The Indian men’s national football team has arrived in Auckland, marking the beginning of a historic first-ever tour of New Zealand as the Blue Tigers prepare for two international friendlies against the All Whites during the November FIFA window.
The recent string of low-scoring cricket matches in New Zealand has triggered an intense wave of nostalgia, forcing fans and pundits to look back at the infamous 2002 India tour of New Zealand. Modern cricket, typically dominated by flat tracks and massive totals, has suddenly been replaced by a grueling, old-school battle between bat and ball. The current green, dynamic pitches are acting as a time machine, perfectly mirroring the hazardous, seam-friendly conditions from over two decades ago.
The day Indian football came under the control of Reliance in 2014, the final nail was driven into the coffin of Indian football. To become a coach in an ISL team, you had to be a foreigner. In other words, the days of domestic coaches proving their worth and demonstrating their tactical intelligence were over. From Rahim Saab and P.K. Banerjee to Subhash Bhowmick, everyone became a part of football's archival history.
A secure career in software engineering was waiting for Anuj Shrivatri. Instead, the 22-year-old chose uncertainty, walked away from a job opportunity and decided to give chess one final, serious push. That gamble has now made him India’s 100th Grandmaster and Madhya Pradesh’s first.