Yes, we had a disappointing weekend in cricket.
But at the same time, I often find myself rubbing my eyes in disbelief at India’s growing competitiveness in sports where I never imagined we’d even be globally competitive.
Volleyball. Fencing. Gymnastics. Rowing. Athletics. The list keeps growing.
Yes, we’re far from the top step of the podium yet.
However, something’s clearly changing at the ground level.
Years of effort by governments, both state and central, (outstanding example being Odisha) along with private sector organisations like OGQ and many others, may finally be starting to pay off..
But it is the individual sportspersons, this new generation of champions with grit, resilience and self-belief, who are my #MondayMotivation.
Not Cricket. Not Badminton. Not Wrestling. This time, India's tricolour flew highest in gymnastics.
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, young gymnast Harschit Damodharan has scripted history by winning gold in the Junior Men's Vault event at the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships, becoming part of India's first-ever gold-silver finish in the competition alongside Akshat Bajaj.
Just a day earlier, he had also helped India secure a historic team bronze.
After topping the qualification rounds, Harschit rose to the occasion when it mattered most.
Behind this achievement are years of relentless training, discipline, and the guidance of coaches who believed in his potential.
From the practice hall to the continental podium, his journey is a reminder that champions are built one leap, one landing, and one determined day at a time.
Congratulations, Harschit!
#HarschitDamodharan #Gymnastics #Gamechangers
[Harschit Damodharan, India gymnastics, Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championship]
@sunilsanjan@Iyervval Did you even read what he has written?
reaching the country in the middle of a heat wave is his choice....but the darn country is not equipped to handle it. That's the pain point.
What's the hurry to sermonize?
For decades, countless cultural heroes worked quietly to preserve India's traditions but never received the recognition they deserved.
Guru Sangyusang Pongener is one such hero. By training over 2,000 young artists and preserving Ao Naga folk music and dance, he has ensured that a priceless part of India's heritage lives on.
One of the biggest changes under PM @narendramodi has been that #PadmaAwards are now reaching the real grassroots heroes instead of just the famous and well-connected.
Had the old Congress-era culture continued, many such hidden gems may have remained unnoticed and unsung.
The Padma Shri for Guru Sangyusang Pongener is a well-deserved honour and a reminder that every corner of India has heroes worth celebrating. 🇮🇳🙏🏻
First of all, she's not Indian. She's American. Born and raised. You're only rage-baiting your own racist, MAGA trolls against your own wife.
Second of all, I'd hate to be married to a man who compares me to a murderous Pakistani general.
@slakhina@smitaprakash Well, once you're done sniffing RaGa and his arse, you can come back to reality.
Must you not be shining your sunny self on that pale dolt?
Indian-origin Rushabh Patel gave his life saving two strangers in the UK.
28-year-old Rushabh was enjoying a picnic with his wife Mili and 18-month-old daughter Vrumi when he saw two people struggling in the water near Milton Keynes.
Without hesitation, he jumped in to save them. Rushabh suffered a cardiac arrest during the rescue and tragically passed away days later.
Even in death, he saved 5 more lives through organ donation.
Yet don't expect this story to dominate global headlines. Acts of extraordinary courage by Indians rarely receive the same attention that anti-India narratives do.