26 years after his father gave up boxing, Vishvanath wins Asian championships gold On Friday morning, just like on every other workday, Suresh Babu sat on his sewing machine in his small tailoring shop in Chennai’s Perambur. His mind, he will say later, wasn’t in his work. He nervously waits for a call.His phone rings around 11am. On the other end was his son Vishvanath, calling from Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. The call is a short one but it’s exactly what Suresh was hoping to hear.“ Jaichtein (I’ve won)”Just minutes before, competing in the final of the men’s 50kg division at the Asian boxing championships, Vishvanath has beaten Japan’s Daichi Iwai by a comprehensive 5-0 unanimous decision. He’s the only boxer from the Indian men’s team to win gold at the continental championships. Suresh hasn’t been able to watch the bouts since the competition isn’t being broadcast but his son’s words are more than enough for now.When he hears them, Suresh says he blinks back tears. “Four years back, Vishvanath called me after he won gold at the Asian Youth Championships. I cried then. I thought I wouldn’t cry again but I did,” he tells Sportstar.The tears flowed for the same reason.“It was a very emotional moment for me. Everything I had dreamed of, Vishvanath was achieving. All the ambitions I had, my son is fulfilling,” says Suresh. The call with his son is a short one. Vishvanath has to stand on the podium and pose for pictures with various dignitaries. Suresh Babu returns to working on the women’s suit he’s completing.Suresh doesn’t mind.Suresh had been a boxer himself – a talented one at that. He’d won multiple state titles and subsequently a silver medal at the sub-junior nationals in 1995. Just three years later though, he would hang up his gloves.“I loved boxing. But there was no money in the sport. I was from a very poor family. I was the eldest and had four sisters to marry off. I could either choose to chase the sport or I could take care of my family. I had to put my dreams to one side. That’s how I got into tailoring,” he says.Suresh never forgot his first passion, however. Once his work day ends, he says he still shadow boxes to remind himself of the old days. But he wanted more for his son. When Vishvanath was 11, he started training him. Vishvanath hated it at first. “ Who likes to get punched?” Vishvanath once told Sportstar.But Suresh persisted. He’d tell his son stories of the great fighters of yore and tell him he could become like them too. Slowly Vishvanath’s perspective changed. “The more I practised the more I enjoyed boxing too,” recalls Vishvanath.But although Suresh had planted the seed, he realised soon enough he wasn’t going to be able to develop his son the way he wanted. “I had a full time job and money wasn’t easy. I would train him whenever I could. I’d give him some coaching in the morning and then once I got back from work. But if I had a lot of work or I got a late order then I’d be able to train him really late,” he says.While Chennai had a few boxing clubs, Suresh understood his son needed a specialised training environment. The duo would twice travel to Bangalore for trials at the boys sports company in the MEG (Madras Engineer Group) and be rejected on both occasions due to Vishvanath’s small build, which coaches would later say was due to poor nutrition.The rejection discouraged him. “I didn’t want to continue boxing and I told my father that I was always going to be rejected. But he kept pushing me to make one more attempt,” says Vishvanath. Vishvanath with his father, Suresh Babu, right. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Vishvanath with his father, Suresh Babu, right. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT In 2018, Suresh took one final chance, taking his son to the Army Sports Institute trial in Pune. It wasn’t an easy choice to make. “I didn’t know anything about Pune. The trial was a week long, so I had to shut the shop and take a small loan to pay for our travel and stay in Pune and also to support the rest of the family in Chennai. But it was an easy decision to make,” says Suresh.When they reached Pune, Vishvanath found himself competing with several hundred other applicants. This time though he wasn’t immediately rejected for his stature. Technique honed by his father finally paid off. He got the better of multiple opponents, impressed the coaches and was selected to the ASI.While at the ASI, Vishvanath grew 21 cm. He stands five feet and two inches now, while adding a lot more muscle. His physical development had finally caught up with his technical skills.Over the years, Vishvanath has proved his worth as one of India’s most promising young boxers. He won gold at the 2019 Asian Junior championships and a silver at the Asian Youth Championships two years later. A gold was won at the 2022 Asian Youth Championships. This year he made a mark at the National Championships, winning his first gold medal in the senior ranks.Making his senior debut for India at the Asian Championships Suresh, now a havaldar in the Indian army, wouldn’t have a near flawless performance. He won every one of his fight by unanimous decision and even dropped the reigning world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay of Kazakhstan to the canvas to reach the semifinals.It’s the knockdown of Tashkenbay that makes Suresh Babu particularly happy. “Vishvanath is a very aggressive boxer and I was the exact same way. But he has really good foot movement that’s much better than I had!” he says.But Suresh hopes Vishvanath improves even further. Vishvanath currently competes in the men’s 50kg category which isn’t an Olympic weight division and that’s where his father eventually hopes he will compete in. “Right now my son is fulfilling all my dreams as a boxer. But it’s my dream to hear the national anthem play at the Olympics. I really hope he fulfills that also,” he says.Published on Apr 10, 2026 #years #father #gave #boxing #Vishvanath #wins #Asian #championships #gold

26 years after his father gave up boxing, Vishvanath wins Asian championships gold
On Friday morning, just like on every other workday, Suresh Babu sat on his sewing machine in his small tailoring shop in Chennai’s Perambur. His mind, he will say later, wasn’t in his work. He nervously waits for a call.
His phone rings around 11am. On the other end was his son Vishvanath, calling from Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. The call is a short one but it’s exactly what Suresh was hoping to hear.
“ Jaichtein (I’ve won)”
Just minutes before, competing in the final of the men’s 50kg division at the Asian boxing championships, Vishvanath has beaten Japan’s Daichi Iwai by a comprehensive 5-0 unanimous decision. He’s the only boxer from the Indian men’s team to win gold at the continental championships. Suresh hasn’t been able to watch the bouts since the competition isn’t being broadcast but his son’s words are more than enough for now.
When he hears them, Suresh says he blinks back tears. “Four years back, Vishvanath called me after he won gold at the Asian Youth Championships. I cried then. I thought I wouldn’t cry again but I did,” he tells Sportstar.
The tears flowed for the same reason.
“It was a very emotional moment for me. Everything I had dreamed of, Vishvanath was achieving. All the ambitions I had, my son is fulfilling,” says Suresh. The call with his son is a short one. Vishvanath has to stand on the podium and pose for pictures with various dignitaries. Suresh Babu returns to working on the women’s suit he’s completing.
Suresh doesn’t mind.
Suresh had been a boxer himself – a talented one at that. He’d won multiple state titles and subsequently a silver medal at the sub-junior nationals in 1995. Just three years later though, he would hang up his gloves.
“I loved boxing. But there was no money in the sport. I was from a very poor family. I was the eldest and had four sisters to marry off. I could either choose to chase the sport or I could take care of my family. I had to put my dreams to one side. That’s how I got into tailoring,” he says.
Suresh never forgot his first passion, however. Once his work day ends, he says he still shadow boxes to remind himself of the old days. But he wanted more for his son. When Vishvanath was 11, he started training him. Vishvanath hated it at first. “ Who likes to get punched?” Vishvanath once told Sportstar.
But Suresh persisted. He’d tell his son stories of the great fighters of yore and tell him he could become like them too. Slowly Vishvanath’s perspective changed. “The more I practised the more I enjoyed boxing too,” recalls Vishvanath.
But although Suresh had planted the seed, he realised soon enough he wasn’t going to be able to develop his son the way he wanted. “I had a full time job and money wasn’t easy. I would train him whenever I could. I’d give him some coaching in the morning and then once I got back from work. But if I had a lot of work or I got a late order then I’d be able to train him really late,” he says.
While Chennai had a few boxing clubs, Suresh understood his son needed a specialised training environment. The duo would twice travel to Bangalore for trials at the boys sports company in the MEG (Madras Engineer Group) and be rejected on both occasions due to Vishvanath’s small build, which coaches would later say was due to poor nutrition.
The rejection discouraged him. “I didn’t want to continue boxing and I told my father that I was always going to be rejected. But he kept pushing me to make one more attempt,” says Vishvanath.
Vishvanath with his father, Suresh Babu, right. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Vishvanath with his father, Suresh Babu, right. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
In 2018, Suresh took one final chance, taking his son to the Army Sports Institute trial in Pune. It wasn’t an easy choice to make. “I didn’t know anything about Pune. The trial was a week long, so I had to shut the shop and take a small loan to pay for our travel and stay in Pune and also to support the rest of the family in Chennai. But it was an easy decision to make,” says Suresh.
When they reached Pune, Vishvanath found himself competing with several hundred other applicants. This time though he wasn’t immediately rejected for his stature. Technique honed by his father finally paid off. He got the better of multiple opponents, impressed the coaches and was selected to the ASI.
While at the ASI, Vishvanath grew 21 cm. He stands five feet and two inches now, while adding a lot more muscle. His physical development had finally caught up with his technical skills.
Over the years, Vishvanath has proved his worth as one of India’s most promising young boxers. He won gold at the 2019 Asian Junior championships and a silver at the Asian Youth Championships two years later. A gold was won at the 2022 Asian Youth Championships. This year he made a mark at the National Championships, winning his first gold medal in the senior ranks.
Making his senior debut for India at the Asian Championships Suresh, now a havaldar in the Indian army, wouldn’t have a near flawless performance. He won every one of his fight by unanimous decision and even dropped the reigning world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay of Kazakhstan to the canvas to reach the semifinals.
It’s the knockdown of Tashkenbay that makes Suresh Babu particularly happy. “Vishvanath is a very aggressive boxer and I was the exact same way. But he has really good foot movement that’s much better than I had!” he says.
But Suresh hopes Vishvanath improves even further. Vishvanath currently competes in the men’s 50kg category which isn’t an Olympic weight division and that’s where his father eventually hopes he will compete in. “Right now my son is fulfilling all my dreams as a boxer. But it’s my dream to hear the national anthem play at the Olympics. I really hope he fulfills that also,” he says.
Published on Apr 10, 2026
#years #father #gave #boxing #Vishvanath #wins #Asian #championships #gold

