Sports Lounge

Sri Lanka: Jayasuriya, Vaas out of World Cup squad | Cricinfo

2011-01-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka: Jayasuriya, Vaas out of World Cup squad | Cricinfo: "World Cup-winning veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas were left out of Sri Lanka's final World Cup squad of 15 players named on Friday by the national selection committee headed by Aravinda de Silva."

IPL 4 will be 10-team, 74-match affair, Times of India

2011-01-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

IPL 4 will be 10-team, 74-match affair, Times of India: "With Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab being cleared to take part in the January 8-9 Indian Premier League players' auction in Bangalore by the Bombay High Court, the fourth season of the cash-rich Twenty20 league in April-May will be a 10-team event."

Ricky Ponting fights for his captaincy | Cricinfo

2010-12-29T07:39:00.000-08:00

Ricky Ponting fights for his captaincy | Cricinfo: "Ricky Ponting knows his case to hold on to the captaincy is not strong, but he is desperate to retain the job and lift Australia from their lowest period since the mid-1980s. Ponting lost the Ashes away in 2005 and 2009 and he has become the country's first leader since Allan Border in 1986-87 not to hold the urn at home."

Geoff Lawson: Coach of Kochi IPL Team

2010-12-26T03:39:00.000-08:00

Geoff Lawson: Coach of Kochi IPL Team: "Former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson has been appointed coach of the Kochi franchise for the fourth season of the Indian Premier League."

Pick India's final 15 players for the World Cup

2010-12-18T03:03:00.001-08:00

Monaco was the venue for this year’s FIA Prize Giving Gala

2010-12-11T01:25:00.000-08:00

Monaco was the venue for this year’s FIA Prize Giving Gala: "Monaco was the venue for this year’s FIA Prize Giving Gala on Friday, where FIA President Jean Todt presented Sebastian Vettel, the youngest-ever Formula One world champion with the driver’s trophy.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner collected the constructor’s trophy"

Qatar Foundation to adorn Barcelona - Al Jazeera English

2010-12-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

Qatar Foundation to adorn Barcelona - Al Jazeera English: "Barcelona have signed a $218m shirt sponsorship deal with the Qatar Foundation, the non-profit organisation concerned primarily with education projects in the Middle East.

The deal ends Barcelona's 111-year-old history of refusing commercial shirt sponsorships."

Liverpool plans soccer academy in Indonesia - Reuters

2010-12-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

Liverpool plans soccer academy in Indonesia - Reuters: "English Premier League club Liverpool are planning to set up a soccer academy in Indonesia to develop young talent, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The British Chamber of Commerce in Jakarta has helped establish links with the club as part of its corporate social responsibility programmes in Indonesia."

India eyes MotoGP in 2012 | Reuters

2010-11-23T08:06:00.000-08:00

India eyes MotoGP in 2012 | Reuters: "The promoters of India's inaugural Formula One Grand Prix in 2011 are in talks with MotoGP bosses to bring the world motorcycling championship to the country, a company spokesman said on Tuesday.

'We are negotiating with Dorna Sports (MotoGP commercial rightholders) to bring MotoGP to India but it's quite an early stage and we have not reached a deal yet,' a Jaypee Sports International spokesman told Reuters."

Beijing to host 2015 world championships | Reuters

2010-11-20T06:51:00.000-08:00

Beijing to host 2015 world championships | Reuters: "Beijing will host the 2015 world championships, the IAAF decided on Saturday, returning international athletics to the Bird's Nest stadium Usain Bolt made famous with his lightning speed at the 2008 Olympics."

India: KSCA readies for potentially historic election | Cricinf

2010-11-20T05:04:00.000-08:00

India: KSCA readies for potentially historic election | Cricinfo: "February 7, 1999 is a day neither Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath nor umpire AV Jayaprakash will forget. It was when Kumble became only the second man to take all 10 wickets in a Test innings, Srinath was his teammate and Jayaprakash stood at Kumble's end. Twelve years on, November 21, 2010 will be another day that neither Kumble, Srinath nor Jayaprakash is likely to forget.

The two ex-cricketers find themselves opposite the umpire in one of the most closely-watched state cricket elections in India in a long while."

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals - Singles & Doubles Groups Determined

2010-11-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals - Singles & Doubles Groups Determined: "World No. 1 Rafael Nadal will head up Group A at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Spaniard is joined by Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and Andy Roddick. In Group B, four-time former champion Roger Federer will be challenged by Robin Soderling, Andy Murray and David Ferrer."

Nico Hulkenberg takes Brazilian GP pole for Williams

2010-11-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Nico Hulkenberg takes Brazilian GP pole for Williams: "FIVE-WAY TITLE BATTLE EXPLAINED
1 ALONSO 231pts
2 WEBBER 220pts
3 HAMILTON 210pts
4 VETTEL 206pts
5 BUTTON 189pts"

The Numbers Game: Awesome Amla | Cricinfo.com

2010-11-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

The Numbers Game: Awesome Amla | Cricinfo.com: "When Hashim Amla made his Test debut six years ago, few would have thought he'd be such a force in one-day internationals later in his career: after all, dogged defence was his preferred mode, and he demonstrated that in his first Test innings at home, when he scored 1 off 31 deliveries in Durban in 2004. In fact, South Africa's selectors seemed to have slotted him as a specialist Test batsman: in the first 40 months of his international career, Amla played 22 Tests and zero ODIs.

In the last 12 months, though, plenty has changed. So much so that Amla is the leading ODI batsman in 2010, and has scored runs almost at will in the format. In 13 ODI innings this year he has scored five hundreds and three fifties, and averages 82.16 at a strike rate of 103.13."

South Africa news: Makhaya Ntini retires from international cricket | Cricinfo.com

2010-11-02T03:47:00.000-07:00

South Africa news: Makhaya Ntini retires from international cricket | Cricinfo.com: "Makhaya Ntini, the South Africa fast bowler, has announced his retirement from international cricket but will continue representing domestic sides. Ntini will be given a farewell during the Twenty20 international between South Africa and India at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on January 9, when he will make his final appearance for South Africa."

World Golf rankings | Reuters

2010-11-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

World Golf rankings | Reuters: "World rankings on Monday"

Venky's to own Blackburn Rovers

2010-10-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

Venky's to own Blackburn Rovers: "The shares of Venky's India Ltd., is currently trading at Rs. 940 down Rs. 0.10 or 0.01% over the previous close.
Anuradha Desai, Venkys chairperson was quoted as saying that Venky's is the first Indian company to acquire a Premier League.
Blackburn Rovers’ Chairman John Williams further added that a series of meetings, including discussions with the Premier League, have followed an extensive due diligence process."

