Cricket for Indo-Pak unity

By Preeti Singh

For some people, the ongoing India-Pakistan cricket series is just a game, while for some others it is the “Friendship Series”. As far as I am concerned, it provides us with an opportunity to bring ourselves closer to our neighbours.

Almost sixty years ago, our forefathers were hapless victims to one of the deadliest waves of bloodshed seen in human history. Neighbours murdered each other in the name of religion, even though all religions preach universal peace. This post-partition trauma has been revisited several times. Are we ready to emerge out of its shadow and shake hands with our neighbours once again?

I think we are. And it’s about time too. We have made significant economic and technological progress and it is time for us to replicate this progress in bilateral relations too. And our Government seems to be on the right path, with buses zooming across the border and the “no-man’s land” being transformed into a common area called “my-land and your-land”.

It’s time to move ahead and embrace our neighbours, thus ensuring a safe and happy future for us all.

Everthing said and done,
I still wish to have fun,
With my lost friends and family,
and laugh with them happily.
Then if somebody asks me,
are you a Hindustani or a Pakistani
with tears ever so grand,
I'll answer,
I am the Toba Tek Singh of no-mans land!
I am the Toba Tek Singh of no-mans land!

Olympic spirit low, no surprise

Staff Editorial
The Pitt News (U. Pittsburgh)

(U-WIRE) PITTSBURGH -- The Winter Olympics start today. Turin, the northern Italian city selected for the honor, is abuzz with international good cheer and a healthy, competitive spirit. Those lucky enough to live in Turin and the surrounding area are joyfully sharing their city with the gleeful crowds of tourists. For a little more than two weeks, the world is able to come together and - peacefully - celebrate athleticism and sportsmanship. Well, at least part of that is true. The Winter Olympics do start today. They are being held in Turin, which is in the north of Italy. There will be competitions and plenty of athletes.

However, there are plenty of people in Turin who don't particularly feel like sharing the roads, especially since they've been putting up with traffic jams and construction work on their daily commutes. Some, angry about all of the rapid-fire expansion invading their picturesque city - including a high-speed railway between France and Italy - have gone so far as to stage protests. Three hundred of them were temporarily able to divert the procession of the Olympic flame, and last month four demonstrators actually grabbed the flame out of the hands of the athlete who was running with it.

And, really, given the increasing costs and decreasing benefits of holding the Olympic Games, who can blame them? Over the years, the Olympics have become little more than a festival of sponsorship and advertising. They have been over-expanded and over-commercialized; in their current, bloated form it's unclear what purpose they even serve.

With Olympic stadiums in cities all over the world, the economic advantage and elite status that hosting the Games once implied are all but gone.

We live in an age when a Canadian can instantly e-mail a peer in China, and a German can watch Brazilian television from the comfort of his own home. We use the World Wide Web to interact with the global economy - it's no shock that the thought of many nations coming together isn't the ratings-draw it once was.

Then again, people may also just not be able to muster up the motivation to sit through endless commercials to watch a sport like speed skating or bobsledding. Even hockey, one of the Winter Olympics' biggest draws, is generally acknowledged as a sport that does not televise well.

Ticket sales for the actual games have been sluggish for several Olympics now, too, indicating a more general indifference toward the Games. Nationalism isn't what it was 20 or 40 years ago; World War II is over and the Iron Curtain has been down for some time now.

The forces America finds itself at odds with today do not represent themselves at Olympic Games - there's not exactly a Team Terror for people to root against.

The world is a continually changing place. If the Olympics want to stay relevant, they need to change with it.

The furore over Saurav

JASLEEN KAUR

He is India’s most successful cricket captain, has scored more than 15,000 runs in international cricket, taken the Indian team to the World Cup Final – and yet, he could not find a place in the Indian team.

The news that Saurav Ganguly had been dropped from the Indian team for the third test against Sri Lanka came as a shock for the entire country. He was dropped in spite of putting in a decent performance against Sri Lanka in the Delhi Test. His exclusion sparked a nation-wide debate and a series of protests in Kolkata. Was it fair to drop him from the squad in this manner?

Here’s what some students had to say. Rohan, a DU student says, “It is an injustice to a player like him who has contributed so much to the Indian team.” Komal, an IP student, agrees: “We cannot understand the reason for his removal. Although every one has to go one day but this is not a way to treat a senior player.” Ganguly fans are, not surprisingly, stunned. Says Shikha, an IP student, “We were utterly shocked. He has surely been dropped for reasons other than performance.” Priyanka , her friend from the same college says, “On one day, Mr. Chappell praises Ganguly and says that senior players like him are needed and the next, he is out without any reason.”

What of the fact that Ganguly has been blamed for creating an unhealthy environment in the team? Puneet, an IP student, says, “How can anyone even say this for a player like him who captained the team to the World Cup Final?” Although Ganguly has now been included in the team to tour Pakistan, his future remains in doubt. Rohan stresses the need for transparency in the working style of the selection committee, so that other players don’t face a similar predicament. One only hopes that Ganguly’s return will once again make the Indian squad the perfect “Team India”.