Sports news asian boxing chanmpionships, india at asian boxing championships 2026, vishvanath suresh, vishvanath suresh asian boxing championships 2026, vishvanath suresh boxer, vishvanath suresh boxer news, vishvanath suresh profile April 10, 2026

On Friday morning, just like on every other workday, Suresh Babu sat on his sewing machine in his small tailoring shop in Chennai’s Perambur. His mind, he will say later, wasn’t in his work. He nervously waits for a call.

His phone rings around 11am. On the other end was his son Vishvanath, calling from Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. The call is a short one but it’s exactly what Suresh was hoping to hear.

“ Jaichtein (I’ve won)”

Just minutes before, competing in the final of the men’s 50kg division at the Asian boxing championships, Vishvanath has beaten Japan’s Daichi Iwai by a comprehensive 5-0 unanimous decision. He’s the only boxer from the Indian men’s team to win gold at the continental championships. Suresh hasn’t been able to watch the bouts since the competition isn’t being broadcast but his son’s words are more than enough for now.

When he hears them, Suresh says he blinks back tears. “Four years back, Vishvanath called me after he won gold at the Asian Youth Championships. I cried then. I thought I wouldn’t cry again but I did,” he tells Sportstar.

The tears flowed for the same reason.

“It was a very emotional moment for me. Everything I had dreamed of, Vishvanath was achieving. All the ambitions I had, my son is fulfilling,” says Suresh. The call with his son is a short one. Vishvanath has to stand on the podium and pose for pictures with various dignitaries. Suresh Babu returns to working on the women’s suit he’s completing.

Suresh doesn’t mind.

Suresh had been a boxer himself – a talented one at that. He’d won multiple state titles and subsequently a silver medal at the sub-junior nationals in 1995. Just three years later though, he would hang up his gloves.

“I loved boxing. But there was no money in the sport. I was from a very poor family. I was the eldest and had four sisters to marry off. I could either choose to chase the sport or I could take care of my family. I had to put my dreams to one side. That’s how I got into tailoring,” he says.

Suresh never forgot his first passion, however. Once his work day ends, he says he still shadow boxes to remind himself of the old days. But he wanted more for his son. When Vishvanath was 11, he started training him. Vishvanath hated it at first. “ Who likes to get punched?” Vishvanath once told Sportstar.

But Suresh persisted. He’d tell his son stories of the great fighters of yore and tell him he could become like them too. Slowly Vishvanath’s perspective changed. “The more I practised the more I enjoyed boxing too,” recalls Vishvanath.

But although Suresh had planted the seed, he realised soon enough he wasn’t going to be able to develop his son the way he wanted. “I had a full time job and money wasn’t easy. I would train him whenever I could. I’d give him some coaching in the morning and then once I got back from work. But if I had a lot of work or I got a late order then I’d be able to train him really late,” he says.

While Chennai had a few boxing clubs, Suresh understood his son needed a specialised training environment. The duo would twice travel to Bangalore for trials at the boys sports company in the MEG (Madras Engineer Group) and be rejected on both occasions due to Vishvanath’s small build, which coaches would later say was due to poor nutrition.

The rejection discouraged him. “I didn’t want to continue boxing and I told my father that I was always going to be rejected. But he kept pushing me to make one more attempt,” says Vishvanath.

Vishvanath with his father, Suresh Babu, right.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

lightbox-info

Vishvanath with his father, Suresh Babu, right.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

In 2018, Suresh took one final chance, taking his son to the Army Sports Institute trial in Pune. It wasn’t an easy choice to make. “I didn’t know anything about Pune. The trial was a week long, so I had to shut the shop and take a small loan to pay for our travel and stay in Pune and also to support the rest of the family in Chennai. But it was an easy decision to make,” says Suresh.

When they reached Pune, Vishvanath found himself competing with several hundred other applicants. This time though he wasn’t immediately rejected for his stature. Technique honed by his father finally paid off. He got the better of multiple opponents, impressed the coaches and was selected to the ASI.

While at the ASI, Vishvanath grew 21 cm. He stands five feet and two inches now, while adding a lot more muscle. His physical development had finally caught up with his technical skills.

Over the years, Vishvanath has proved his worth as one of India’s most promising young boxers. He won gold at the 2019 Asian Junior championships and a silver at the Asian Youth Championships two years later. A gold was won at the 2022 Asian Youth Championships. This year he made a mark at the National Championships, winning his first gold medal in the senior ranks.

Making his senior debut for India at the Asian Championships Suresh, now a havaldar in the Indian army, wouldn’t have a near flawless performance. He won every one of his fight by unanimous decision and even dropped the reigning world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay of Kazakhstan to the canvas to reach the semifinals.

It’s the knockdown of Tashkenbay that makes Suresh Babu particularly happy. “Vishvanath is a very aggressive boxer and I was the exact same way. But he has really good foot movement that’s much better than I had!” he says.

But Suresh hopes Vishvanath improves even further. Vishvanath currently competes in the men’s 50kg category which isn’t an Olympic weight division and that’s where his father eventually hopes he will compete in. “Right now my son is fulfilling all my dreams as a boxer. But it’s my dream to hear the national anthem play at the Olympics. I really hope he fulfills that also,” he says.

Published on Apr 10, 2026

Source link
#years #father #gave #boxing #Vishvanath #wins #Asian #championships #gold

Tag asian boxing chanmpionships india at asian boxing championships 2026 vishvanath suresh vishvanath suresh asian boxing championships 2026 vishvanath suresh boxer vishvanath suresh boxer news vishvanath suresh profile