Why Jharkhand Plays Lawn Bowls

2010-10-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

"When asked why he robbed banks, U.S. outlaw Willie Sutton is famously said to have responded: “Because that’s where the money is.”

There’s a similarly straightforward answer if you ask why India’s Commonwealth Games bowlers hail from either Guwahati in Assam or Ranchi in Jharkhand: It’s where the greens are."

Read further...Why Jharkhand Plays Lawn Bowls

Liverpool agrees to sell club to Red Sox owners

2010-10-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

"Liverpool's board agreed to sell the debt-riddled Premier League club to the owners of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday"

Read further...Liverpool agrees to sell club to Red Sox owners

CWG 2010 will result in economic impact of $4,940 mn

2010-10-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

"Commonwealth Games 2010 is expected to result in an overall economic impact of $4,940 million on India's GDP during a period of four years ending 2012 and create an employment opportunity close to 24.7 lakh.

According to a Games Organising Committee document, this figure is almost three times the economic impact the 2006 Melbourne Games had on Australian GDP."

Read further...CWG 2010 will result in economic impact of $4,940 mn

Sports in the Limelight

2010-06-29T00:02:00.000-07:00

The world is busy watching the Soccer World Cup. I am keeping up with the World Cup through internet and especially through Twitter. I would like to share a few interesting tweets on World Cup here:

This World Cup is working out like WW2 - France have forfeited, the USA turned up late, and England are left to fight the Germans!

Another one: This WC we see the Rise of Asia, Dominance of South America & Fall of Europe. A new order is being set up.

New Zealand

and Slovenia, though having a population of only a few million, have already shown their mettle. South Korea and Japan have moved to the round of 16. Italy and France, the two finalists of the last World Cup, have already been knocked out. And through the draw of the round of 16, we can tell that out of Argentina, England and Germany only one can reach the semis. This WC is turning out to be the most exciting in the recent history. Though Argentina, Brazil & Netherlands look strong at the moment, one game can change everything.

By the time this article gets published, we would already have a new World Champion. I am hoping for the one who has never won it. Let us all wait till 11^th July.

The other thing that is hogging the Sports pages these days is Wimbledon. Federer and Nadal had nervous starts. A Federer – Nadal final would be an exciting affair. Williams sisters are going smoothly. Sania Mirza returned from the first round itself. And we have also seen the longest match (11 hours, 5 minutes) in tennis history. John Isner finally defeated Nicolas Mahut, scoring 70–68 in the fifth set. Let’s see how the rest of the grass tournament proceeds by.

The cricket fans of the Indian sub-continent were also glued to their TV sets watching the Asia Cup. India finally won it after a gap of 15 years. That too without Sachin, Sehwag and Yuvraj in the team. 2011 Cricket World Cup is near and we have big hopes with this team.

One great news for all Badminton fans is that Saina Nehwal after winning back-to-back titles, India Open Grand Prix and the Singapore Open Super Series in the last two weeks, has marched ahead of three Chinese players in the women's singles charts for her career-best ranking of World No. 3.

In the news related to Basketball in

India

, sports and entertainment agency IMG and Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries have signed a 30-year deal with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to develop the sport and its infrastructure, and possibly start a pro league in the next three to five years.

One of the major tournaments that will generate excitement in the near future is the Soccer Asia Cup 2011 in January. India is one of the participating teams. It is in Group C along with South Korea, Australia and Bahrain. So no big hope here.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games are between 3rd October and 14th October. Prestige of India as a host of a major sporting event is on stake. Pray that with all the negative news making the rounds,

India

comes out with flying colours as a warm and competent host.

The 2010 FIBA World Championship, world basketball tournament for men's national teams, will be hosted by

Turkey

from August 28 to September 12, 2010. India here lost out in the qualifying round itself.

The 16th Asian Games will be held in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. In the last Asian Games, India won a total of 53 medals, including 10 golds. Hope this time, we increase our tally.

With other annual tournaments already in the 2010 Sports Calendar, we can not wish for more.

The FIFA World Cup 2010 shows how soccer's balance of power is changing

2010-06-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

"Several of the traditional powers suffered ignominious defeats (Serbia 1, Germany 0 on Friday) or embarrassing draws considering the opposition. Italy, defending champions and number five in the FIFA rankings, tied 1-1 Sunday evening with New Zealand, FIFA-ranked 78. It was only the second point New Zealand had ever gained�at a World Cup, according to ESPN."

Read further...The FIFA World Cup 2010 shows how soccer's balance of power is changing

Sania and the Indian woman’s happily ever after myth

2010-06-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

"A recent study found that in the US, the proportion of wives who earn more than their husbands risen more than five-fold since 1970. “In 1970, just 4% of American wives earned more than their husbands. That figure rose to 22% in 2007. Men are still the bigger earners in one in four marriages but with a far smaller proportion of wives not working, the income gap is smaller. Most married men did not have a working wife 40 years ago. Now they do,” the Guardian newspaper reports."

Read further...Sania and the Indian woman’s happily ever after myth

Bolt will not compete at Commonwealth Games

2010-06-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

"Jamaican triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt will not compete in the New Delhi Commonwealth Games from Oct 3-14 because they are too late in the year, coach Glen Mills told Reuters on Saturday."

Read further...Bolt will not compete at Commonwealth Games

Nicolas Anelka joins disgraced hall of shame

2010-06-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

"Pablo Larios: World Cup 1982
It was off field antics of the extra marital variety that resulted in Pablo Larios being dismissed. The revelation that the Frenchman was having an affair with the wife of team-mate Michel Platini rocked the French camp and Larios was given the axe."

Find out the complete list...Nicolas Anelka joins disgraced hall of shame

Formula One driver and constructor standings

2010-06-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Driver and constructor standings after

the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Sunday.

