A sporting view!

Nobody knew who Saina Nehwal was until 2009. A simple, Haryanvi girl, went on to become the first
Indian to win World Junior Badminton Championship and currently ranked 4th in the world.


Fewer people know that she is has received a brown belt in karate. But now she is a household name
for her excellence in the field of badminton. Her achievements have created frenzy among all the age
groups. I find both young and adults play badminton every evening at our society lawn. Even my didu,
tells my cousin to be like her.


Well, is it only I or everyone seeing a transition in the idol worship? As far as I know, indeed, there is
slight shift. Enough of Tendulkar, now the coming generation have someone else to look up to.


Sanket Ray

Casinos in L.A. would probably pale in comparison with the earnings of some footballers today. These players probably have the money to buy certain towns in our country. The fallout of this being that they change clubs like diapers and don’t think twice about it. Football is the new business arena where the smarter you are, the richer you get – end of story.

In such a world there is a certain ‘Ryan Giggs’ who stands out among the crowd. He stands out because he has the distinction of playing for one club throughout his professional career despite getting lucrative offers from elsewhere. He started his professional career at 17 at Manchester United. Sixteen years down the line he is still at United. Add to that, he has consistently been playing top notch football, still bamboozling defenders half his age with ease. There was a time when he enjoyed the kind of media attention that Ronaldo or Becks do now. What makes him different is that he decided to shun all the attention as it was better to concentrate on football. Giggs has been an Old Trafford faithful throughout. His achievement? Unconditional love from the Red Devils across the world and respect from anyone who understands football.

Till date, Giggs prefer to stay away from interviews, photo shoots, media conferences etc. Yet his name is often splashed in the media. Why? Because, his football does all the talking for him and Giggs is content with that He does not want to be talked about for anything else. Out of all the achievements he has had over the years, I would like to end by pointing out at one “Securing the commitment of millions of young hearts towards Manchester United for life.”

PS: - My heart included!

France will perhaps always remain in the debt of Algeria. If a certain Zinedine Zidane had not migrated with his family to France, the current disorientated state of the national side would have shown its face a few years back. There is not one midfielder in this world who is serious about the game who hasn’t looked at Zidane’s videos with awe and respect. For those who have been blessed to see him grace the football field, it will remain a memory to be treasured forever.

The only metaphor that can perhaps do justice to this footballer is that he is a “complete midfielder”. It is a metaphor that no other footballer in this generation warrants. A midfielder’s task is arguably the most tiring and diverse in a football field. Impeccable control of the ball complemented with 360 degree awareness is a pre requisite for a perfect midfielder. He must at all times be switched on to help out the defense, make an overlapping run for the strikers or orchestrate the play from the centre of the mark. Zidane achieved all of the above to the letter. He went one step further and added a dead ball scoring habit to his arsenal. It comes as no surprise that he has had a career that footballers can only dream of. He played his football for two of the biggest clubs in the world and wowed each set of supporters in full measure.

His retirement has been football’s loss. The fact that his swansong match was marred with a head butt incident is but a dark spot on an otherwise spotless moon.

It is these matches that lead to ecstasy for some nations and tears for others. Years of preparation boils down to doing well in these few games. Doing well directly means winning as there is no second chance. The knockout stages of the last FIFA world cup kicked off with heartbreak for Asia and elation for South America. Uruguay became the first team to reach the quarter finals of the tournament at the expense of South Korea. A dual strike from Ajax striker Suarez secured a hard fought victory. His second goal was spectacular, but then one expects such things from a striker who has scored 49 goals in the preceding domestic season. South Korea can hold their heads high; they fought valiantly albeit squandering chances throughout the game, which ultimately confirmed their tickets back home.

The Three Lions were drawn to take on Germany in what is expected to be a mouth watering clash. Germany will start as favorites, although they would do themselves well to remember their hiccup against Serbia. England has no pressure for this game. That’s mainly because they are already under tremendous pressure after severely under performing in the group stages. Germany will be without their substitute striker Cacau, but will be boosted by the return of Miroslav Klose. Also, Mesut Ozil is yet another noteworthy match winning player in Lahm’s side. England, on the other hand will be hoping to start off from where they left against Slovenia and better themselves as the game progresses. The Empire will be hoping that Wayne Rooney can finally dominate proceedings as he so often has for Manchester United. To summarize, BIG NAMES, BIGGER GAME & THE BIGGEST STAGE OF THEM ALL!!

The winner of the above match will face either Argentina or Mexico who lock horns after the conclusion of the "European Affair". The South American nation will keep their fingers crossed for Lionel Messi to finally break his draught. Arguably, he has been the player of the tournament thus far and deserves to hit the back of the net for his efforts. However, Mexico has a well balanced and structured side, surely capable of inflicting an upset on their day. Although I expect the match to end with Maradona happily kissing all his players and Argentineans celebrating.

