Boxing star from Namibia
By Gavin Evans
AMONG Namibian sports stars, the name that usually springs to mind first is Olympic sprinter Frankie Fredericks. Boxer Harry Simon is eager to change that.

Women’s weightlifting sans glory
By Ravi Dhaliwal
WEIGHTLIFTING is a sport which offers neither art nor beauty, only unsavoury sounds. Amidst all this clatter of iron, in a male dominated sport, there exists a long list of Indian women weightlifters who have purists wincing at the brawns’ successful bid to overshadow the brain.

by K. R. Wadhwaney

Sportsmen to the fore
By M.G. Devasahayam
It is high time that outstanding sportsmen, professionals and sport lovers came together to take charge and prevent Indian sport from sinking. Distinguished and eminent sportspersons should come together and form a nucleus in order to make this possible.

Is India prepared for Asian Games?
By Ramu Sharma

THE Indian Olympic Association in its new role as a “liberal democrat” has, at one go, cleared some 22 disciplines with nearly 350 sportspersons, for the forthcoming Asian Games in Bangkok. Whether the apex body can also wear the lawyer’s mantle as effectively while arguing the case in the Union Sports Ministry is an altogether different matter. Whatever the final verdict after the bout with the Ministry, it would be wrong to describe the IOA’s exercise in clearing and recommending such a large contingent as out of character.

What has happened now is something that has been done nearly every time before a multi-discipline event, particularly the Asian Games. This year the IOA had set the tone for a big contingent earlier, replacing the accepted second place norm with third place or possible medal prospect and thereby opening up a “pandora’s box” for all-comers.

The apex body means well and has in its mind the more important Afro-Asian Games scheduled for 2001. That would have thought was to be an exercise in administration and management. But then, as hosts, India would be expected to field a big team. Why not start now, with the Asian Games in Bangkok? The argument has sound logic particularly when considers the proximity of Bangkok from Delhi, the take-off point.

The return air-fare to Bangkok is cheaper than fares on some of the domestic routes. Even if the Ministry does hold back official permission on a clearance at “no cost” basis would be an acceptable formula. That is perhaps what the IOA is hoping, particularly in relation to disciplines like football, always a sore point, and some other sport where previous records do not give cause for much confidence.

But recommending a big contingent is one thing but has the IOA given a thought to the type of preparation made for the big occasion by the various federations. The main handicap is the lack of time afforded to them by the apex body for toning up the teams. It was only in mid-October that the IOA started thinking loud on the question of qualifying norms and rationalising them to third place or medal-possibilities theme. And when one talks about preparations the reference is, in the main, to football and hockey, and for different reasons. Football, because of its popularity and hockey, because India is one of the top nations and has the ability to win a medal.

The IOA could well argue that it has been negotiating with the federations and the ministry on such a theme and that the various controlling units, all affiliates to the apex body, should have been aware of such possibilities. Here one can say with a degree of certainty that Priyaranjan Das Munshi, the All-India Football Federation President, had been working hard to get the game included in the Bangkok-bound contingent.

Munshi's’s effort, however, had not been obviously backed up by preparation. The football players were unencumbered by any coaching camps or contests. In fact till after the IOA’s declaration of independence, as it were, last month, no camp had been announced though a formal entry apparently had reached the Asian Games organisers in Bangkok and India had been given a place in the draw.

The reality of the participation apparently took time to sink in and it is only in recent week, and to the detriment of the Durand Football Tournament in which some of the top teams had to play without star players, or the IFA Shield, suffering like-wise, that some effort appears to have been taken to whip a team into condition. Suddenly, thanks to its own requirements, Uzbekistan sent a team to play in India.

The performance in Delhi and Calcutta, the two centres chosen for the matches, only highlight the lack of coordination in the team. It must, however, be admitted that the Delhi match did highlight the capabilities of the defence in a goalless match. Uzbekistan, one must remember, is the Asian Game champion team. But two such fixtures and a couple of coaching camps, all in the last two months before the Games is not enough. And the less said about the preparations of the women football team the better. The girls have had little or no chance to tune up for the occasion. The Federation had little energy left for anything else after successfully getting the team’s participation okayed at the IOA level.

Take the case of the hockey team. This is more important from the Indian point of view since the country is always aiming for a gold. And with the exception of the 1966 Bangkok Games, India has always been aspirant, a team with hopes unfulfilled. It has mostly been Pakistan and lately South Korea which has managed to get to the top. And what has been the team’s work-out for the Games. Frankly Indian hockey has never been so unprepared for a major tournament.

With the exception of one four-nation tournament (shrouded in financial trouble) in Germany where India finished last and the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, the hockey team has had very little exposure. The IHF may point to the tournament in Thailand where lesser teams were involved or the series with Sri Lanka. Surely India has not been reduced to playing teams with very little hockey background. The IHF could have done better than organise matches with Sri Lanka, Thiland, Uzbekistan and such countries for toning up the team for the Asian Games.