Drivers

--------

1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 109 points

2. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 106

3. Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 103

4. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 94

5. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 90

6. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes GP 74

7. Robert Kubica (Poland) Renault 73

8. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 67

9. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes GP 34

10. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 23

11. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Force India 12

12. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Williams 7

13. Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Renault 6

14. Sebastien Buemi (Switzerland) Toro Rosso 5

15. Jaime Alguersuari (Spain) Toro Rosso 3

16. Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1

17. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Williams 1

18. Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) Sauber 0

19. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Lotus 0

20. Karun Chandhok (India) HRT 0

21. Lucas Di Grassi (Brazil) Virgin 0

22. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Lotus 0

23. Bruno Senna (Brazil) HRT 0

24. Timo Glock (Germany) Virgin 0

Constructors

-------------

1. McLaren - Mercedes 215 points

2. RedBull - Renault 193

3. Ferrari 161

4. Mercedes 108

5. Renault 79

6. Force India - Mercedes 35

7. Toro Rosso - Ferrari 8

8. Williams - Cosworth 8

9. BMW Sauber - Ferrari 1

10. Lotus - Cosworth 0

11. HRT - Cosworth 0

12. Virgin - Cosworth 0

World Cup 2010 : Players on Twitter, Follow your Favorite Player

2010-06-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

"Below is the list of players, their positions and Twitter Profiles"

List --> World Cup 2010 : Players on Twitter, Follow your Favorite Player

Football World Cup kicks off today in South Africa

2010-06-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

"This is the World Cup, the biggest ever. Earth-shaking in its size, symbolism and significance. And not just in the numbers alone, but in the sense of a movement, of rebirth, and of pride. For centuries, Africa got the raw end of most deals. This is the one occasion, when it gives back - with a smile and a warm embrace."

Read further...Football World Cup kicks off today in South Africa

Cricket Australia considers new 40-over format

2010-06-09T07:48:00.000-07:00

"Cricket Australia is considering introducing a completely new limited-overs format as soon as next season, in what could be another nail in the coffin of the 50-over game. The Australian has reported that the CA board will this week discuss a domestic tournament of 40-over games, with each team to bat for two innings of 20 overs."

Read further...Cricket Australia considers new 40-over format

Interesting facts and figures about WC 2010…

2010-06-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

"Including the 2010 edition, a total of 76 teams will have taken part in the World Cup finals. This includes teams which either no longer exist or have undergone a transformation."

Read further...Interesting facts and figures…

Australia will be a tough nut to crack

2010-06-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

"If they somehow get out of their group and England manage to do so from theirs, it could lead to a second-round Ashes showdown. Upton Park part 2, anyone?"

Read further...Australia will be a tough nut to crack

Messi on a mission

2010-06-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

"'I don't think I've reached my peak yet,' he says, his appetite for success undiminished. 'My dream is to win the World Cup with Argentina and then to go and repeat what we've achieved at Barcelona, and to keep on going after that. My aim is to keep improving day by day. I want to keep on growing, I want to learn the things I don't know and to keep working on the things I do know so that I don't forget them.'"

Read further...Messi on a mission

How the African nations have fared so far

2010-06-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

"Two days remain for the FIFA World Cup to be kicked-off for the first time on African soil. Here is a look at African nations' World Cup records:

The first match featuring an African team took place in 1934 (Italy) and was played between Egypt and Hungary."

Read further...How the African nations have fared so far

Better quality in the beautiful game

2010-06-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

"Football is easily the most globalized sport, especially after the removal of all limits on foreign players playing in European club football. With the total commercialization of club football, as Milanovic puts it, “the introduction of labour mobility under the conditions of uneven concentration of financial power of the clubs will have increased concentration of club quality.”"

Read further...Better quality in the beautiful game

France chosen as hosts of UEFA EURO 2016

2010-05-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

"France has been selected to host UEFA EURO 2016, which will be the first UEFA European Football Championship final round to feature 24 teams, after a decision by the UEFA Executive Committee in Geneva."

Read further...France chosen as hosts of UEFA EURO 2016

Ten teams for 2010 Champions League | Cricket News | Champions League Twenty20 2010

2010-05-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

"Nine of the ten teams for the tournament in South Africa, scheduled between September 10 and 26, are confirmed. The West Indian representative will be known once their domestic Twenty20 competition ends in July.
The teams that have already qualified for the 2010 CLT20 are:

Chennai Super Kings (India)

Mumbai Indians (India)

Royal Challengers Bangalore (India)

Victorian Bushrangers (Australia)

South Australian Redbacks (Australia)

Warriors (South Africa)

Highveld Lions (South Africa)

Central Stags (New Zealand)

Wayamba Elevens (Sri Lanka)"

Read further...Ten teams for 2010 Champions League

Pakistan all-time XI

2010-05-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

"As many as four players were unanimous picks: Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis would in all likelihood be among the top contenders on any such global list. Two more batting greats, Hanif Mohammad and Inzamam-ul-Haq, were near-unanimous selections, with nine votes each. And with Abdul Qadir picking up eight votes as the sole spinner, it means as many as seven of an all-time Pakistan XI pick themselves."

Read further...Pakistan all-time XI

Great Indian Beamer

2010-05-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

"Indian cricket is under siege from a conflict of ideologies, one that threatens to drive a stake into the heart of the game in the country. To understand it, rewind to the 50-over World Cup in the West Indies three years ago. India was knocked out in the league stage itself then, prompting no less than seven ex-Indian captains to come out suggesting a cut in endorsements by the players. The argument then—that commercial interests were distracting the Indian cricketers, impeding their performance on the field."

Continue reading...Great Indian Beamer

India to host Badminton Super Series

2010-05-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

India to host Super Series: "India will host its first-ever Super Series badminton championship next year at Delhi's Siri Fort Auditorium with Hyderabad and Mumbai as the stand-by venues, according to K.Ch. Punnaiah Choudhary, in-charge secretary of the Badminton Association of India."

Somdev makes main draw of French Open

2010-05-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

Somdev makes main draw of French Open: "Somdev Devvarman on Friday became the first Indian to make the men's singles main draw at the French Open in 13 years as he breezed past Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-1 here."

Dhoni may go as T20, ODI captain

2010-05-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Dhoni may go as T20, ODI captain: "With India failing to win a single Super 8 match in two straight T20 World Cups, there is talk of replacing Dhoni with Virender Sehwag as captain in both one-dayers and T20."

Ronaldinho, Adriano out of Brazil Cup squad

2010-05-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ronaldinho, Adriano out of Brazil Cup squad: "Forward Adriano and former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho were left out of Brazil's World Cup squad."

Brazil top poll as World Cup favourites

2010-05-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

Brazil top poll as World Cup favourites: "Five-time winners Brazil are favourites to lift the World Cup trophy in South Africa this July, according to a poll of international sports journalists."

Dempo beat Lajong 1-0, win I-League title

2010-05-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

Dempo beat Lajong 1-0, win I-League title: "Dempo Sports Club on Sunday clinched the I-League football title after defeating relegation threatened Lajong FC 1-0."

