E-Paper
Editor’s Note: The people we should know
How HT Brunch has always shone the spotlight on young athletes from various sports in order to encourage them. You should too!
Can an Instagram caption sometimes convey more than an entire cover story can?
On July 28, 2019, HT Brunch put two young sportswomen on its cover: chess player Tania Sachdev and pistol shooter Gauri Sheoran, both over-achievers at their respective games. But neither one was a common face in public perception. Since magazine covers are considered “marketing tools”, this cover fell short on the pick-me-up value scale.
That is, until I ran it in my Instagram stories with a one-liner: To all those who complain the media doesn’t give enough of the spotlight to sportspeople who don’t play cricket, here’s proof! #ShortestEditorsNoteEver.
The online numbers picked up immediately. Whether my statement provoked guilt, or induced curiosity, it did well for the issue of Brunch that weekend.
Come to think of it, the magazine has always encouraged young sportspeople with potential. No, I’m not talking about stars like Virat Kohli, PV Sindhu or Sania Mirza. Even the Olympians like Mirabhai Channu and Lovlina Borgohain may have evoked curiosity after their wins.
I’m talking about the faces you probably didn’t know, but read about in Brunch: Footballer Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, boxer Sarjubala, fiery badminton player Jwala Gutta, tennis star Yuki Bhambri, race car driver Jehan Daruwala, kabaddi star Monu Goyat… We even had para-badminton players Pramod Bhagat and Sukant Kadam on one of our covers, celebrating sport in every form alongside the other.
Today’s issue leads with 24-year-old Kamran Kaur Thandi, a six-foot tall Delhi girl with ambition, drive and discipline. The line on the cover is pointed: India’s No 1 women’s singles tennis player you should know about.
If I have my estimate right, seven out of 10 of you will not have known her enough, and a good five would not know her name. So, the next time you’re pointing fingers, point one at yourself too. Take some time to look up local talent: follow them on Instagram, send an encouraging DM, and wish them luck on your Stories when there’s a big game.
On our part, we will continue to front these stars and hope the exposure gets them brand signups, stronger support and eventually fuel their win.
Our sportspeople face immense challenges, and every bit of encouragement helps more than we realise it does.
Also in this issue: Check out the debate Dahmer has thrown up… are stories that showcase gory crimes dangerous for fragile minds?
Your Secret Traveller takes you to Al Ula, Saudi Arabia’s secret garden.
And in fashion, blaze a powertrail with snazzy new blazers!
Follow @JamalShaikh on Twitter and Instagram
From HT Brunch, December 3, 2022
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