Yesterday, the Trident hotel re-opened after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. It had made the point clear that they are also towing the Government line and won't entertain any pakistani guest in their hotel. Meanwhile, during the week BCCI canceled India's tour to Pakistan to play cricket tournament next month. The Government of India continued to build pressure on Pakistan to act tough against the terror.
In the back drop of all these important developments, watching the second test match between India and england was a breather. Kevin Pieterson was entertaining, as the english team continued to score runs at a quick pace. The cricket test series between the two teams turns out to be 'healing touch' kind of experience. We Indians are thankful to the English side that even after the tragic incidences in Mumbai, they have not only come back to play in india but also giving a good competition (as a test team they are performing better) to the home team.
However, if the sad memories Mumbai attacks had a Pakistani hand, so does the healing touch of cricket have a Pakistani hand in it. If you are watching the match carefully, then you will notice Umpire Asad Rauf who is also a Pakistani national,is helping in the proceedings of the match. His presence in the field is a reminder that while chasing the bad people,we should not forget the good ones.. Not all of Pakistan is an international migrane, its a just a few of them who are posing threat. And the world should seperate those weeds only.
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Monday, December 22, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Michael Phelps
photo courtsey:GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty ImagesI have decided not to come up with a heading for this blog. The name of the man, speaks for itself. I didn’t feel the need to add some adjective to highlight his merit, as the name itself will be synonymous with athletic brilliance. And why not, this young man from Baltimore, USA has conquered 8Olympic gold within a span of nine days, enroute making and breaking world records.
Beijing Olympics 2008 will be remembered for two things—Bird’s Nest stadium and Michael Phelps. This US swimmer has caught the attention of the entire world within a week. Every competition that he participated into has been a world record in this edition of summer Olympics. I won’t label him as the best Olympian ever, but he is in the league of the ‘Best Olympians’.
Nine days in the Beijing Olympics and his is the name that everyone round the globe has become familiar with. On Sunday, 17th August 2008, Phelps broke Mark Spitz’ record of winning of 7olympic gold in a single edition of the Summer Olympics. His 8th medal took the US gold medal tally to 17, still to catch up with China at 29.
Lots of buzz is around regarding how he is biologically perfectly built (the shape of his torso, his lungs hence can store maximum amount of oxygen, his ankle etc) which helps him in his game. But one thing I can see clearly, even though he may be biologically built to be good swimmer, he practiced real hard to make the most of those natural gifts.
The amount of practice he has put in, to be what he is today was revealed on Wednesday’s event when his glasses were filled with water; making him blind during the swim still he was able to complete the event first with a world record. Later it was revealed that Phelps exactly knew how many stroke it takes to reach the wall, so he did not panic. And he won two medals that day, within one hour--- first a 200-meter butterfly and one as part of the United States' winning 800-meter freestyle relay team. This proves that why he can gobble 12000 calories and also stay so fit.
Beijing Olympics 2008 will be remembered for two things—Bird’s Nest stadium and Michael Phelps. This US swimmer has caught the attention of the entire world within a week. Every competition that he participated into has been a world record in this edition of summer Olympics. I won’t label him as the best Olympian ever, but he is in the league of the ‘Best Olympians’.
Nine days in the Beijing Olympics and his is the name that everyone round the globe has become familiar with. On Sunday, 17th August 2008, Phelps broke Mark Spitz’ record of winning of 7olympic gold in a single edition of the Summer Olympics. His 8th medal took the US gold medal tally to 17, still to catch up with China at 29.
Lots of buzz is around regarding how he is biologically perfectly built (the shape of his torso, his lungs hence can store maximum amount of oxygen, his ankle etc) which helps him in his game. But one thing I can see clearly, even though he may be biologically built to be good swimmer, he practiced real hard to make the most of those natural gifts.
The amount of practice he has put in, to be what he is today was revealed on Wednesday’s event when his glasses were filled with water; making him blind during the swim still he was able to complete the event first with a world record. Later it was revealed that Phelps exactly knew how many stroke it takes to reach the wall, so he did not panic. And he won two medals that day, within one hour--- first a 200-meter butterfly and one as part of the United States' winning 800-meter freestyle relay team. This proves that why he can gobble 12000 calories and also stay so fit.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Are we treating our cricketing heroes properly?
Hero-worshipping is common phenomenon of human society. We always praise and shower gifts and respect on those who make extra-ordinary achievements in their respective fields they are performing in, which can range from sports to literature to art, even politics. But we also forget how to respect them when their glorious days are over, especially in the field of sports and entertainment. As soon as the performance of a player or an actor or artist drops, we all demand for their immediate retirement or removal from the team. Any one who follows Indian cricket can relate to what I am trying to say.
