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Root for the real champions
Updated On: 02 August, 2024 09:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Fiona Fernandez
A book on India’s sporting heroes is an inspiring read for young adults; but balanced representation across disciplines and sharper curation would have added more heft
Dipa Karmakar. File pics
How do you put together a book about India’s modern sporting champs? Does it depend on the number of medals won at international competitions? Do we ditch the awards cabinet, and instead focus on the blood-sweat-tears template as the benchmark? Or should the impact of the sportsperson’s achievements on lay Indians be considered a factor? Tanushree Podder’s Golden Sportspersons (HarperCollins India) is a mix of all of the above. She picks the stories of 32 sportspersons across disciplines.
As we write this review, boxer Nikhat Zareen is battling Wu Yu, a top-seeded Chinese opponent in the 50kg category at the 2024 Paris Olympics. For a change, Indians in offices and on their commute are tracking updates for non-cricket sports. This book’s release is in sync, and Zareen’s journey to being one of India’s leading women pugilists makes for a fascinating read. It’s bound to egg young kids, girls especially. Likewise, there are heartwarming accounts of those who shone quietly — heptathlete Swapna Barman, triple jumper Eldhose Paul. Most faced countless battles, especially if they hailed from low-income homes. Theirs are the stories that readers will find enriching.
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