92 Forever: The Classiest ‘Class’ of them all..

This is going to be one of those “rarest of the rare” categories of blogs that I’ve ever written. And it’s because of the simple reason that probably for the first time in the history of the sport a die-hard, hardcore Liverpool fan is going to be praising the ideology and dogma of a club called Manchester United. I guess this is something that every football freak on this planet, irrespective of the club that he/she follows, would do unconditionally if they’ve had the phenomenal privilege to watch a group of immensely talented boys set sail on their amazing journey to battle it out with the world to attain the well-deserved glory that they achieved.

David “Becks” Beckham, Paul “Scholesy” Scholes, Ryan “Giggsy” Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Nicholas “Nicky” Butt. Anyone talking/writing about these fine individuals would agree with me when I say that the “Class of 92” is and perhaps will always be legendary. Not because of the reason that these footballers emitted jugs of talent that was immeasurable, but solely because of the reason that never before and never till now has a class graduated that has produced multiple gifted players all at one go. It must be noted that though these players were “6” in number, their dream was just “one” – to enjoy the game and inspire a generation.

And inspire they did. In an era when British culture ruled and people were more into music and fashion than football, Manchester United was busy producing within its academy a set of gifted individuals who were lucky enough to play with each other and most of all respected the game more than anything in the world. There was one reason that made them click the way they did, that made them closer than brothers, that completely eliminated an impetuous felling called “jealousy” between them and that made them realize they needed to have each other’s backs – Football. It was that important to them. It was their grounds of motivation.

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Under the unparalleled guidance of recently retired manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the Class of 92 went on to star for the Manchester United first team during a period of unprecedented success for the northern England powerhouse. And that came as early as the 1995 season when they were “thrown” onto the field together to represent the Red Devils in all of Europe’s elite competitions. Now call it “luck”, Sir Alex’s “insight” or just sheer brilliance that the Class of 92 possessed, but it worked. Everyone from people to experienced football pundits criticized them; however, Becks, Scholsey, Giggsy, Gary, Phil and Nicky had other plans in mind.

Playing for the biggest club in the world, which at that time none of them knew, and going on a trophy binge to become one of the world's most recognized sporting  brands in history says a lot about the extraordinary character that the “Fergie's Fledglings” exuberated. That’s right. After “Busby Babes” came the era of the Fergie's Fledglings - a group of players recruited and trained by Sir Alex who went on to play for the first team and embellish their names in the history books. Not only did these players gel perfectly with each other, but it was the manner in which they did it that made them what they are today and achieve what they achieved.

Now let’s see. Gary Neville played at right back. Phil Neville played at left back. David Beckham played on the right flank. Ryan Giggs took the left flank. The midfield was completely dominated by Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. That’s more than half the team that was brought in at the same time. And that too was total inexperience that was catapulted on the pitch. I guess keeping myself in the feet of the United fans at that time, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the whole football fraternity must have thought that the Red Devils were taking an uncalled-for risk at the time. I mean who the hell were these six blokes anyway?

I’m no expert on this, but when six out eleven players walk out to the centre of the field with the whole world thinking that it is all just a big mistake it’s kind of hard to get your game on. It’s definitely the greatest challenge that is thrown your way, especially when the positions in question here are the flanks and central midfield. The central midfield is supposed to be the “heart” of a team and the flanks its “wings”. So one can imagine the predicament a team and its manager would be in if the brand new heart and fervent wings fail to function. But that’s what the Class of 92 was ready for. Bring it on they said as their brilliant aura was inconceivable.

It was that dominating presence on field that the Red Devils had that made them the most feared team in the 1990s. People give credit to Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, who rightly and respectfully deserve all the credit. But I guess I say this for all when I say that it was the unsurpassable versatility that Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, Butt and the Neville brothers had that made all the difference. To do a 1-2 between the rightmost extremity and the leftmost extremity on the field is a wondrous task and the Class of 92 did that with ridiculous ease. Not just in one game against one opponent. But in every game, irrespective the enemy.

The debate will last forever on this topic. Some say that the Class of 1992 is overrated. It’s their opinion and they are quite rightly entitled to it. I mean if a young bunch of passionate and dedicated playmakers help a team win 6 English Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and 1 UEFA Champions League title during their tenure (one of those seasons had a prestigious treble there as well by the way) and still be called “overrated”, then there’s nothing on this planet that a footballer can do to be truly, rightfully and undoubtedly be called a Football Legend. The Class of 92 did that and they will forever be the “Classiest” of them all.

'Hitman' Cristiano Ronaldo silences his critics..

There can be numerous superlatives used to define the genius and the remarkable exploits of a man called Cristiano Ronaldo. But what can be said? Watching him exhibit his phenomenal talent in destroying oppositions night after night just encapsulates the mind and heart of the footballing fraternity, nay the sporting fraternity.  It’s plain and simple. You want goals? Dial CR7.

And it’s not just goals against small teams or weaker defences. You name the time and the place and Ronaldo will be there ensuring that he is without a shadow of a doubt one of the greatest, if not the greatest, footballers on the planet today. Life is simple for Cristiano Ronaldo. He lives by his ever-lasting policy that there’s no problem in being arrogant as long as you can pull it off with your superb talent.

The FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off against Sweden was being termed as probably one of the great classics weeks in advance. It was hyped for the unfeigned reason that it will pitch two “gladiators” (Zlatan Ibrahimovic & Cristiano Ronaldo) against each other. Only one team was supposed to make through to the World Cup. It was “Ibra vs. CR7”. The pre-match analytics wrote itself. No one needed to build up the scintillating contest that was on the cards. All that people could do was to wait for the night.

It has often been the case that “big names” always either choke under pressure or fail to perform at the international arena when a match is as hyped as the Sweden-Portugal clash was. But, not for Ronaldo. He single-handedly took upon himself the duty for which his country had sent the whole team out there. He single-handedly carried the unabridged hopes of an entire nation when he walked out to the center of the field. And he single-handedly made FIFA president Sepp Blatter choke on his words.

No other player would have had the audacity to stand up to a phenomenon called “Zlatan” on a cold wintry night in a stadium known as “Zlatan Arena” in Sweden. But that’s what Ronaldo did. He chose that night to make believers out of non-believers. He chose that night to proclaim that he’s the best ever when it comes to getting the job done in crunch situations. And he chose that night to show to the world that if one gets the great Zlatan Ibrahimovic to applaud their game in his own backyard, then one can be assured of having achieved something really special and magical. No arguments there!!

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A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick overshadowed a Zlatan Ibrahimovic brace to power Portugal to the FIFA World Cup Finals in less than a year’s time. And quite frankly, it is really great for the sport that a person of Ronaldo’s mind-boggling aura and prodigious ability is going to be in Brazil. Don’t get me wrong. It’s really sad that Zlatan Ibrahimovic would not be there. If it was in my hands, I would take both. The sport needs to be represented with great talent. But Ronaldo was just that damn good on a night when he showed that his versatility on the pitch to change flanks within minutes is nothing short of breathtaking.

