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The ninth edition of the PlayWrite Sports Literature Festival brought together sports enthusiasts, athletes and sports fraternity celebrating stories, journey and insights from the world of Indian sports held at The Lalit, Chandigarh on Saturday
In the inaugural session, Kiran Kanojia, an Indian para-athlete and India’s first women “Blade Runner,” shared her deeply inspiring journey with the audience. Recalling the life-altering train incident in Hyderabad in 2011 when she lost her limb a day before her birthday while resisting bag snatchers. She said her journey did not begin on the track but in a hospital ward. Encouraged by her father’s words, “You may have lost a limb, but not your courage,”. “Sport builds character,” she said, adding in Hindi, “Log problems se bhagte hain, aur main problems mein bhagti hoon. (People run away from problems,” she remarked, “but I run through them),
Later, during a session on ‘Ice Breaking – Ice hockey’, speakers highlighted both the challenges and the growing promise of the sport in India. Harjinder Singh, Founder, Indian Ice Hockey Association (IIHA) recalled the early journey of promoting ice hockey in the country, noting that despite players getting barely two months to train in the harsh upper Himalayan regions, India managed to secure medals in the international arenas which is an achievement reflecting the grit of the athletes. Disket Changmo, captain of the Indian women’s team and a member since 2016, shared how her inspiration came from spotting an American woman playing in a men’s ice hockey team in Leh. She stressed that more women should take up the sport, though climate change and shrinking frozen lakes in Leh remain a serious concern. Elaborating on the sport’s potential, Gurpreet Singh Bakshi President (IIHA) said there is tremendous enthusiasm among youth in regions like Kaza and other Himalayan areas. He informed that nearly 2,000 players are already part of the emerging talent pool for leagues in India which is a good emerging sign of sports in India.
The session “Shining Young International Sportswomen” brought together three inspiring Indian women athletes Ganemat Sekhon (Shooting), Raiza Dhillon (Shooting) and Bhavani Thekkada (Cross Country Skier) in conversation with moderator Hardeep Singh Chandpuri. The discussion highlighted their remarkable journeys from modest beginnings to competing on the international stage. Each athlete shared the challenges they faced while pursuing sports in India, particularly as women in disciplines that traditionally receive limited support and visibility. Bhavani recalled her humble beginnings with deep emotion by sharing how she often borrowed ski shoes from the Indian Army just to train.
The session “Steely Journalism” featured senior sports journalists Neeru Bhatia and Mona in conversation with Saurabh Duggal which offered a powerful reflection on the challenges and evolution of sports journalism in India, especially for women. Neeru Bhatia spoke about her journey spanning over three decades, recalling how she began covering sports with Newstrack and DD Metro at a time when electronic media in sports reporting was still developing. Mona shared her transition from being a political reporter to becoming one of the first Hindi sports journalists. Known for embracing challenges, she covered major international events including the 2002 FIFA World Cup. She recalled that in earlier years, the presence of women in press boxes was often not easily accepted and vernacular journalists frequently faced bias and rejection.
A session on ‘tennis at the grassroots’ featured former Indian tennis player Vishal Uppal and Navchetan Benipal, researcher raised at NIS Patiala and associated with the study “Representation of Women Lawn Tennis Players as icons in conversation with former Indian noted sports journalist Sukhwant Basra. Vishal Uppal emphasised the need to look beyond criticism and partner with the Indian Tennis Federation to collectively nurture talent. “Tennis is an individual sport, but its growth requires combined efforts within the community,” he lauded. Both spoke about Sania Mirza, who became a global icon despite social and cultural challenges, including opposition from conservative sections that did not encourage women in sports.