One thing is certain.In these few matches, emotions at an all time high, heartbeats making repeated forays into the domain of palpitation and at the end of the day...tears that speak of conflicting sentiments- of gain & pain, of fame & shame..

Imagine playing for your country at the World Cups, knowing that back home your land is in complete turmoil. So much so, that you have had to hire supporters from China to the tournament, you have trained for the tournament in secret due to security concerns and none of the matches you play will be telecast live in your homeland. To top it all, you will be facing an above average team which happens to be ranked number one in the World and manages to become extraordinary every time the World Cup starts. That in a nutshell was Brazil's opponent Korea DPR during the last world cup. The sight of striker Jong Tae-Se in tears during the anthem clearly indicated how much playing in the rainbow nation meant for this team, for this country.

The passion was evident from the first min as the Koreans played a tight and disciplined formation. In defense, they matched the five time world champions as every Brazilian pass was intercepted, every run was stopped and every shot was blocked. North Korea were not overawed by the occasion and definitely not by the opponents as tried to knit their own attacks as well. At half time, the Vuvuzelas’ were silent- the Brazilians were clearly shaken. The second half started with the same determination from the Koreans but Maicon's intended cross somehow curled inside the goal and gave Brazil a hard fought lead. After that the match was controlled by the Samba warriors and in the 72nd min, Robinho's delightful through ball found Elano, who slotted home comfortably. The match seemed over until the 89th min when Korea miraculously found the zeal to pull one back. What followed was a pulsating end to the game, as Korea charged forward with every ounce of energy left, and Brazil desperately defending to prevent the first major upset of the tournament. In the end it was not to be, Korea could not find the equalizer and Brazil got all three points. However, I think I speak for the world when I say that though Korean players will be upset, they have got every reason to hold their heads high. It’s not every day that you play a World Cup and it’s definitely not every day that you get the better of Brazil. Korea have done the first part, a few hours earlier...they almost did the second!

The Soceroos may still be recovering from the nightmare at Durban. Germany put up a show that is undoubtedly the most spectacular the tournament has seen thus far. Australia had Asians to deal with in qualification, yet they qualified in the finals with ease. However, all that comfort and confidence counted for naught as they looked helpless and clueless against a properly lubricated German machine. The first chance of the match fell to Richard Garcia, but captain Philip Lahm prevented Australia from taking the lead with a brave block. After that, Australia did not get a single decent chance whereas wave after wave of German attack kept on flourishing. Lukas Podolski opened the scoring with a thunderous shot which failed to deviate from the target even after Schwarzer got a hand to it. Miroslav Klose, who has been sidelined to the bench this season with Bayern Munich, continued his trend of scoring at World Cups when he headed home an inch perfect cross from Lahm to take his tally of World Cup goals to 11. After creating havoc for defenders last year in Germany, he has started right from where he left. However, this match was all about the young midfield of Germany that obviously did not miss Michael Ballack. Thomas Muller scored a goal, had an excellent game and at 20 years of age, I can understand why he is one of the most sought after wingers by clubs all over. Mesut Ozil & Sami Khedira were clinical in picking out passes and making runs to which Australian defenders had no answer. The youngest captain of a World Cup team couldn't have asked for a better start to the campaign. Australia will have to move on from this debacle, and start preparing for Ghana without their star striker Tim Cahill who was dubiously red cared by the referee who otherwise was spot on with every decision including booking two players for playacting.

In a few hours time, the current champions begin their defense. Few experts favour them to repeat their 2006 feat, but football is a funny game. A couple of days back, critics didn't give Germany much of a chance...I daresay some of them think differently now!

Fabio Capello's turned back after Robert Green's howler said it all. It was a forgettable start to a race that has now just become tougher. A dream start in the 4th min with captain Steven Gerrard combining with Emiel Heskey was perhaps the only silver lining in a dark cloud that hovered around the Three Lions yesterday. The master tactician Capello raised eyebrows when he decided to start with James Milner on the left wing. The raised eyebrows were soon combined with popping eyes when Capello decided to substitute him with Shaun Wright Philips in the 30th min. I guess Joe Cole must have failed to get Mr Capello's coffee on time. Among the other players, Lampard looked clueless and with the absence of a holding midfielder, Donovan and Dempsey were given an open an arena to showcase their prowess. Oguchi Onyewu was rock solid in defence throughout the match. USA looked much more settled and stable throughout the game and though England got chances, none were taken with conviction. Perhaps the most worrying part is that Rooney was completely isolated and did not have one decent chance in the entire match. He was reduced to creating assists which were anyways floundered in the end. Bottom line: The men in white have some serious work to do.

