Get set for the 'Schumacher spectacle'

The king is back in the ring! Michael Schumacher’s nod to fill in for an injured Felipe Massa for Ferrari has infused a new life in the team as well as the sport and it’s fans. Still more than 3 weeks away, the Spain hosted European Grand Prix had lost some sheen especially for the home fans with local boy Fernando Alonso’s Renault team banned for the race (at least till their appeal hearing).

Little had they expected a bigger package in bargain. After all, the chance to witness the king of racing competing in the red gear once again, that too with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Sebasitan Vettel was till now just a dream with little hope of turning into reality. And, though the absence of Schumi’s fiercest competitor at the time of his retirement, Alonso, will surely be felt, nothing can match the exhilaration of seeing this man back in action even if just temporarily, may be even for just a single race. And, sad that it may sound but with the update, most people will now be hoping for a healthy recovery for the eternal underdog Massa, but surely not an early one. They would now prefer to see the Brazilian get healthy, take a few days off and soak in the excitement of reliving the Schumi magic on the circuit.

F1 honchos couldn’t have asked for a better gift to uplift the sport crippled with infighting and burdened with the global economic crisis, with BMW becoming the 2nd major engine supplier to announce the end of their association with F1, after Honda last season. There’s no denying that with Brawn GP and Red Bull’s elevation to the top, the championship has taken an unanticipated turn with mixed feelings from the followers, some happy with the change in order, the others terribly letdown by their favourites. But, the sudden turn of events have made everyone forget the leader and the loser and all eyes are now fixed on the return of the 7 time world champion who has been working as a consultant for the Prancing horse team.

The 40yr old who retired from F1 racing in 2006, will undergo a special training programme over the next few days to confirm if he is fit enough to compete in the European GP. Yes, people already have their fingers crossed. And, with a a ban on testing during the season, the soonest the German will get to test the actual wheels will probably be 2 days prior to the race, that has now become a mega event. Here’s wishing that we get to see this post retirement chapter in the life of the legend and on 23rd August I can come back to pen these words – ‘The Master makes a masterful comeback'…. and although, even a no point finish will not be a heart ache, seeing him compete and be among the points will be an icing on the cake.

Picture Courtesy: www.tribuneindia.com

India, the underdogs, bark; the favorites miss the mark

A stroll in the park! That is how India’s win over Pakistan was described. But, that was a warm-up game before the real battle began in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Clubbed in the easiest of groups with Bangladesh and Ireland, the Men in Blue easily crossed the first hurdle, but were left red-faced when pitted with the big teams in the Super 8 stage. The defending champions and the hands-on favorites crashed out, failing to manage even a single win in their 3 Super 8 encounters. Over a billion cricket fanatics were left devastated as their demigods left prayers unanswered, and wishes, resigned.

So, did the team become complacent, or did the burden of expectations and the favorites tag once again get to them?

India first became the World Champions in cricket, ironically in England (the venue of their latest defeat), in 1983. That was the ODI World Cup with 60 overs a side (then, the shortest format of the game). Experts had dismissed their chances even before the final had got underway, as standing in their way to the title was the best team of the past decade, the two-time defending champions, West Indies. But, that did little to dampen the morale of Kapil’s Devils, as their determination bestowed their countrymen with unarguably the biggest happiness and glory in cricket till date.

Cut to 2007, and the Indians were faced with an even bigger challenge going into the inaugural T20 World Cup, the latest fancy of the fans. No master blaster, no God of the off-side, and no wall to protect from the fury of the ball, as the trio of Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid opted out, calling the latest avatar of the sport a young man’s game. Going to South Africa, the expectations from the team were lame, people only praying for their return without shame. But, the motivated young brigade, out to prove everyone wrong, made everyone dance to their tunes and were themselves on a song. The team that earlier got sighs of pity was suddenly the Champion, with the Cup, safely in its kitty.

So people, here’s a lesson learnt: don’t over-burden yourself and your icons, lest you end up with your heart burnt!