Maul’s Lightsabers in ‘Shadow Lord’ Are Powered by Sam Witwer’s Screams<img src="https://gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2026/04/star-wars-maul-shadow-lord-lightsaber-1280x853.jpg" /><br><div> <p>The new <em>Star Wars</em> animated series <a href="https://gizmodo.com/maul-shadow-lord-review-star-wars-disney-plus-2000740086"><em>Maul: Shadow Lord</em></a> is doing some very cool things with lightsabers—and not just spinning them around with reckless abandon because we’ve got Maul himself and a couple of Inquisitors who all love to <a href="https://gizmodo.com/the-first-clip-from-maul-shadow-lord-plays-the-hits-literally-2000738235">do exactly that</a> with their weapons. They look almost unlike any time we’ve seen the weapons in Lucasfilm’s past output: blades that flicker and snarl like their wielders do, living flames that carve paths of incandescent energy across the screen instead of that typically clean, minimalistic energy we see from them.</p> <p>It makes <em>Shadow Lord</em> look <a href="https://gizmodo.com/star-wars-maul-shadow-lord-trailer-lucasfilm-2000734039">even more visually impressive</a> than it already is, and of course, the idea of lightsabers as gouts of flaming plasma is also naturally very befitting everyone’s favorite slightly pathetic but <a href="https://gizmodo.com/star-wars-maul-shadow-lord-death-rebels-clone-wars-2000714635">trying-his-best</a> edgelord in a character like Maul. But it turns out <em>Shadow Lord</em>‘s lightsabers—Maul’s specifically—are going the extra edgelord mile. Because there’s <em>screaming</em> in the sound mix.</p> <p>Not just any screaming either, but <a href="https://gizmodo.com/star-wars-maul-shadow-lord-interview-sam-witwer-2000741062">Sam Witwer’s own howls</a>.</p> <div class="not-prose video-container"><noscript><iframe title="Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord | Step Into the Shadows | Streaming on Disney+" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/afCvDF7qOpw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></noscript></div> <p>The delightfully silly factoid was revealed by the supervising sound editor for the show, David W. Collins, in a new featurette about the process of creating <em>Shadow Lord</em>, which also shows off Witwer performing some of his own moves for animation reference. While Lucasfilm creatives were quick to note that the show does <em>not</em> use mocap for its animation, and the footage was strictly as a reference point, there’s still something very funny about Witwer even giving himself some Maul tattooing makeup for the footage, to boot.</p> <p>It’s long been clear that Witwer has put a lot of time and thought into his approach to Maul’s animated legacy over the past decade and a half, but now at least he’s put his vocals into it in a very different manner for <em>Shadow Lord</em>.</p> <blockquote><p>Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest <a href="https://gizmodo.com/marvel-release-dates-when-to-see-upcoming-mcu-movies-1848196856">Marvel</a>, <a href="https://gizmodo.com/star-wars-movies-tv-shows-release-dates-disney-1848494806">Star Wars</a>, and <a href="https://gizmodo.com/star-trek-release-dates-where-to-stream-picard-discover-1848839650">Star Trek</a> releases, what’s next for the <a href="https://gizmodo.com/warner-bros-dc-release-dates-hbo-max-cast-details-1848354161">DC Universe on film and TV</a>, and everything you need to know about the future of <a href="https://gizmodo.com/doctor-who-release-dates-streaming-ncuti-gatwa-rtd-1849745140">Doctor Who</a>.</p></blockquote> </div>#Mauls #Lightsabers #Shadow #Lord #Powered #Sam #Witwers #ScreamsMaul: Shadow Lord,sam witwer,Star Wars

Deadspin | Kraken stay in playoff hunt with shootout win over Knights <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28697592.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28697592.jpg" alt="NHL: Vegas Golden Knights at Seattle Kraken" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 9, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken forward Jordan Eberle (7) and forward Bobby McMann (74), left, battle Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel (9) for puck during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images  </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Rookie Berkly Catton sparked a rally from a two-goal deficit in the third period and scored the winner in the fifth round of a shootout as the Seattle Kraken kept their slim postseason hopes alive with a 4-3 victory against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Jared McCann and Bobby McMann also scored in regulation and Vince Dunn had two assists for the Kraken (33-34-11, 77 points), who snapped a six-game skid (0-5-1). Goaltender Joey Daccord made 31 saves and stopped four of five shootout attempts.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Mark Stone scored twice, Brett Howden also tallied and Adin Hill stopped 30 of 33 shots for the Golden Knights (36-26-17, 89 points), who lost for the first time in five games under new coach John Tortorella. Vegas is tied with the Anaheim Ducks for second in the Pacific Division, both teams one point behind the Edmonton Oilers.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>With Seattle trailing 3-1, Catton scored a fluke goal at 6:11 of the third. Adam Larsson dumped the puck into the offensive zone and it took a strange bounce off a stanchion, ricocheting in front of the crease after Hill had skated behind the net. Catton tapped the puck into the yawning cage.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-5"> <p>The Kraken tied it on McMann’s wrist shot from the right faceoff dot into the far upper corner of the net at 9:16.</p> </section> <section id="section-6"> <p>The Golden Knights opened the scoring at 10:04 of the first period. Stone scored on a wrist shot from the slot after taking a pass from Rasmus Andersson.</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>Seattle’s Brandon Montour was whistled for hooking Jack Eichel just before the buzzer ending the period, giving Vegas a power play to start the second. The Golden Knights tallied 55 seconds into the middle frame as Eichel sent a pass from the left faceoff circle to the far post, where Stone tapped it in while battling Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak for positioning.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>The Kraken pulled within 2-1 on McCann’s slap shot past a screened Hill from the top of the right faceoff circle while on the man advantage at 17:54 of the second.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>The Golden Knights restored their two-goal advantage on a 4-on-2 rush at 1:11 of the third. Mitch Marner’s centering pass went off Pavel Dorofeyev’s stick and then Howden’s skate on its way into the net.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-10"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #Kraken #stay #playoff #hunt #shootout #win #Knights

The Four Horsemen of the NBA Reconception – Erik Spoelstra, Nick Nurse, Tyronn Lue and Steve Kerr – have ridden into town carrying banners.

The message: Why are we arguing about MVP’s, flop fouls and game minimums, when the entire regular season doesn’t matter anyway?

Forty-eight hours from now, they’ll either be trumpeting their cause even louder on a grander stage, or limping home much the same way they’ve staggered in.

The NBA play-in tournament features four teams that actually tried this season. Not coincidentally, they featured three of the six youngest rosters in the league, and a fourth that was coaxed by a glorified college coach into playing young.

They are the Hornets, Trail Blazers, Suns and Magic. Three are given a good chance of advancing, and the fourth would, too, if it were not paired with another of the energy-burning amateurs.

And then there’s the Heat, 76ers, Warriors and Clippers. They should, by all rights, be disqualified at this point for six months of tanking.

But their coaches know what they’re doing … or at least they think they do.

Will youth prevail? Or will the wise old men have taught another hardwood lesson?

Let’s take a look at the matchups …

Heat-Hornets

For the entirety of LeBron James’ lifetime, the Heat have been a better team than the Hornets. Even this season, when Spoelstra was yanking hard on the reins, they won three of four from Charlotte, which was “coming of age.”

The Hornets made a statement in a 30-point thrashing in the most recent regular-season head-to-head, after which they went on to play some entertaining ball, while all the Heat did was run up the score one night on the Wizards.

The Hornets are favored here because they tried late in the season while the Heat rested. Like that matters.

In your classic experience vs. exuberance matchup …

The Heat will prevail.

Trail Blazers-Suns

The only thing to say about this matchup is the Warriors and Clippers would die to be facing either of these regular-season surprises and not each other.

The Trail Blazers and Suns are Hornets Lite. The Warriors and Clippers are Heat Heavy.

Alas, the Trail Blazers are playing the Suns and …

Who really cares?

Magic-76ers

Joel Embiid and Paul George on the same team. What did you think was going to happen?

No doubt, if he could find the delete button, Nurse would have scripted two more wins and a first-round matchup with the Cavaliers. But don’t be surprised if he has another trick up his sleeve.

Nurse has to believe he can beat the Heat or the Hornets, at home, on Friday even without Embiid, which would land him on the Pistons/Cavaliers side of the imbalanced Eastern draw.

It would require the Ultimate Tank — a kinda playoff game — but it’s already in motion. Beating the Magic would mean drawing the Celtics next, and nobody wants that.

So play this like the regular season … lose a meaningless game, hope George can turn back the clock for one night, and pray his big guy gets healthy in a week. It just might work.

The Magic catch a lucky break.

Warriors-Clippers

With a chance to play his over-the-hill gang into some sort of rhythm, Kerr elected to exercise Kristaps Porzingis just 24 minutes and De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford just 19 apiece Sunday against this same team on this very same court.

So much for rhythm.

Nobody would call what happened Sunday a playoff preview. Well, almost nobody.

With regulars seeing most of the action, the Warriors won the first and third quarters of that one by a total of three points. Advantage: Kerr.

Now they get Draymond Green back, while the Clippers get to awaken Kawhi Leonard from his April nap. Big advantage: Lue.

At least Porzingis will be well rested for his fishing trip next week.

Kerr will get clobbered.

