The chronic quest for power at Indian sports federations

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Editor's note: At the start of a long, passionate soliloquy on the state of sport in India, the famed sportswriter Charles Dickens said, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair...” It was—is—all of that. P.V. Sindhu won the Singapore Open in July—her third title of the year, her first Super 500 title and the biggest win since taking the world championship title in 2019. Neeraj Chopra, MIA for months since his gold at the Tokyo Olympics due to injury and related issues, capped his return to top-level athletics with a silver at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. “Silver” is, prima facie, a disappointing return for an athlete whose performances have led us to expect gold every time he takes the field. But it pays to remember that since his return to competition, he has constantly bettered his own marks. His golden throw at Tokyo was 87.58 metres; this year he has thrown 89.94 in Stockholm and 89.30 in Turku, Finland, both in June, and …