Book Review: The magic of Indian cricket - in prose!

The States of Indian Cricket, By Ramachandra Guha, Permanent Black, Rs 395/-

Indian cricket in recent times has been ill-served by authors. In the eighties, most bookshops used to have an entire cricket section. Unfortunately, those times have passed and do not seem likely to return. None of our current cricketers seems too inclined to write and the few books about them are quite blatant marketing efforts. If Indian cricket books were a species, the WWF would have already slotted them in the endangered list.

Which is why books like The States of Indian Cricket by Ramachandra Guha (arguably India’s best writer on the game) are all the more welcome. An updated combination of two of Guha’s earlier books, Wickets in the East and Spin and Other Turns, The States of Indian Cricket is a highly anecdotal look at some of Indian cricket’s most important figures.

The first part of the book is basically a collection of all-time state XIs made by Guha while the second part focuses on some of India’s most famous cricketers. While most book lovers will prefer the second part, cricket followers will love the first part. After all, rare is the Indian cricket fan who has not spent several hours meditating over the perfect all-time team. Of course, Guha is far more objective in his selection (I actually refused to pick Kapil Dev in my all-time India XI for a while). But this is not to belittle the second part of the book, which is written with a fluency that is reminiscent of the players described in it.

It is the sheer wealth of detail that Guha serves up that makes The States of Indian Cricket so readable. This is not a book for the statistically inclined – there are no score cards or averages. Nay, this is for those who love the game and all its nuances – who appreciate an impeccable forward defensive stroke, or the subtleties of a spinner’s flight. It also brings to life a number of players whose contribution to the game has been largely forgotten. One reads about how CK Nayadu goaded Douglas Jardine (the man who created Bodyline), how Mohammad Nissar threatened to knock out the teeth of the legendary Frank Woolley, and of Salim Durrani’s memorable riposte when he was asked to bowl only after Bedi had gone off the field (“main change bowler nahin hoon”).

If you like cricket, grab a copy and read it. After a while, your nostrils will catch a faint whiff of grass and your ears will hear the sound of leather hitting wood. You might also hear a smattering of applause.

And discover that you are clapping.

Rating: A+

- Nimish Dubey

STUDENTS SPORTS ON A HIGH

PRIYANKA VERMA,
KARAN TALWAR,
ADITI MEDIRATTA &
SURENDER K DHALETA

This is it: the ultimate shame for Indian sport. Performance enhancing drugs are used by students in schools and colleges, as discovered by TCP in a shocking expose. Does it get worse than this?

Narendra Gaur, Lecturer, Physical Education (PE), at Sri Venkateswara College (SVC) says, “Doping is omnipresent. One can see syringes all around during inter-college meets. I’m amazed at this.”

And this phenomena seems to be commonplace in schools, colleges and stadia where youngsters train. Performance enhancing drugs are being used by players, usually with the consent and knowledge of their coaches who are often the suppliers themselves. And players, coaches and sports officials easily admit to this happening all around even though they would only point fingers at others and deny any such use themselves.

St. Stephen’s College Reader (PE), Sushant Chakravarty admits these drugs are often taken under the supervision of the coaches. Moti Lal Nehru College PE Director N Ashish too blames the coaches. “Students are innocent. Senior player or coaches are the ones who administer these drugs and encourage such use. How else are players coming to know of these?”

So which sports are these drugs being taken for? Almost all, but according to Mr Ashish, “The use of steroids is more rampant in games like wrestling, power-lifting, weight-lifting, boxing and athletics.”

At the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, boys seem to be more into taking performance enhancers than girls. How does one know? “It’s all a well guarded secret but one gets to know who takes it and who doesn’t because the body odour is different. But the problem is that even though we know who does it there is no easy way to prove it before the meets, especially as medical tests are not a regular feature in these stadia and in schools and colleges,” says an athlete at the stadium.

But even if one gets caught, there are ways to escape punishment. Money works wonders, as it does in so many other areas of our corruption infested nation says a Delhi University (DU) player. One even gets away by submitting the wrong urine samples, according to a girl at JNS. It’s also easier as coaches themselves are co-conspirators.

Accessing these drugs
Coaches are mostly to blame going by what TCP has been told. But there are other sources too. Instructors in gymnasiums and health clubs are an easy source of such drugs at reasonable prices. A Modern School (Barakhamba Road), an athlete told TCP that she knows of a girl whose parents are national runners and they themselves supply her with these so called magic potions.

Some players of Delhi mentioned a ‘pudiya wala’ near a chemist shop in Kalkaji who makes small walnut shaped pakoras filling them with some enhancers, which he claims are only herbal in nature. A walk on the football field around one of the prestigious colleges of DU will have one picking up small plastic bottles which contained a white powdery substance inhaled for a dose of energy.

