The regional launch of the redesigned Sportstar was done at a function held at the Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE) here on Tuesday.
G. Kishore, Principal, LNCPE handed over a copy of the publication to former BCCI secretary S.K. Nair in the presence of former international volleyball player S. Gopinath IPS (rtd) and former world boxing champion K.C. Lekha.
In his presidential address, Dr. Kishore recalled the high standards of journalism set by The Hindu and Sportstar. He said the development of sports in the country was intrinsically linked to coverage it received in Sportstar. The in-depth analyses and wide coverage the magazine gave to various sports disciplines had made it popular and the number one sports magazine in the country, he added.
S.K. Nair said that during his tenure as BCCI secretary, Sportstar, with its wide coverage of cricket, was a reliable source of information when the Internet was in its infancy. “Often while chairing the selection committee meetings during my tenure as BCCI secretary, we often referred to articles published on domestic cricket in Sportstar and feedback from its journalists. I started reading Sportstar when I was a player to go through articles written by well-known journalists and was impressed by the coverage it gave to domestic sports. I hope the redesigned Sportstar will continue to inspire upcoming sportspersons in the country,‘‘ he said.
Mr. Gopinath recalled how as a player, he was fortunate enough to see his photos and articles published in the prestige magazine. “I have been reading Sportstar since 1978. After every tournament, we used to rush to bookstalls to buy copies of Sportstar and I still have the cuttings of articles which appeared in the magazine during my days as a player,” he said.
Ms. Lekha said she was honoured to attend the function and urged upcoming sportspersons to train hard and win medals so that they could feature in the centrespread of prestigious magazines such as Sportstar.
K.K. Joshy, associate vice-president, Advertisement, the Hindu Group, briefed the audience on the redesign of the new Sportstar. T. Nandakumar, Resident Editor of The Hindu, also spoke. V. Saravanan, regional head, Circulation, The Hindu, welcomed the gathering.
