Sandip Sikdar
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
Santosh back in India, out of induced coma
PUBLISHED ON JAN 16, 2021 04:37 AM IST
“CS Santosh was transferred by air ambulance from Riyadh to Bengaluru on Thursday without any issues,” Santosh’s team Hero MotoSports said in a statement on Friday after the 43rd Dakar Rally ended.
Campaign ends early for Indians in Thailand Open
PUBLISHED ON JAN 14, 2021 10:38 PM IST
Unable to sustain play at the elite level, some retired with injury while the others faded away in the face of world class competition, leaving a lot of catching up to do in the build-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
Shetty, Rankireddy hit restart button with fine win at Thailand Open
PUBLISHED ON JAN 13, 2021 11:14 PM IST
Having got back together in late October, the world No.10 men’s doubles pair commenced training at the national camp in Hyderabad, eagerly looking forward to the restart of the badminton circuit
Positive tests but Nehwal, Prannoy cleared
UPDATED ON JAN 12, 2021 09:42 PM IST
Nehwal and husband Parupalli Kashyap, who was also forced to isolate in the hotel as a precautionary measure, had to give first-round walkovers which have now been rescheduled for Wednesday by Badminton World Federation (BWF).
India shuttlers look to shake off pandemic blues
UPDATED ON JAN 11, 2021 10:31 PM IST
- PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth are among players who will feature in the three-leg Asia Series.
Santosh in induced coma after Dakar crash
By Sandip Sikdar | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 07, 2021 10:43 PM IST
The 37-year-old Santosh, who was representing the Hero MotoSports in one of the world’s biggest rallies, crashed on Wednesday and is being kept under a 24-hour observation.
All not well with India’s Tokyo preparation
By Avishek Roy, Navneet Singh and Sandip Sikdar | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 12, 2020 08:18 AM IST
Confusing quarantine rules, delayed start of camps and coaches’ resignations have hit Indian athletes hard.
CS Santosh tunes up for tough Dakar ride
By Sandip Sikdar | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 12, 2020 07:18 AM IST
CS Santosh’s return to the two-week long rally will be an emotional one. After his career-best finish of 34th in the 2018 edition, the 37-year-old Indian crashed out with a concussion the following year. But tragedy struck in Dakar 2020 when his Hero MotoSports teammate Paulo Goncalves died in an accident during the seventh stage between Riyadh and Wadi Al-Dawasir.
This time next year, hopefully I will have a shot at F1 seat: Jehan Daruvala
By Sandip Sikdar | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON DEC 08, 2020 07:56 AM IST
The Carlin driver had a difficult first half of the season, scoring points in only three of the 14 races. His performances improved significantly as he finished in points in eight out of 10 races after that, with two podiums
A new start for Kidambi Srikanth under a new coach Santoso
By Sandip Sikdar | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON NOV 22, 2020 10:53 AM IST
It has been a long wait for Srikanth to step back on the courts. The last time he played before the $750,000 event in Denmark was at the All England in March, where he lost in the opening round.
Lewis Hamilton: Dreamer, chaser, believer
By Sandip Sikdar | New Delhi
UPDATED ON NOV 16, 2020 08:18 AM IST
Hamilton, whose first title came in 2008 with McLaren, has blown open F1’s greatest of all time (GOAT) debate—earlier confined to the likes of Ayrton Senna and Schumacher.
Stranded Indian shuttlers return from Germany
By Sandip Sikdar | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON NOV 03, 2020 10:31 PM IST
Defending champion Lakshya Sen, 2018 winner Subhankar Dey and Ajay Jayaram were forced to pull out of last week’s $90,000 SaarLorLux Open in Saarbrucken and go into quarantine after DK Sen, Lakshya’s father and coach, tested positive.
Shuttlers stuck in Germany till Nov 10
By Sandip Sikdar | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON OCT 31, 2020 10:04 AM IST
Indian shuttlers Ajay Jayaram and Subhankar Dey must remain in isolation in Germany till November 10 after which they can return home.
Shuttlers pull out of event, quarantined in Germany
By Sandip Sikdar | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON OCT 30, 2020 11:24 AM IST
Subhankar Dey, Ajay Jayaram withdraw after Lakshya Sen’s father tests positive.
Hamilton: 92 down, eyes on No.7
By Sandip Sikdar | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON OCT 26, 2020 11:43 AM IST
Mercedes driver breaks Schumacher’s race-win record; on the verge of equalling most championships.