Modi planned rebel T20 league in UK, says ECB

2010-05-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

Modi planned rebel T20 league in UK, says ECB: "According to an e-mail sent by ECB chief Giles Clarke to the BCCI, Modi was in talks with the IMG and three English Test grounds for setting up a mirror image of IPL in the UK, unknown to the two cricket boards."

Match-fixing common in ICL: Former Pakistan captain

2010-05-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

Match-fixing common in ICL: Former Pakistan captain: "Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has been told that a large number of matches in the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) were fixed."

India held by China in Azlan Shah opener

2010-05-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

India held by China in Azlan Shah opener: "Ravi Pal Singh's last minute equaliser saved India's blushes as the defending champions eked out a 1-1 draw with China in their first match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament"

Asia Cup 2010 to be held in Dambulla

2010-05-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

Asia Cup 2010 to be held in Dambulla: "The 2010 Asia Cup will be held in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, between June 15 and 24"

Adler's South African dream over

2010-05-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

Adler's South African dream over: "'This was the toughest decision of my life,' said the 25-year-old Bayer Leverkusen.

Germany goalkeeper Rene Adler has been ruled out of next month's FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa as he is set to undergo an operation to repair damaged ribs."

Torres doubtful for 2010 opener

2010-05-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

Torres doubtful for 2010 opener: "Liverpool striker Fernando Torres faces a race against time to be fit for Spain's opening match at next month's FIFA World Cup™."

India coach Houghton resigns, AIFF issues denial

2010-05-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

India coach Houghton resigns, AIFF issues denial: "The alleged dispute over the extension of his contract with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has led chief coach Bob Houghton to officially resign from his post."

Sports ministry limits tenure for Kalmadi & Co.

2010-05-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sports ministry limits tenure for Kalmadi & Co.: "The ministry has modified a 1975 regulation that suggests Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi and several NSF chiefs including V K Malhotra (archery), Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (cycling), VK Verma (badminton), captain Satish K Sharma (aero club) and BS Adityan (volleyball) cannot seek a re-election after their present term expires."

Sehwag is Wisden Cricketer of the Year again

2010-04-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Sehwag is Wisden Cricketer of the Year again: "Virender Sehwag became 'Wisden Cricketer of the Year' for the second time in a row, beating off competition from England captain Andrew Strauss and Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan."

Karun Chandhok becomes second Indian driver to race in Formula One

2010-03-04T06:23:00.000-08:00

Karun Chandhok becomes second Indian driver to race in Formula One: "India's Karun Chandhok will make his Formula One race debut with HRT this season, the new Spanish-based team said in a statement on Thursday.

The 26-year-old Chennai-born driver will partner Brazilian rookie Bruno Senna at the cash-strapped team, who have changed their name from Campos Meta, when the season starts in Bahrain next week."

Pakistan enjoy 'home' advantage

2010-03-03T17:39:00.000-08:00

Pakistan enjoy 'home' advantage: "Pakistan, the Delhi crowd's second favourites after the home team, found the support to their advantage against Spain. 'It was like playing back home, in Karachi or Lahore,' said drag-flick expert Sohail Abbas. 'It certainly helps when you are backed by the crowd.'"

Virender Sehwag mulls retirement after 100 Tests

2010-02-21T05:27:00.000-08:00

Virender Sehwag mulls retirement after 100 Tests: "'I want to play 100 Tests and then retire,' he said. Given that he has already played 76, the milestone doesn't appear too far away."

IPL on most innovative companies list

2010-02-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

IPL on most innovative companies list: "In a study conducted by the business magazine Fast Company, the Indian Premier League has been placed on the second spot of the world’s most innovative sports companies of 2010. It occupies the 22nd spot on the overall list across industries."

2010 Champions League to be held in South Africa | South Africa Cricket News | Cricinfo.com

2010-02-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

2010 Champions League to be held in South Africa | South Africa Cricket News | Cricinfo.com: "The 2010 Champions League Twenty20 will be held in South Africa from September 10-26, Cricket South Africa have announced."

Inventor of frisbee dies aged 90

2010-02-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

Inventor of frisbee dies aged 90: "The inventor of the frisbee, Walter Fredrick Morrison, has died in Salt Lake City, Utah"
Morrison started marketing the discs in 1948 as the Flyin-Saucer, 10 years after he first started tossing around baking tins for fun.

In 1955, he produced a version called the pluto platter with a wider lip and the names of all the solar planets around its rim. He sold the rights to his device in 1957 in exchange for lifetime royalties. The buyer was Wham-0, a California company that had made a fortune selling hula hoops and which has now sold over 200 million frisbees.

Cricket can become Olympic sport now, gets IOC approval - Top Stories - Cricket - Sports - The Times of India

2010-02-11T23:41:00.000-08:00

Cricket can become Olympic sport now, gets IOC approval - Top Stories - Cricket - Sports - The Times of India: "Cricket was cleared to pursue its bid to be included in future Games after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rubberstamped the sport's recognition on Thursday."

Henin advances to semis in Grand Slam comeback

2010-01-25T22:37:00.000-08:00

Henin advances to semis in Grand Slam comeback: "Former No. 1-ranked Justine Henin reached the semifinals in her Grand Slam comeback, beating Nadia Petrova 7-6 (3), 7-5 on Tuesday to take out the last seeded player in her half of the Australian Open draw.

Henin, unranked and playing on a wild-card entry at Melbourne Park, will next play 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie, who beat Russia's Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 6-3 to equal her Chinese record for the best run at a major."