Dr. Jawahar Lal Jain, Senior Physician, DU, who has been the official doctor of Indian teams at international meets like the Olympics, SAF Games and Commonwealth Games says, “The deluge of information regarding performance enhancing drugs on the Internet are also to blame. And in India, lax implementation of laws can have a class six boy walking up to a chemist and buying anything without a prescription.” Adds a Northern Railway boxer, “Players from rural areas have no such access to knowledge but take the word of their coaches at face value.” Like many players say, “The coach is guru and you don’t question him.”

“Many are not even aware what their coaches are administering them in the guise of food supplements. But others who take these drugs and injections voluntarily know that they run the risk of being banned from playing forever,” says the former international boxer.

Why these drugs?
The reasons for taking these drugs may not be too far to seek. Jobs, peer pressure, admissions to colleges or just a feel-good factor are some of the obvious reasons.

Mr Chakravarty says, “The ones most prone to taking these drugs are those who see sports as their bread and butter. There are quotas for sportspersons in government jobs and admissions to colleges. Drugs are a short-cut to enhance performance and take advantage of these quotas. There are also those who want to emulate stars in films when they watch the latter’s bodies on screens. I know a student, probably on steroids, who wants to be Mr. India.”

Dr. Jain says, “The problem starts at the school level where admissions to colleges are based on one’s performance. And then one step leads to another. It’s not that the Government is not aware about the gravity of the problem. But no one is serious about this issue. There are over 250 banned substances specified by the IOC, but where will the money come from to conduct tests at the school and college level?”

What is being used
An ex-student of a high profile school in Chandigarh reveals that it was an open secret in his school that all the state level players were provided ‘green colored capsules’ by the coach before any athletic competitions. “It improved the performance levels manifolds, but the side effects were awful. Most students used to end up vomiting excessively after a few hours and some even had to be hospitalized,” he revealed.

An ex-student of a high profile air-conditioned school in Delhi blatantly boasts, “Man, I used to take a drag of weed and run like a horse. Ohhh, was it amazing or what? Others who used to practice all day were left way behind in the crowd.” A touch of exaggeration perhaps, but serious nevertheless.

Students reveal alcohol as another source of enhancing performance. “Two neat pegs of rum got me going often in freezing December weather,” says an ex-student of a convent school. Of course, liquor does not come cheap and some students also suffered from side-effects which their bodies could not handle well. “I may take a Red Bull which is a caffeine drink to boost my energy before matches. It’s legal, but I will never use pills or injection to enhance my performance. If I win with external aid then what’s the point in winning because then your victory is not entirely yours,” says a girl college player.

Many get themselves shots of testosterone (the male hormone), which supposedly increases stamina and performance pushing the body beyond its limits, reveal sources. Side effects include increased sexual performance and aggressiveness. On surveying many local gyms, it was found that they were giving out a substance called ‘horse serum’ which increases performance. Many were even found to be giving shots of testosterone (the male hormone).

Others include steroids like Deca Durabolin, Sustanon and Stromba and herbal products like Gensing and Ashwagandha. Deca Durabolin and Sustanon, according to medical practioners, are oil-based injections containing different testosterone compounds that are prescribed for bone related problems in old age and postmenopausal osteoporosis. These drugs have the same properties as the natural hormone testosterone. They are believed to increase the production of protein by the body and enhance muscle development. “As these injections are oil-based, it is really very difficult and painful to inject them into the body,” says Arun Nambiyal, a body-builder, who confesses to having taken the course of Deca Durabolin for one and a half months. He also complained of persistent painful erection and urethral discharge while on the course.

Mr Ashish admits that his students do take supplements like amino acids, creatine and phospho creatine. “I’ve always guided my students not to go for any drugs or injections. But you cannot keep a tab on them every moment. My students have reported having taken food supplements like Hercules and Mega Pro. But whether these supplements contain banned substances is something neither the students nor I am aware of,” he says.

Now What
“It’s a vicious circle and a big racket with players from almost every other school and college using performance enhancing drugs for sporting events. There is nothing secretive about it, so it does not make sense to get into any competition ‘raw’, when the rest of the field is all high up on pills,” says a student pragmatically.

India has been shamed in various international sports arenas many a time including at the Olympics. Looks like we believe in catching them young, and all for the wrong causes.
Forget about sports glory, at least in our lifetimes.

The one-armed surfer

NIMISH DUBEY

On the morning of October 31, 2003, 13-year old Bethany Hamilton and her friends decided to get Halloween underway by surfing the waves near Tunnels Beach in Hawaii. It was a glorious morning and Bethany was keen to get into the water. She was a superb surfer, had been winning tournaments since she was seven, and was considering taking up surfing as a professional career.


As she lay on the surfboard, waiting for the waves to come, she felt something tug at her left arm, which was dangling in the water. Her surprise turned to terror as she saw her arm in the mouth of a massive, 14-foot Tiger Shark. As the shark attempted to pull her way, Bethany desperately hung on to her surfboard. The board saved her but it did not save her arm – the shark literally ripped it off just below her shoulder before swimming away. Bleeding profusely, Bethany somehow paddled her way to the shore, using only her right arm.

