nandini kumar

Independent Journalist | Sports Comms Expert. Swam for India but ❤️ beats for Hockey

[Sundeep Misra @MisraSundeep]

Resilience: 413

Just a number for many, 413 - the highest caps for any Indian men’s hockey player. But for Manpreet Singh, the figure is less like a statistic and more like a definition of sheer perseverance.

​Adding a bit of occasion to the milestone was India’s 3-1 victory over World Champions Germany in Rotterdam. It was their first Pro League win in ten games, a result that left an ebullient Hardik Singh muttering a relieved “thank God” at the whistle. On a deeper emotional level, Manpreet would have also felt the same!

​Manpreet, now a grown, 413-match-old terrier, has spent a career being rolled from midfielder into defender into attacker, reconfiguring himself depending on the immediate crisis on the pitch. He remains the classic study of a player who understood that while longevity is a relationship with the knees, the real endurance is showing up daily, training, and keeping a dream alive. A few months back, he was a few ticks away from walking away entirely. He didn’t.

​It would have been poetic, of course, to play match 413 on home soil. But Rotterdam is fine. Benchmarks like this are designed to move generations, to give a template to a bunch of sub-juniors who will eventually look at 413 or whatever number he finishes on and find their own understanding of it.

​Germany’s errors aside, so uncharacteristic of their usual mechanical efficiency, India’s defensive structure was brilliant. It was a display of soft hands, deft nudges, and the world-class running of Amit Rohidas, all combined with the class of Hardik, who sat in the midfield as a calm, anchoring presence, effortlessly directing the pace of the game. Up front, Mandeep’s clinical finish, Lakra’s sharp reverse, and Nilakanta’s lovely pick-and-dodge defined the afternoon. It is a tactical come-together we are bound to see often at the FIH World Cup.

​The day, however, belonged exclusively to Manpreet, the anti-ageing hero, the captain who oversaw the breaking of a gruelling 41-year Olympic drought in Tokyo.

​In a country with India’s hockey lineage, players are routinely defined by raw skill. Manpreet, however, is a generational player. 413 is no longer a number for the graphics; it is a measure of how far you can stretch talent to make it count. To walk onto that pitch 413 times over nearly two decades is multiple mountains climbed, a career that weathered every high and low.
#hockey #teamindia #proleague #manpreet

[nandini kumar @NandiniAKumar]

@NorwayChess Wohooooo!!! First time an Indian is winning this title! It’s taken 14 years. Incredible result…

[nandini kumar @NandiniAKumar]

@rpraggnachess after winning the title! There’s no getting away from the media :) He was an absolute delight this tournament, with candid interviews all through! Bravo, Champ! More to come… @NorwayChess
@jestalt

[nandini kumar @NandiniAKumar]

@NorwayChess Wohooooo!!! First time an Indian is winning this title! It’s taken 14 years. Incredible result…

[nandini kumar @NandiniAKumar]

And he has done it! @rpraggnachess is the new champion of @NorwayChess 2026! This is the first time an Indian is winning this prestigious title!

[Norway Chess @NorwayChess]

Wesley and Alireza just drew 👀
If Pragg now wins his classical games against Vincent Keymer, he is the Norway Chess Champion 2026 #NorwayChess

[SAI Media @Media_SAI]

♟️ Title race goes down to the wire in Oslo!

🇮🇳 Praggnanandhaa kept his championship hopes alive with a brilliant victory over World Champion Gukesh in an all-Indian showdown at Norway Chess 2026. With just one round remaining, Pragg sits only half a point behind leader Wesley So, setting up a thrilling finale.

Can the Indian Grandmaster complete the comeback and claim the crown? 👑

#NorwayChess2026 #Praggnanandhaa #Chess #IndianChess #RoadToTheTitle

[ChessBase India @ChessbaseIndia]

Check out the incredible final moments of Praggnanandhaa taking down World no.1 Magnus Carlsen with the Black pieces in Round 8 of Norway Chess 2026!

With this win, Pragg becomes the first Indian (and possibly in the world) player who defeated Magnus Carlsen in Classical Chess twice in the same tournament! What a moment for Indian Chess.

[nandini kumar @NandiniAKumar]

Setting the record straight! @manpreetpawar07 keep at it. LA is a possibility!

[TIMES NOW @TimesNow]

Manpreet Singh: Super Exclusive

4-Time Olympian’s Goal Mantra

The Man Who Ended 41-Year Medal Jinx

15 Years. 411 Caps. Game Changer

Midfield Magic To Mental Muscle

Beyond The Stick, Spirit & Scoreboard

Manpreet–Virat Kohli Jugalbandi

World’s Wonder, Our Wall Of Pride

@manpreetpawar07: Raw. Real. Riveting

Watch FRANKLY SPEAKING with ＠Zakka_Jacob, Sun 10 AM and 10 PM.

[TIMES NOW @TimesNow]

Norway Chess 2026

'We want to grow chess as a sport and do big things with the Total Chess World Championship. Having Erling Haaland on board helps us reach a lot more people and opens the door to new fans...': Kjell Madland, Norway Chess CEO and Co-founder speaks to @karishmasingh22.

[nandini kumar @NandiniAKumar]

Let’s go @Phogat_Vinesh!

[Press Trust of India @PTI_News]

VIDEO | Asian Games selection trials: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat wins her opening bout against Jyoti from Haryana by 7-1, at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.

#NDA

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7)

[nandini kumar @NandiniAKumar]

@KartiPC @DjokerNole @rolandgarros Absolutely gutted! Always rooting for Djoke.

[nandini kumar @NandiniAKumar]

An exciting day at @NorwayChess as their traditional Norway Chess Games unfolded today, giving players yet another experience of something unique only this tournament offers! It was team Magnus Vs Team Gukesh in a Boat Race!
And what better day than the reigning world champion’s birthday! Some glimpses from the day at the sea… #gukesh #norwaychess watch this space to know who won!

[BruvsChess Media @BruvschessMedia]

REPORT: India's chess PR lead Nandini Kumar credits the Budapest Olympiad double gold as the country's turning point, comparing it to the 1983 Cricket World Cup and confirming chess now ranks in India's top five most-covered sports.

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

Bottle this feeling 🍾

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

We did it, together.

[nandini kumar @NandiniAKumar]

@lav_narayanan Is that what it means ?? 😂😂 congrats guys for whatever u have brought onto yourself ..

[nandini kumar @NandiniAKumar]

When @DjokerNole absolutely floored all of India and King @imVkohli fans at @LaureusSport in Madrid! What a day, what an evening of celebrating sporting excellence! #TimesNow @karishmasingh22

[TIMES NOW @TimesNow]

2026 Laureus World Sports Awards

Virat Kohli is a friend; he is someone I respect and admire. He is the reason why I started following cricket...: Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) speaks to @karishmasingh22

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

🔴 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛𝘿𝘼𝙔 ⚪️

🆚 Manchester City
🕟 4.30pm (UK)
🏆 Premier League
🏟️ Etihad Stadium

🤝 @airwallex

[Laureus @LaureusSport]

One day until the eyes of the world are on Madrid for the Laureus World Sports Awards.

#Laureus26

**

Un día para que los ojos del mundo se posen en Madrid con motivo de los Laureus World Sports Awards 2026.

#Laureus26 | @ComunidadMadrid