Chak De! India

2010-01-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

This Shimit Amin directed movie was a huge hit in India. Shahrukh as Kabir Khan, coach for the Indian women's hockey team, turns sixteen contentious players into a champion team. This movie tries to exhibit the prevalent sexism in Indian sports, regional & individual prejudice and religious bigotry. These weaknesses or divisions could be easily debated, however these can not be completely denied. The most apparent example of these malaises afflicting Indian sports is Indian Hockey itself.
Just a few days back the entire national team went on strike citing non-payment of the dues for 2009 when the national team was involved in international engagements like the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup which they won, followed by tours of Canada and Argentina before finishing with a bronze medal at the Champions Challenge tournament. This incident was again indicative of the larger shortcomings of democratic functioning in sports institutions like 'Hockey India' in India. Though a few changes happened in the Indian Hockey Federation in 2008 which resulted in the removal of KPS Gill as IHF Chief after 14 years, nothing much has improved on ground. Hockey in India is still languishing in a much dilapidated state. Even though India is the host to the World Cup this year, Hockey India is without a president and the team is lacking its much needed practice. India has earlier won 8 Olympic gold medals, however now it has to even struggle for the qualifications for the international tournaments.
This is not a one-off situation. Sports in India is winning laurels either because of individual players or because we citizens are great followers of some of the sports. This deteriorating situation is occurring because almost all the sports bodies in India is either headed by a politician or a bureaucrat. Many of these have been heading the bodies for decades. Suresh Kalmadi is heading Indian Olympic Association since 1996 and Athletics Federation of India since 1989. Priyaranjan Das Munshi was the President of All India Football Federation for almost 20 years. Now it is headed by Praful Patel. Many of the state cricket boards are also headed by political leaders.
The issue with sports in India is the lack of democratic functioning of sports bodies and the attendant absence of structures that can ensure accountability. God knows when the world's largest democracy will have democratically elected sports bodies and better sports administration. God knows when India will start getting medals in sports proportionate to its population.

Ranking Rules

2009-12-25T11:00:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe that so many engrossing things could happen in a cricket test series!! The first interesting thing was about the venue of the third test, i.e. the Brabourne Stadium. It was the first Test match here since 1973. Since then, the Wankhede Stadium was hosting Test matches in Mumbai. Now Wankhede is undergoing a major renovation for the 2011 World Cup. Another interesting thing about Brabourne is that it was built on land reclaimed from the sea.
The other equally fascinating thing about the Test series was the innings of Sehwag. We were praying for him to break Lara’s 400* record of the highest Test score in an innings, but alas he ended up at 293. It is the third highest score by an Indian, the top two scores of 319 and 309 are also with him. That day he also scored the second fastest double ton in the world, missing the fastest by just 15 balls. He also has the 3rd and the 4th fastest double century in his name. That high-octane, breathtaking innings with blistering pace helped India become the No. 1 Test-playing team.
No.1? How? Who decides it? On what basis the rankings are done? These questions were puzzling me. Then I searched for it in Wikipedia. There I found the rules of the ranking system. This is how the ratings or rankings are calculated:
• Each team's rating is equal to its total points scored divided by the total matches and series played.
• A series counts only if played in the last three years.
• Recent matches are given more weight. Series played in the first two years of the three-year limit count half.
• Find the series result:
o Award 1 point to a team for each win
o Award 1/2 point to a team for each draw
o Award 1 bonus point to the team winning the series
o Award 1/2 bonus point to each team if the series is drawn
• Convert the series result to actual ratings points
If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the series is less than 40 points, then the rating points for each team equals:
o (The team's own series result) multiplied by (50 points MORE than the opponent's rating) PLUS
o (The opponent's series result) multiplied by (50 points LESS than the opponent's rating)
If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the series is more than or equal to 40 points, then the ratings points for the stronger team equals:
o (The team's own series result) multiplied by (10 points MORE than the team's own rating) PLUS
o (The opponent's series result) multiplied by (90 points LESS than the team's own rating)
If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the series is more than or equal to 40 points, then the ratings points for the weaker team equals:
o (The team's own series result) multiplied by (90 points MORE than the team's own rating) PLUS
o (The opponent's series result) multiplied by (10 points LESS than the team's own rating)
• Add the ratings points scored by the team to the total ratings points already scored.
• Update the number of matches played by the team through adding one more than the number of games in the series (a two test match series will result in the match count getting incremented by three).
• Divide the new rating points with the updated number of matches to get the final rating.

India is now at the top of the Test rankings with 124 ratings. Bangladesh and West Indies are at the bottom of the table with 13 and 76 ratings respectively.
A similar calculation is for the ODI rankings. India there stands third with 122 rating points, just 8 ratings points behind the no. 1 Australia.
An interesting trivia; Afghanistan is the no.1 Asian country among the Associate members in the ODI rankings.

Games, We Played

2009-11-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was browsing through some tech-news sites and I saw an article comparing the latest gaming consoles from Sony, Nintendo & Microsoft and the latest games. In my childhood days, I remember, I used to go to a nearby video-games parlor and play games on a big TV with joysticks attached to a wooden box. One rupee per 10 minutes or you lose earlier. Every rupee was worth and valued. Sometimes I used to bring the console home for the entire night for just 20 bucks and I bet there could not be better nights than those, for a child. I did not find the mention of that console in that article, also not even a word about Contra, Mario, etc which I used to play then. The world of gaming has changed drastically since those days.
Even though I have tried my hands on PlayStation 2, XBOX 360 & Wii among the latest consoles already, every encounter has excited me like anything. These experiences have always rekindled the gaming-freak in me. Nowadays, what I see is that in the console based games Nintendo’s GameCube, Microsoft’s XBOX 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 have the largest market. The gaming industry keeps on releasing better consoles and games with the latest technologies. The graphics has improved so much that I am sure in near future we won’t be able to make a difference between the real video and the images in the games. It is said that the graphics features of PlayStation 2 are so effective that the console could be adapted for military use. See how near the games have come to the reality. Earlier we could maneuver only in the x-y coordinates. Now it is a whole world out there; you can move in any direction. Even the consoles have changed a lot. Earlier there used to be mostly two buttons plus a handle. The buttons were to either jump or fire. Now while I was playing ‘Need For Speed’ on XBOX 360 and bumped my car against an electric pole, I felt a jerk through the console. That was an awesome feeling. Once I went to my cousins’ home and there I played on Wii. The console of Wii is a wireless controller, the Wii Remote, which can be used as a handheld pointing device and can detect movement in three dimensions. I played lawn tennis. I was able to serve, hit the balls in all the ways I could imagine. It was like playing a real game, with the console.
Today’s consoles have advanced networking capabilities. The XBOX 360 has a unique feature that allows players to compete or collaborate online. I saw my cousins playing a game along with their friends online. They were talking with each others and making strategies to win. They were also having profiles on XBOX Live and were able to chat with friends. The gaming field has really come a long way.
I remember me having a handheld LCD video game from Nintendo, GameBoy. I have put its picture here. In this game, Mario must climb a building while avoiding barrels. The player must trigger a lever on the upper screen, activating a hook, which Mario must then jump and catch. If the player succeeds, a peg will be removed and Mario will return to the starting point, but if the player does not, Mario will fall to the ground and lose a life. Removing all available pegs in this manner will cause Donkey Kong's platform to collapse, and he will fall to the ground. Though it was a simple game, it was a kind of life for me and playing it was my best past-time. Later I got a few more hand-held games, however it was an Atari’s console which was my first TV based game. All its games were arcade type. After the Atari, I graduated to play Contra, Mario, Super Contra, Super Mario, Road Fighter, etc. I don’t know how many 1 rupee coins had been pushed inside those console boxes by me. I don’t know how many hours I had spent in those parlors. But one thing I can say for sure that I really really enjoyed those days and I still remember them.
Later on, during the college days, I did not have the privilege of buying gaming consoles. Like many others, I started playing computer games. There were many interesting games like the one where we had to handle a helicopter with mouse buttons. There was one very nice pool game. We room-mates used to make records for others to break and then again break those. For me the best and the most deeply engrossing game was ‘Need For Speed 5’. I even went to the finals of the college NFS contest. Some of my friends were mad about games like IGI, Counter Strike, Max Payne, etc.
Those were the days when, at least, I enjoyed my life the most. Every stage of game was a new day of life. Every win used to give a sense of accomplishment. Every moment spent playing was savored. Now, it’s a rat-race. No fun, no sense of accomplishment and thus no life. I made a change to this. I tried changing my life. I downloaded a free version of Mario. I now play it whenever I get free time, or you can say I try finding time to play it. I enjoy, not actually by playing it, but by somehow getting back to those days. Now no one can say “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.

