Personalities

- Nisha Millet
- Vijay Bharadwaj
- Aparna Popat
- P. Gopichand
- Mahesh Bhupathi
- Anil Kumble
- P.Anil Kumar

Young Achievers

- Punkaj Advani
- Shilpa Sequeira
- Neema Joyappa
- B.N. Chandrika

Interview

- Roger Binny
- M Azharuddin
- Raman Subba Row
- Ashok Shandilya

Review

Sports History

Athletics

The migration of Britishers to the United States, spread the game fast in that country. Though the first U.S. National Amateur Athletic Championship was held in 1876, the sport received a big impetus when the French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin decided to revive the Olympic Movement in 1896. The International Amateur Athletic Federation was born in 1913, but refused to concern itself with women athletes. This led to the formation of a separate international body for women called the Federation Sportive Feminine International in 1921. The first World competitions for women were held at Paris in 1922. The women's movement continued till 1934 when the International Amateur Athletic Federation decided to take over and conduct women's events too. The Federation Sportive Feminine International was dissolved in 1936 and the IAAF became the sole body responsible for the promotion of World athletics. 

Pritchard, who was holidaying in France at that time, won silver medals in the 200 metres sprint and 200 metres hurdles events. Pritchard was the first ever Asian to win an Olympic medal. 

A two-member squad from India had participated in the 1920 Games where Chugle finished 19th in the grueling marathon. Sir Dorabji Tata was responsible in sponsoring eight members to the 1924 event. The Indian Olympic Association was formed in 1927 with Sir Dorabji Tata as the first president and Dr. A.C. Northern of Young Men's Christian Association, Madras as the secretary. India's first official representation in the Olympics was made in 1928 Games at Amsterdam by a seven-member team of athletes. In terms of results, Mervyn Sutton of India reached the semifinals of the 110 metres hurdles during the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1932. M. C. Dhawan cleared 44 feet and 9 ? inches in the triple jump event during the same Games. 

Unaccustomed to the cold conditions of England, Rebello landed in big trouble and finally ended up with writhing pain on the triple jump pit. He had to be carried away on a stretcher with a pulled hamstring muscle. 

Indian athletics entered a new chapter with the formation of the Amateur Athletics Federation of India in 1946 at Bangalore. Professor Gurudutt Sondhi was the elected as the first president and N. Ahmed was made as the first secretary. The National Championships became a regular feature since 1949 and the first athletics coaching camp was held in 1950 at Simla in preparation for the first Asian Games, which was held in New Delhi in 1951. The 49-member Indian contingent returned with a 10-gold haul. India's major contribution towards the International Sports Community has been the successful launch and continuation of the Asian Games. The concept of the Asian Games became a reality thanks to the untiring efforts of Prof. Sondhi, who left no stone unturned. The Asian Games Federation was formed with Maharaja Yadavendra Singh of Patiala as the president and Prof. Sondhi as the secretary cum treasurer. The Games, held once in four years, has now become an important feature in the international calen dar for the Asian countries. India also hosted the Asian Games for the second time in New Delhi at 1992.

The other salient features of the Indian athletics movement include the Rajkumari Amrit Kaur coaching scheme — which started at the National Stadium, New Delhi in 1952, the starting of the National Institute of Sports, Patiala in 1961, the setting up of the All-India Council of Sports and the formation of the SNIPES Board. The NIS, which was started essentially as a premier institution for the training of coaches, has now been re-designated as the Sports Authority of India and given a broader spectrum in the development of sports in the country. With physical fitness becoming the over-riding factor for success in modern-day sports, the Sports Authority of India has now been vested with the responsibility of shaping the physical fitness regimen of Indian sportspersons.

The Sports Authority of India’s, Southern Centre at Bangalore has been deemed as a Centre of Excellence in terms of the training facilities that are available there. Sports medicine, diet, nutrition and the various other factors that are required to imbibe sporting strengths in sportspersons is now the focus of the SAI, Southern Centre. The formation of NIS — subsequently re-christened as SAI led to certain changes in the Government outlook and policy to sports. The All-India Council of Sports was dissolved and the SNIPES Board was merged with SAI. The SAI centres at Patiala and Bangalore are now at the hub of training activities for sportspersons in preparation for international sports meets.

Milkha Singh, whose exploits in the Rome Olympics earned him the sobriquet of the  ‘Flying Sikh’, was the first household name in modern Indian athletics. P.T. Usha then became a popular figure in India homes, while Bangalore’s Ashwini Nachappa brought the glamour angle with her training stints in the US. Though Indian athletes have failed to make a big impact on the world arena, there is still a hope that a Milkha Singh or a P.T. Usha would still map India’s in the International scenario. The other notable Indian performers include Mohinder Singh, Labh Singh, Leslie Boosey and his son Derek Boosey — who migarated to England and represented the United Kingdom in the Mexico Olympics, Mohinder Singh Gill (trained in the US and won a triple jump gold at the 1970 Asian Games followed by a silver in the 1974 Teheran Asiad), Gurubachan Singh Randhawa, Parduman Singh, Lavy Pinto, Kenneth Powell, Edward Sequeira, Suresh Babu, Praveen Kumar, Yohannan, Sohan Singh, Zora Singh, M.D. Valasamma, Shiny Wilson, Reeth Devaiah, Angel Mary Joseph, Geeta Zutshi, Sunita Godara, Bahadur Singh and Chand Ram.
The Indian athletics calendar includes a number of state and national level championships in the various age group categories. In the senior level, the Open athletic championships and inter-state meet are the major events. While athletes have to compulsorily represent their state (or AAFI affiliated unit), in the Open meet they have the option of representing sports control boards, public sector undertakings or private sector organisations.