One would think that finishing second twice in a row to Lionel Messi for the prestigious FIFA Ballon d'Or would play a toll on the Real Madrid playmaker’s mind. Especially after hearing comments like “Ronaldo is the luckiest guy in the world as he always has a front row seat to watch Messi win all the awards.” But he’s been living up to the expectations night after night without fail. He’s been proving himself to people worldwide that he indeed has what it takes to go down in history as one the greatest “legends” to have ever graced the beautiful game. 

Ronaldo’s scored 225 goals in 216 appearances for Real Madrid and to top it all off he's scored 66 goals already in 2013. The closest that anyone or any team is to that extraordinary number is “Liverpool” with 61 goals. He’s undoubtedly the number 1 choice for the Ballon D'Or. And if his stats are not enough to substantiate his claim, there’s another reason. He’s Cristiano Ronaldo… He Comes… He Scores… He Conquers… End of Story!!

The Day I Felt the Force..

It was just another “regular” Monday. For the rest of the world the day was a distressing reminder that the week had just begun. It was another disconcerting aide-memoire that the weekend had just finished, Monday had come and Friday was an eternity away. 

Of course, I wasn’t feeling the blues because let’s face it my job has no blues. There are days when I just long to get out of bed and head straight to work. There are days when I want to stay back in office and work another 12 hours. And considering the recent events that happened to me, there are days when I want to be in office 24/7/365. (I know.. Get a ‘life’ Mori.. Right?)

So anyways, coming back to Monday. We (my two colleagues and I) were sitting in office doing the unvarying routine and a part of me for some reason was feeling a little perturbed. Don’t know why, but I wanted to go home. I wanted to be home as soon as possible. In fact, earlier that day I was contemplating not coming to office at all. I almost called in sick. But somehow something got me going and I came to office. I now know that had I missed office that day, I would have never ever forgiven myself. Regret and depression would have ruled my mind forever.

The time was a little over 17:00hrs. It was time for our daily trip to the Cafeteria for coffee and snacks when suddenly a Sania Mirza story forced us to stay back a little longer. Not a problem. That’s what the job description is. But suddenly one of my colleagues came bursting through the door saying that “someone” had come outside. 

I opened the door and checked outside. And, almost immediately, multiple things started happening to me. I wanted to scream, but I was completely out of breath. I wanted to run out, but my legs started to shiver for God knows what reason. I wanted to keep staring, but I’m pretty sure that I went partially blind for 10 minutes. Because right outside were the Formula 1 team Sahara Force India’s drivers Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta.

I know that I’m a journalist now and all these things are supposed to be “routine” for me. But come on man, Sutil and Di Resta were standing right outside the door. It was one of those magical moments that you want to relive over and over again. I’ve been an avid follower of Formula 1 for quite some time now. I’ve been to the inaugural Indian Grand Prix.  And this was indeed a breathtaking moment. I wanted to talk to them, wanted to know how they think, wanted to get their views on India, wanted to know what they felt about Sebastian Vettel, etc etc etc. My questions would have been endless. I would have talked the night away with them. But I knew that such a thing was not possible. I was not there yet.

So my senior colleague and I walk out the door and all I can see is Paul Di Resta’s face. Adrian Sutil and his girlfriend, who I now know is Jenifer Becks, were busy clicking photos with the other journalists. Suddenly, I had this gush of adrenalin just pumped into me from heavens above. I went straight up to Paul, who was talking to a sports journalist I guess, and interrupted their conversation. I said: “Hi Paul, Big Fan”.. He replied: “Thanks Mate” and we shook hands. I almost sank in right there on the floor. That moment was legendary. I had just interacted with my first ever Sports Personality. Di Resta, even though has not been successful in F1 to that extent, is however credited with beating Vettel for the Formula 3 title.

That was it I felt. I thought at that instant that the magic was dead after just 5 seconds. We walked to the elevators and were looking to head down to the Cafe and I was all down in the dumps full of gloom and melancholy. Suddenly, Sutil, Becks, Di Resta and a fourth person walked out the hallway and made their way to the elevators. I knew that this was God’s way of telling me that “Dude, grow up and go freaking click a photograph with those F1 legends.” I went up to Adrian and said: “Hi Adrian.. Big Fan.. All the Best for Indian GP..” He replied: “Oh Thank You.. I’ll need it..” We shook hands and I asked him: “Can I get a picture with you?” He said: “Sure Mate”..

In full excitement I handed my 12.1 megapixel camera phone to my senior colleague, who thank heavens used his Xolo phone to click the photo instead. Otherwise who knows how long I would have had to stand there looking like a fool just waiting for the Bullshit camera on Sony Xperia S to focus me with Sutil.

So there we were. Adrian Sutil and I. Standing together to be clicked. A moment that will be talked about in my family for generations. (At least I’ll never let this moment grow old). My Son is one day going to hear the epic tale of how his father took a photograph with an F1 driver. While we were standing there, I specifically remember that I had no idea what I wanted to do with my hands. I first folded them, then I took them behind and till the time that I tried a third position, my legs started to shiver. Finally I saw the flash click that ended me of my misery. I thanked Adrian once again and wished him luck.

Standing just behind him was Di Resta. I asked him for a photograph as well. He said: “Sure Mate”. This time I was much used to the pressure of standing with a celebrity. Click. It happened in no time. I would like to thank my senior colleague and his Xolo phone for all the support rendered. History was made. The photos are going to be framed and be hung on top of my bed. No matter what anyone says, no matter how bad I look in those photographs, I will always cherish those epic reminders of the legendary moment I shared with Sahara Force India.

It’s really strange how things work out, isn’t it? With the events that transpired on October 21, 2013, I’m now a firm believer in Destiny. Whatever has to happen, will definitely happen. No one can stop the inevitable. If it’s written, then no force on earth of heaven can stop it from occurring. I almost didn’t go to office that day but in the end I did and it turned out to be one of the most proud moments of my life. It instilled upon me that positive energy that I’m not wasting my life. It inspired me to such extents that I’ll never give up on that “hunger” to grow and be happy. Life is waiting for me to enjoy it. And that’s what I’m gonna do now.

It was a day that changed me.. It was a day when I “felt the force”..

Is Sebastian Vettel really the greatest ever?

Let's be honest, shall we? As much as I hate to admit it, I know that I have to come to the disconcerting “fact” that Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel might actually be the greatest Formula One driver of all time. I’ve come to this “enlightenment” because of the recent events that have taken place in the racing scenario.

Of the last six races, Vettel has won five with four of them being on the trot. A win in the next race (Japanese Grand Prix) would actually just roll the carpet for the German to be crowned the youngest ever quadruple world champion when the Indian Grand Prix takes place on October 27th. And how ironical it would be if India is “chosen” as the country where Vettel achieves this “dreaded” achievement.

For those of you who’re confused right now as to what blasphemous connection I’m trying to make between India and Vettel, don’t worry. I’ll explain. Remember a driver called Narain Karthikeyan? The person who was called the ‘fastest Indian in the world’? Well, believe it or not he actually got the opportunity to drive in Formula One for 3 years. Shocked? Don’t be. That’s what the world thinks you know. The world thinks that Indians aren’t capable of doing anything else except feeding cows and spreading corruption.