Sports teams, their names & owners

2009-10-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

Cape Cobras inflicted a highly venomous defeat on the Royal Challengers Bangalore. No antidote was capable enough to stop the poison from the King Cobra Duminy. The crowd applauded with fireworks. What a chase! What a start to the tournament opener! I became a fan of this team (Started following it on Facebook too.).
A cricket team from Cape Town named as Cape Cobras. What a unique name! I don’t know what’s the relationship between Cape Town, Cricket and Cobras but I can say that some sports teams have very unique name. Diamond Eagles is another team in Champions League from South Africa which has an uncommon name. I guess 'Diamond' could be because of the infamous diamond mines there but why 'Eagles'. We have another team Victoria Bushrangers in the tournament. Bushrangers, were outlaws in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. Otago Volts, Sussex Sharks and Somerset Sabres have equally strange name.
If we look at the owners of some of the cricket teams in India then we will see that this group is full with either film actors or businessmen. Kolkata Knight Riders, the "Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re" team, is owned by Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla & Jai Mehta. Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals are partially owned by Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty respectively. The other partner of the Punjab team is Mohit Burman from Dabur and partners of the Rajasthan team are Emerging Media and Lachlan Murdoch. Deccan Chargers are owned by Deccan Chronicle, Delhi Daredevils by GMR group, Chennai Super Kings by India Cements and Mumbai Indians by Reliance Industries. Vijay Mallya of United Breweries and Kingfisher Airlines owns Royal Challengers Bangalore. Mallya’s interest does not stop at cricket only. He also owns Formula One team Force India. He sponsors the East Bengal and Mohun Bagan football clubs. He also owns the company, United Racing and Bloodstock Breeders which has interests in horse racing. It runs the Kunigal stud farm.
I suppose the trendiest team names are the NBA teams. There one team is Detroit Pistons while another is Philadelphia 76ers. There are also some other teams with funky names like Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Hornets.
Though English football teams do not have very unusual names, their owners are pretty rich guys. Roman Abramovich, among the richest in the world, owns Chelsea. Though Arsenal's parent company is Arsenal Holdings, American sports tycoon Stan Kroenke owns a large chunk of it and another major part is owned by Alisher Usmanov. Other American businessmen like George Gillett and Tom Hicks own Liverpool Football Club and Malcolm Glazer owns Manchester United. (We have a local ManU team also, Mangalore United. It plays in the Karnataka T20 league.) Manchester City is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Ruling Family of Abu Dhabi. Fulham is owned by Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed, the owner of Harrods. Fayed's oldest son, Dodi had a close relationship with Diana, Princess of Wales. Both of them died in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997. There is an Indian connection with an EPL team. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is partially owned by steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.
Sports is always interesting, both on field and off. Sometimes it is people like Mohammad Asif, who failed a dope test, and sometimes it is people like Serena Williams, because of her outburst during the US Open. There are also times when sportspersons like Kim Clijsters inspires a million and Vijender Kumar encourages a billion-strong nation. Sports has its pieces. Champions T20 League is another chapter in it. Hope it brings joy to its followers and hope my hissing reptiles ‘Cape Cobras’ win it.

Come Out and Play

2009-09-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

“Come Out and Play” is the motto of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held in New Delhi between 3rd and 14th October 2010. Though India has hosted Asian Games twice, in 1951 and 1982, it has never hosted the Commonwealth Games. It will be only the third developing country to host this event. Jamaica in 1966 and Malaysia in 1998 have hosted it earlier.
The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event, just like Olympics. It is held every four years. A total of 71 teams participated in the last Games, including 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations. Tokelau, a dependency, is expected to take part in the 2010 Games in Delhi. The first such event, then known as the British Empire Games, was held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. The name changed to British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, to British Commonwealth Games in 1970 and assumed the current name of the Commonwealth Games in 1978. There are a total of 31 sports and further 7 para-sports which are approved by the Commonwealth Games Federation. A number of optional sports may be picked by the host nation. In the last edition, a total of 4500 athletes participated in 16 sports.
Delhi became the host for the 2010 Games by defeating the Canadian city of Hamilton by 46 votes. This voting was done at CGF General Assembly in Montego Bay in November 2003. The preparations for the Games are already well underway at an estimated cost of Rs. 70 billion (US$1.4 billion). Delhi is expecting around 5,200 athletes and 1,800 officials. There are numerous civic and infrastructure projects being carried out to make Delhi a world-class city, ready to host the Commonwealth Games and guests in 2010. Delhi’s airport is being modernized, upgraded and expanded to handle the passenger traffic envisaged during the Games. Twelve new flyovers and several bridges and under-bridges have been planned to improve road connectivity with the Commonwealth Games Villages, the sports venues, and within the city. An additional 25,000 hotel rooms are being built to meet the requirements of the Games. India is also getting ready to cash in on the Commonwealth Games barrage of tourists. It is developing 20 tourist destinations.
Shera, the official mascot of the Games, is a Royal Bengal Tiger wearing a white sporting jersey and blue shorts. The Royal Bengal Tiger is the national animal of India. It is also an endangered species because of its vulnerability to habitat loss, poaching and environmental degradation. The Nineteenth Commonwealth Games promise to be Green Games. The Organizing Committee has made a commitment to ensure that the negative environmental impact of the Games is minimized. The Games will focus on waste management, forestation, anti-litter campaigns, sustainable transport, use of renewable energy sources and efficient water management.
India won a total of 50 medals, including 22 gold, in the last edition of the games in Melbourne. India’s highest medal tally was in 2002 Games when it won a total of 69 medals, including 30 gold. India has never led the medal tally. Hope as a host nation it will achieve this too.
I and many others of my age-group have never seen India hosting such a mega event other than the cricket world cup. It is a kind of first for us. I am very excited and waiting in eager anticipation to watch the Games to be held in India. I hope it becomes super-duper successful. Hope India shows its best both on the field as well as off the field in hosting it. “Atithi Devo Bhava”. India now has a chance to show that it still believes in it. Hosting a sporting event at a scale such as the Commonwealth Games is a matter of international prestige for the country, and is bound to provide a significant boost to India's global visibility, viability and the overall "brand India". India is heralded as the next world economic superpower and the 2010 Commonwealth Games will be another opportunity to project the nation on the world stage. The Games will also leave behind dramatically improved, world-class sports facilities that generations of India's athletes can use in the future. I am very thrilled about this event happening in my country and thus I try to track every development about it. And I expect that many of my fellow Indians too would be following the development.
Bolt!! We are waiting for you.

