Grand old lady of carrom wins fight for right to play,again News Archive News

Not for the first time in her life,Nalini Bolinjkar was fighting for the right to fight. At 64,the Shiv Chhatrapati award winner in carrom...

Written by Shivani Naik

Mumbai | February 25, 2009 02:59 AM IST

3 min read

Not for the first time in her life,Nalini Bolinjkar was fighting for the right to fight. At 64,the Shiv Chhatrapati award winner in carrom would be perfectly excused in thinking that playing her sport now that her professional commitments have eased would be as smooth as the surface on which the Striker-coin rolled. Carrom appeared to be the perfect competitive activity to continue pursuing as the years went by. Besides,elders she believed mistakenly were still respected in her playing circles.

But she was in for a rude shock when thirty years after she had dragged organisers of a tournament challenging her entry in the mens singles to court and won the case,Bolinjkar was back to fighting a younger crop opposed to her competing in the mens section at the recent PM Hindu Baths gala-tournament. Navnit Dodia,who Bolinjkar remembers coming to the carrom-room at the Charni Road elite-club as a quiet youngster peering into carrom boards many years ago,had now taken exception to the grand old lady playing alongside the men and struck her name off the list.

Those who opposed me never gave a reason, Bolinjkar says.

Determined not to take it lying down,Bolinjkar brought a stay order on the competition,and fought her case in person,with the court ruling in her favour last week. She had earlier been stopped from competing at Mulund Gymkhana midway through the rounds,and a second snub wasnt something she was going to sit quietly brooding on.

Back in 1978,Bolinjkar had first demanded that every tournament allow women to participate in the mens singles and doubles. Subsequent litigation had compelled the All India Carrom Federation to instruct its affiliates to include an Open Singles rather than a mens singles. For the next 30 years,Bolinjkar shared the board-space to match striking ability with men,though they never stopped asking her why the insistence to play in the mens section? It helps improve my shots. Simple. The competitions better, she states.

National champion in 1979-80 and again in 1982 when she won the Chhatrapati award Bolinjkars Bandra home is lined with the 101 trophies shes won till date. A regular with the Indian squad that played against Sri Lanka,Bolinjkar was returning this year after a prolonged cervical slip disc ailment. She reached the final at Borivali earlier and was looking forward to the PM Hindu Bath tournament her home event.

Having prevailed in her fight a second time,Bolinjkar insists that her case would be a good precedent. Now they wont harass anyone. Some members later congratulated me and even asked me to coach, she says. Id started my carrom here,and it hurt me when they treated me like that. But I knew I was right to fight.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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