Being a little cynical, am I? Well not exactly. I’m pretty sure that Sebastian Vettel thought (and thinks) the same way about Indians as well. There was this incident involving him and Karthikeyan that was the onset of my hatred towards Vettel. Vettel called Karthikeyan an “idiot” and flicked him off on Live TV in front of the whole world just because the “Indian” did not let him pass through on a blue flag.

It was totally uncalled for. Vettel fans called it his “immaturity”. Others called the incident “heat of the moment”. Whatever! It really incepted this bad emotion within me regarding Vettel. So, that is why it would be really ironical if India gets to be the country where Vettel is crowned world champion for the fourth consecutive year.

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Anyway, coming back to the trepidatory fact that Vettel might actually be the greatest F1 driver in history, let’s look at a few specifics. Sebastian Vettel, the child prodigy as some called him when he was making his name in the Formula 3 World Series, has probably broken all the “young” records that there are to be broken.

He was the youngest driver to have taken part in an official practice session, the youngest to have scored championship points, the youngest to lead a race, the youngest to secure pole position, the youngest driver to set the fastest lap time during a race, the youngest to get a podium position, and of course the youngest to have won a race. And if that was not all, he’s the youngest single world champion. Scratch That. He’s the youngest double world champion. Oh Damn! Scratch that as well. He’s the youngest triple world champion in the history of the sport.

Those kinds of facts are really hard to argue and mess with. I mean come on. The man has broken almost every possible record there is in the books. And if he has not, then he definitely has his sights set on them. It is this intent to win at any cost by compromising one’s ethics and ideologies that makes Vettel who he is.

We all know the ignominy that happened between Vettel and his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber at the Australian Grand Prix earlier this year. Which is why some freaks like me might hate Vettel’s guts, but that does not change the ugly truth – Sebastian Vettel gets the “W” when it matters the most.

Of the 115 race entries that Sebastian Vettel has in his career, he has won 34 races that takes his win percentage to 29.56%. When compared to the legendary Michael Schumacher’s 308 entries to 91 wins data, Vettel pips the German marvel because Schumi’s win percentage came to 29.55%. On the other hand, in the total poles won category, of 115 entries Vettel has 42 pole positions as compared to Schumi’s 308-68 data. That takes Vettel’s success percentage to 36.52% as compared to Schumi’s 22.08%.

However, there is a reason why Michael Schumacher is probably the only “legend” that Formula One will ever see. One of those is the stupendous record that Schumi holds where he has the most consecutive wins from the first race of a season. Schumi won the first 5 races of a new season in 2004 when he won from the Australian Grand Prix till the Spanish Grand Prix.

Schumi also comprehensively holds the astounding record of the most wins at the same Grand Prix. He has 8 wins at the French Grand Prix, 7 at the Canadian Grand Prix and the San Marino Grand Prix, and 6 at almost every other Grand Prix there is in the world. Hard to fight with those kind of records right?

But there was something that happened at the recently concluded Singapore Grand Prix that really blew my mind away. Something, which when looked into in detail, really brought forward the veracity of how talented and dominating Sebastian Vettel really is. Not only did the Red Bull driver win at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, he did with a tinge of superiority - the magnitude of which was staggering.

Vettel led from start to end and the manner in which he kept gaining speed and increasing the gap between him and the “second best” was indeed breathtaking and was definitely something that even the great Schumacher never did. Vettel was 1.9 seconds clear after the first lap, 4.2 seconds clear after the second lap and by the time he reached lap 43 he was 30.6 seconds clear off the closest compatriot behind him.

Vettel won the Singapore Grand Prix by over 32 seconds. Believe me, 32 seconds is like an eternity in Formula One. Not only is such a dictating performance highly uncommon; but considering the fact that it was done right after the safety car was withdrawn, on a circuit that has not been incident free since its inauguration, is truly commendable.

Vettel, at present, has 3 Formula One driver’s world championships to his name. It can, and probably will, be 4 by the end of this season. Schumi has 7 in total. Vettel is 26 years old right now and can easily get 3 more till the time he is 30. Not only that, Schumi has the record for the most consecutive Formula One driver’s world championship titles at 5. So, with the kind of predominating form that Vettel is in right now, the German has a very good possibility to break that record as well when he races next year and the year after that.

Vettel’s achievements speak for themselves. I’m no one to question his capability. His caliber and aura speak volumes when it comes to fighting his case of earning respect. He has the talent, he has the skill, and “best” of all he has the technology in Red Bull to help him achieve his dream of becoming the greatest of all time. The only question that remains though is…

Does he already think that he is?

Leander Adrian Paes: Making Indians proud since 1991

When Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek won the US Open doubles title, Paes became only the 2nd tennis player in Open Era to win a Grand Slam at age of 40..

For more on him check my latest article in The Times of India..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/us-open-2013/indian-challenge/Leander-Adrian-Paes-Making-Indians-proud-since-1991/articleshow/22437658.cms

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Can Gareth “Bale” Real Madrid Out?

He’s not worth it. Wales’s international winger Gareth Bale, who recently completed a high-profile move from English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur to La Liga giants Real Madrid for a staggering fee of €100m ($132m or £85m) that made him the most expensive player in the history of the game, is not worth his transfer fee at all. I know that it’s uncanny for me to begin this blog with such a pessimistic approach, but the facts are plain, simple and as clear as water. He’s just not worth his world record fee.

Let’s not get things wrong. Gareth Bale is an exceptional player. He’s one of the fastest on the circuit, he’s got that morale-boosting aura that can lift a team when all hope seems lost (Remember his hat-trick against Inter Milan at the San Siro?) and not to forget he’s got a lethal left leg that can make any goalkeeper contemplate calling in sick before an important match. In fact, Bale is undoubtedly a player who any manager would die to have on their team. But when a team shells out money just to satisfy the “ego” of an individual, that’s when I draw the line between intelligence and lunacy.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is the “individual” whom I’m talking about. In some ways one can call him the “Real-messiah” due to that colossal reputation he’s earned of giving the fans what they want. He’s been known to have a history of acquiring elite footballers by paying extremely high prices. Some might call it his undying “passion” towards the club and the beautiful game while others might call it his dire need to satisfy his inflated “ego”. The debate is open and is something that will never end.

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It was Perez’s bold initiative that led to the “Galacticos” era when the football fraternity was graced by the presence of Ronaldo, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos, Iker Casillas, and Co. playing for the same team at the same pitch all the same time. And it was when he began his second term as club President in 2009 that he first bought Kaka from AC Milan for £58 million before breaking an eight-year world record transfer fee deadlock to sign Man United’s Cristiano Ronaldo for £80 million.

Perez’s exploits are something that are known quite well in the footballing world and therefore when rumors started floating that Real Madrid would be willing to breach the €100m mark just to get Bale to play at the Bernabeu, no one seemed surprised. It was kind of like what else is new? However, what people started doing almost immediately was drawing up career statistics comparing Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale and whether or not the Welshman actually deserved his world record price tag.

Let’s look at the statistics ourselves, shall we? In his six seasons at Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 118 goals thereby leading the Red Devils to three Premier League titles, two Carling Cups, one FA Cup, one Community Shield and one Club World Cup. On the other hand Gareth Bale, in his six seasons at White Hart Lane, has scored just 55 goals without winning any elite championship. Not to be rude or anything, but Ronaldo scored 54 goals just last season with Madrid. That’s six seasons combined in one.