Sportswomen in India

2009-07-26T12:42:00.001-07:00

There are very few female sports persons from India who have gained worldwide prominence. And in the case of Sania Mirza, one would have to admire the acclaim and recognition that she has received. Sania is the very first female player from the country to be ranked in inside the women’s top 100 on the WTA Tour rankings. She reached upto 27. She became the first Indian woman to win any grand slam event. And though as of late she has fallen down the rankings, she has to be admired for being viewed as a role model for others in the country. If we look for famous female sports persons in India then she is not he first and never the last one, however she is among the most talked about sports person in India.
According to me P.T. Usha has been the most famous female sports person in India. People of my generation have grown up listening about her. In the 1986 Seoul Asiad, she created new Asian Games records in all the events she participated. The Payyoli Express is one of the greatest athletes India has ever produced. Like Anil Kumble Circle in Bangalore, there is a road named after her in Cochin, P.T. Usha Road.
There are many more famous female sports persons in India. Saina Nehwal is one such lady. She is currently ranked number 6 in the world badminton female rankings. She scripted history on June 21 2009, becoming the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament after clinching the Indonesia Open. She has been named The Most Promising Player in 2008 and India too has hopes in her. Aparna Popat is ranked amongst the finest badminton players in the world. She has been winning the senior national title since 1998. Shikha Tandon is another such promising sports person. Though she has not made much splash uptil now, she has great potential to perform well for India. She was awarded Arjuna award in 2005.
Anju Bobby George made history when she won the bronze medal in Long Jump at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris. With this achievement, she became the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in a World Championships in Athletics. She was once ranked World No. 4 of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). In Chess also India has a few great female sports persons. Humpy Koneru is currently number two in the world for women. In shootings, we have Anjali Bhagwat. She was awarded the Arjuna award in 2000 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2002-03.
Karnam Malleswari, also a Khel Ratna awardee, won a bronze medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics at Sydney, which made her the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. In 1995, Malleswari won the world weightlifting title in her class (54 kg) with a new record. Dola Banerjee is a cousin of the singers Shaan and Sagarika. She became world champion in archery by winning the gold medal in the women's individual recurve competition at the archery world cup held at Dubai, in November 2007. Joshna Chinappa was the first Indian girl to win the British Squash Championship title in 2003 and was also the youngest Indian women's national champion.
We have many great women cricketers too, the Tendulkars and Dravids. Mithali Raj, trained in Bharata Natyam, was the captain of the Indian women's cricket team. Jhulan Goswami is an all round cricketer who is currently the Indian Women's cricket team captain. She bowls at an unbelievable speed of 130-135 km/h, which is even on par with the male counterparts. She won the ICC Women's Player of the Year 2007.
The list of great Indian female sports persons is endless. Bachendri Pal was the first Indian woman to scale the Mount Everest, and the fifth woman in the world. Even the famous Nafisa Ali was a national swimming champion. Some one has said it so correct that “Sure God created man before woman. But then you always make a rough draft before the final masterpiece.” I suppose Indian sports’ masterpiece is coming out now.

Ludo – I still remember

2009-07-07T16:13:00.000-07:00

Last week I was at my native place. While I was searching for my old school diaries in an old box, just to get a little nostalgic about my school days, I found something very very interesting. I stumbled upon an old torn board of Ludo. Yes Ludo, that game which we used to play so very often. We never used to let a single evening of our summer vacations pass without a round of it. Whenever some uncle or aunt used to visit us, our parents used to instruct us to play a game of Ludo with their children. I remember once playing it even with my ‘strict’ grand-father; I played the whole game in utter discipline which was never my usual self.
Ludo, for those of you who have heard of it for the first time, is a simple board game for two to four players, in which the players race their four tokens ‘goti’ from start to finish according to dice rolls. Some know it by its cousin ‘Pachisi’. Pachisi has a history dating back to the 6th century.

A Ludo board is normally a square marked with a cross. Each arm of the cross is divided into three columns, with the columns divided into usually six squares. The centre of the cross is the finishing square which is often divided into four coloured triangles. Each coloured triangle is combined with a coloured middle column appears as an arrow pointing to the finish. The shaft of each arrow is a player's "home column" and is five squares long. My favourite was red as it used to get the first chance to throw the dice.
To the left of each home column, one square from the edge of the board is a starting square, also coloured. During game play a piece moves from its starting square, clockwise around the perimeter of the board, and up the player's home column to the finishing square. In the space to the left of each arm is a circle or square to hold a player's pieces before they are allowed into play. Huhh, that much of an explanation!! We were the ‘experts’ of it. We used to make several rules and many a times break them too.
Usually, at the start of the game, the player's four pieces are placed in the start area of their colour. Players take it in turn to throw a single dice. A player must first throw a six to be able to move a piece from the starting area onto the starting square. In each subsequent turn the player moves a piece forward 1 to 6 squares as indicated by the dice. When a player throws a 6, the player may bring a new piece onto the starting square, or may choose to move a piece already in play. It was very pleasing to watch the face of the player who had all four of his pieces inside and he was throwing the dice waiting for a 6.
If a player's piece lands on a square containing an opponent's piece, the opponent's piece is captured and returns to the starting area. We wanted all our moves to land at such places. Once a piece has completed a circuit of the board it moves up the home column of its own colour. The winner is the first player to get all four of his pieces onto the home square.
We had some special rules like if a player's piece lands on another of his own pieces; they are doubled and form a "block" which cannot be passed by any opponent's pieces. Doubled pieces may move half the number if an even number is thrown. A doubled piece may capture another doubled piece. Ahh!! That’s called a ‘Double Bonanza’.
Ludo may seem pretty lame to most people, but when played with proper strategy it would be very absorbing. Another game, usually comes packaged with Ludo, is Snakes and Ladders. It is also as engrossing as Ludo. Here the cells are numbered from 1 to 100 and a player has to tread through it. The players would meet several ladders and snakes in between. And that adds the spice to the game.

