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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Olympic Speed Climbing Champion Sam Watson to Visit Mumbai

Mumbai: When Sam Watson sprints up a 15-metre wall, the world seems to slow down. The 19-year-old American speed climber, an Olympic medallist from Paris 2024 and current world-record holder at 4.64 seconds, has become the face of one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. On November 2, he will trade competition arenas for Mumbai’s High Rock in Powai, offering a rare day of workshops and conversations with India’s burgeoning community of climbers. Speed climbing, once a fringe pursuit of...

Olympic Speed Climbing Champion Sam Watson to Visit Mumbai

Mumbai: When Sam Watson sprints up a 15-metre wall, the world seems to slow down. The 19-year-old American speed climber, an Olympic medallist from Paris 2024 and current world-record holder at 4.64 seconds, has become the face of one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. On November 2, he will trade competition arenas for Mumbai’s High Rock in Powai, offering a rare day of workshops and conversations with India’s burgeoning community of climbers. Speed climbing, once a fringe pursuit of mountaineers, now stands as one of the Olympics’ most electrifying disciplines. The sport demands not just power and agility but precision measured in hundredths of a second. Watson, often hailed as the greatest speed climber of all time, has repeatedly rewritten the record books. His visit marks a milestone for India’s fledgling climbing scene. High Rock, the city’s first commercial climbing facility, opened its walls in December 2024 and has since drawn more than 10,000 enthusiasts. It represents the country’s growing fascination with vertical sports and a reflection of a global shift toward adventure and athleticism fused with technology and training science. During his visit, Sam Watson will conduct Masterclasses for both Kids and Adults, offering a rare opportunity for amateur climbers to learn directly from a global champion and experience his unmatched energy and technique up close. Watson will be joined by Matt Groom, the Official Lead Commentator for the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). Known as the voice of IFSC World Cups and World Championships, Groom will host a 30-minute talk at High Rock on ‘The Evolution of Climbing in Competitive Sport.’ His insights promise to provide a deep look into the transformation of climbing from niche adventure to Olympic spectacle. Event: Sam Watson, Olympic Medalist and current World Record holder at High Rock Date: November 2, 2025 Location: High Rock, Powai, Mumbai

Judicial Spine

In a country where the politically connected too often evade the consequences of their crimes, the conviction of former MP Prajwal Revanna is a rare but necessary reminder that India’s courts can stand firm even against the entitled and powerful.


By sentencing Revanna to life imprisonment for rape, sexual harassment and criminal intimidation, the Bengaluru special court has delivered a judgment that should echo through every corner of India’s judicial and political system.


The verdict is not just about justice delivered for man’s depravity but a watershed moment in holding VIP criminals accountable. Revanna’s last name is steeped in influence. The grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and son of former Karnataka minister H.D. Revanna, Prajwal strutted through the political landscape of Hassan with the arrogance of someone convinced he was untouchable.


Revanna’s crimes were meticulously documented, revolting in detail and symbolised the worst combination of power and perversion. A 48-year-old domestic worker was repeatedly raped, silenced by fear, then allegedly abducted to prevent her testimony. Sexually explicit videos filmed by Revanna himself.


The special court saw through Revanna’s entitlement, refused him bail and oversaw a fast-tracked trial that resulted in a conviction based on DNA evidence, eyewitness testimonies and a 1,632-page chargesheet. The survivor’s clothing, retained from the day of the assault, became irrefutable evidence. Her courage, along with that of her family and the all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT), forms the moral backbone of this case.


In court, Revanna claim that “no one had filed a complaint” while he was “ruling” Hassan revealed the feudal worldview that infects so many Indian politicians. For them, political office is not a mandate to serve but a licence to dominate. The judiciary, through this case, has served a cold rebuttal that such people are not kings and nobody is above the law.


The real significance of the verdict lies in the precedent it must now set. India is teeming with public representatives facing serious criminal charges. Hundreds of MPs and MLAs have been accused of grave offences, including sexual violence. But most roam free, confident that party patronage, social capital and systemic inertia will protect them. Revanna thought the same. Well, he was wrong.


Too often, the VIP status of such politics becomes an invisible cloak of immunity. Courts must take note of the Revanna judgment and treat it as a template. And political parties, too, must stop fielding candidates with criminal backgrounds. Voters must stop tolerating dynasts who treat public service as inherited privilege. The law, when enforced impartially, is more powerful than any surname, any alliance or any ministerial post.


Revanna’s downfall is not so much about a great moral victory than a belated course correction. Too often in India, justice is delayed, diluted or denied. But this time, it was delivered. Let it be a warning to all political dynasts that they may try to run from their crimes, but they cannot hide from the long arm of Indian justice.

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