Also, during his tenure, Cristiano Ronaldo bagged one FIFA Ballon D'or, one World Player of the Year award, two PFA Player of the Year awards, one Young Player of the Year Award and two Fans Player of the Year Award (The list actually goes on but I’ve left out quite a few so that the die-hard Bale fans don’t get demoralized). However, Gareth Bale only bagged two PFA Player of the Year awards and one Young Player of the Year Award.

Another very interesting thing to note is the fact that Bale, unlike Ronaldo, is solely dependent on his left foot. Which is why his playing positions on the football field are limited. At most what he can do is do a to-and-fro between the left back and left wing positions. On the other hand Cristiano Ronaldo, who was once complimented by a commentator as being able to score with any part of his body, scored 54 goals last season with 29 goals off his right foot (excluding free-kicks and penalty-kicks), 16 with his left foot and 8 with his head.

Bale’s move has become one of the most talked about sagas in football history not just among the fans, but also among the football community. Leading coaches have openly condemned the move with new Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino going to the extent of calling it a “joke”. I don’t know what the problem with the world is. Real Madrid seem to have everything figured out. At a time when the world economy is in chaos and Spain is embroiled in a financial crisis that seems never-ending, for football club to take loans just to pay €100m for player who according to his own national coach is “injury-prone” and not “fit enough” to play a full 90-minute match makes "perfect" sense. Don’t you think so? ;)

The English ‘Profitability’ League..

One thing I’ve learnt in my life that has made me a little wiser and more mature is that anything and everything on this planet is in some way or the other proportional to enduring profits. It is. It really is. If an idea or a concept is not lucrative, it’s considered to be ludicrous. And of course, the person suggesting that idea automatically becomes an epitome of “insanity”.

 

The reason I’m bringing all this out is because of recent happenings in the world of football. To be precise, Indian football. Well not actually Indian, but somewhere or the other we Indians always decide that things must have an effect on our society. So, Yes.. I’ll take it as Indian Football.

 

According to reports, the Indian football fans might be in for a treat pretty soon. Very soon the people in India would have the privilege to listen to English Premier League commentary on All India Radio (AIR) FM Rainbow. If things work out that is. Here is a quote from an article on The Times of India website…

 

“In an effort to get Indian football fans hooked to the EPL, a London-based Indian company — Indian Football Evolution (known as Kshatriya Sports in India) — entered into a sales agreement with talkSPORT, global audio partner of the EPL, for broadcast services in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives.”

 

What’s interesting in this is the fact that a “London based Indian” company wants to get Indian football fans “hooked” to the EPL. What’s even more interesting is the callous fact that this “London based Indian” company wants “Indian” football fans to get hooked to “British” football rather than “Indian Football.”

 

Like I said, anything and everything is proportional to profits. So, there you have it. The people at Kshatriya Sports cannot be blamed. In fact, they’re doing a wonderful job to help promote football in India (This includes nurturing Indian talent, setting up Football academies, helping State Football Associations, etc.) The problem, to begin with, lies in the manner in which football is treated in India.

 

Why did the English Premier League supersede the I-League in the first place? Why is it that the majority of the Indian football fans are only interested in foreign football? When did all this start in the first place? What made leagues like EPL, La Liga, Serie A more popular in India than its local leagues? The answer is pretty simple. And I’ve said it before as well. No. It’s not “talent”. India’s got Talent as well. Players like Baichung Bhutia, Sunil Chhetri, Renedy Singh, Gouramangi Singh and Steven Dias could have shaken the world in their prime. The answer, sadly, is profits.

 

The English Premier League began its broadcast in India in the year 2002. I-League (formerly known as The National Football League) began in 1996. What happened in those six years that drastically changed the course of football in India? Nothing actually. That was the problem. Nothing happened.

 

There was little or no coverage for the National Football League. It was not telecasted. Even if it was, then the coverage was pathetic. There were no commentators. There was no pre-match or post-match analysis. There was absolutely no professionalism. Indian footballers were playing their hearts out only to find out that no one was watching. Talent was going waste. Football was heading towards its demise.

 

On the other hand, due to excellent broadcasting, ESPN-Star took the competition by the throat and shoved it in the dustbin. The deal signed by ESPN to broadcast EPL in India will and should go down as ESPN’s greatest business decision ever. Foreign Football’s growing popularity in India is mostly due to ESPN-Star’s coverage combined with talented football players and most importantly “Money”.

 

Now when a TV channel is willing to bid as much as $145 million just to broadcast football in India, one can certainly be assured that they know what the scenario of Indian football is. More importantly, what’s even sadder is that ESPN-Star knows more than some of the Indian TV Channels about what Indian football fans want to see. It was just the right blend of football mixed with impeccable coverage and professional standards. That’s all it took for Indian football to die.

 

When the I-league was formed in 2007, Zee Sports did try to do the same. They brought in football experts. Talent was roped in from England. People tried their level best to resurrect Indian football. But till then it was too late. EPL had already made its permanent residence in the hearts of Indians. Teams like Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal meant more to us than East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. Today every fan knows how many teams play in EPL, but only a handful of them know the same about the I-league.

 

And this brings us back to the whole EPL being broadcasted on FM thing. Why would someone like Kshatriya Sports not want to get involved in this? Their job has already been done. The sport has already been made popular in the country. There’s nothing that can revive the competition now. Indian footballers are being treated like dirt. Popularity of foreign footballers is on high. It’s guaranteed money. I think that they have all the reasons to go ahead with the deal and bring EPL on AIR FM.

 

The EPL-AIR FM deal will surely be the final nail in Indian Football’s coffin. I don’t think that even the IPL-style football league would be able to help (I hope that I’m wrong). And with the All India Football Federation disbanding its developmental outfit Pailan Arrows due to lack of financial commitment from its sponsors, it was just a good opportunity capitalized by Kshatriya Sports.

 

I’m no one to complain that it’s EPL that is being broadcasted on FM instead of Indian football. I’m no one to suggest that what Kshatriya Sports is doing is bad for Indian Football’s future. Because when there’s an assured reason for profits and an idea in hand that would be well received due to the already “immensely-cemented” popularity of EPL in India, it was just a bomb ticking to explode.  

The Prodigal Son Returns..

“It’s Chelsea’s title to lose now.” This is what Jose Mourinho said when the Blues were being managed by Guss Hiddink who had taken over the affairs from Luiz Felipe Scolari who had taken over from Avram Grant who had taken over from Mourinho himself. Of course Chelsea didn’t win the title that season, but they did go on to clinch the FA Cup. But was that what they really wanted? The answer is No.

Ever since the London club was taken over in a ruthless transaction by Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich, they’ve had just one goal – to win trophies. And quite frankly Roman does not care which one. All he wants is the trophies because those are directly proportional to the moolah influx. And Mourinho was Roman’s “chosen one”. Or as Jose likes to put it, he was the “Special One”. He was specifically bought to win the Blues those elusive trophies. And that he did.

In Mourinho’s first two seasons in-charge he won four trophies, out of which the domestic league title was Chelsea’s first in 50 years. Jose led Chelsea to 64 consecutive home league matches without defeat in his four seasons at the helm; signed notable players like Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack and did everything possible to make the Russian billionaire very “happy” and “rich”.