#Tanking #Teams #Light #NBA #Playin #Tournament #Deadspin.com">

How Three Tanking Teams Could Light up the NBA Play-in Tournament | Deadspin.com The Four Horsemen of the NBA Reconception – Erik Spoelstra, Nick Nurse, Tyronn Lue and Steve Kerr – have ridden into town carrying banners.The message: Why are we arguing about MVP’s, flop fouls and game minimums, when the entire regular season doesn’t matter anyway?Forty-eight hours from now, they’ll either be trumpeting their cause even louder on a grander stage, or limping home much the same way they’ve staggered in.The NBA play-in tournament features four teams that actually tried this season. Not coincidentally, they featured three of the six youngest rosters in the league, and a fourth that was coaxed by a glorified college coach into playing young.They are the Hornets, Trail Blazers, Suns and Magic. Three are given a good chance of advancing, and the fourth would, too, if it were not paired with another of the energy-burning amateurs.And then there’s the Heat, 76ers, Warriors and Clippers. They should, by all rights, be disqualified at this point for six months of tanking.But their coaches know what they’re doing … or at least they think they do.Will youth prevail? Or will the wise old men have taught another hardwood lesson?Let’s take a look at the matchups …Heat-HornetsFor the entirety of LeBron James’ lifetime, the Heat have been a better team than the Hornets. Even this season, when Spoelstra was yanking hard on the reins, they won three of four from Charlotte, which was “coming of age.”The Hornets made a statement in a 30-point thrashing in the most recent regular-season head-to-head, after which they went on to play some entertaining ball, while all the Heat did was run up the score one night on the Wizards.The Hornets are favored here because they tried late in the season while the Heat rested. Like that matters.In your classic experience vs. exuberance matchup …The Heat will prevail.Trail Blazers-SunsThe only thing to say about this matchup is the Warriors and Clippers would die to be facing either of these regular-season surprises and not each other.The Trail Blazers and Suns are Hornets Lite. The Warriors and Clippers are Heat Heavy.Alas, the Trail Blazers are playing the Suns and …Who really cares?Magic-76ersJoel Embiid and Paul George on the same team. What did you think was going to happen?No doubt, if he could find the delete button, Nurse would have scripted two more wins and a first-round matchup with the Cavaliers. But don’t be surprised if he has another trick up his sleeve.Nurse has to believe he can beat the Heat or the Hornets, at home, on Friday even without Embiid, which would land him on the Pistons/Cavaliers side of the imbalanced Eastern draw.It would require the Ultimate Tank — a kinda playoff game — but it’s already in motion. Beating the Magic would mean drawing the Celtics next, and nobody wants that.So play this like the regular season … lose a meaningless game, hope George can turn back the clock for one night, and pray his big guy gets healthy in a week. It just might work.The Magic catch a lucky break.Warriors-ClippersWith a chance to play his over-the-hill gang into some sort of rhythm, Kerr elected to exercise Kristaps Porzingis just 24 minutes and De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford just 19 apiece Sunday against this same team on this very same court.So much for rhythm.Nobody would call what happened Sunday a playoff preview. Well, almost nobody.With regulars seeing most of the action, the Warriors won the first and third quarters of that one by a total of three points. Advantage: Kerr.Now they get Draymond Green back, while the Clippers get to awaken Kawhi Leonard from his April nap. Big advantage: Lue.At least Porzingis will be well rested for his fishing trip next week.Kerr will get clobbered. #Tanking #Teams #Light #NBA #Playin #Tournament #Deadspin.com

mwasimuddin125 0

The Four Horsemen of the NBA Reconception – Erik Spoelstra, Nick Nurse, Tyronn Lue and Steve Kerr – have ridden into town carrying banners.
The message: Why are we arguing about MVP’s, flop fouls and game minimums, when the entire regular season doesn’t matter anyway?
Forty-eight hours from now, they’ll either be trumpeting their cause even louder on a grander stage, or limping home much the same way they’ve staggered in.
The NBA play-in tournament features four teams that actually tried this season. Not coincidentally, they featured three of the six youngest rosters in the league, and a fourth that was coaxed by a glorified college coach into playing young.
They are the Hornets, Trail Blazers, Suns and Magic. Three are given a good chance of advancing, and the fourth would, too, if it were not paired with another of the energy-burning amateurs.
And then there’s the Heat, 76ers, Warriors and Clippers. They should, by all rights, be disqualified at this point for six months of tanking.
But their coaches know what they’re doing … or at least they think they do.
Will youth prevail? Or will the wise old men have taught another hardwood lesson?
Let’s take a look at the matchups …
Heat-Hornets
For the entirety of LeBron James’ lifetime, the Heat have been a better team than the Hornets. Even this season, when Spoelstra was yanking hard on the reins, they won three of four from Charlotte, which was “coming of age.”
The Hornets made a statement in a 30-point thrashing in the most recent regular-season head-to-head, after which they went on to play some entertaining ball, while all the Heat did was run up the score one night on the Wizards.
The Hornets are favored here because they tried late in the season while the Heat rested. Like that matters.
In your classic experience vs. exuberance matchup …
The Heat will prevail.
Trail Blazers-Suns
The only thing to say about this matchup is the Warriors and Clippers would die to be facing either of these regular-season surprises and not each other.
The Trail Blazers and Suns are Hornets Lite. The Warriors and Clippers are Heat Heavy.
Alas, the Trail Blazers are playing the Suns and …
Who really cares?
Magic-76ers
Joel Embiid and Paul George on the same team. What did you think was going to happen?
No doubt, if he could find the delete button, Nurse would have scripted two more wins and a first-round matchup with the Cavaliers. But don’t be surprised if he has another trick up his sleeve.
Nurse has to believe he can beat the Heat or the Hornets, at home, on Friday even without Embiid, which would land him on the Pistons/Cavaliers side of the imbalanced Eastern draw.
It would require the Ultimate Tank — a kinda playoff game — but it’s already in motion. Beating the Magic would mean drawing the Celtics next, and nobody wants that.
So play this like the regular season … lose a meaningless game, hope George can turn back the clock for one night, and pray his big guy gets healthy in a week. It just might work.
The Magic catch a lucky break.
Warriors-Clippers
With a chance to play his over-the-hill gang into some sort of rhythm, Kerr elected to exercise Kristaps Porzingis just 24 minutes and De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford just 19 apiece Sunday against this same team on this very same court.
So much for rhythm.
Nobody would call what happened Sunday a playoff preview. Well, almost nobody.
With regulars seeing most of the action, the Warriors won the first and third quarters of that one by a total of three points. Advantage: Kerr.
Now they get Draymond Green back, while the Clippers get to awaken Kawhi Leonard from his April nap. Big advantage: Lue.
At least Porzingis will be well rested for his fishing trip next week.
Kerr will get clobbered.

#Tanking #Teams #Light #NBA #Playin #Tournament #Deadspin.com">How Three Tanking Teams Could Light up the NBA Play-in Tournament | Deadspin.com

The Four Horsemen of the NBA Reconception – Erik Spoelstra, Nick Nurse, Tyronn Lue and Steve Kerr – have ridden into town carrying banners.

The message: Why are we arguing about MVP’s, flop fouls and game minimums, when the entire regular season doesn’t matter anyway?

Forty-eight hours from now, they’ll either be trumpeting their cause even louder on a grander stage, or limping home much the same way they’ve staggered in.

They are the Hornets, Trail Blazers, Suns and Magic. Three are given a good chance of advancing, and the fourth would, too, if it were not paired with another of the energy-burning amateurs.

And then there’s the Heat, 76ers, Warriors and Clippers. They should, by all rights, be disqualified at this point for six months of tanking.

But their coaches know what they’re doing … or at least they think they do.

Will youth prevail? Or will the wise old men have taught another hardwood lesson?

Let’s take a look at the matchups …

Heat-Hornets

The Hornets are favored here because they tried late in the season while the Heat rested. Like that matters.

In your classic experience vs. exuberance matchup …

The Heat will prevail.

Trail Blazers-Suns

The only thing to say about this matchup is the Warriors and Clippers would die to be facing either of these regular-season surprises and not each other.

The Trail Blazers and Suns are Hornets Lite. The Warriors and Clippers are Heat Heavy.

Alas, the Trail Blazers are playing the Suns and …

Who really cares?

Magic-76ers

Joel Embiid and Paul George on the same team. What did you think was going to happen?

No doubt, if he could find the delete button, Nurse would have scripted two more wins and a first-round matchup with the Cavaliers. But don’t be surprised if he has another trick up his sleeve.

Nurse has to believe he can beat the Heat or the Hornets, at home, on Friday even without Embiid, which would land him on the Pistons/Cavaliers side of the imbalanced Eastern draw.

It would require the Ultimate Tank — a kinda playoff game — but it’s already in motion. Beating the Magic would mean drawing the Celtics next, and nobody wants that.

So play this like the regular season … lose a meaningless game, hope George can turn back the clock for one night, and pray his big guy gets healthy in a week. It just might work.

The Magic catch a lucky break.

Warriors-Clippers

So much for rhythm.

Nobody would call what happened Sunday a playoff preview. Well, almost nobody.

With regulars seeing most of the action, the Warriors won the first and third quarters of that one by a total of three points. Advantage: Kerr.

Now they get Draymond Green back, while the Clippers get to awaken Kawhi Leonard from his April nap. Big advantage: Lue.

At least Porzingis will be well rested for his fishing trip next week.

Kerr will get clobbered.

#Tanking #Teams #Light #NBA #Playin #Tournament #Deadspin.com

Rory McIlroy won the Masters. It is an unbelievable sentence. The golfing world is still astounded that we have said it out loud in consecutive years now.

