There remain many ways to remember Pelé but each of them are united as markers of a remarkable life.

The collective grieving and the celebration of Federer’s life in London on September 23 tells us that sport is never an individualised pursuit.

More than his vast knowledge and keen insights into the sport, it was Kapadia's humility and generosity that made him the ultimate chronicler of football in India.

An anti-racist gesture by a team that is keen to toe the line for the government in power, driven by convenience and selfish interests, is a strange sight.

An empathetic relationship with sport that wishes to understand athletes as people, and not reduce them to their practice, must allow an opportunity to reckon with the multiple struggles they face in their everyday lives.

A more holistic view of athletes would help us to see them as rounded human beings, and not just as wrestlers or cricketers, in addition to dispelling the false notion of sport as a meritocratic endeavour.

Stripping themselves of their dignity, the stars in question seem to measure their worth by the degree of their obsequiousness.

Cricket remained his first love as a player, coach and commentator.

Any World Cup squad announcement is bound to be followed with differences of opinion over its composition, but the BCCI selection committee made the best of its options.

The celebration of militaristic activities isn't new to organised sport, but the Indian team’s current promotion of its sentiments is unprecedented.

There is no provision in the ICC’s constitution that allows a member to seek the expulsion of another from a multilateral tournament.

To many, like Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams is an idol who raises pertinent questions about race and gender in sport – but her commitment to the cause also demands great responsibility.

While the finals have been dominated by European teams, the build up to and narratives of the World Cup also favour preserving 'football culture' with the traditional elite.

If Croatia wins the World Cup, this pungent reality will probably dig its heels in further, and it might just be the national team’s long-term legacy.

Even though a victory on penalties is unlikely to transform England into world-beaters overnight, the change in fortunes is a testament to the work accomplished by manager Gareth Southgate.

The glory belonged to the Argentina fans alone, who had time and again lifted their troubled spirit with songs of celebration even when there had been so little to celebrate.

Among the four defending champions in the last five editions who have faltered at the first hurdle after winning the World Cup, Italy was the only one whose embarrassing defeat was explicitly linked to structural inefficiencies.

The only teams to lose by a five-goal margin at this tournament till now have been sides with the lowest valuation.