Picture Courtesy: www. telegraph.co.uk

Kaka heads West as he joins Real Madrid

Nearly 2 years after I wrote my first blog entry, ‘Is Kaka going to Real’, the Brazilian is heading West to Spain from AC Milan in Italy. Well, as one of the many fans of this amazingly gifted playmaker, I only hope his performance doesn’t head south after joining Madrid. I do have a sly smile while writing this, as I had mentioned in my first post 2 years ago, that if Kaka wanted to move to Real for the challenge of playing in a different league with a different team… my gut feeling says he should wait for another 2-3 seasons... after all he was only 25! My fortelling was fruitful, as here he is, finally, making that big switch. Being a Milan supporter, I wouldn’t say I’m happy seeing one of my favourite players leave, but at least the inevitable happened after quite a delay. Moreover, watching Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandes and Andres Iniesta dictate the play in innumerable games, one would say, Madrid desperately needed a player of high calibre and skill to combat the Catalan’s dynamic duo. And, who better than Kaka? Madrid are also hoping to steal World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo, their answer to Barca’s Lionel Messi. I know many would argue that the diminutive Argentine is a far better player than the flamboyant Portuguese, but that is altogether a different story, and I would leave that discussion, perhaps for another day. For now, it’s Kaka all the way.

Incidentally, Milan had thwarted Madrid’s attempt to sign Kaka the last time, but on this occasion, the lure of money got to the club that has been running in losses in recent times. The mid-fielder’s claim that he was happy at the San Siro and wanted to extend his stay did little to deter his pursuers and the pursers of the deal. The reported 68 million Euros splurged by Real to finally land their prized signing, albeit short of the 100 million Euros offered by the richest club, Manchester City, last season, still stands as one of the richest deal in the history of football. After losing their inspirational skipper Paolo Maldini to retirement and manager Carlo Ancelotti to Chelsea, this is another setback to the prospects of the seven time European Champions.

A new era is now waiting to dawn upon the Italian heavyweights, and it’ll do them a world of good to spend this hefty amount of money judiciously in buying young players, and infusing a fresh lease of life and energy in the squad. There have been signs of a decline but true champions overcome adversities and more to shine. Here’s wishing Kaka and Milan a lot of success.

Picture Courtesy: www.oleole.com

Déjà vu, India then, now Australia make an early exit too

The ICC 2007 ODI World Cup will always be remembered more for India and Pakistan’s early exit and the Bob Woolmer tragedy, than the Aussies 3rd consecutive triumph. It sent shockwaves across the cricketing world and a change of guard in the way the two teams worked. Well, there is a sense of familiarity in the ouster of Australia in the ongoing ICC World T20 Championship. Let’s take a moment here and talk about India’s departure in the last ODI World Cup. After their stupendous show in the 2003 edition, going all the way to the final, India were tipped to go a step further and lay their hands on the Cup after 20 years. They were grouped with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bermuda, earning the title of the Group of Death. It was the only cluster having a team – Bangladesh, who had an outside chance of qualifying for the Super Eights and spoiling the party for the top two big guns in the group. Rest they say, is history, as Bangladesh did turn out to be the party poopers for India, defeating them comfortably and leaving their fate hanging in balance till the last group game against Sri Lanka. The Lankan team then put the final nail in India’s coffin.
Well, that was then, but the sub-continent team has once again scripted the fate of another powerhouse. The Australian team was grouped with the West Indies and Sri Lanka in the ICC World T20, currently in progress. This was surely a group of death with three top notch teams vying for two spots, to avoid a 1st round exit in the prestigious tournament. For the Aussies, it was the only trophy missing from their cabinet and many expected them to fill the void ala Roger Federer at French Open. But, destiny and the team estimated to be the weakest link in the pool - the West Indies, had other plans. Led by skipper Chris Gayle, the Caribbean team mauled the ostentatious Aussies in the first group game, putting them to shame, winning with more than 4 overs to spare, despite chasing 170. What a pity! Next up were the Sri Lankans in the must win game for Australia. The start was torrid, and the end, even more horrid. Out went the Kangaroos, earning no accolades, only boos. Sri Lanka had done it again, getting glory, giving pain, another big gun slain. As for India, if everything continues to go similarly to the script written 2 years ago, the defending T20 Champions can hope to retain the Cup as did Australia with ‘Punter’, ‘Gilli” and ‘Pup’.

