Indian football’s leading players, coaches, administrators and industry figures came together in Kolkata on Saturday as the Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) hosted the Indian Football Awards 2026, celebrating outstanding performances and contributions to the sport. Held at a City Hotel, the ceremony brought together some of the biggest names in Indian football, including FPAI founding president Bhaichung Bhutia, former president Renedy Singh, current president Mehraj Uddin Wadoo, General Secretary Arindam Bhattacharya and Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri. The annual awards recognise excellence across both the men’s and women’s game, while also acknowledging the work of coaches, educators, clubs…
Author: Pratyusha Mukherjee
Pratyusha Mukherjee
Ms Pratyusha Mukherjee, an Independent Sr. Broadcast Journalist working for British media with 25 years of experience in covering the east and northeast, with specialisation in Defence, Sports & Current Affairs. In her illustrated career she has covered many major events and achieved International and National media awards for Journalism.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI), Eastern Centre, marked National Sports Day with a vibrant three-day celebration in Kolkata, bringing together sporting legends, emerging athletes, coaches and officials to honour hockey icon Major Dhyan Chand on his 121st birth anniversary. West Bengal Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Youth Services & Sports, Indranil Khan, joined several celebrated sportspersons at the event and paid tribute to Dhyan Chand, whose contribution to Indian hockey continues to inspire generations of athletes. The celebration was organised under the leadership of Sibananda Mishra, Regional Director (I/C), SAI NCOE, and featured a galaxy of sporting…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Uzbekistan today at the invitation of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with talks expected to focus on further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. This will be Prime Minister Modi’s fourth visit to Uzbekistan. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Modi will hold delegation-level discussions with President Mirziyoyev in Tashkent covering the entire range of bilateral issues of mutual interest. The visit comes amid growing economic and strategic engagement between India and Uzbekistan, with both sides seeking to expand cooperation across trade, defence, healthcare, mining and other emerging…
The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal and Tibet has risen to 579, while 1,924 people remain missing, as rescue and relief operations continue amid the scale of the disaster. According to data released by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 579 bodies have been recovered so far, while 101 injured people are undergoing treatment in hospitals. The missing include workers from hydropower projects, foreign nationals, civilians, security personnel and government employees, underscoring the widespread impact of the disaster. As many as 933 people associated with hydroelectric projects have been reported missing, while 517 foreign…
On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth spent time with Indian Army personnel in Ranchi, tying rakhis on soldiers and sharing the spirit of the festival with those serving the nation. Seth said the occasion was a reminder of the deep bond of trust, affection and gratitude between the people of India and the armed forces. “On the sacred occasion of Raksha Bandhan, today I had the privilege of spending time with the brave soldiers of the Indian Army in Ranchi. I tied rakhis on the soldiers, conversed with them, and shared the…
As I thought about penning this article when I realized how little people knew and understood about the National Cadet Corps (NCC). At almost every function I attended or every interaction I had, same questions invariably popped up -‘Oh, NCC! Is it part of the Army? What do you do? How do children benefit from joining it? How are you organized? Do the children contribute funds for training?’ and many more…. I found these questions simple but nonetheless compelling and genuine. And I think they definitely merit answers! So here is a brief run-down on the NCC – a unique…
The National Cadet Corps (NCC) is stepping up efforts to expand its footprint across West Bengal and Sikkim, with a renewed focus on youth development, discipline, leadership and national integration. Around 500 NCC cadets from the Kolkata B and C Groups, under the aegis of the NCC Directorate, West Bengal and Sikkim, participated in the Raksha Bandhan celebrations at Nazrul Mancha, Kolkata, alongside West Bengal Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari and other dignitaries. The Chief Minister highlighted the NCC’s contribution to nation-building and its role in preparing young people to become responsible citizens. He also stressed the need to expand…
India signed off from the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 with an eighth-place finish after hosts Belgium edged them 4-3 in a shootout following a pulsating 3-3 draw in the 7th-8th place classification match at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre on Friday. India had looked set to bow out with a regulation-time defeat before Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner with just 26 seconds remaining to force the shootout. But Belgium held their nerve in the decider to claim seventh place. Harmanpreet ended the tournament with eight goals, level with Argentina’s Domene at the top of the scoring charts…
India has significantly liberalised its defence export regime, cutting procedural hurdles and expanding the Open General Export Licence (OGEL) framework to help Indian manufacturers access global markets faster. The reforms announced by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence, are aimed at strengthening India’s position as a competitive defence manufacturing and export hub while integrating domestic firms more deeply into global supply chains. Fewer approvals, faster exports: Under the revised Defence Export Standard Operating Procedure, stakeholder consultation will no longer be required for exports of non-lethal defence items to most destinations. The relaxation will not apply to sensitive…
The two-day ‘Know Your Territorial Army’ (KYTA) Seminar and Territorial Army 2.0 (TA 2.0) Symposium concluded here on Friday with discussions on harnessing India’s talent pool, technology-driven transformation of the force and environmental sustainability. The concluding day’s proceedings at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium were attended by Chief Guest Lt Gen Gambhir Singh, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, Chief of Staff, Eastern Command, along with Maj Gen Sujeet Shivaji Patil, AVSM, VSM, senior Army officers, eminent personalities, civilians, school students and NCC cadets. The programme featured two panel discussions, a keynote address, exchange of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), release of the Territorial Army…