Argentina was also scrappy in their opening match and did not perform like a team expected to go the distance. However, they were good enough to get three points. They threatened a number of times in attack although Gonzalo Higuain must have got wrong studs on, because his finishing was way below commendable. Apart from the three points, I am sure that Argentineans and football lovers’ across the globe were delighted to see Lionel Messi in a league of his own. Although he didn't score, he went past defenders effortlessly in his own inimitable style. Indeed, the 'Little Wizard' deserved a goal! Credit to the Nigerians, they played well, created chances and their goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama put up a stellar display to keep his side in the hunt till the final whistle. Argentina will have to sort out their defence as they face the fast, crafty and now confident South Korea in the next match. South Korea demolished a hapless Greece in their opening match. Though the margin of victory was 2-0 only, it could easily have been a goal fest for the Koreans. The Koreans will be happy with the result, but also aware that the journey ahead is steep and that their next hurdle is Messidona!

The first day of the soccer carnival in South Africa failed to produce a winner, though as the title of this post suggests, Vuvuzela had its sound echoing across Soccer city. This horn which is a part of South African football culture was subject to much debate prior to the tournament, as many experts and players wanted FIFA to impose a ban on its usage during the matches. However, FIFA decided only to limit the length of this trumpet to a meter and not ban it. In the words of Sepp Blatter, “We do not want to Europeanize the African Fifa World Cup". Fair enough, but yesterday Soccer City after the first match started, gave an impression of being a bee hive with 90,000 angry bees buzzing!! The sound from the Vuvuzela although seems triumphant initially, tends to become irritating with its relentless stampede. Communication between the players, manager and referee is surely going to be a challenge in this environment. Not to mention, the players already have to deal with the high altitude factor and of course their world class opponents.

The Bafana Bafana kicked off the opening match against Mexico, who are 66 places above them in the FIFA rankings. The difference in ranking showed in the first 10 mins as South Africa struggled to even get decent possession. However, gradually, Bafana came into the game, Mexico started losing possession cheaply and they were punished in the 66th min with a superb counter attack that was finished exquisitely by man of the match Tshabalala. The celebration dance that followed the goal was a sight to behold, a dance that Africa will savor. Inexperience showed, as South Africa left Mexican Captain Rafael Marquez unmarked to score an easy equalizer. The match ended in a 1-1 draw with South Africa making a strong statement and the tournament getting a superb opening match.

If one thought that this was sign of things to come, then they were mistaken. The next match between two World Cup winners looked promising, but failed to deliver. Marred by too many yellow cards, a sending off, no goals, rusty football…this was just the kind of game you don't want to see in the opening day of the World Cup. France, who has made it to South Africa at the expense of Ireland amidst controversy, did not help their cause with a pathetic display for 90 mins. Names like Thierry Henry, Florent Malouda were relegated to the bench by the eccentric Raymond Domenech. Uruguay had the best chance in this lackluster match with Diego Forlan volleying wide a shot that he should have definitely done better with. I daresay that a certain "Samir Nasri" is being missed sorely.

In less than a couple of hours a triple header begins with Asia making its first appearance in this edition and two teams who are expected by many to win the tournament will also begin their campaign. However, the highlight today for football enthusiasts and experts will be the unveiling of two players who have the ability to define this World Cup. Lionel Messi & Wayne Rooney shall play their first games today against Nigeria and USA respectively. Messi has been unfairly accused of underperforming for Argentina and Rooney has had his recent temper problems with referees. It’s time for them to answer the critics in the best way they can. I say this not as an England or Argentina supporter but as a football lover- The beautiful game stands a lot to gain, if these lads can have their say. My only prayer is that they stay away from injuries.

Its time for Fabiooney & Messidona!!!!

On 10th February South Africa did not sleep in anticipation, on 10th June 2010, I daresay the scenario was similar. It is perhaps fitting that the World Cup is being held in a nation that dared to hope, and against all odds brought impossible dreams to life. After such retrospections, the nation gears up to shoulder the responsibility of the continent which has long been overshadowed by its neighbors.

The world holds its breath in excitement, tension and apprehension. Dream charts, if there were any in heaven would be running short of paper listing the dreams of thousands who wish to see their country of choice lift the trophy. For a neutral, it means an opportunity to witness the finest players in the world compete against each other to achieve the ultimate prize that this beautiful game has to offer. As far as the players are concerned, they all unanimously agree that there can be no greater honor than standing in a packed stadium, hearing their anthems go and shouldering the joys and tears of a nation. I do not think I am mistaken when I say, that no past World Cup can boast of having so many teams who look perfectly equipped on paper to win the tournament. However, the beauty of this game is such that it can make you a star or a scoundrel with a single spot kick. Lionel Messi may have swept all awards this year, but he cannot use any of them to dodge a defender or beat a keeper. Brazil, who have won the most number of World Cups do not figure on the favorites list of many pundits. What I mean to say is that it’s all about those 90 mins, anything and everything is possible.

We talk and hear about many numbers before the World Cup, about the players, managers, audiences etc. In the end though, a meager figure 1-0 at the top right hand corner of your screen determines the next day’s headlines, arguments and discussions. As the journey will begin, I pray that we see a month long of brilliant, injury-free and honest football.