One of her father’s friends quickly fashioned a tourniquet out of a rope to try and stop the bleeding from what remained of her left arm as she was rushed to the Wilcox Memorial Hospital. But even then, she lost almost 70 per cent blood. Fortunately, she had been in excellent physical condition and was able to recover. However, a small stump on her left shoulder was all that remained of her left arm.

Ten weeks after the attack, surfers were surprised to see a one-armed teenager walking towards the ocean, a surfboard tucked under her right arm. Bethany Hamilton was back to ride the waves. Using a special custom-made board that was longer and thicker than conventional surfboards, she slowly worked her way back to peak fitness, learning how to manoeuvre using only one arm. She returned to competitive surfing, finishing fifth in the National Surfing Championships, winning a place on the US surfing team. She was awarded the ESPY award for Best Comeback Athlete and won a special courage award at the 2004 Teen’s Choice Awards.
Today, fifteen-year old Bethany is an inspirational figure. She gives motivational speeches, has written a book and has her own range of perfumes (packaged in surfboard-shaped bottles). A movie on her life is already being made. Mind you, none of this has changed her ambition.
Two years after losing an arm while surfing, Bethany Hamilton still wants to be a professional surfer!

Who needs an allrounder? Not India!

NIMISH DUBEY

Whenever there is talk of the Indian team’s poor performances in one-day internationals (ODIs), we inevitably hear the team management pop up with the statement: “We need to find an all-rounder as that would give the team additional depth.” Now there’s nothing really wrong with that in theory. After all, every team in the world would like to possess cricketers who can bat and bowl (and field) with equal dexterity. But the fact is that the Indian team does not need such a player at the moment.

The current Indian team has four players who can be classified as all-rounders – Virender Sehwag, Saurav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh and Rahul Dravid. The first three have had their share of success as bowlers at international level while Dravid’s wicket-keeping (miserable though it is) earns him the “allrounder” tag. Add Tendulkar to the mix and you have five potential all-rounders in the lineup. And yet the Indian team management keeps moaning about the absence of allrounders and attempts to ‘groom’ the likes of Irfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar. In passing, it is fascinating how it always seems to be the bowler’s fate to be ‘groomed’ into an all-rounder. If a bowler is expected to contribute with the bat, why cannot a batsman be asked to turn his arm over from time to time? The truth is that once a cricketer gets established in the Indian team as a bats-man, he seldom pays any attention to his bowling. Eventually, it is the team that pays the price for this decision as it gets deprived of an extra bowling option. The Indian team that won the 1983 World Cup featured three players who were mainly batsmen but whose bowling regularly made a difference to the team’s fortunes – Mohinder Amarnath, Sandeep Patil and Kirti Azad. However, not too many have followed in their footsteps. This reluctance to bowl seems to be a trait unique to Indian batsmen. If you cast an eye on other teams, you will find that they contain specialist batsmen who bowl regularly – Jayasuriya, Astle, Dilshan, Graeme Smith, Vaughan and Chris Gayle, to name a few.

To repeat, India does not need an all-rounder. All it needs to do is to persuade the likes of Ganguly, Sehwag and Yuvraj to bowl regularly.

Indian athletics needs a makeover

Ekta Dhall

Looking at the near empty stands of New Delhi’s Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium during the last edition of the Federation Cup Athletic Championships, one realized that Indian athletics needs to change if it wants to attract sponsors and gain popularity. In this era, when there is commercialisation of every sport, athletics urgently needs some brisk marketing. As matters stand today, who comes to watch the athletes in action? Does anybody care if there is an athletics competition going on in their city? The answer is nobody, except athletes, officials or the media covering the event.

When my brother, a sports reporter, went to cover the Federation Cup, one of his friends commented, “Cricket cover kar, yaar. Yeh kya kabaddi, athletics cover karta rehta hai. Kaun jaata hai in games ko dekhne ke liye aur kaun inke baare mein padhta hai.” (Go and cover cricket, my friend. Why are you reporting on Kabaddi and Athletics? Who goes to watch these sports or even reads about them?)

And that is the bitter truth. There were hardly any spectators at the Federation Cup as the heats and some of the finals started as early as 6.30 in the morning. This was done to avoid the terrible heat prevailing in the capital, but only a diehard fan would have come to watch the event at that hour. The organizers could have scheduled events in the evening, just as they arrange day-night matches in cricket. Competitions need publicity - an advertisement inviting spectators to watch famous athletes like Anju Bobby George in action would have helped generate awareness about the event. Inviting celebrities to the stadium would also have attracted spectators.

Another bane of Indian athletics is the fact that most athletes are not media-savvy. B. S. Preeti, a pole-vaulter from Karnataka, refused to talk to us saying, “What will you do asking me about my performance? Talk to the athletes who have played in international events.” Similarly, Chetna Solanki, a national record holder, would not talk to the media even though her coach insisted that she do so. It is essential that athletes be media-trained so that they can market the game not only to the media but also to others interested in their sport.