AP Photo

However, in a move that was seen by millions as completely irrational and illogical, Chelsea and Mourinho parted ways by “mutual consent” to make way for better things. Now only people in the Abramovich clan know what conspired between Roman and Jose by the end of the Mourinho’s fourth term at Stamford Bridge when he left the club. But just like an infant without his mum, both Chelsea and Mourinho could not exist without each other.

 Chelsea tried a handful of managers and Jose tried a handful of clubs, but it was quite evident that both needed each other to co-exist.  Even though Mourinho won the Champions League with FC Porto before moving to London, the kind of buzz and aura that surrounded Stamford Bridge when the Special One was around was matched by none other.

 The bottom line was that Mourinho was not happy being away. The biggest example of that was seen by the world when Real Madrid was knocked out of the Champions League last season and Jose went on national television to say that he wants to be someplace where he will be happy and respected.  Almost immediately, just like putting the final piece of the puzzle in place, the stage was set for the Special One to make his second “homecoming” at the Bridge.

The worst kept secret in Footballing history was out on June 3rd, 2013 when Jose Mourinho was confirmed as Chelsea coach for the second time. And things immediately started to fall in place for Chelsea. Frank Lampard and John Terry reacted as if Dad was coming home. And why shouldn’t have they been happy? Their careers were literally created by the Special One. And now it was time to finish some unfinished business.

In ten seasons of club management, including an eight-month sabbatical in 2007–08, Mourinho has led his club to win its domestic league seven times, the UEFA Champions League twice and the UEFA Cup once. Since 2002, Mourinho has not gone a full calendar year without winning at least one trophy.

And now with Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Arsene Wenger vowing to never win a trophy ever again, Manchester City without a seasoned manager and Liverpool just being Liverpool, the English Premier League is practically begging Chelsea to grab it by the throat and take it away after spending an eternity at Manchester. This can indeed be Chelsea’s season as it has started by giving out vibes that promise to deliver a season like no other. It promises some thrilling action and with the deadly yet deliberant combination of Jose Mourinho and Chelsea, the Blues will surely be aiming to give their prodigal son the perfect homecoming present. Another Premier League Medal.

Luis Suarez: Liverpool's Good Kind of Bad..

Ever since the whole “bitegate” phenomenon involving Luis Suarez and Branislav Ivanovic occurred, every single person on this planet who follows football knew that Suarez is not going to last. Not because of the audacity of his actions, but simply because it was a classic case of “history” repeating itself.

Suarez, who represented Ajax Amsterdam in the Dutch League and scored 81 goals in 110 appearances, was involved in a similar altercation with another player that led to the Uruguayan being handed an analogous penalty.  Now that I come to think about it, the word “altercation” is too gentle. The actions of Suarez were hands-down undisciplined and completely irrational. No matter how much frustrated you are on the field, no matter how much things are not going in your direction, you just cannot lose your cool. Don’t get me wrong, but even the best have been involved in some pretty despicable scenarios (David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, etc) but to do the same thing twice in three years just does not cut it.

Coming back to Ajax, Suarez needless to say was on his way out of the club after being handed a 10-match ban. Liverpool was his new home.  Anfield, his new playground. He didn’t even serve a one-match ban. The penalty went just like that. And ask anyone, but that is what the problem is to begin with. “If you commit the crime, you gotta do the time.” Suarez didn’t. Which is what made him take things for granted. Even after the whole Patrice Evra racism ignominy, Suarez always had the backing of Liverpool. It was at that time when the Reds should have taken things in control. Remember the Good ‘Ol days of Jamie Redknapp, Paul Ince, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, David James & co.? “Discipline” was never compromised with in those days.

But nowadays, it’s all gone down the drain. A striker has become bigger than the club. Brendan Rodgers, the manager, (Don’t get me started on him.. that would need two more blog posts) for some shitty reason always goes out of his way to pamper Suarez. Why? Is it because the club lacks decent strike-force? It is because no one at Anfield has that scoring capability? Maybe.. But then again, isn’t that your own created problem Brendan? Buying idiots in the Transfer Window, Shifting Steven Gerrard to a defensive midfielder role, letting go players who could have made the difference, etc, etc, OH GOD etc..

The bottom line is that discipline and passion is totally compromised at Anfield. The aim to win the league seems so distant that there would be a man walking on Mars before the Kop end rejoices. One just cannot let players become bigger than the club. And that is the sole reason why Sir Alex Ferguson will go down as the greatest manager of all time. Sir Alex was never afraid to put his foot down. Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Roy Keane all have seen the wrath of Fergie. And that is why Manchester United is where it is today.

Luis Suarez is probably the greatest thing that has happened to Liverpool ever since Fernando Torres. Suarez has that talent to become one the Legends at Anfield. If only he does not act like a Red Neck all the time. And it’s not even his fault. The Manager and the Owners just don’t give a Damn. One can’t blame Suarez to demand that he wants to play in the Champions League. It’s natural. Every striker wants to play at the topmost level. But the fact that Liverpool will not be playing in Europe for atleast one more season combined with Suarez’s “I can get away with anything because I’m the King” attitude is what is creating further problems.

Now is the time that Suarez can actually demand what he wants. He’s playing at the top of his game. He’s got the goal-scoring ability. Clubs like Real Madrid are after him. An opportunity to play in the Champions League is in the air. And best of all, he has a 10-match Premier League ban just waiting for him to serve. Why would anyone not want to move away?

I think the Club needs to put its foot down. Suarez needs to go one way or the other. If he doesn’t, then it will be quite a while before he actually gets his mind and heart back in the game for Liverpool. Now is the time that Brendan can redeem himself. Now is the time that the resurrection of the club can start. People talk so much about the Reds’ glorious history.. now is the time to learn something from it. Implement tried and tested ideas rather than experimenting with new ones. Because, quite frankly.. the news one are just not working. To put it in a more “delicate” manner.. the new ideas and “Shit”.

‘Me’gativity and Rs 30..

So here’s the deal.. I’ve known for quite some time that the World is a cynical place.. I’ve known for an even longer time that there exists nothing like “professionalism”.. But there was one thing that I hoped would never diminish.. One thing that I hoped would help the World spin around and give people that glimmer of hope that one does care despite all the anarchy..  That “thing” was Humanity..

And when I write “was”, I mean it 100%.. Every day I keep reading shit on the web that shows horrendous examples in everyday life when people don’t even have the common courtesy to offer a helping hand to people who really want that help.. who really deserve to be helped.. And I l keep blaming them.. I say how can someone be so heartless? How can someone ignore another person’s anguish so calmly and just keep walking? The “Nirbhaya” case is an epitome of what I’m trying to say..

