Before reporting on the games, he lived them. In his youth, Sabanayakan Selvakumaraswamy excelled in track sprints, played competitive junior-school hockey, and was a highly accomplished cricketer. He represented Berhampur University for four consecutive years—twice serving as team captain—and was called up to the prestigious Ranji Trophy nets by the Odisha Cricket Association in 1978 and 1979. He later brought this on-field technical insight to first- and second-division club cricket fields in Kolkata.

His decorated professional editorial journey began in 1980 when he joined the Indian Express newsroom in Kolkata. By 1985, he moved to The Telegraph, and from 1995 to 2015, he served as a Special Correspondent and later retired as the respected Deputy Editor (Sports) for The Hindu & Sportstar Weekly.

In 2021, he took full editorial charge of the English broadsheet Eastern Chronicle as the Editor for its highly competitive Kolkata edition, continuing to shape mainstream sports and administrative journalism.