Indian athletes also seem to suffer from lack of confidence as regards their performance. They have built a mental block about foreign athletes being superior to them. Anju Bobby George defied this mindset to win the bronze at the World Athletics Championship last year. Indian athletics needs more stars like her if India is to emerge as a major force in athletics.

The 2007 World Cup Mirage

Nimish Dubey

C ricket teams all over the world have been struck by a new mania - “Grooming a team for the next World Cup”. While there’s no doubting the stature and importance of the World Cup, I wonder if it does merit this kind of long-term planning. And should it come at the cost of sidelining merit?

What many observers seem to forget is that the World Cup is a one-day tournament. And one-day cricket often does not favour the better team. A mediocre side can upset the best in the business on its day. As the duration of the game is limited and allows each team only one innings apiece, there is very little time for recovery if you get off to a bad start. The West Indies discovered this to their cost against India in the 1983 final, as did the Australians against Bangladesh in the recent Nat West series. Individual players have a much greater chance of influencing match outcomes and even the toss can at times be critical. The most meticulously thought-out game plan can be ruined by a single brilliant performance.

So there is virtually no foolproof way of planning to win this tournament. And yet teams persist in believing the contrary. But even that cannot be considered an excuse for keeping deserving players out of the team. Take the Indian team - Kumble and Laxman found themselves out of the one-day side last year as both were considered too old for the 2007 tournament, never mind their recent form. Other teams too have been blooding youngsters at every opportunity.

The irony is that the World Cup has seldom been won by young teams. On almost every occasion, it is the team with the older heads that has flourished because experienced players are able to adapt easily to the dynamic nature of one-day cricket. The difference that experience can make was illustrated in the 1999 World Cup when a brashly youthful Herschelle Gibbs dropped veteran Steve Waugh while attempting to celebrate prematurely. “You just dropped the World Cup, son,” Waugh told him and proceeded to turn the match in Australia’s favour.
It is therefore not really surprising that the Australians seem the least affected by the 2007 World Cup hoopla and are more focused on winning their ongoing games than on preparing for an event that is two years away and is unpredictable in nature. Other teams would do well to follow their example.

Indian hockey: An overview

VISHNU REDDY

The Indian hockey team once inspired fear in its opponents. Today, it is struggling to hold its own in the top tier of the sport. The reasons for this decline are not hard to find:

1. Constant change of coaches: The coaches of the team have been dropped and changed as per the whims and fancies of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). In the last four and a half years, the Indian team has had half a dozen coaches. By the time the team adopts the new style of play and strategy brought in by the coach, he is sacked. There is also no transparency in the way IHF selects and removes these coaches. During the recent selection of the coach, there was no mention of the contenders for the post. The IHF simply revealed Rajinder Singh Jr. and Narinder Pal Singh as coach and assistant coach.
2. The IHF and its Politics: KPS Gill seems to have become the monarch of IHF. The Sports Ministry stipulates that no person shall contest more than two terms. However, Gill has been in power for the past twelve years. To make matters worse, a mere three national championships have been held in the past eleven years. It's no wonder that we are struggling in hockey as there are very few players to choose from. Shouldn't Gill be accountable for this? Yet Gill, who earlier in the year was opposed to running for the President of IHF for the fourth time, contested the recent elections (results not revealed yet). He even brought forward the elections by eleven months and reports indicated that he received tremendous support from the affiliate members in the Hyderabad AGM.
3. Selection Policies: There has never been any transparency in the selection policies of the IHF. No reason is given for a player's selection or omission. Every tournament sees several new players in the Indian team but they are dropped even before being given a fair trial.
4. The lack of infrastructure: Astroturf and floodlit stadiums are the norm in international hockey. However, we have only one floodlit stadium (in Hyderabad) in India and the number of Astroturf grounds is also limited. Most of our players get access to them only after they reach the national level.

Stuff body language and attitude, work on ability

NIMISH DUBEY

The media these days seems to be obsessed by sportspersons' attitudes and body language. It is rare to hear or read the coverage of an event without coming across one of these two terms - "Sania Mirza will go far because she has the right attitude"; "Indian cricket's body language changed under Sourav Ganguly", etc. Even during live coverage, commentators often mention how a team has the "right body language and attitude".

All of which makes one wonder as to how important these two factors are. While there is no doubt that the way in which one approaches a situation - both mentally and physically - does make a difference, the fact is that this alone will never guarantee success. People keep harping about how India defeated the mighty Aussies in 2001 because they "confronted them and did not back down". Well, all the confronting and not backing down would have been useless without the record-breaking performances of Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman. And if you think that Australia lost because Sourav Ganguly kept Steve Waugh waiting for the toss, you need to see a shrink!

There is a school of thought that believes Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath get wickets because they glare at batsmen and give them an earful from time to time. Or that Lleyton Hewitt's fist-pumping antics give him an extra edge on court. What they forget is that these are also extremely talented and hard-working individuals. If swaggering, the odd glare and abusive word could spell the difference between victory and defeat, heck, we would all be world champions.

