February 21, 2008
Chak De India ! Or Not ...
It was a crazy 24 hours for an Indian sports fan yesterday. While the economy in the rest of the world was slowing down, there seemed to be a gold rush at the bidding for players for the Indian Premier League. While players like Mahendra Singh Dhoni were "sold" for a million and a half US dollars, veterans like Glenn McGrath had to wait in the reserves to get picked. I guess getting 563 wickets in test cricket and being the best in the game did not count that much. What was important was the "star power", which ofcourse generates the big moolah. No wonder the youngster Ishant Sharma was bought for 925,000 USD as opposed to VVS Laxman's 375,000 USD. There's even news that Ponting was unhappy with his price tag.
So are we really talking about cricket here? I got lost for a while in all the money talk. But looks like everyone in India did too. The big headlines yesterday was how Preity Zinta and Gauri Khan looked while the teams were being announced. How Andrew Symonds was bought for more money than Bhajji. And how everyone in and outside the cricketing community think this is good for the game. But to me it just seems a wasteful expenditure. Spending crores of rupees first in bidding for the teams and then for the players while the rest of country lives in slums doesn't sit well with me. I don't question the love we Indians have for cricket, but this goes beyond hero-worship and that is where the problem lies. If Shah Rukh or Ness Wadia would have used the same money to buy clothes for street kids in Mumbai..well now I am getting into fairytales and real life is certainly not one.
So much gung-ho for cricket and nothing for other sports. With the Olympics coming up, I am sure other sports could have used that money a lot. And I don't think that it would have affected the already super rich cricketing world in any way. But that would mean switching our faith from cricket "divine" to other things (undivine) and that is definitely a crime.
I am sure the Indian women's hockey team will like to ask Shah Rukh--"Chak Diya Shah Rukh or Not? "
Posted by Anuj at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)
July 10, 2006
Federer & Del Piero
Federer had the last laugh at the Wimbledon final where he defeated Nadal after a relatively easy match. He looked a bit shaky in the 2nd and 3rd sets but cam back strong in the 4th to win the title.
Also Italy won their World Cup Soccer final after a Penalty shootout. Throughout the second half of the match France looked a better team with more opportunities. Henry created some great moments but just didn't find the other team members to convert. Zidane's header off a corner was amazing, but Buffon made a great save, probably one of the best of the tournament. And then Zidane's flagrant foul against Materazzi put the French behind mentally. I am sure Zidane was provoked as the replays showed that Materazzi was continuously annoying him for some time. But this is not an excuse for Zidane's behavior. Nevertheless the Italian team kept their cool and won the game in the end.
A not so great end for one of the greatest footballers of this era - Zinedine Zidane. He won the Golden Ball award, but I am sure he would not want to remember this World Cup, especially after the way it ended for him.
Photo Courtesy: Rediff
Posted by Anuj at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)
July 08, 2006
Del Piero vs. Zidane
I am hoping tomorrow's World Cup soccer final would be an explosive one. It sure seems that way with the two best defensive teams fighting for the biggest and most coveted prize in sports today. I am all for France especially with their amazing comeback after the ordinary performances in the first two matches. And mainly for Zidane, one of the most gifted players in the history of the game.
For soccer fanatics this is a dream final. My favorite team was Argentina, but it's sad that they had to go. And that's the best part about soccer. It takes a lot of concentration, physical and technical skill to get past each match. And team spirit is the most important. So let's see if Zidane carves a niche for himself in history tomorrow.
Well seems like one of the best days for sport with Federer and Nadal playing for the Wimbledon final. With Nadal leading the overall wins 6-1, it remains to be seen if he could beat Federer on grass, which is as close to impossible as it can be. Federer has won the Wimbledon three times and redefines grass-court tennis in a way never before. You bet this one will be an entertainer.
A great article by Rajdeep Sardesai on India's soccer woes. Nicely written, he has got his facts correct. India had never been a nation of soccer lovers. The national team was ranked 118th this time. Soccer coaches, players don't get that recognition that they should. Plus we don't have that kind of facilities that the European nations have. But what about countries like Senegal and Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago? I am sure they don't have great resources too. But yeh they do have the support of the people and the government. And that makes the difference. I don't know if India can become a great soccer nation. I am not very optimistic about it. We are great programmers, and are wonderful behind the desk or in front of the computer. But I am also not willing to believe that India cannot produce a Zidane or Del Piero. The mindset of the people has to change. It's not always about education or books or computers. I can still remember the lines from Robert Frost's poem - 'The Road Not Taken':
"...I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference."
Posted by Anuj at 05:25 PM | Comments (1)