The district of Bhiwani in Haryana is called ‘mini Cuba’ owing to the number of boxers and wrestlers who come out of the region. Why is that though? Why Bhiwani. Vikas Krishnan says his people take up boxing so they get a job, when the soil isn’t fertile, children learn to fight for their livelihood.

In this episode, Boxer Vikas Krishnan speaks to us about his journey from a village in Haryana to now his 3rd time at the Olympics at Tokyo in July 2021.

Back in childhood, every little fight could be solved with a friendly (or not) game of panja. When we think of combat sports, at least in India, arm wrestling is probably the most popular one. Here’s Parvin Dabas, actor from the Khosla ka Ghosla fame, and Founder of the Pro Panja League who’s re-popularising the sport to reach the masses.

In this episode, Parvin talks about his journey from being an actor to launching a sports league, the MMA scene in the country, and the future of combat sports with arm wrestling.

Have you been one of those who compare Indian Olympic performances with those of countries like China, the US, and Russia? Do you talk about how we could do just as well if a developing country like India had better facilities? Here’s Manisha Malhota, Head of Sports Excellence & Scouting at JSW Sports, who’s changing this conversation by leading an institute that grooms athletes to get the medals we’ve all been waiting for.

In this episode, Manisha talks about building the Inspire Institute of Sports, the future of Olympic sports in India, and the preparedness of Indian athletes for the Tokyo Olympics 2021.

You’re watching motorsports and one car zooms past the rest, you’re rooting for the driver but who do you think is behind the wheel? One of the most powerful takeaways you’ll get from this episode is that the car sees no gender and the story of Mira Erda, Red Bull Athlete and India’s foremost female Formula 4 racer, is a testimony to that.

In this episode, Mira talks about beginning her professional career at the age of 9 and winning over men twice her age to carve a track that’s all her own.

In this 2 part episode, Vineet chats with Dipali Goenka - CEO and Joint MD of the Welspun group about Welspun’s effort in promoting women athletes through the Welspun Foundation. Vineet is also joined by Suvarna Raj - India’s premier para athlete and Shivani Charak, a leading sports climber from India, about their journey and the importance of education and empowerment needed to support sportswomen in the country.

In this 2 part episode, Vineet chats with Dipali Goenka - CEO and Joint MD of the Welspun group about Welspun’s effort in promoting women athletes through the Welspun Foundation. Vineet is also joined by Suvarna Raj - India’s premier para athlete and Shivani Charak, a leading sports climber from India, about their journey and the importance of education and empowerment needed to support sportswomen in the country.

From bunking school to watch a cricket match on cable TV to watching it online at your own convenience, sports broadcasting has come a long way. As the access and consumption of sports becomes deeper, there's a platform that takes the experience a step further, FanCode, which has created a holistic platform that personalises the sporting experience with interactive live streaming, in-depth live commentary, fastest interactive live scores, and fantasy sports data and statistics -  not just for cricket but for football, basketball, football, and rugby.

In this episode, Prasana Krishnan, Co-founder of FanCode, talks about the journey of sports broadcasting in the country and its future with new sports leagues for the Indian audience.

It was in 2000 when Imtiaz Anees went to compete at the Olympics in the equestrian category and for 20 years India didn’t see any more qualifiers. Until 2020, when 27-year-old Fouaad Mirza qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the third Indian to have qualified for the prestigious international event. With a double medal at the Asian Games and an Arjuna Award, Fouaad’s story is as interesting as it gets.

In this episode, Fouaad talks about his life with the horses, his journey towards becoming an Olympian, and the future of the sport in India.

Think back to your school days, did you have a basketball court? Most likely, you did. Most of us have played the sport at least a couple of times but the only champions from India who have made it to an NBA professional season are Satnam Singh, Amjyot Singh, Palpreet Singh, and Princepal Singh. As the global phenomenon of basketball takes over on a global level, Scott Levy, Executive VP and Managing Director at NBA Asia has it in his hands to make the most of the talent in the continent.

In this episode, Scott speaks about his journey of setting up a base for the game in Asia and the efforts the federation is making to nurture the game in India, from cities to the grassroots level.

What do wrestler Geeta Phogat, boxer MC Mary Kom, and basketball player Satnam Singh have in common? Their sporting prowess and origin from the grassroots of Indian towns and villages. With the diversity that India breathes, sports as a category will only grow when sports education reaches all corners of the country. That is exactly what Neelam Babardesai, Head of Sports at Tata Trusts, has been doing for many years.

In this episode, Neelam talks about creating a structured sporting curriculum that works across India and its impact on the players that will come out of the next generation in India.