This is not to say that one's appearance and approach does not make a difference. It can. Many bowlers have confessed that they used to get nervous at the mere sight of Viv Richards striding out to bat, swinging his bat merrily and chewing gum contemptuously. What is important to note is that it was not just Viv's attitude or deportment that made them nervous, it was his sheer ability. Tendulkar does not swagger to the crease, neither does he chew gum while batting and yet the sight of him surely sends chills down the spine of most bowlers.

Strange though it may sound to many people, there is nothing fundamentally wrong in appearing mild-mannered. Take a look at Inzamam-ul-Haq, Roger Federer or Zinedine Zidane. Such is their calm that they seem at times to be in a world of their own. But that does not make them any less dedicated or successful.

At the end of day, no matter how much you glare, jump around and swear, it is sheer ability that counts.

Wasim Akram dons news anchor's cap

Former Pakistan cricket captain and left-arm fast bowler Wasim Akram is all geared up to debut his innings as the host of 'SportsCenter'. The sports news bulletin, which will be telecast every weeknight at 8:00 pm on ESPN, is being re-launched in Hindi to suit the taste of Indian audiences. Akram, assisted by co-anchors Poonam Sharma and Darain Shahidi will analyse the day-to-day news updates. Speaking on his new role as show anchor, Akram said, "I have enjoyed every moment of my innings as a commentator. I am equally excited about my anchor's role. This role will give me an opportunity to discuss a variety of sports."

Needed: More players, fewer stars!

NIMISH DUBEY

Indian sport seldom has possessed as many superstars as it does today. A number of names spring to mind - all famous, and if the media are to be believed, world-class. While there is no doubting the fact that some of these worthies deserve the plaudits heaped upon them, it is equally true that most do not!

The Indian cricket team is a prime example. While no one begrudges the attention paid to the likes of Sehwag, Dravid and Tendulkar, it is a bit bewildering when the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan (who have mediocre records at international level) are raised to stratospheric heights. In tennis, Sania Mirza is being hailed as a potential champion even though she has yet to reach the last sixteen of a Grand Slam singles event. It's even worse in men's hockey where every player is hailed as a major star in spite of repeated failures at the highest level - we have not won an Olympic medal since 1980!

A lot of people feel that media attention is good for sportspersons. Well, to a certain extent it is. However, it can be counterproductive as well because many companies attempt to capitalise on a player's popularity by getting him or her to endorse their products and services. These commercial commitments do end up distracting players and taking up a good deal of their time. This leaves them with lesser time to devote to their game, which in turn adversely affects their performance. Irfan Pathan is a prime example of a player who seems to have lost form (and shape) ever since he started appearing in advertisements and videos! And he is not the only one - many sportspersons seem to be more comfortable doing commercial activities and media interviews than being in the playing arena.

As a result, Indian sport has stars by the sackful and victories by the handful. The media is partly to blame for this state of affairs - it often exaggerates the ability of players and teams, which in turn attracts the sponsors. There's nothing with making money from endorsements but does it have to come at the cost of sport? Should players be more concerned about the media and corporates who often desert them at the first sign of failure (remember Parthiv Patel?) or about their sport, which got them all the attention in the first place?
Indian sport has more than enough stars. What it sorely needs are players.

Indian sportswomen make their presence felt

TANYA MUKHERJEE

Everyone today has heard the names Anjali Bhagwat, Mitali Raj and Sania Mirza - they are sportswomen we are proud of. They have proved that sports is no longer the domain of men. Our women's cricket team is one of the best in the world, as they proved by reaching the final of the 2005 World Cup. Their performance under the leadership of Mitali Raj made us all proud.
Equally good is the women's hockey team, whose performance is improving day by day. Shooting champ Anjali Bhagwat is another example of a true sports diva, as can be seen from her confidence and passion towards her sport. And how can one forget the girl from Hyderabad? Sania Mirza is not just a wonderful talent but is also an inspiration to every aspiring tennis player. India's best athlete is also a woman - Anju Bobby George.

Indian women are making a name for themselves in international sports and the nation is proud of them. Their example will inspire more and more girls to take up sports, taking India a step closer to becoming a true sporting power!

Ray Ewry: from wheelchair to Olympic legend

NIMISH DUBEY

He won eight Olympic gold medals (ten, if you count those he won in the controversial 1906 Games). He was never defeated in the Olympics. Those who know about him consider him to be the greatest athlete ever.
Not bad for a man doctors said would never walk!


Raymond Clarence Ewry was born in 1873 in Lafayette, Indiana. He lost both parents by the time he was five. As if that were not enough, he found himself in a wheelchair two years later - a victim of polio. The doctors told him he would never walk again as there was no cure for the disease. He was only seven years old - without parents and for all purposes, without legs.
But it would take more than that to beat Ray Ewry. A doctor suggested that exercise might improve his condition. Ewry decided to follow his advice and every day would crawl out of his wheelchair and attempt to stand up. He placed weights on his legs and tried to lift them. It was painful and frustrating but he persisted. And he recovered!