I have spent much of my childhood playing Ludo and thus I got very sentimental about it. I immediately rushed out to buy a new one. Though it was difficult to find one, I found it at last at a small shop around a km from my home. It was a feeling of bliss when I found it. I did not buy it just to play it again, but to recall those happy days when we used to play and fight over it. I bought it because it reminds me of my childhood days. I bought it since it teaches that the game depends just on the turn of the dice but still we fought over it, so very similar to life. It teaches me about life, its true nature.

Football in India!!

2009-05-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

I was crestfallen to hear that Dempo conceded a last minute goal against Al Muharraq of Bahrain in an AFC Cup Group E match. This would have given it a chance to set one foot onto the quarter-finals. To add insult to injury, my room-mate taunted that 0-1 was a much respected score and had it played against ManU (I don't know whether he was referring to some character from Ramayana or some Hollywood star), the score would have been 0-90, a goal every minute. I was as red as Guntur chillies. I have always thought of India as a great football team and Mohun Bagan & East Bengal as the best in the world. My team had already lost, I did not want to lose to my friend. I wanted to substantiate my points. Thus I searched everywhere on the net about football in India, its history, the clubs here and the overall standing among the other nations.
To be very frank, it was sheer disappointment and complete shame. It ranks 149 in the world!! (The highest being 94 in February 1996.) Shame, shame. A country of over a billion people can not produce a football team. Trinidad & Tobago, a country of a little over a million people, had qualified for the last world cup and India lost out in the 1st stage of the qualifiers this time.
Dempo was not competing in the Club World Cup, instead it was just an Asia-level competition for second-rung clubs. One good point is that Dempo was a semi-finalist in the last year tournament and this year too it is doing well.
Although football in India is in a very poor state, it has quite an interesting history. Mohun Bagan was founded way back in 1889. It is in fact the oldest football club in Asia. In 1911, it caused a stir by becoming the first Indian team to lift the IFA Shield, a tournament previously won only by British teams based in India. The Government of India has also issued a postage stamp to commemorate this victory and given it the title of the "National Club of India". The Durand Cup football tournament, the world's third oldest tournament, was started in Shimla in 1898.
Gradually a number of clubs like East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting, Dempo, Churchill Brothers, Salgaocar proliferated all over the country leading to the formation of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in 1937. AIFF is interestingly one of the founder members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1954. League football was being played in Calcutta long before Real Madrid or the world governing body Fifa even existed.
The 1951 to 1962 decade was the golden age for Indian football as the country put up a commendable show in a number of international competitions. India won the gold medals in the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games at New Delhi and Jakarta respectively. It also won the bronze medal title in the 1970 Bangkok Asiad. In the 1956 Melbourne Olympics India became the first Asian nation to reach the semifinals of an Olympic football event defeating Australia 4-2 in the quarterfinal. Much to my astonishment, India also qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil when all of their opponents withdrew from the competition. However India refused to participate in the event as FIFA required all the players to wear football boots whereas the Indian players were used to play barefoot. India has also hosted the 2001 Millennium Super Cup, but were knocked out in the group stage following defeats by Iceland and Uruguay.
Recently, in August 2007, the Indian team won the Nehru Cup for the first time in its history beating Syria 1-0. In August 2008, India defeated Tajikistan 4-1 to lift the AFC Challenge Cup and in turn qualified for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. Other recent successes have been limited to the South Asian Football Federation Cup and the LG Cup in Vietnam in 2002.
Football is very popular in the states of Goa, Kerala, Manipur, West Bengal, Mizoram and Sikkim. Most of the popular football clubs of India are based among these states. Bengal leads the states in the Santosh Trophy, a state-level tournament, with 29 wins. Although football is second only behind cricket in popularity in India, it is marred by lack of grass-roots infrastructure, negligible training & sheer neglect. The sport is in the doldrums in both standards and patronage. Recently many programs have been started to boost football in India.
I-League is one such initiative. It is the top tier league in the Indian football league system. It was started by AIFF in 2007-08. Following a AFC review of the I-League's progress, the champions of the I-League would be awarded a spot in the prestigious AFC Champions League club championships in 2009.
Bharti Enterprises will start a world-class football academy, to be named 'Bharti-AIFF Academy' with an investment of more than 100 crores, to be set-up either in Haryana or Goa. It will initially take around 100 youngsters in four age group categories of 8-11, 11-13, 13-15 and 15-18, will have all the western club style facilities including multiple grounds, basic training, coaching and medical facilities. The youngsters will be selected under a massive talent hunt programme throughout the country to find out budding talent via scientific means.
Recently, Brazil has signed an agreement with India that would formalise a scheme to train Indian footballers and coaches.
We see kids playing football in the street with no shoes everywhere in this country but there's no development at youth level. That, and coach education, are reasons why we are not as advanced as we should be. We have 28 states but only a few are doing anything with any success to develop youth. If only they could catch players at a young age because India definitely has a lot of talent. India's youth coaching set-up is haphazard. Today football is nominally under the control of the All India Football Federation, and its president Priya Ranjan DasMunshi, a committee-based body funded by FIFA. But national youth football is traditionally controlled by a different body - the Sports Authority of India - which gets no money from FIFA. It is difficult to implement a successful youth development programme here because the people who run football are politicians, not professionals. There are people in Indian football who are secretary or treasurer of different state associations who have been there for 40 years. So for them holding onto power is the main issue. Improving the game is never the issue. So we need a set up for professionalism. Indian football never had a set up of that kind. Football should be managed by the chief executives of marketing or training. This is professionalism.
Presently, India in football is like Brazil in cricket. Lets hope it turns around.