Picture Courtesy: Cricketnext.com

Nadal put to rest, aiding Federer's quest

The impossible happened yesterday night. Rafael Nadal was ousted from the French Open in just the 4th round….yes sir there is no printing error and you read it right. The invincible French master succumbed to the big serving and hitting of world no. 25 Robin Soderling of Sweden. Sports is rather funny and unpredictable, and nothing epitomizes the fallibility of man better. The indefatigable Spanish Matador looked exhausted and lost in the course of his defeat. Women’s world no. 4 Elena Dementieva had predicted that she didn’t see Nadal defending his red sand territory this time as he looked tired. And, although the comment seemed quite preposterous at that time, her observation was bang on. The Spaniard suffered his first ever loss at the Roland Garros, breaking his 31 match winning streak at the Grand Slam. He came so close to becoming the first man to win 5 consecutive French Open titles but now remains at level with the legendary Bjorn Borg with 4. Ironical isn’t it? Borg’s record of 5 back-to-back Wimbledon titles also remained unbeaten last year after Roger Federer gunning for his 6th successive triumph fell to none other than Nadal in the final.
The world no.1 had last year inflicted quite some pain upon his arch-rival, leaving him in tears as he swept away his most prized possession at The Queen’s Club. Federer had remarked he would never trade the Wimbledon trophy for anything in the world, not even the ever elusive French Open, the only Grand Slam missing from his cabinet. Well, don’t know if Rafa feels the same about his beloved trophy but we do seem to be heading for a trade-off with Fed-Ex suddenly the firm favourite to lift the French crown. But, as the Swiss Maestro nears his goal of crossing the final frontier, a hitch still remains in his path to glory, as his ultimate triumph would have been not just lifting the title but also knocking out his nemesis Rafa enroute to victory. The conquest would have been sweeter then, just as in the case of Nadal, whose win over the Swiss ace at what was strictly demarcated as his territory, added to the Spaniard’s credentials and fan following. If the win at Wimbledon had continued to evade the world No.1, his detractors would have labeled him the clay-court wonder boy and nothing beyond. They would have got a reason to never consider him in the league of the extraordinary gentlemen, headed by Federer himself. Well, defeat or not Rafa has already etched his name in that list and has as usual taken the loss in his stride refusing to term it as a tragedy (his fans would most definitely disagree). “I had to lose one day. I must accept my defeats with the same level of calm that I accept my victories,” he said to the press. So, despite the invincibility gone, the champion has refused to mourn.

Picture courtesy: buckmire.blogspot.com

SOS: Save Our Sports!

Remember 'Eat Cricket, Sleep Cricket, Drink only Coca-Cola'? Well, it’s time the drink took a sabbatical for good, because the day has come when people would soon actually be eating, sleeping and even ‘drinking’ cricket. The inclination of corporates to invest in anything that spells money has not left the game untouched. The biggest example is the Indian Cricket League started by the Essel group, which has directly posed a strong threat to the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI).

After enjoying years of monopoly over the most popular game in the country, the BCCI was obviously not expected to react very sportingly to its so called competition. How could another body take away a share of the market they had captured…something that helped them mint money and made them the richest board over the years? In a counter attack move, the BCCI imposed many restrictions on the players and the state bodies that are governed by it. It also finally hiked the pay packets of the domestic players, something which should have been done much earlier. Anyway, better late than never.

Moreover, in the biggest setback to the rebel ICL, it launched its own league called the Indian Premier league with a very interesting format, ripped off directly from European football. Now, with players already complaining of burnouts with a jam packed international schedule, fitting in the IPL will surely be no small task. For the record, more than 40 international players have already signed up, and according to the latest scoop, the Australian players who have given their nod will not be featuring in the first edition due to some international commitment.

As the IPL will work like European football, corporates will exercise control over the ‘buying’ and ‘selling’ of the clubs and the players participating in the league. Amongst others, liquor baron Vijay Mallya and superstar Shah Rukh Khan are rumored to be interested in bidding for a club each. Obvious suspects, ofcourse!

While there is no doubt that all these events, starting from the launch of the ICL, are only benefiting the game of cricket (ICL provided many an unknown player the platform to perform and get popular, apart from a chance to earn big bucks), there is also no doubt that it is also taking away that little hope of sponsorships and investments that other sports deserve and had also begun to get, to a small extent.

Whether it was Viswanathan Anand winning the World Chess Championship, Manavjit Singh Sandhu clinching the gold medal in the Shooting World Cup, Indian football team winning the Nehru Cup, or the Indian hockey team emerging from one of its darkest periods to triumph in the Asia Cup, things have certainly started looking bright for India in other sports as well.