A popular take in the aftermath of the 90th edition of the Masters (this most recent one) is that Rory would not have been able to win it without first capturing the 89th. The experience from winning at Augusta clearly mattered to Rory, but so did the psychological freedom that came from finally ridding himself of the burden associated with doing so.

Rory spoke openly all last week about how he was more comfortable on the grounds at Augusta National than he ever had been. Following Saturday’s round specifically where he lost the 6-shot lead he began the day with, he noted that he would remember on Sunday that he was a Masters Champion. His point, not to speak for him, was that he would walk with confidence in knowing he had already climbed the mountain ahead of him.

He also knew the terrain very well.

The debate around Rory’s Masters prep is absurd

It is well understood that there are scores of traditions associated with the Masters. One of the more notables here is that the tournament is played at Augusta National on an annual basis.

Rory, who last played competitively before Augusta at Bay Hill where he withdrew, winning the tournament for a second straight year has seemingly taken things even more mainstream than they have been becoming as of late. Golf is having a a boom and more people are learning of specifics involved with it.

It is for these reasons that what he said on Sunday evening after defending his title that has the rest of the world acting silly.

McIlroy noted that he prepared quite diligently for the Masters. At one point throughout the weekend he even noted that there were instances where he would drop his daughter off at school, make it to Augusta for a round, and be back home in the same day.

For some reason… the idea that Rory prepared for the Masters by practicing on the grounds has become a flashpoint for people.

Part of the issue here is likely the lore associated with the Masters. It seems people (incorrectly) assumed that Rory had some special privilege as a previous winner. That is not the case.

Anyone involved in the Masters had the ability to practice on the grounds as much as he did. This was noted in detail by a post from Michael Kim on X (shout out to him for some much-needed context).

We can (hopefully) put to bed the idea that Rory had some inside track that his competitors did not. It is obviously true that he was not in Houston or San Antonio participating in the PGA Tour events that led up to the Masters the way that others were, but that is all a part of his own schedule and preparations as all players are able to adjust to their own rhythms.

What’s more is even if we step past the fact that no rules were broken and no lines were crossed… is it not awesome that Rory put so much time and effort into winning the Masters?

As noted the event has reached a level of fanfare that is only superseded by the Super Bowl now. It is an epic thing. Beyond epic. We revere it in such esteem for reasons that we all share or are unique to us individually, but we all recognize that it is something beyond the normal realm in sports or life at large.

Rory treated it that way. And he did so after already taming it. He gave the event its proper respect and his entire self in the name of tasting the sweetness that he so clearly did not want to ever let go of. That is so cool.

So often in sports things are disillusioned by the realities of life. Sports are a profession for so many and the level of care is not the same between athletes and fans. That isn’t to blame anyone at all, but that is just the way it goes.

Rory approached the Masters the way we as fans do. He obsessed over it the way that people who apply for the lottery every year do, or the people who filmed merch haul videos do, or the way that anyone who has their own “Masters” around the same time of year with their local golfing group does. He was one of us out there.

Do not let anyone convince you that this is a thing. It is silly. At absolute best.

#debate #Rory #McIlroys #Masters #prep #silly #worth #time">

The debate about Rory McIlroy’s Masters prep is silly and not worth your time Rory McIlroy won the Masters. It is an unbelievable sentence. The golfing world is still astounded that we have said it out loud in consecutive years now.A popular take in the aftermath of the 90th edition of the Masters (this most recent one) is that Rory would not have been able to win it without first capturing the 89th. The experience from winning at Augusta clearly mattered to Rory, but so did the psychological freedom that came from finally ridding himself of the burden associated with doing so.Rory spoke openly all last week about how he was more comfortable on the grounds at Augusta National than he ever had been. Following Saturday’s round specifically where he lost the 6-shot lead he began the day with, he noted that he would remember on Sunday that he was a Masters Champion. His point, not to speak for him, was that he would walk with confidence in knowing he had already climbed the mountain ahead of him.He also knew the terrain very well.The debate around Rory’s Masters prep is absurdIt is well understood that there are scores of traditions associated with the Masters. One of the more notables here is that the tournament is played at Augusta National on an annual basis.Rory, who last played competitively before Augusta at Bay Hill where he withdrew, winning the tournament for a second straight year has seemingly taken things even more mainstream than they have been becoming as of late. Golf is having a a boom and more people are learning of specifics involved with it.It is for these reasons that what he said on Sunday evening after defending his title that has the rest of the world acting silly.McIlroy noted that he prepared quite diligently for the Masters. At one point throughout the weekend he even noted that there were instances where he would drop his daughter off at school, make it to Augusta for a round, and be back home in the same day.For some reason… the idea that Rory prepared for the Masters by practicing on the grounds has become a flashpoint for people.Part of the issue here is likely the lore associated with the Masters. It seems people (incorrectly) assumed that Rory had some special privilege as a previous winner. That is not the case.Anyone involved in the Masters had the ability to practice on the grounds as much as he did. This was noted in detail by a post from Michael Kim on X (shout out to him for some much-needed context).We can (hopefully) put to bed the idea that Rory had some inside track that his competitors did not. It is obviously true that he was not in Houston or San Antonio participating in the PGA Tour events that led up to the Masters the way that others were, but that is all a part of his own schedule and preparations as all players are able to adjust to their own rhythms.What’s more is even if we step past the fact that no rules were broken and no lines were crossed… is it not awesome that Rory put so much time and effort into winning the Masters?As noted the event has reached a level of fanfare that is only superseded by the Super Bowl now. It is an epic thing. Beyond epic. We revere it in such esteem for reasons that we all share or are unique to us individually, but we all recognize that it is something beyond the normal realm in sports or life at large.Rory treated it that way. And he did so after already taming it. He gave the event its proper respect and his entire self in the name of tasting the sweetness that he so clearly did not want to ever let go of. That is so cool.So often in sports things are disillusioned by the realities of life. Sports are a profession for so many and the level of care is not the same between athletes and fans. That isn’t to blame anyone at all, but that is just the way it goes.Rory approached the Masters the way we as fans do. He obsessed over it the way that people who apply for the lottery every year do, or the people who filmed merch haul videos do, or the way that anyone who has their own “Masters” around the same time of year with their local golfing group does. He was one of us out there.Do not let anyone convince you that this is a thing. It is silly. At absolute best. #debate #Rory #McIlroys #Masters #prep #silly #worth #time

mwasimuddin125 0

Rory McIlroy won the Masters. It is an unbelievable sentence. The golfing world is still astounded that we have said it out loud in consecutive years now.
A popular take in the aftermath of the 90th edition of the Masters (this most recent one) is that Rory would not have been able to win it without first capturing the 89th. The experience from winning at Augusta clearly mattered to Rory, but so did the psychological freedom that came from finally ridding himself of the burden associated with doing so.
Rory spoke openly all last week about how he was more comfortable on the grounds at Augusta National than he ever had been. Following Saturday’s round specifically where he lost the 6-shot lead he began the day with, he noted that he would remember on Sunday that he was a Masters Champion. His point, not to speak for him, was that he would walk with confidence in knowing he had already climbed the mountain ahead of him.
He also knew the terrain very well.
The debate around Rory’s Masters prep is absurd
It is well understood that there are scores of traditions associated with the Masters. One of the more notables here is that the tournament is played at Augusta National on an annual basis.
Rory, who last played competitively before Augusta at Bay Hill where he withdrew, winning the tournament for a second straight year has seemingly taken things even more mainstream than they have been becoming as of late. Golf is having a a boom and more people are learning of specifics involved with it.
It is for these reasons that what he said on Sunday evening after defending his title that has the rest of the world acting silly.
McIlroy noted that he prepared quite diligently for the Masters. At one point throughout the weekend he even noted that there were instances where he would drop his daughter off at school, make it to Augusta for a round, and be back home in the same day.
For some reason… the idea that Rory prepared for the Masters by practicing on the grounds has become a flashpoint for people.
Part of the issue here is likely the lore associated with the Masters. It seems people (incorrectly) assumed that Rory had some special privilege as a previous winner. That is not the case.
Anyone involved in the Masters had the ability to practice on the grounds as much as he did. This was noted in detail by a post from Michael Kim on X (shout out to him for some much-needed context).
We can (hopefully) put to bed the idea that Rory had some inside track that his competitors did not. It is obviously true that he was not in Houston or San Antonio participating in the PGA Tour events that led up to the Masters the way that others were, but that is all a part of his own schedule and preparations as all players are able to adjust to their own rhythms.
What’s more is even if we step past the fact that no rules were broken and no lines were crossed… is it not awesome that Rory put so much time and effort into winning the Masters?
As noted the event has reached a level of fanfare that is only superseded by the Super Bowl now. It is an epic thing. Beyond epic. We revere it in such esteem for reasons that we all share or are unique to us individually, but we all recognize that it is something beyond the normal realm in sports or life at large.
Rory treated it that way. And he did so after already taming it. He gave the event its proper respect and his entire self in the name of tasting the sweetness that he so clearly did not want to ever let go of. That is so cool.
So often in sports things are disillusioned by the realities of life. Sports are a profession for so many and the level of care is not the same between athletes and fans. That isn’t to blame anyone at all, but that is just the way it goes.
Rory approached the Masters the way we as fans do. He obsessed over it the way that people who apply for the lottery every year do, or the people who filmed merch haul videos do, or the way that anyone who has their own “Masters” around the same time of year with their local golfing group does. He was one of us out there.
Do not let anyone convince you that this is a thing. It is silly. At absolute best.

