From badminton to cricket, Sandip Sikdar writes on many sporting disciplines. He has the experience of working in digital, news agency as well as print organisations. Motorsport remains his first love.
Articles by Sandip Sikdar
Mandeep 6th men’s hockey camper to test Covid-19 positive
The 25-year-old from Jalandhar is asymptomatic and is being treated along with the other five players by doctors in Bengaluru, where the national camp is due to start on August 20 at the SAI centre.
Updated on Aug 10, 2020 11:31 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
Champagne Daruvala
The journey from the Mumbai suburb of Dadar to the very heart of Grand Prix racing has been a little more convoluted for Daruvala. The 21-year-old, however, has expertly manoeuvred his life’s journey through the slick lanes and tight bends.
Updated on Aug 09, 2020 11:36 AM IST
NEW DELHI | Sandip Sikdar
PV Sindhu ends long wait, resumes training at Pullela Gopichand academy
India’s elite badminton players began practice sessions on Friday after over four months, due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Updated on Aug 07, 2020 07:19 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sandip Sikdar
Different strokes for India’s badminton stars
Without the non-stop travel, tournaments and practice sessions during the pandemic-enforced break, PV SIndhu finally has found the time to relax, unwind and most significantly, get reacquainted with the brush.
Updated on Aug 04, 2020 08:00 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
For Olympic athletes, it’s starting from zero
If it weren’t for the pandemic, the boxers, a record nine of whom had qualified for the Olympics, would have been at the peak of their abilities right now, waiting for their turn in the ring at Tokyo. Instead, they are starting from scratch.
Updated on Jul 26, 2020 10:04 AM IST
New Delhi | Avishek Roy & Sandip Sikdar
Shuttling between restart conundrums
But with a surge in Covid-19 cases and strict lockdowns being enforced again, their wait seems endless even as competitors in other countries have commenced training.
Updated on Jul 22, 2020 06:27 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
Olympics postponed, Lin Dan calls time on glorious career
With the Tokyo Games delayed by a year, Lin Dan realised it would be too much to ask of his 36-year-old body, becoming the latest retirement—and probably the biggest—caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Updated on Jul 04, 2020 11:47 PM IST
NEW DELHI | Sandip Sikdar
Strict diet, boxing bouts get F1 drivers ready for season
Pierre Gasly, instead of going home, stayed in Dubai for two months acclimatising to warmer temperatures for F1’s summer period, following the strictest diet he has ever been on, doing cardio and weight exercises.
Updated on Jul 01, 2020 12:48 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
‘There is some apprehension about how things will open up’: Pullela Gopichand
Players eager to start practice and play; two or three good performances can help Saina and Srikanth qualify for Olympics.
Updated on Jun 20, 2020 07:58 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
Formula One close to belated roar in pandemic-hit season
Taking a leaf out of European football’s big leagues, F1 lines up eight races, all in Europe, to salvage its 70th season
Updated on Jun 15, 2020 11:22 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
Tokyo qualification period extended in badminton
With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the international calender, BWF was unable to complete the last six weeks of its one-year qualifying period, which ended on April 28.
Updated on May 27, 2020 11:48 PM IST
New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
F1 teams come together to fight virus
Ferrari unveiling ventilators, Pirelli boss Isola doing frontline duty and Silverstone providing ambulances; F1 has used its resources to help the medical community.
Updated on May 24, 2020 11:21 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
An Olympian looks for opponents at home
For more than six months, Krishan had trained regularly before the pandemic stopped all sports around the globe. To maintain rhythm, he is training at home in Bhiwani, India’s boxing hub in Haryana.
Updated on May 03, 2020 07:55 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
The collective punch to get Dingko Singh to Delhi for treatment
On March 25, the Covid-19 pandemic brought upon a countrywide lockdown and the closure of air travel for three weeks. On April 14, the lockdown was extended by another three weeks; Dingko was trapped at home, with no way to get treatment. He was running a high fever and was growing weaker.