This was miraculous in itself but Ewry was not through. He excelled in sport, particularly in the standing jump events that involved clearing distances and heights without a run-up. In the 1900 Olympics at Paris, Ewry entered all three standing jump events - the long jump, the triple jump and the high jump. He won all three. The next Olympics at St. Louis saw him win all three events again. The Olympic authorities decided to discontinue the standing triple jump but he still won the high jump and long jump in the controversial 1906 games at Athens and in the 1908 games at London. Health problems kept him out of the 1912 games where he was favourite to win, even though he was 39!

The standing jump events were removed from the Olympics after 1912 and perhaps this is why Ray Ewry is relatively unknown. It has even been suggested that as he did not face the level of competition that athletes do today, it is unlikely he would have been as successful in the modern era.

That's a load of rubbish. The man defeated a wheelchair, medical opinion and perhaps even fate. Can you think of stiffer opposition?

Is match-fixing alive and well?

NIMISH DUBEY

The recent arrest of a noted bookie by the Indian police merely confirms what many cricket-followers have been suspecting for a while now - notwithstanding all statements to the contrary by the cricket establishment, match-fixing seems far from finished. Almost every major cricket match (especially if it involves teams from the subcontinent) sees crores of rupees changing hands through various forms of betting. Do some of these reach the wallets of the players? Who knows?

What we do know is that the ICC and other national boards have done precious little to tackle the issue. They have been too busy setting up committees to select teams for charity matches and tweak ODI cricket rules. It has been barely five years since the Hansie Cronje scandal rocked the very foundations of the game but the cricket establishment would have us believe that all is well with the game. Unfortunately, there is far too much happening to suggest the contrary. Walk through a commercial area in Delhi on the day of an important cricket match and you will see people placing bets on different events. In fact, it is important to understand that the term "match-fixing" does not accurately describe this phenomenon, as very little money is ventured on the result of a match.

The real money is made by betting on small events - will the team winning the toss bat field, will a batsman score more than ten runs, and so on. And this is where a bookie may attempt to contact cricketers and "influence" them. It is common knowledge that such approaches were made to players in the past and it would be naïve to assume that they have ceased. There are far too many events in cricket today that defy logic and it would not be if some of these were influenced by a bookie and his/her bags of gold. What is alarming about the issue is the ICC's refusal to acknowledge its importance. It is almost as if it believed that match-fixing perished with Hansie Cronje a few years ago. What the organization is failing to realise is that this attitude is eroding the credibility of the very game it governs. Whenever a player or team fails, it is not uncommon to hear spectators mutter about "match-fixing". The ICC will say that there is no proof of this but thanks to its own "hear no evil, see no evil" attitude, there is no evidence to the contrary either. All of which further undermines the game!

Cricket is known to be a game of glorious uncertainties. If the ICC does not mend its ways, there is a fair chance that these uncertainties will increasingly be attributed to bookies rather than fate, with there being nothing glorious about them!

India cricketers: Lie another day

NIMISH DUBEY

When Sachin Tendulkar went for an operation on his troublesome elbow, the entire nation's sympathy was with him. The media wondered what effect the operation would have on his career and playing style, while many just prayed for the man known as India's little champion.

What was conveniently forgotten in the midst of this sympathy wave was that the Indian cricket follower had once again been lied to. Less than two months ago, we were told that Tendulkar was as fit as can be. He was seen fielding in the outfield during the series with Pakistan and even bowling - surely not the best thing to do for a man with a suspect elbow. And while his batting did seem sluggish, we were assured it had nothing to do with his fitness. Well, now we know!

Mind you, this is nothing new in Indian cricket. The so-called Men in Blue have taken lying in public to new levels. A few weeks ago, Harbhajan Singh claimed to have been traumatised by the ICC's decision to review his action. Well, in the match immediately following the decision, he claimed that he was not affected by it! Similarly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar denied having differences - this after the latter publicly expressed disappointment at Dravid's decision to declare the innings when he was six shy of a double century. Players have gone on tours carrying injuries while claiming to be fit. The captain has led by example - the jury is still out on why he pulled out on the eve of the Nagpur Test against Australia last year. And Sunil Gavaskar opened another can of worms when he revealed that the much-acclaimed John Wright was subjected to abuse by the very players who praised him in the media.

What is gained by this constant stream of falsehoods is difficult to understand. Most of the statements are so ridiculous that they would not fool even the most fanatical supporter - witness Saurav Ganguly's recent claims that there is nothing amiss with his batting. The irony is that these statements are inevitably contradicted by subsequent ones -Ganguly has admitted that he is joining county cricket in the hope of getting some form. Does the team think that denying problems publicly will make them go away? Or does it take its followers to be a bunch of gullible fools?

'We want to be better than the Williams sisters!'

