A congregation of international stars welcomed the sleek new format of the Sportstar Weekly, which was re-launched here at the Press Club on Wednesday. The occasion found spontaneous approbation from the gathering of illustrious sports personalities such as footballers Chuni Goswami and Shyam Thapa, cricketers Deep Dasgupta and Devang Gandhi and Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua — who recalled their own association with the magazine as readers.

Appreciating that change was a part of evolutionary process, the speakers like legendary footballer Chuni Goswami said that he followed the progress of the magazine since the days when it had appeared in the name of Sport and Pastime. “We loved the in-depth analysis of our performances during our playing. The magazine maintained a high level of professional excellence and that has helped it survive through time while its competitors withered away,” Goswami said.

Shyam Thapa, one of the best strikers of the country, said he always cherished the refreshing look and content of the magazine.

Former India wicketkeeper and Bengal chief selector Deep Dasgupta said he always relished reading the Sportstar. “Its high level of journalism appealed to me and I wish the new-look Sportstar will keep continuing what it did best – covering a wide variety of Indian sports.

Former India cricketer Devang Gandhi said that the Sportstar has done well in reverting to the magazine format. “I thoroughly enjoyed being at the re-launch of the “Sportstar”. I remember it as the famous sports magazine which was known for its exclusivity in the 80’s wherein many greats of the game wrote and expressed their views on the game. I am sure, they will maintain the standards that they had set earlier,” Gandhi said.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW