game and trusted himself. That Is Sport! At least he got us a great finish!” Pietersen wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. David Miller batted beautifully last night.His ball striking was absolutely unreal.Many wouldn’t have gone back out to bat with his hand injury, but he did!The way he was batting, he wanted to finish the game and trusted himself.That Is Sport!At least he got us a great… — …

Ace shuttler PV Sindhu’s honest message to young athletes on studies and sport

Ace shuttler PV Sindhu’s honest message to young athletes on studies and sport

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 18, 2026 05:45 PM IST Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu emphasised the need to have a good education for aspiring athletes, warning that it is too “risky” to ignore academics and focus solely on a sporting career that can end with a single injury. “I have been playing for so many years. At some point of time you have to retire, right? And that’s the truth. You can’t be playing sport when you’re 45 or 50 or 60 at the highest level. And you have to accept that fact, whereas education will always be lifelong with you, and that will always stay with you,” said the two-time Olympic medallist at DPS International, while speaking to educationist Devyani Jaipuria. “Nobody is born with a golden spoon and you have to work hard, whether it is in studies or sports…Studies and sports are equally important. I have done my MBA. So, I know, like, it’s not easy…you go to training in the morning, come back, study, and then you go for evening sessions. Because …