London stint: PV Sindhu denies rift with family, Gopi
By Sandip Sikdar | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON OCT 21, 2020 10:43 AM IST
When Sindhu, 25, announced on Monday that she is in England for a few weeks for recovery and assistance in nutrition, it whipped up a controversy on social media.
Analytical coach Chris Ciriello latest Indian hockey team staff to exit
By Sandip Sikdar | New Delhi
UPDATED ON SEP 23, 2020 07:51 AM IST
Chris Ciriello had only recently signed a one-year contract extension after the Tokyo Olympics was postponed.
Mixed reactions in India to Thomas, Uber Cups deferred
By Sandip Sikdar | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON SEP 16, 2020 07:13 AM IST
Subhankar Dey and national selector U Vimal Kumar criticised the decision but HS Prannoy, Saina Nehwal and Chirag Shetty said BWF were right in rescheduling after a number of countries, including powerhouses Indonesia and South Korea, had pulled out due to Covid-19.
National badminton camp likely to be cancelled after quarantine stalemate
By Sandip Sikdar | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON SEP 09, 2020 11:55 PM IST
There was no action for the third successive day of the camp in Hyderabad that Sports Authority of India (SAI) had planned for the Thomas and Uber Cup, scheduled in Denmark from October 3 to 11 which will restart international competition for the first time since March.
Players, SAI differences delay badminton national camp
By Sandip Sikdar | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON SEP 09, 2020 02:08 PM IST
SAI had announced the camp from Monday to September 27 to build-up for the biennial Thomas and Uber Cup Finals (Oct 3-11) in Aarhus, Denmark, which will restart international competition after a lengthy lockdown due to the pandemic.
Sindhu boost for India, persuaded to play Uber Cup
By Sandip Sikdar and Avishek Roy | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON SEP 07, 2020 11:41 PM IST
Sindhu changed her mind after a call from Badminton Association of India (BAI) president Himanta Biswa Sarma requesting that she reconsider the decision.
![File image of Indian badminton players Satwiksairaj Rankireddy [L] and Chirag Shetty.(PTI Image)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/rf/image_size_300x169/HT/p2/2020/09/07/Pictures/_96c31520-f0bb-11ea-8bce-519453830254.jpg "File image of Indian badminton players Satwiksairaj Rankireddy [L] and Chirag Shetty.(PTI Image)")
Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy pull out of Thomas and Uber Cup
By Sandip Sikdar | New Delhi
UPDATED ON SEP 07, 2020 09:11 AM IST
Top doubles specialists Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have pulled out of the Thomas and Uber Cup.
Egan Bernal is the Tour de France favourite this time too
By Sandip Sikdar | New Delhi
UPDATED ON SEP 04, 2020 09:24 AM IST
Wiggins discussed the challenges of holding the Tour during the pandemic, the favourites to win this year and Chris Froome being dropped by Ineos.
Signing Daniel Ricciardo is a step forward in our long-term plan, says McLaren CEO Zak Brown
By Sandip Sikdar | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON SEP 03, 2020 06:07 PM IST
In an interview with Hindustan Times, McLaren CEO Zak Brown discusses F1 during the pandemic, performance of the team, regulation and driver changes among other things.
Shuttler Sikki tests negative, camp to resume on Monday
By Sandip Sikdar | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON AUG 16, 2020 01:42 AM IST
The 26-year-old Sikki, a Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist, had on Thursday, tested positive for the highly contagious disease at the SAI Pullela Gopichand academy.
Sindhu to keep training despite Covid-19 hitting national camp
By Sandip Sikdar | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON AUG 15, 2020 08:27 AM IST
Sindhu, aiming to go one better than her 2016 Rio Olympics silver, wants to train at the Suchitra Academy where she goes for fitness workouts, while officials decide when to reopen the SAI-Gopichand National Badminton Academy.
N Sikki Reddy, physio Kiran C test Covid positive at national camp
By Sandip Sikdar | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON AUG 13, 2020 09:43 PM IST
Women’s doubles specialist Sikki and Kiran, who have been attending the national camp at the academy, are both asymptomatic, according to a SAI statement.
Mandeep 6th men’s hockey camper to test Covid-19 positive
By Sandip Sikdar | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON AUG 10, 2020 11:31 PM IST
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.
Champagne Daruvala
By Sandip Sikdar | NEW DELHI
UPDATED ON AUG 09, 2020 11:36 AM IST
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.
PV Sindhu ends long wait, resumes training at Pullela Gopichand academy
By Sandip Sikdar | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON AUG 07, 2020 07:19 PM IST
India’s elite badminton players began practice sessions on Friday after over four months, due to the Covid-19 crisis.