Updated on Apr 30, 2020 09:07 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Avishek Roy & Sandip Sikdar
The collective punch to get Dingko to Delhi for treatment
FIGHTING BACK: 1998 Asian Games boxing champion under supervision after liver cancer relapse
Updated on Apr 30, 2020 08:20 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Avishek Roy & Sandip Sikdar
Covid-19 impact: Players on back foot; uncertainty plagues nation’s smaller leagues
With companies reeling from the lockdown’s economic impact, it will be tough days for tournaments
Updated on Apr 28, 2020 01:25 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh/New Delhi | Saurabh Duggal & Sandip Sikdar
From Joginder Sharma to Gagan Ajit Singh: Former India athletes on COVID-19 frontline
Kumar, a 2006 Commonwealth Games champion, is one of the many former athletes who is on frontline duty in India during the three-week lockdown period due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Updated on Apr 03, 2020 09:26 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar, Abhishek Paul & Saurabh Duggal
FIH Pro League: India roar back, beat Australia in shootout
The seasoned forward sounded determined. The hosts were disappointed after losing the first match to the defending Pro League champions 3-4 despite pulling back two goals in the final quarter.
Updated on Feb 22, 2020 10:17 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Bhubaneswar | Sandip Sikdar
FIH Pro League: India’s final flourish not enough to overcome Australia
“We are disappointed. We came back in the fourth quarter. But we also showed that despite playing poorly, especially in the first half, we can bounce back if we play well,” said Manpreet.
Updated on Feb 21, 2020 10:52 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Bhubaneswar | Sandip Sikdar
FIH Pro League: India aim to continue good run against defending champions Australia
The Manpreet Singh-led India needs to maintain the same consistency—minus the glaring errors—for a third time in a month as they face possibly the toughest test yet in their Pro League debut—against defending champions Australia
Updated on Feb 20, 2020 09:16 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Bhubaneswar | Sandip Sikdar
Srikanth not fit enough: Ex-coach
Now with Olympic qualification looming, the 26-year-old Srikanth is in dire need of good results; he recently admitted that he’s a “little worried” about making the cut.
Updated on Feb 13, 2020 11:05 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Lucknow | Sandip Sikdar
India go down fighting to Belgium in second match of FIH Pro League
India are now placed second in the standings of the second edition of the FIH Pro League with eight points from four games, while Belgium are at the top with 14 points.
Updated on Feb 09, 2020 11:12 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Bhubaneswar | Sandip Sikdar
FIH Pro League: Sreejesh, Pathak star as India down Belgium
Having rested seasoned players like SV Sunil, Birendra Lakra, Akashdeep Singh and Chinglensana Singh, India had fielded a relatively younger side than the one that faced the Netherlands.
Updated on Feb 08, 2020 10:32 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Bhubaneswar | Sandip Sikdar
Winning pair on the badminton court, loving couple off it
After a few years in the Danish national badminton set up, where Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl became close friends, they realised that their friendship had grown into love.
Updated on Feb 07, 2020 10:27 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
In hockey hotbed Odisha, players struggle for turf
Odisha, hosting top international events has failed to provide infrastructure to its own players
Updated on Feb 06, 2020 09:05 AM IST
Bhubaneswar | Sandip Sikdar
Dominic Thiem ready to upstage the Big 3
Dominic Thiem was close to a Major win indeed. Leading 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, Thiem had to close out just one set in his favour but the experience and class of Djokovic came into play and the Serb staged a gutsy comeback to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-4 and pocket his 17th Slam.
Updated on Feb 04, 2020 10:15 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Sandip Sikdar
Tokyo 2020: Shuttlers wary of virus threat
Though the epidemic has affected several sports with tournaments and leagues getting cancelled, shifted or postponed, badminton could be one of the worst affected in the time to come since the sport is dominated by Asians.
Updated on Feb 01, 2020 09:08 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Lucknow | Sandip Sikdar
Saina Nehwal still aiming for Tokyo 2020
It will not be easy; Nehwal is currently 22nd in the rankings. If not, PV Sindhu, ranked No6, in all likelihood will be India’s only representative in women’s singles at Tokyo.
Updated on Jan 31, 2020 01:43 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Lucknow | Sandip Sikdar
Odisha may host junior hockey World Cup
The last two junior World Cups were also held in India—2013 New Delhi and 2016 Lucknow—but there has been no update from the international hockey federation (FIH) about the next one.
Updated on Jan 25, 2020 12:26 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Bhubaneswar | Sandip Sikdar
FIH Pro League: India comeback from the dead, beat Netherlands in shootout
When the going got tough, Reid’s boys did not cower, instead applied pressure on the opponents to earn a sensational come-from-behind 3-3 (3-1) victory via penalty shootout against a top team like the Netherlands.
Updated on Jan 19, 2020 10:43 PM IST
Bhubaneswar | Sandip Sikdar