She Means Business Cover Feature – Rica Roy –

Rica Roy often says she’s a sum of “magic moments” – small sparks that shaped her life. One of those came when she was just ten, sitting in an auditorium in Calcutta. She watched Dr. Prannoy Roy and Mrs. Roy at an award function, and something inside her clicked. “It was love at first sight,” she laughs. “I probably told myself right then that I wanted to work with Dr. Roy. I didn’t know how or when, but it happened.”

She started young, freelancing at 13, writing for Sportsworld, The Statesman, and The Week. At a time when sports journalism was a boys’ club, Rica turned up at stadiums with her passes and notebooks, only to be blocked at the gates. “They thought I was fangirling. But I wasn’t. I meant business. I was sent there to get a story, and that’s exactly what I did.”

The skepticism followed her everywhere. “Men would ask me if I even knew the off-side rule. Back then, I explained politely. Today, when someone still tries that, I just smile and ask if they know the fourth rule of Sepak Takraw. Most of them don’t even know the sport exists.”

What helped her survive wasn’t confrontation but persistence. “There was jealousy, misinformation, people trying to edge me out. I did feel like leaving at times. But I stuck it out. I knew my work would speak for me”

And it did. Over the years, Rica became one of the few women faces in sports journalism, paving the way for others to walk into press boxes without having to explain themselves.

She also never felt like she didn’t belong. “I never had imposter syndrome. I always believed I was meant to be here. Even when people doubted me, I didn’t.”

But the job came with sacrifices. “No one told me I’d never have a Saturday or Sunday off. In 25 years, I’ve missed so many family occasions, so many important days. That’s the reality of this life.”

Success, for Rica, isn’t shiny. It’s standing in the Louvre with her mother, soaking up the Cardiff sun, or having good food with friends. It’s also being able to look within and know she’s creating value. “My ism is journalism,” she says. “People laugh when I say that, but it’s true.”

She doesn’t like to give out “advice” but she does share this: “Journalism is fun, but it comes with disappointments and rejections too. You have to find your own balance. The only thing I’ll say is develop an attitude of joy. Once you do, grace and wisdom follow. The rest, life will show you. Being a truth seeker is the greatest blessing.”