But with stadiums and television filled with cricket, no one needs to guess where the sponsors and media will flock. So where do these equally and some even more deserving sportsmen go?

It’s time self-realization dawned and we gave as much or at least enough importance to other sports, or one of the finest periods of sports in India may just not last long enough to even be called a period.

The Aura of Ayrton Senna

Some called him a genius. Alain Prost believed him to be a madman who thought God was his co-pilot. The more I read about this guy, the more enchanted I get. The will to win is no big deal among sportsmen, but his determination to outpace everybody shocks me. His passion for racing was such that he sometimes got transported in to another world, just as I do when I read about him. That’s Ayrton Senna, one of Formula 1’s greatest drivers, for you.

I sometimes wonder, with 7 drivers championships Michael Schumacher leads the chart, followed by Juan Manuel Fangio (5), Alain Prost (4) and many others with 3 (Senna, Nikki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and more). So despite winning lesser championships why is only Senna put in the same league as Schumi?

Can’t blame Fangio because he drove in an era when F1 was hardly known, but others raced in times when the sport had left a mark on the world stage.

Well, Senna was renowned for his qualifying skill, which produced a then record 65 pole positions in 162 races (0.401 poles/race), and for his rain driving which earned him the name ‘The Rain Master’. Interestingly another driver considered to have mastered the art of racing on wet tracks is the man who surpassed Senna’s record…Schumi. Senna’s ability and determination to grab poles were not always backed by a reliable car in the races, and his run was ended by mechanical failures innumerable times. The 3 championships he won were with the most reliable car he had…Mclaren with a Honda engine in 1988, 90 and 91.

The Brazilian's penchant for using driving as a means for self-discovery is even more fascinating . “The harder I push, the more I find within myself. I am always looking for the next step, a different world to go into, areas where I have not been before. It’s lonely driving a Grand Prix car, but very absorbing. I have experienced new sensations and I want more. That is my excitement, my motivation.” Prost said Senna cared more about winning than living. May be he did but it is this passion that makes him stand above the rest, that leaves us all enamoured.

Yes, it did cost him his life in the end, but made him live forever. In 1994, we lost a champion and an equally great man when Senna suffered a fatal crash at the Imola circuit at the San Marino Grand Prix. Such was his greatness that an Austrian flag was found in his car after the crash. It was a flag Senna was going to raise in the honour of Austrian Roland Ratzenberger who had died on the same track just a day before, an incident which had shaken him.

And, ironically, Schumi was right behind Senna on the latter's fateful day, something that suggests me that the never-say-die aura may have passed on from one champion to another.

When I Wikied for some stuff on him, I came across a few amazing lines that he said, things I felt would captivate you, as much as they awed me…

- “Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose.”

- “On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high.”

- “One particular thing that Formula-1 can provide you, is that you know you're always exposed to danger. Danger of getting hurt, danger of dying. This is part of your life, and you either face it in a professional, in a cool manner, or you just drop it, just leave it and don't do it anymore really. And I happen to like too much what I do to just drop it, I can't drop it.”

- "Racing, competing, it's in my blood. It's part of me, it's part of my life; I have been doing it all my life and it stands out above everything else."

- "There are no small accidents on this circuit." - talking about the Imola circuit before the fatal 1994 race.

- "It's going to be a season with lots of accidents, and I'll risk saying that we'll be lucky if something really serious doesn't happen." - pre-season 1994.

- "I continuously go further and further learning about my own limitations, my body limitation, psychological limitations. It's a way of life for me."

- "Of course there are moments that you wonder how long you should be doing it because there are other aspects which are not nice, of this lifestyle. But I just love winning."

- "My car quit so I parked it." (after retiring from the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix)

- "If you have a target in your life, a real target, doesn't matter if you are very poor or rich people, if you work hard and believe in God, you can get the success, success in the life."

- "I know that it is impossible to win always. I just hope that defeat doesn't come this weekend."

- "If I ever happen to have an accident that eventually costs me my life, I hope it is in one go. I would not like to be in a wheelchair. I would not like to be in a hospital suffering from whatever injury it was. If I'm going to live, I want to live fully. Very intensely, because I am an intense person. It would ruin my life if I had to live partially." (January 1994, 4 months prior to his death)

I only hope his legacy lives forever. By the way, I’m one of the many fans who were deprived of the great races between Prost and him. If anyone has any material, do share it with me!