A tigress on the tennis court, she was the star performer for India in the absence of Sania Mirza in the Federation Cup Asia-Oceania Group I. Florida-based Shikha Uberoi responds to TCP's Aman Dhall in an e-mail interview.


You announced at the age of 15 that you wished to play for India. Why did it take seven years for you to do so?
I wanted to wait till my mind, body and game were mature enough and I think, for me, the timing could not have been more perfect!

You gave Venus Williams a good fight in the second round of the US Open. How much credit will you give to Williams’ former coach Rick Mackey for this?
Well I qualified and won a round (the first Indian to do so at the US Open) and playing Venus was great. I give my coach and all the coaches I have had a lot of credit as all of them contribute to my success. Rick Mackey reminded me of the obvious weaknesses in her game and helped bring out the best in me.

Do you think Indian players lack stamina because of poor diet management? Some experts say you are fitter than Sania Mirza because you were brought up in a foreign environment.
Discipline is discipline. Once you have the information and knowledge to succeed, it's up to you to carry it through, no matter where you are in the world.

Who is your favourite sportsperson and why?
Roger Federer! Because he is so relaxed and amazing on the court! When I watch him, I am in complete 'nirvana'. He has got everything I want in his game.

Your sister Neha Uberoi is also shaping well on the WTA tour. Are we going to see Uberoi sisters matching the William sisters' success in doubles?
Doubles and singles, Aman! We want to be better than the Williams.

Your cousin brother Vivek Oberoi is a leading Bollywood actor. Are you thinking about making an entry into Bollywood at any stage?
No. I'll let 'bhaiya' do the performing on screen and I'll do it on court!

One day Cricket: It ain't broke, so why fix it?

NIMISH DUBEY

It was a bit ofa nasty shock to discover that the International Cricket Council (ICC) was thinking of tweaking the rules of one-day cricket. Forget all the balderdash about the game needing to progress, the simple fact is that there seems to be nothing wrong with the shorter version of the game. Any cricket follower will tell you that whatever problems cricket has,popularity is not one of them. So what are these rule changes in aid of?

The committee that advocated the rule changes would have us believe that they will make the game more entertaining for the spectators. While this concern for the audience is touching, I just wonder how many spectators the committee actually talked to before reaching this conclusion! The fact is that not too many people are dissatisfied with the entertainment dished out by ODIs - they would not be paying to watch them if they were! That is simple economics.

Changing the rules of a sport is never a good idea because this makes the game more complicated and by consequence,more difficult to understand. Football has retained its popularity to a great extent because it still basically revolves around kicking a ball - the only complication is the interpretation of off-side. Hockey on the other hand has lost ground because of its complex rules -rolling substitutions, penalty corners, etc. Two groups of kids can play football without a referee because its rules are relatively simple. But a fair game of hockey is impossible without a referee (or two).

By changing the rules of one-day cricket, the ICC could well be threatening the game's survival. What is ironical is that the organisa-tion is thinking of changing the rules even though it has persistently failed to implement the rules that do exist - the controversy over ball-tampering and chucking persists, and Ricky Ponting has been allowed to use a bat with graphite in it!

If the ICC is so concerned about the spectators, it would do well to legislate for providing better facilities at cricket stadia, many of which do not provide proper ticketing facilities, seating, toilets or even drinking water. The only people who are going to love the changes in rules are the bookies -it will give them so much more to bet on!

‘Tennis is getting more than it deserves’

He won the boys' singles and doubles titles at the 2005 Asian Closed Junior Tennis Championship at Seoul. He has leapfrogged 51 places to 30 in the latest International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings and seems all set to be Indian tennis' next sensation. TCP's Aman Dhall caught up with Sanam Singh for a chat.



What are your plans following the Asian championship triumph?
I will be moving to Europe for six weeks to participate in junior tournaments. It will be a good experience as the European level of tennis is far superior to the Asian. Then, I will be playing in the French Open. Since, I have broken into the top 30 in the world rankings, I will not have to go through the qualifying rounds. It will be my first Grand Slam.

Who is your favourite player and why?
Andy Roddick! I like the power game he plays and he also has a charismatic personality. I also have a high regard for the upcoming young gun Rafael Nadal from Spain.

A common perception is that sportspersons are generally not good in studies. What about Sanam?
I am not bad in studies! I scored 70 per cent marks in my high school board exams. I got 80 in English, 69 in Economics and 71 in Computers. That's quite good, I suppose, taking into consideration that I travel throughout the year playing tournaments!

Do you think open schooling helped you devote more time to tennis? Would things have been different if you were in a regular school?
There is always the problem of attendance in a regular school. Today, I am able to give more time to the game without worrying about anything. There are no hassles with open schooling.
Are you satisfied with the current scenario of tennis in India?
Tennis is getting more than it deserves actually. And that's good for the sport. The performance of Sania Mirza has worked wonders. More sponsors are coming out to support the game, which was not there earlier.

What do you do in your free time?
I like to relax at home and watch TV. I listen to music frequently, especially rap music.