#debate #Rory #McIlroys #Masters #prep #silly #worth #time">The debate about Rory McIlroy’s Masters prep is silly and not worth your time

Rory McIlroy won the Masters. It is an unbelievable sentence. The golfing world is still astounded that we have said it out loud in consecutive years now.

He also knew the terrain very well.

The debate around Rory’s Masters prep is absurd

It is well understood that there are scores of traditions associated with the Masters. One of the more notables here is that the tournament is played at Augusta National on an annual basis.

It is for these reasons that what he said on Sunday evening after defending his title that has the rest of the world acting silly.

For some reason… the idea that Rory prepared for the Masters by practicing on the grounds has become a flashpoint for people.

Part of the issue here is likely the lore associated with the Masters. It seems people (incorrectly) assumed that Rory had some special privilege as a previous winner. That is not the case.

Anyone involved in the Masters had the ability to practice on the grounds as much as he did. This was noted in detail by a post from Michael Kim on X (shout out to him for some much-needed context).

What’s more is even if we step past the fact that no rules were broken and no lines were crossed… is it not awesome that Rory put so much time and effort into winning the Masters?

Do not let anyone convince you that this is a thing. It is silly. At absolute best.

#debate #Rory #McIlroys #Masters #prep #silly #worth #time

When he called time on his international career in 2017, Moritz Fuerste was one of the most accomplished field hockey players of all time. He’d been capped 268 times for Germany, scored 112 goals and won three Olympic medals, including gold at Beijing and London and a bronze at his final Games in Rio.

And while many elite athletes struggle for meaning post-retirement, Fuerste had long been planning for life after professional sport. He’d go on to found HYROX, a fitness brand that organises mass-participation indoor competitions combining running and functional workouts in a standardised format.

These days, HYROX is one of the fastest-growing global fitness brands. It closed 2025 with an estimated 150 million dollars in revenue and had over 600,000 athletes competing annually in competitions it organises in cities across the world. HYROX Bengaluru, which concluded last Sunday, drew over 8,200 participants across two days – a nearly fivefold jump from its first India edition in Mumbai last year, when it drew 1,650 participants.

In an interview with Sportstar, Fuertse, now 41, spoke on his journey from elite sport to founding one of the most successful fitness startups in the world today and how the lessons he learned while competing in the Hockey India League translated to the world of business.

It’s not common in India for high level athletes to make the plunge into the business world. How did that come about for you?

I’ve spent a lot of time in India, so I know how things work here in regard to hockey. I think it’s important to understand that in Germany, hockey is not a professional sport. Players don’t make a living from playing. You can’t provide for your family or even for the rest of your life. I knew I was going to have to leave the game at some point in time, and I was always preparing for that eventuality.

I did my university degree by the time I was 30, and I knew I was going to leave international hockey after the Rio Olympics. I knew it was going to be a big shock if I switched suddenly from being a full-time athlete who wasn’t making any money to a full-time employee. I didn’t want to go down that road, so I’d already started working a little bit during my playing days, and after the Olympics, I decided I was going to start a company with my business partner. But that turnaround from being a professional player to a business owner was a tough step.

While you were preparing for the next chapter, were you ever concerned that you were going to end up crunching numbers in a cubicle?

That’s true. A corporate job would never have suited me. But I always believed I’d be able to find something that I enjoyed as much as I loved being a hockey player. I knew I had to find something that I would have the same energy and fire for that I had for being a hockey player.

It was always going to take something special to replace the role that hockey had in my life.

How did the idea for HYROX come about?

When I was founding a company, I wanted to do something that allowed me to stay in the world of sport. But even within sport, I noticed a void. If you’re a tennis player, you play tennis. If you’re a runner, there are marathons or half marathons. And if you’re a rower, then there are rowing competitions. If you are a hockey player, of course, you play hockey.

But if you’re a gym goer, there is literally no competition directly for that, and there was no competition or race for that. I felt that was crazy because most people in the world who are doing any kind of fitness activities are gym goers. There are hundreds of millions of these people. They go to a gym, and there is no way, no race or sport for these people to compete. That was a huge void that I thought could be filled.

The Ultrahuman Hyrox Bengaluru race was held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre on April 11 and 12. | Photo Credit: Instagram/hyroxindia

Even at the time I started, I thought this could be as big as marathon running at some point in time, but it’s been absolutely crazy how well HYROX has done. We ended up outperforming our most optimistic business models by over 100 per cent. I thought we would eventually get to where we were, but I didn’t think it would happen as quickly as it did.

In what ways did the skills you picked up in your playing career translate to running a business?

In both of these worlds, what matters is putting together a team. I think one of my strengths as a player was that I was able to create successful teams. You have to understand leadership structures and hierarchies within the company. You have to work with feedback, negative feedback, and criticism. These are all things that we are very used to from the playing field, and especially the hockey field.

Other things, I mean, obviously, as a player in professional sports, you have to be very organised, you have to be very structured, you have to be disciplined. You also have to be relentless, and you have to never give up because that’s just how it is. You fight till the last whistle, and until then, you just keep fighting.

And I think as a business founder, that’s also very important because there are many ups and downs and many low points and many things where you question yourself, and you just can’t question yourself all the time. You just have to get into the working mode. And I think that’s something I learned a lot in hockey.

But there has to be a difference between being part of a German team that was already a really strong team and starting something from nothing, like with HYROX.

I think that’s true. I would actually compare starting HYROX with the time I came to India and competed in the HIL for Ranchi Rhinos. That’s a closer comparison. When I came to India the first year, we started putting a team together that in the end ended up winning the league. A couple of years later, I switched to the Kalinga Lancers, and we did the same thing again. In Europe, I played in a few leagues, and I ended up doing the same thing.

File photo: Moritz Fuerste has represented Ranchi Rhinos and Kalinga Lancers in the Hockey India League. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

I think that the ability to lead new teams was one of my strengths, and that was the main asset I brought into founding the company as well. I think I’m quite good at putting the right people together to achieve a common goal.

You were actually one of the highest paid players in the HIL. What do you remember of your time there?

My first year was very special. It was almost spiritual for me to come here and stay here for eight weeks and have the experience with all these young players. I played with Manpreet, Mandeep, and all these young Indian players in the first year. We didn’t have a single senior Indian player in that team. I got to both work with and shape these guys.

The next years were a little bit more about business, focusing on doing the job and experiencing what I never experienced usually, which is these big crowds in stadiums and being very much in the focus. I got my 15 minutes of fame, which I enjoyed a lot.

What did you mean when you described the first season of the HIL as ‘spiritual’?

I’d actually been to India before, when I was playing the Champions Trophy in Chennai in 2005. At that time, we literally didn’t leave the hotel. In that first season of the HIL, we did things like going to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. We visited a few other temples and did a lot of cultural things. I went to Mandeep’s home, and he showed me around his family.

There were a lot of life lessons I took from that experience. It helped me understand how people in different parts of the world live and handle their lives. There were many things that came together that year that made me a better person and also helped me become a better player.

You’ve spoken of what lessons you carried over from hockey to business. What did you have to learn when running a business?

It’s not different, but I think the most important thing in business, as in sport, is to find out very quickly what your personal strength is and what are the things you can drive. I knew in sports that you could wake me at 3 a.m., and I would know what to do with the ball. When I started HYROX, I knew the challenge was to also find my strength.

What also mattered was really finding my place and getting that respect that I had initially as a hockey player that I earned over the course of my career. Getting that respect on that business level was also a challenge for me because if you want people to respect you, you need to give them a reason why they should respect you. That combination was quite a challenge at the beginning.

ALSO READ | How Ironman and HYROX are redefining fitness culture in India

When you found a company, you are going to make a lot of mistakes. Of course, in hindsight, you think you could have done things differently, but that’s when you understand the importance of never giving up. You just need to be relentless, and you need to have a certain thick skin that doesn’t let you fall. And if you do, pick yourself up.