The thing that used to give me solace was the fact that I had this idealistic mindset that made me believe that had I been in the shoes of those people, I would have certainly never acted that way.. I would have gone out of my way to make that person feel better in one way or the other.. I would have offered that person assistance that would have made me smile at the end of day.. It would have made me feel light and ease that heavy burden off my shoulders, which would have otherwise killed me from inside.. That I would have been able to sleep peacefully that night knowing that somewhere someone is happy tonight because of me.. (Even is that happiness was just for a split moment)

But all that changed.. It changed to such an extent that nothing will ever be the same again.. You see what really messes a person’s mind (or shall I say fucks up a person’s mind) are those nonsense news articles that show people being duped while attempting to help other people in need.. It has instilled fear within others that makes one apprehensive and think twice before rushing out to helping someone in need.. Hey.. who wants to get their shirt dirty while trying to help someone whom you don’t even know.. Right?

And you know what the worst part of all this is? Sometimes it’s not even about fear.. It’s about the shame and embarrassment that one would feel if others come to find out that you’ve been duped while attempting to help someone.. That people would laugh at you because someone standing at a red light with a baby and a fake medical receipt in their hand “swindled” 50Rs off you so that they could buy medicines..  That’s the kind of BULLSHIT that the world has to deal with today? Why would someone help others in need when “fear” and “embarrassment” become more important that Humanity itself?

While these thoughts always kept roaming in my mind, I never thought that my life would change to drastic ends due to something that happened to me while on my way to office.

I was about to reach office.. I saw this guy coming from the other side.. There was something about him that intrigued me.. Probably he saw it too.. Maybe he saw that I was intrigued and that’s why he chose me to be his next victim? Ya Right, Anything that I can say to make myself feel better.. But anyway, this guy (who was not dressed shabbily) came up and surprised me by talking in immaculate English, asking for Rs 30..

He said, “Buddy, I really need some help.. I’m literally in Dire Straits right now.. could you spare me Rs. 30? I’ve come from Bangalore and have run into trouble.. I need to catch an Auto to go to my relative’s place in CR Park”.. I was stunned for two reasons.. One, I never expected such a thing happening to me ever.. Two, the guy was speaking perfect English that made me want to believe him..

I asked him, “How’d you run into trouble? Don’t you have an ATM card?”.. He said, “I have an ATM card but it’s cancelled because my Home Loan ran out too long.. I really need some help.. Could you please help me?”… I asked him, “Why don’t you call your relative to come and pick you up?”.. He said, “I don’t have a mobile on me.. I left it with my wife in Bangalore.. I’m really in Dire Straits right now.. Please help me.. All I’m asking for is Rs 30”.. Almost immediately my mind started picturing future situations where I was being laughed at and made fun of by my friends.. I pictured situations where I saw repenting afterwards that how could I be so gullible to let this man take advantage of me..

I told him, “Dude.. Your story is just not convincing.. Better luck next time”.. and I walked away.. I walked away so fast that I didn’t even turn around to look at him.. I kept walking and walking and walking till the time I entered office.. and even then I didn’t turn around.. I felt that he was following me even inside my office.. I felt that while that man was still standing on the road in his physical sense, his soul was actually following me to haunt me for the rest of my life..

I sort of consoled myself.. I told myself that don’t worry bro.. You’re gonna see him tomorrow as well.. He’s gonna be standing right there doing the same old thing.. running the same old play.. following his same old routine.. And then you’ll know that you made the right decision..

It’s been almost a month now.. Everyday while walking from the Metro Station to my office, I hope to run into that man.. I hope to see his face once again.. I hope to see him asking for Rs 30 from some random person on the road..With each passing day, I hope more than ever now.. I hope that I see him in his physical state so that his spirit would stop haunting me at night.. I hope to see him so that I can go back to that “Idealistic” world of mine where I was someone who used to criticize others for not helping people in need rather than being that person myself.. I hope and I hope..

Was Rs 30 really that much for me to compromise with my principles and ethics? Was Rs 30 really that big of an amount for me to kill and bury “Humanity” once and for all? Was Rs 30 really worth me selling my soul to the dark side? Was Rs 30 really the mark where I draw the line between me and morality? Was Rs 30 something so huge that it made me scared of being embarrassed by my friends?

At the end, it was just a paltry mount of Rs 30 that he was asking for.. But for me.. It’s much more than just a number..

Here Without You Baby...

This one's for Her.... Even though I might sound horrible, I know that my voice means the world to her.. As her voice means the world to me... :)

Social Conventions -- Pain Personified..!!

There are three kinds of people in this world.. There are introverts.. There are extroverts.. And then finally there is "Me".. While I was under the false pretension that I fell under the first category, I recently was enlightened that I am actually my own "category"..

As of late, all that's been going through my mind is "how" and "how" can I avoid meeting my relatives... (ya.. I wrote how twice).. And its not just relatives, its people in general... These are people who I either don't know or people whom i've not met in a looooooon time...

I don't know why i've been in this rut lately... The thing with me is that once I get to know someone, I can be quite the rockstar to have around... I mean come on, have you met me? Style and charm come naturally to me... (Ahem... Too Much? I thought so too...)

But anyway, wat i'm feeling these days is completely against my principles... Its against my living ideologies... Its against the sacred shrine of "Freakrazy"... I guess, the problem is that I don't want to go thru these situations alone... I want someone to be there to make me feel comfortable... Someone that takes off that extra weight on top of the dumbell kept on top of the lid of the pressure cooker that is my life... But then again, one can't have someone with oneself all the time... One has to learn to get past these atrocities by oneself...

But then again, Does One Give A Damn? One Does Not Think So...

posted from Bloggeroid

Morning Metro...!!

You know, the Metro has been an "integral" part of my life for quite some time now... A lot of memories in it... My mind always ponders over the weirdest and the weighty stuff whenever I'm standing in a Metro...

 

That’s another thing you know... A guy of my age cannot (I Repeat CANNOT) just hop on a Metro and sit comfortably... Half the seats are reserved for Ladies... The Other half for Aged people... So a Young Male in his 20s to 40s just cannot sit in a Metro until and unless he coughing like Crazy...

 

I remember specifically the momentous occasion in my life when I woke up at 5am just to be a part of that very first Metro train that started from Noida City Centre.. That story was quite a hoot I tell you.. In fact, It was a Hoot-And-A-Half...

 

It was 6 am.. I was standing at the new Noida Sector-32 City Centre Metro Station waiting for the first train of the morning. Wiping that sticky gunk off my eyes, I remember very clearly that I envied the guy I saw the day before driving the “Suzuki GSX-1300 Hayabusa” for two reasons. The first of course being his awesome bike and the second that at that very instant, he was probably dozing off somewhere dreaming about a promise land where time stands still.

 

I see the guy standing in front of me. Fully dressed with a laptop bag around his shoulders and fresh as a daisy. I tell myself that he’s probably off to some big meeting at a fancy office in CP deciding whether or whether not to sell off that last stock of the Reliance City Builder Mutual Fund. I look at myself and find my jeans faded, shirt un-tucked and fly unzipped.

 

I thank god that even in my deep state of sleep, I remembered to wear my jeans in the first place. I give a slight “chuckle” and the guy turns around and with his two big, bright, wide-open eyes stares at me. I with my half-open, still gunky eyes try to give a smile to make what’s best of a worse situation (which I now realize, was nothing before after what I did). The guy gives a pathetic look and turns around and I say to myself, “Wow, that was pretty much as gay as the day can be”.