Cricket is probably the most popular sport and field in India presently, which most of the Indians passionately feel about. One good match- winning performance by a cricketer and he is our hero. Not so known Ishant Sharma was a hero after a great performance in Australia earlier this year. Nothing wrong about that, the lad deserved that. However, by chance, if his performance drops ( God forbid that) in two to three series, the same public, critic and yes the media people will not live in peace until and unless he is dropped from the team or like a miracle picks up his form again. And that one miracle will be enough to regain his status as hero. Like what happened with Virender Sehwag, whose praises one was not able to stop singing after his double century in the recent test series played between India and Sri Lanka. Why are we being so unfair to our heroes? Why do we forget the fact that they too are human beings who too can fail in their effort like us? Probably when we start considering them as hero we start thinking them as better than all of us. Yes, they are but you cannot deny the fact that they too are humans. They too can err or falter.
Next time before criticizing our team after a defeat, it would be more productive and helpful if we keep our criticism to technical errors done by the player or team, rather than criticizing the individual. This will help the team as well as boost the confidence of the player to give a better performance. In times of trouble, words of comfort and advice are the biggest help, not asking for severe punishment.
Cricket is probably the most popular sport and field in India presently, which most of the Indians passionately feel about. One good match- winning performance by a cricketer and he is our hero. Not so known Ishant Sharma was a hero after a great performance in Australia earlier this year. Nothing wrong about that, the lad deserved that. However, by chance, if his performance drops ( God forbid that) in two to three series, the same public, critic and yes the media people will not live in peace until and unless he is dropped from the team or like a miracle picks up his form again. And that one miracle will be enough to regain his status as hero. Like what happened with Virender Sehwag, whose praises one was not able to stop singing after his double century in the recent test series played between India and Sri Lanka. Why are we being so unfair to our heroes? Why do we forget the fact that they too are human beings who too can fail in their effort like us? Probably when we start considering them as hero we start thinking them as better than all of us. Yes, they are but you cannot deny the fact that they too are humans. They too can err or falter.
Next time before criticizing our team after a defeat, it would be more productive and helpful if we keep our criticism to technical errors done by the player or team, rather than criticizing the individual. This will help the team as well as boost the confidence of the player to give a better performance. In times of trouble, words of comfort and advice are the biggest help, not asking for severe punishment.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Beijing Olympics 2008: Will India be able to improve its medal tally count?
Atlanta Olympics’96: India wins a bronze in lawn tennis event; Sydney Olympics 2000: one bronze medal won in weight lifting; Athens’04: India graduates to a silver medal, won in double-trap shooting event; Abhinav Bindra wins gold in individual event for the first time in Beijing Olympics 2008. Will the Indian contingent in Beijing be able to clinch some more medals and at least end the medal drought that India has faced at the Olympics? Well, fans are praying, the athletes are sweating out to achieve that target.
India and China have been synonymous with the term ‘developing superpowers’ for a long time. Economically, the progress that both these countries have made definitely instills this confidence in terming them so. Both these countries have the human and natural resources, and the technologies to utilize it, which is enviable. But it seems China has outdone India in certain sectors and fields in which India’s progress is still like that of an underdeveloped nation. And the sport is such an area.
It’s a shame that a country of over a billion populations is not able to produce a better result in the Olympics. Well, the other ‘developing superpower’, China certainly is catching up with other ‘superpowers’ not just economically and technologically but in sports as well. In the Athens Olympics China was just behind the US in the medal tally, winning 32 gold medals. Onus will be on the US to remain ahead, as this time the Chinese contingent will be playing in their home ground, in front of their home crowd, which will certainly be shot in the arm to perform better than the last time.
There is a lesson that needs to be learnt from the Chinese. It has been reiterated by the Noble laureate economist, Amartya Sen for long time that a market married to the society will be called development of a nation. The development in market should percolate down to the society. It too must feel that progress. Progressing economically, increasing GDP, getting the Nuke deal with the US done and increasing number of Indians in Forbes’s list of richest people is not the right indicator of India becoming a superpower. Just like a body needs an all-round development to be called healthy, so does a nation needs to develop other than economically and technologically to be called a superpower. And the medals tally in the Olympics is an indicator of that.
India and China have been synonymous with the term ‘developing superpowers’ for a long time. Economically, the progress that both these countries have made definitely instills this confidence in terming them so. Both these countries have the human and natural resources, and the technologies to utilize it, which is enviable. But it seems China has outdone India in certain sectors and fields in which India’s progress is still like that of an underdeveloped nation. And the sport is such an area.
It’s a shame that a country of over a billion populations is not able to produce a better result in the Olympics. Well, the other ‘developing superpower’, China certainly is catching up with other ‘superpowers’ not just economically and technologically but in sports as well. In the Athens Olympics China was just behind the US in the medal tally, winning 32 gold medals. Onus will be on the US to remain ahead, as this time the Chinese contingent will be playing in their home ground, in front of their home crowd, which will certainly be shot in the arm to perform better than the last time.
There is a lesson that needs to be learnt from the Chinese. It has been reiterated by the Noble laureate economist, Amartya Sen for long time that a market married to the society will be called development of a nation. The development in market should percolate down to the society. It too must feel that progress. Progressing economically, increasing GDP, getting the Nuke deal with the US done and increasing number of Indians in Forbes’s list of richest people is not the right indicator of India becoming a superpower. Just like a body needs an all-round development to be called healthy, so does a nation needs to develop other than economically and technologically to be called a superpower. And the medals tally in the Olympics is an indicator of that.
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