No surprise that all anyone is talking about is the Olympics. Whether it’s the much-debated opening ceremony or India’s heartening performance so far, from the novices to the experts, everyone has something to say. We spoke to a few of the city’s popular faces to learn more about their favourite Olympic memories, their ‘must-watch’ events and their take on how things are playing out this year.
Actor and TV star Ram Ramasamy says he grew up playing a lot of sports and always followed the Olympics to a certain extent. And even though he was very young when the 2000 Sydney Olympics happened, he has vivid memories of his father and brother watching it. His favourite memory? When Mary Kom won at the London 2012 Olympics. As for which events he tunes in to, the actor says while he tries to watch as many as possible, it would have to be the track and field events in particular. He signs off saying, “We seem to be doing well this year and we have definitely gotten off to a good start. Praying for the best.”
Ketki Chandavarkar, reset coach and founder of Phoenix Method Coaching says, an athlete’s dedication and prep always inspire her. “I was part of the athletics team for my school as well, so watching them represent our country is always exciting.” The sports she loves watching are badminton and gymnastics. “The results are already very encouraging, and it’s great to see the attention to other sports apart from cricket. Go India! Sending the contingent our love and best wishes to do their best and show brilliant spirit,” says Ketki.
Writer and content consultant Shakthi Girish talks about her memories growing up and how it was one of the most exciting times of the year. “We would all sit around the TV as a family and watch various sporting events. And whatever events we watched or not, the opening and closing ceremonies were unmissable! The grandeur of the performances, the host of uber-dignitaries present, the entire world’s countries represented by their champions marching in their nation’s colours… incredible experiences!” While she loved watching track and field, swimming and gymnastics growing up, now that her children, Vaishnavi and Viraj, are sports pistol shooters, it’s become her most favourite thing to watch. She shares that this year, India has received the maximum Olympic quota slots, thanks to our shooters. Her request is for everyone to please watch all the events our Indian athletes are at and cheer them on. She signs off, saying, “Whatever happens at the Games, they will be rockstars and gods.”
Digital creator Drishti Khanna is a sports enthusiast who loves the thrill of competition. While she enjoys watching almost every Olympic event, her heart truly lies in cheering for Team India. From the high-octane drama of hockey to the precision of archery, and from the intensity of shooting and boxing to the strategic brilliance of wrestling, badminton, and table tennis, she finds herself captivated by the Indian contingent’s performance. “There’s an inexplicable surge of pride and joy every time an Indian athlete steps onto the podium,” says Drishti. “The biggest takeaway so far is that no nation holds a monopoly on sporting greatness anymore.”