 

Finally, the train arrived. It’s interesting to note that, when you have time with you on a platform waiting for a train, everything seems to be running slow. The time was 6:03 am and I had been waiting for 3 minutes, which seemed like 3 hours. The lot of us (don’t know exactly how many) got into the new German imported coach (don’t know the exact details about the train either).

 

I, as of habit of always making an entrance, get in last and find myself struggling to find a seat. I have an option to sit with the “Mutual Fund” guy but realize that I have already instated a sense of fear in him, which might get him to call the cops on me. Then, I realize that the Section 377 has been abolished in Delhi and there’s nothing that he can do. It’s then that I say to myself again, “What the hell am I saying?” It’s at times like these that I feel that one must not talk when one is so dizzy that one can’t even get rid of the gunk in his eyes even after trying for 7 minutes (Oh Yes! The gunk is still there).

 

7 minutes later we exit Noida and reach Mayur Vihar’s Samachar Apartments Station. It was just 1 week before that moment when I was driving my car on road that I could see just below me. And I remember telling myself that it's a whole different experience altogether when one doesn’t have to stop at red lights and listen to those boring rj’s when one's stuck in a jam.

 

I remember telling myself one night while looking at that beautiful station flashing with lights that the day I step into that metro train and look down towards the road, I’ll tap my feet and do a little moonwalk. But, now being there for the first time in that train, looking at that road, with that stupid gunk still in my eyes, fly still unzipped (Maybe that’s the reason why everyone kept staring at my during my journey) and the whole “Mutual Fund” guy episode, I decided against it.

 

The people on the train were not enjoying the ride to that extent as I was. It wasn’t my first time on a metro train, it’s just that I felt this genuine happiness that this is something that I could enjoy and feel good about. It’s something that my “city-mates” and me can take pride in. Connectivity to Delhi has been an issue for a lot of time now. With the whole DTC buses being banned to the Taxis and Autos not being able to cross the border without paying heavy taxes issue, now has come a time that we can say “Ab Dilli Duur nahin”.

 

People were showing various emotions on that train, some sleepy, some serious, some suspicious (damn that early morning chuckle at the station), but just one of them was actually feeling the ride experience. I just felt that I could travel in that train for the rest of my life. I enjoyed the view, I enjoyed the announcements, I enjoyed that I never actually got to sit or else I would have missed the view, I enjoyed that in just took me 36 minutes to reach CP, I enjoyed people staring at me for my “fly” issues, I enjoyed struggling to use my Delhi Metro card for the first time, I even enjoyed the “Mutual Fund” guy. I reached CP at 6:38 am and realized one thing that made my day.

 

That, Just looking down at that very instant at that breathtaking beautiful site (that included people stuck in jams in their cars and a very broad and long sewage canal) made me realize that everything has been worth it. Everything from it taking months on construction work to loads of hours of traffic jams due to that construction, from inconveniences faced by me when I made those trips to the Sector-18 market to not being able to enjoy the amazing skyline view of Atta market in the night, from trying very hard to control my anger for the metro workers who blocked those roads to not able to just zip through with my bike as before, from taking the horrifying bus (which had weird messages inscribed on the backseat) to CP to getting up at 5:30 am to ride the metro for the very first time, everything was worth it, everything for that very first early MORNING METRO ride...

Holi 'Just Another' Day...!!

You know, if the date today was 27th March 1998 and I was in Allahabad instead of Delhi, I would have painted the town Red/Blue/Green/Magenta (That’s rite.. I said Magenta as well...)

The reason being that I was amidst an awesome group of people who were willing to act like complete idiots just for the sake of it... Dad was still serving that time.. We lived in these amazing Defence colonies with tons of fun at every nook and corner... there were people always ready to be freaking out as there was always someone or the other who was thinking on the lines of "Freakrazy"...

That’s one of the many many many things that my Defence background gave me and I'm proud to have it.. I can say without any regrets that I've had an astonishing childhood... Probably the best that a Child can ask for... Full of adventure... Without fear... Never saying "never" to anything that might drop the hint of having a tinge of crazy... Always trying new things... And BEST OF ALL... Always having this "venturesome" group to just Lose It.. :)

Holi back in the day was just another occasion to have fun with my Defence Brats... I remember the "strategy meet" that we used to have a day before about how to best position ourselves in the bushes so that we can ambush the on-goers in the best possible manner... We used to prepare charts with full fledged attack plans... throwing maneuvers... Artillery inspection.... and god knows what naught... After all, we did have that "Defence" blood brooding inside all of us just waiting to come out and blow the freaking crap out of others...

I remember this one time in particular when I was at that tender age of "hating" any and all girls around me... (I guess Puberty was just about to kick in.. :O ).. But anyways, I remember that time in particular because I stayed up all night a day before Holi just to get my stuff right... And by stuff I mean all the armament for a full-scale ambuscade... I made water balloons.. Some filled with water and some filled with Egg Yolk.. I prepped up my Steel Customized Pichkari.. 'Twas customized in the sense that I had this bucket that I used to hang on my back like a backpack and a pipe coming out of it that I could connect to my Pichkari and "Reload" without the need to actually find a source of water... (Yeah... I was that much into Holi back Then..)

So anyway, On Holi morning, my friends and I get together and go through all the final planning related to the bushwhack we had planned for the Girls... Come to think about it now, I can’t believe the details that we covered just to ensure that we encompassed all the "Rules of Engagement"... We made plans to go after the "weaker" section in the Girls fraternity... No "Man" was supposed to be left behind just in case the Girls too had a plan of their own... We made plans to cover each other's back... We decided that we would head out in groups of two... This gave us the leverage to implement the "attack-and-reload" phenomenon... That meant while one of us would be engaged in firing off the Pichkari, the other would be reloading his Pichkari for a second round of attacks...  

All in all.. Those were awesome days... Unlike now... I don’t know what exactly has changed now, but I do know that things are definitely not the same... I know for a fact that I DONT have a group that indulges in "Freakrazy" like me... I know that I don’t have the backing that I need... I don’t have group that is willing to act like complete idiots just because one of us wanted to see how that feels like…  I don’t have a group that would be willing to break the windows of a vacant house with Cosco balls just because we wanted to experience the effect of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s entrance music (That was Awesome BTW).. I know that I'm not in my childhood anymore and I need to act like grown-ups, but Boo-Freakin-Hoo... Why Should I? I had a wonderful childhood, kind of like the one that I intend to give my Kid as well... So why shouldn't I be a Kid at Heart?

Well... Can’t answer that I guess... It’s all Destiny... We just need to keep walking with out heads down... It’s like a journey... If we stand still, we get nowhere... If we run too fast, we amplify the risk of falling down... Hence, we just need to walk... Walk with our heads down without thinking about heavy stuff...

Kinda Sucks Doesn't it?

Sepang Spite…!!

After some delirious drama at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, Red Bull’s German driver Sebastian Vettel came out on top by piping his own teammate Mark Webber for the prestigious victory.

The Malaysian Grand Prix promised to deliver a remarkable showdown of driving skills for two reasons – One, the passion of the racing fans heading into only the second race of the season, and Two, all the drama surrounding the use of “intermediate” tyres during qualifying..