Do you think there is any advantage to being a sportsperson when you’re running a business? Do you look for a sportsperson when you are hiring?

I actually never look at a CV while hiring. I don’t look at grades. I’m not really interested in that. I care about who people are, and sport is a very important piece of that puzzle. If I understand that someone likes to do sports or has done sports, that’s a very valuable ingredient in whether I hire someone.

HYROX is one of the fastest-growing sports brands in the world. How does that compare to winning three Olympic medals? Which gives you more satisfaction?

I can’t compare the two. I gave 25 years of my life to hockey. My first life was being a hockey player, and I’m very grateful for that. I had an amazing decade with a team that I’d say would be one of the top five of all time.

I had some great career highlights. I remember the quarterfinals of the Rio Olympics, where we were just seconds away from losing the quarterfinals to New Zealand and when I scored twice in the last 45 seconds to win the match. There was the semifinals against Australia in the London Olympics when we completely outplayed what I felt was another all-time great team. But every chapter has to end at some point in time.

Moritz Fuerste has won three Olympic medals, gold at Beijing and London and a bronze at his final Games in Rio. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

What I’m doing now is a completely different kind of thing. We are all over the world, and we crossed half a million participants last season. HYROX is huge, but I don’t know if it’s ‘bigger’ than my hockey life.

It’s not just that I have a soft spot for hockey. It will always be my first love. Also, my daughters play hockey, so hopefully they will do well as well.

You have three Olympic medals. Do you show them off to investors or is that something you keep to yourself?

My medals are with me at home, but they aren’t on display. People who visit me at home get a chance to get a glimpse of them, but they aren’t something I show off.

While you retired from international hockey in 2017, you continued to play at the club level in Europe for a couple of more years while you were starting your business. How difficult was it to do both?

It is a completely different ball game to play club hockey in Germany in comparison to playing international hockey. At the international level, I was doing one or two training sessions daily. And I was a pretty decent player even when I retired from international hockey at 33 or so. So the move to club hockey, where I was training maybe two or three times a week, wasn’t difficult at all. I could go to the office for the entire day and then just come to the training sessions at night.

ALSO READ | IND vs ARG: India gets Savita boost ahead of Argentina tour but will miss Salima’s services

I tried to keep myself fit to a certain extent, but I just basically played until I started to feel that it was time for me to step down because I knew that even though I was doing ok with training two or three times a week, it wasn’t helping any more. And I didn’t want to get to the level where I was going to be a problem for the team, so I quit early enough.

Do you still play hockey from time to time?

I actually founded a team with my former teammates from my hometown of Hamburg. Last year, we were playing in the 4th division of Germany. Our opponents are some 20 years younger than us but we still enjoy it. And we still beat them!

Do you miss the bit about playing? Do you sometimes wish you could go into the field again?

I have such amazing memories being a player and getting the chance to step on that pitch. I’m very grateful that I had the chance to experience that for the better part of my life. There are no regrets, there’s just happiness and joy when I remember the old times. But it’s a part of my life that’s over now, otherwise I’d be trying to do it again! It’s over, and that’s good. A new chapter is on now. Of course, when I watch games now, I have a lot of memories popping up in my head of me playing myself.

I don’t watch many games live, but I watch them all on YouTube, and I follow hockey a lot. I still think it’s a very beautiful sport that needs a lot of attention and should have much more attention. It’s already kind of big in India, but I want it to be big elsewhere in the world.

Have you ever taken part in HYROX as well?

I do. I think I’m physically about as fit as I was back in my playing days because I focus only on athleticism and because I’m very competitive. I always want to beat my personal record time in Hyrox. I train a lot, and my goal is to beat the hour – do something like 58 or 59.

But mostly I’m a doubles athlete. It’s not because of my age or anything, but because it’s much more fun to share the workload and go through the tactics of being teamed up with someone. I just enjoy that very much.

Published on Apr 14, 2026

#compare #starting #HYROX #playing #season #Hockey #India #League #Moritz #Fuertse">