Its been quite some time that I have seen something like all 22 (or 24 in some cases) drivers using intermediate tyres at the start…

After Adrian Sutil rocked Q1 and Q2 a day before by using medium compound tyres, the use of the intermediate came into play because the Sepang Rain Gods showed their ugly faces..

Ferrari’s Brazilian driver Felipe Massa, who was second fastest in qualifying yesterday, started in 2^nd place for the first time since Bahrain GP 2010 and was rightfully being termed as the Renaissance Man…

But, the whole “Comeback” was shattered when Webber began his awesome racing maneuvers.. Right from the start when the five red lights went off, Webber was on the offense when he challenged the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa..

The Weber-Alonso Fiasco saw Webber move from 5^th into 3^rd in the first lap itself and then finally to 2^nd after a hard fought battle with the Spaniard.. Alonso had his front wing clipped, which eventually gave up on Lap 2, therefore allowing Webber to move into 2^nd.

After 5 laps, Red Bull’s “tyre change” gamble seemed to pay rich dividends when Vettel straight away went for the medium compound tyres.. The track temperature at that time seemed to coming up with time and therefore the change was implemented..

The Red bull strategy was followed by all the teams almost instantly, which led to a “traffic jam” like situation in the pits..

Speaking of pit stops, there was one team in particular that seemed to have a horrible day there – None other that Sahara Force India..

Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta’s pit stops were complete disasters as the India-based team were having all sorts of problems with the hydraulics..

Due to these tyre changing fiascos, Force India’s Malaysian adventure just went from horrible to absolutely devastating as it forced both drivers to retire early..

 In fact, it seemed as if all the action on the circuit was less on the track and more in the pits… Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton even went to the extent to head into his old team McLaren’s pits by mistake… Classic move Lewis… Telling them who’s the boss.. J

On the other hand, Australian Grand Prix winner Kimi Raikonen and McLaren’s latest recruit Sergio Perez seemed to be having their own mini battles at the wee end of the grid as at first they were fighting for 9^th-10^th position and later for the 6^th-7^th spot..

While the “Iceman” was confident that he would win that battle, Massa had other plans to implement.. The Ferrari driver took full advantage of the Kimi-Perez duel when he overtook both of them to move into 6^th in Lap 50…

Another driver who had luck really pulling him down was McLaren’s Jenson Button,who at one time was even leading the race... The only thing that was not in his favor was the fact that he had one pit stop lesser that everyone else..

Before McLaren could even think about “planning” a gamble for Button to finish the race with his worn out medium compound tyres, Webber took the lead from Button on Lap 35..

That promptly forced Button to head into the pits one lap later and change his tyres.. However, disaster struck Button’s already horror-struck luck when his cars stalled right after moving out… It was “race-over” for the Briton..

Meanwhile, Vettel’s combo of fuel saving and DRS helped him overtake Hamlton on Lap 38 and therefore the triple world champion proved that the Briton still has a long way to go before he adjusts with his new team..

Red Bull and Mark Webber seemed to have everything under full control when on lap 45 an impeccable pit stop by the Australian proved the same.. Webber headed into the pits with a 20 second lead over his comrade and a perfect 20 second pit stop allowed his to come out of the Pit right where he left off… In front of Vettel…

Finally on Lap 46, Vettel moved into the lead by using his DRS to perfection.. Webber, who did everything he could to hold his ground, was completely outclassed by the German’s skillful moves..

After overtaking, Vettel said, “Come On Mate, This is Silly…”

All in all, the Malaysian Grand Prix was quite synonymous to being “team wars” with Vettel vs Webber (Battle for 1^st) and Rosberg vs Hamilton (Battle for 3^rd)..

Navy is and will always be Close to my Heart...!!

The Indian Navy is something that will never leave my heart and blood... It is embedded within me and rules my thoughts... It is a Passion and will always be something for which I will crave for from the bottom of my Heart...

 

Which is why when the following story came in the wire the other day, I could not help "ignoring" it... I had to file it... But cudnt on the Site because people wont care about it there... Hence, The Blog..!!

 

Here It Goes... Credits go to Press Trust of India (PTI)

 

"Garuda wins Regatta"

 

Kochi, Feb 6 (PTI) The team of INS Garuda won the coveted Cock Trophy at the Kochi Area Pulling Regatta held at the Southern Naval Command here today.

 

The team comprising ASW School Diving School, Navy Hospital Sanjivani, Survey Ships and Command Clearance Diving Team were the runners up, a naval press release said.

 

The keenly fought races had teams from all naval units of Kochi participating. Races were held in six categories with each team having a crew of six, including a helmsman.

Traditional Naval boats -the 27- feet 'Whalers' were used for the event. The total distance for the entire course was 1.6 Km.

Vice-Admiral Satish Soni,Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Naval Command was the Chief Guest and distributed the traditional Cock trophy and other prizes.

The Admiral while addressing the gathering complimented them for the tremendous spirit shown and reminded them that pulling together was the ethos of the Navy. He also underscored the importance of sports and physical fitness in naval life.

A large gathering of Navy personnel and families witnessed the races. Seamanship School conducted the event.

Mahesh Bhupathi threatens to expose AITA

TNN

Mahesh Bhupathi said on Tuesday that the All India Tennis Association is not serious in meeting the demands of the players and has threatened to expose the tennis body.

 

NEW DELHI: Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi said on Tuesday that the All India Tennis Association is not serious in meeting the demands of the players and has threatened to expose the tennis body.

Speaking in an exclusive interview to TIMES NOW, Bhupathi slammed the AITA governance saying that he has no faith in the committee and it is not at all serious in resolving in the on-going row between AITA and the players.

Bhupathi also went ahead to say that he had not forced any of the tennis players to rebel and the circumstances had led the players to rebel.

Earlier, the AITA CEO,  Hironmoy Chatterjee, had accused Bhupathi and Co. of blackmailing the AITA

Bhupathi responded by saying that Chatterjee should not get into a war of words with the players as the players have a lot to expose regarding how the players have been treated over the last 30 years.

You're still my Hero Lance...

I think that the World is being quite Cynical about the whole Lance Armstrong ignominy.. I know what he’s done is immoral, but he should be admired for what he’s trying to do right now..

He’s taught the world a very valuable lesson today.. That “Excess” of anything is really bad.. Even if that “anything” is a positive quality.. In this case, the positive quality being his ruthless desire to win..

Lance was diagnosed with Liver, Brain and Testicular cancer at the same time and was given a less than 20% chance of survival.. It was his ruthless desire to win that helped beat that evil..

On the other hand, it was the same ruthless desire to win that led him to believe that he needed to do anything possible to win the Tour de France races.. It’s One Positive Quality.. Two Contrasting Outcomes..

The manner in which Lance came out today says a lot about his “stone cold” character.. It takes guts to do what he did.. He didn’t blink.. He didn’t shake.. He didn’t stutter.. He came out there with a disposition and a rock solid attitude to do the right thing..

He’s shown that things will “affect” someone only if one lets them have an “effect” on themselves.. It should be looked upon as inspiration to have that “never-say-die” stance and at the same time be careful to not fall for evil desires.. The line must be drawn..

Hey, even Eve succumbed to the desire to eat the “Forbidden Fruit” and come to think about it, isn’t that what life is all about?