mwasimuddin125 0

When he called time on his international career in 2017, Moritz Fuerste was one of the most accomplished field hockey players of all time. He’d been capped 268 times for Germany, scored 112 goals and won three Olympic medals, including gold at Beijing and London and a bronze at his final Games in Rio.
And while many elite athletes struggle for meaning post-retirement, Fuerste had long been planning for life after professional sport. He’d go on to found HYROX, a fitness brand that organises mass-participation indoor competitions combining running and functional workouts in a standardised format.
These days, HYROX is one of the fastest-growing global fitness brands. It closed 2025 with an estimated 150 million dollars in revenue and had over 600,000 athletes competing annually in competitions it organises in cities across the world. HYROX Bengaluru, which concluded last Sunday, drew over 8,200 participants across two days – a nearly fivefold jump from its first India edition in Mumbai last year, when it drew 1,650 participants.
In an interview with Sportstar, Fuertse, now 41, spoke on his journey from elite sport to founding one of the most successful fitness startups in the world today and how the lessons he learned while competing in the Hockey India League translated to the world of business.
It’s not common in India for high level athletes to make the plunge into the business world. How did that come about for you?
I’ve spent a lot of time in India, so I know how things work here in regard to hockey. I think it’s important to understand that in Germany, hockey is not a professional sport. Players don’t make a living from playing. You can’t provide for your family or even for the rest of your life. I knew I was going to have to leave the game at some point in time, and I was always preparing for that eventuality.
I did my university degree by the time I was 30, and I knew I was going to leave international hockey after the Rio Olympics. I knew it was going to be a big shock if I switched suddenly from being a full-time athlete who wasn’t making any money to a full-time employee. I didn’t want to go down that road, so I’d already started working a little bit during my playing days, and after the Olympics, I decided I was going to start a company with my business partner. But that turnaround from being a professional player to a business owner was a tough step.
While you were preparing for the next chapter, were you ever concerned that you were going to end up crunching numbers in a cubicle?
That’s true. A corporate job would never have suited me. But I always believed I’d be able to find something that I enjoyed as much as I loved being a hockey player. I knew I had to find something that I would have the same energy and fire for that I had for being a hockey player.
It was always going to take something special to replace the role that hockey had in my life.
How did the idea for HYROX come about?
When I was founding a company, I wanted to do something that allowed me to stay in the world of sport. But even within sport, I noticed a void. If you’re a tennis player, you play tennis. If you’re a runner, there are marathons or half marathons. And if you’re a rower, then there are rowing competitions. If you are a hockey player, of course, you play hockey.
But if you’re a gym goer, there is literally no competition directly for that, and there was no competition or race for that. I felt that was crazy because most people in the world who are doing any kind of fitness activities are gym goers. There are hundreds of millions of these people. They go to a gym, and there is no way, no race or sport for these people to compete. That was a huge void that I thought could be filled.
The Ultrahuman Hyrox Bengaluru race was held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre on April 11 and 12. | Photo Credit: Instagram/hyroxindia
The Ultrahuman Hyrox Bengaluru race was held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre on April 11 and 12. | Photo Credit: Instagram/hyroxindia
Even at the time I started, I thought this could be as big as marathon running at some point in time, but it’s been absolutely crazy how well HYROX has done. We ended up outperforming our most optimistic business models by over 100 per cent. I thought we would eventually get to where we were, but I didn’t think it would happen as quickly as it did.
In what ways did the skills you picked up in your playing career translate to running a business?
In both of these worlds, what matters is putting together a team. I think one of my strengths as a player was that I was able to create successful teams. You have to understand leadership structures and hierarchies within the company. You have to work with feedback, negative feedback, and criticism. These are all things that we are very used to from the playing field, and especially the hockey field.
Other things, I mean, obviously, as a player in professional sports, you have to be very organised, you have to be very structured, you have to be disciplined. You also have to be relentless, and you have to never give up because that’s just how it is. You fight till the last whistle, and until then, you just keep fighting.
And I think as a business founder, that’s also very important because there are many ups and downs and many low points and many things where you question yourself, and you just can’t question yourself all the time. You just have to get into the working mode. And I think that’s something I learned a lot in hockey.
But there has to be a difference between being part of a German team that was already a really strong team and starting something from nothing, like with HYROX.
I think that’s true. I would actually compare starting HYROX with the time I came to India and competed in the HIL for Ranchi Rhinos. That’s a closer comparison. When I came to India the first year, we started putting a team together that in the end ended up winning the league. A couple of years later, I switched to the Kalinga Lancers, and we did the same thing again. In Europe, I played in a few leagues, and I ended up doing the same thing.
File photo: Moritz Fuerste has represented Ranchi Rhinos and Kalinga Lancers in the Hockey India League. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout
File photo: Moritz Fuerste has represented Ranchi Rhinos and Kalinga Lancers in the Hockey India League. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout
I think that the ability to lead new teams was one of my strengths, and that was the main asset I brought into founding the company as well. I think I’m quite good at putting the right people together to achieve a common goal.
You were actually one of the highest paid players in the HIL. What do you remember of your time there?
My first year was very special. It was almost spiritual for me to come here and stay here for eight weeks and have the experience with all these young players. I played with Manpreet, Mandeep, and all these young Indian players in the first year. We didn’t have a single senior Indian player in that team. I got to both work with and shape these guys.
The next years were a little bit more about business, focusing on doing the job and experiencing what I never experienced usually, which is these big crowds in stadiums and being very much in the focus. I got my 15 minutes of fame, which I enjoyed a lot.
What did you mean when you described the first season of the HIL as ‘spiritual’?
I’d actually been to India before, when I was playing the Champions Trophy in Chennai in 2005. At that time, we literally didn’t leave the hotel. In that first season of the HIL, we did things like going to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. We visited a few other temples and did a lot of cultural things. I went to Mandeep’s home, and he showed me around his family.
There were a lot of life lessons I took from that experience. It helped me understand how people in different parts of the world live and handle their lives. There were many things that came together that year that made me a better person and also helped me become a better player.
You’ve spoken of what lessons you carried over from hockey to business. What did you have to learn when running a business?
It’s not different, but I think the most important thing in business, as in sport, is to find out very quickly what your personal strength is and what are the things you can drive. I knew in sports that you could wake me at 3 a.m., and I would know what to do with the ball. When I started HYROX, I knew the challenge was to also find my strength.
What also mattered was really finding my place and getting that respect that I had initially as a hockey player that I earned over the course of my career. Getting that respect on that business level was also a challenge for me because if you want people to respect you, you need to give them a reason why they should respect you. That combination was quite a challenge at the beginning.
ALSO READ | How Ironman and HYROX are redefining fitness culture in India
When you found a company, you are going to make a lot of mistakes. Of course, in hindsight, you think you could have done things differently, but that’s when you understand the importance of never giving up. You just need to be relentless, and you need to have a certain thick skin that doesn’t let you fall. And if you do, pick yourself up.
Do you think there is any advantage to being a sportsperson when you’re running a business? Do you look for a sportsperson when you are hiring?
I actually never look at a CV while hiring. I don’t look at grades. I’m not really interested in that. I care about who people are, and sport is a very important piece of that puzzle. If I understand that someone likes to do sports or has done sports, that’s a very valuable ingredient in whether I hire someone.
HYROX is one of the fastest-growing sports brands in the world. How does that compare to winning three Olympic medals? Which gives you more satisfaction?
I can’t compare the two. I gave 25 years of my life to hockey. My first life was being a hockey player, and I’m very grateful for that. I had an amazing decade with a team that I’d say would be one of the top five of all time.
I had some great career highlights. I remember the quarterfinals of the Rio Olympics, where we were just seconds away from losing the quarterfinals to New Zealand and when I scored twice in the last 45 seconds to win the match. There was the semifinals against Australia in the London Olympics when we completely outplayed what I felt was another all-time great team. But every chapter has to end at some point in time.
Moritz Fuerste has won three Olympic medals, gold at Beijing and London and a bronze at his final Games in Rio. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Moritz Fuerste has won three Olympic medals, gold at Beijing and London and a bronze at his final Games in Rio. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
What I’m doing now is a completely different kind of thing. We are all over the world, and we crossed half a million participants last season. HYROX is huge, but I don’t know if it’s ‘bigger’ than my hockey life.
It’s not just that I have a soft spot for hockey. It will always be my first love. Also, my daughters play hockey, so hopefully they will do well as well.
You have three Olympic medals. Do you show them off to investors or is that something you keep to yourself?
My medals are with me at home, but they aren’t on display. People who visit me at home get a chance to get a glimpse of them, but they aren’t something I show off.
While you retired from international hockey in 2017, you continued to play at the club level in Europe for a couple of more years while you were starting your business. How difficult was it to do both?
It is a completely different ball game to play club hockey in Germany in comparison to playing international hockey. At the international level, I was doing one or two training sessions daily. And I was a pretty decent player even when I retired from international hockey at 33 or so. So the move to club hockey, where I was training maybe two or three times a week, wasn’t difficult at all. I could go to the office for the entire day and then just come to the training sessions at night.
ALSO READ | IND vs ARG: India gets Savita boost ahead of Argentina tour but will miss Salima’s services
I tried to keep myself fit to a certain extent, but I just basically played until I started to feel that it was time for me to step down because I knew that even though I was doing ok with training two or three times a week, it wasn’t helping any more. And I didn’t want to get to the level where I was going to be a problem for the team, so I quit early enough.
Do you still play hockey from time to time?
I actually founded a team with my former teammates from my hometown of Hamburg. Last year, we were playing in the 4th division of Germany. Our opponents are some 20 years younger than us but we still enjoy it. And we still beat them!
Do you miss the bit about playing? Do you sometimes wish you could go into the field again?
I have such amazing memories being a player and getting the chance to step on that pitch. I’m very grateful that I had the chance to experience that for the better part of my life. There are no regrets, there’s just happiness and joy when I remember the old times. But it’s a part of my life that’s over now, otherwise I’d be trying to do it again! It’s over, and that’s good. A new chapter is on now. Of course, when I watch games now, I have a lot of memories popping up in my head of me playing myself.
I don’t watch many games live, but I watch them all on YouTube, and I follow hockey a lot. I still think it’s a very beautiful sport that needs a lot of attention and should have much more attention. It’s already kind of big in India, but I want it to be big elsewhere in the world.
Have you ever taken part in HYROX as well?
I do. I think I’m physically about as fit as I was back in my playing days because I focus only on athleticism and because I’m very competitive. I always want to beat my personal record time in Hyrox. I train a lot, and my goal is to beat the hour – do something like 58 or 59.
But mostly I’m a doubles athlete. It’s not because of my age or anything, but because it’s much more fun to share the workload and go through the tactics of being teamed up with someone. I just enjoy that very much.
Published on Apr 14, 2026

#compare #starting #HYROX #playing #season #Hockey #India #League #Moritz #Fuertse">I would compare starting HYROX to playing my first season in Hockey India League: Moritz Fuertse

It’s not common in India for high level athletes to make the plunge into the business world. How did that come about for you?

While you were preparing for the next chapter, were you ever concerned that you were going to end up crunching numbers in a cubicle?

It was always going to take something special to replace the role that hockey had in my life.

How did the idea for HYROX come about?

The Ultrahuman Hyrox Bengaluru race was held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre on April 11 and 12. | Photo Credit: Instagram/hyroxindia

The Ultrahuman Hyrox Bengaluru race was held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre on April 11 and 12. | Photo Credit: Instagram/hyroxindia

In what ways did the skills you picked up in your playing career translate to running a business?

But there has to be a difference between being part of a German team that was already a really strong team and starting something from nothing, like with HYROX.

File photo: Moritz Fuerste has represented Ranchi Rhinos and Kalinga Lancers in the Hockey India League. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

You were actually one of the highest paid players in the HIL. What do you remember of your time there?

What did you mean when you described the first season of the HIL as ‘spiritual’?

You’ve spoken of what lessons you carried over from hockey to business. What did you have to learn when running a business?

ALSO READ | How Ironman and HYROX are redefining fitness culture in India

Do you think there is any advantage to being a sportsperson when you’re running a business? Do you look for a sportsperson when you are hiring?

HYROX is one of the fastest-growing sports brands in the world. How does that compare to winning three Olympic medals? Which gives you more satisfaction?

Moritz Fuerste has won three Olympic medals, gold at Beijing and London and a bronze at his final Games in Rio. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

It’s not just that I have a soft spot for hockey. It will always be my first love. Also, my daughters play hockey, so hopefully they will do well as well.

You have three Olympic medals. Do you show them off to investors or is that something you keep to yourself?

My medals are with me at home, but they aren’t on display. People who visit me at home get a chance to get a glimpse of them, but they aren’t something I show off.

ALSO READ | IND vs ARG: India gets Savita boost ahead of Argentina tour but will miss Salima’s services

Do you still play hockey from time to time?

Do you miss the bit about playing? Do you sometimes wish you could go into the field again?

Have you ever taken part in HYROX as well?

Published on Apr 14, 2026

#compare #starting #HYROX #playing #season #Hockey #India #League #Moritz #Fuertse

Related Posts

The debate around Rory’s Masters prep is absurd

The debate around Rory’s Masters prep is absurd

Post Comment Cancel reply