And contrast this to the preparation of Pakistan and South Korea. Of course both teams are in the higher level because of their performances in the World Cup. The Champions Trophy for the six elite teams of the world, held recently in Pakistan was the ideal run-up to any major competition.

Pakistan, after a somewhat disastrous start pulled up to meet Holland in the final while South Korea had victories over Pakistan and Spain to add to the draw against Australia. It finished ahead of Spain and Germany. Surely on this performance the reigning champions could be easily favoured to regain the title in the Bangkok Asian Games.

And Malaysia, the other candidate for laurels, has always been a tough team though it has had its ups and downs. It did extremely well in the Commonwealth Games, qualifying to play Australia in the final. India could perhaps point to the semi-final where it outplayed Malaysia before losing. That is some consolation.

Among the other disciplines weightlifting could be said to done something by way of preparation for the Games. But then weightlifting, like kabaddi and shooting was always a certainty, women weightlifting particularly. After, the medals in this discipline, if any, will come only from women weightlifters.

Despite the hue and cry made, volleyball is a discipline where India will have to make a determined bid to leave an impression. The boys have had very little time to get used to the idea of playing in the Games but the talent is there and India should be able to put up a fighting display. But unfortunately no time to practice or train. This goes for most of the disciplines except those which participated in the Commonwealth Games.

For all the handicaps, and the lack of proper preparation, one hopes, India will do better than before in the Games, particularly in athletics where the country has not won a gold medal since the Seoul Games in 1986. One can but hope in hockey and pray for football. Leave the rest to luck.

Boxing star from Namibia
By Gavin Evans

AMONG Namibian sports stars, the name that usually springs to mind first is Olympic sprinter Frankie Fredericks. Boxer Harry Simon is eager to change that. The 26-year-old is getting the attention he deserves after outpointing America’s formidable Ronald “Winkie Wright for the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) light middleweight title at the Carousel Casino in Hammanskraal, South Africa, in late August.

The youngest of seven children, Simon grew up in Walvis Bay. From an early age, the son of a mixed-race father and an Ovambo mother was exposed to the realities of hunger, violence abandonment and racism. The death of his mother several years ago and the abandonment by his father when he was three months old have made for a tough childhood.

“My sisters loved me and took care of me, but I really grew up on the streets and had to help myself. I didn’t have much chance to go to school and I had to go out and look for jobs,” he says.

Within this harsh environment, he gravitated to a boxing club near his home in 1980 and showed the power, speed and hand-eye coordination that caught the attention of his trainers.

He soon became one of the outstanding African amateurs of his generation, boxing for Namibia and South Africa and winning a clutch of international titles. He was viewed as a sure medal prospect for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, having lost only once in 272 fights.

It was not to be. Following his opening round fight, a computer erroneously recorded the judges’ decision, awarding the match to his opponent. Eliminated from further competition, he returned home heartbroken.

At the time of his Olympic defeat he was working at a diamond mine, but after 15 months he packed it in and decided to turn professional. Namibia had no professional boxing board, so moving to South Africa was his best option.

“I just asked myself” ‘Harry, can you become like Sugar Ray Leonard one day?’ I thought, ‘Yes, everyone must take a chance in life, so I must take this chance and go for it, and if I win, then I’m in luck’.”

He joined a gym in Soweto, outside Johannesburg, and made his professional debut in January, 1994. Despite several easy wins, he soon fell out with his promoter, Rhoan Gardiner. “Harry was rude, undisciplined and arrogant and wouldn’t listen to advice and he’d take time off from training when he felt like it. ” “I wasn’t sorry to see the back of him,” Gardiner says.

Simon remembers things differently: “ I had no friends in South Africa and I didn’t have a place to stay, so I was living and training at the gym. For my first fight he paid me only R 200, and I didn’t have enough food.

“The 1994 election was taking place and it was like a war there-lots of shooting and no boxing, so I asked him if he could give me R 300 to go home for a week on the bus, but he wouldn’t. I was hungry and I can’t train when I’m hungry, and that’s why he said I had a bad attitude.”

He went eight months without a fight until a new promoter, Jeff Ellis, took over. With only seven professional fights under his belt he took on the US Northwest Boxing Association champion Danny Chavez, a 30-fight veteran who had lost only once in his previous 19 outings.

After a tough 10 rounds, Simon emerged a clear points winner. “Your guy is a real good boxer,” said Chavez. “He has the talent to go a long way.”

A knockout of the highly regarded Argentinean Jose Cabral followed, catching the attention of the right people. Simon joined the training stable of South African boxing hero, Brian Mitchell, who, together with Johannesburg promoter, Rodney Berman, negotiated a contract with Britain’s top promoter, Frank Warren.

During the WBO title fight, Simon used incessant aggression and phenomenal stamina to beat the more experienced American. An awkward southpaw with the best jab in the business, Wright has an ability to work the body unparalleled in world boxing.

In front of a crowd which included most of the Namibian cabinet, Simon neutralised the former champion by jabbing more forcefully, slipping his punches more adeptly and throwing a more varied combination of sequences.

To the astonishment of the crowd, the result was initially announced as a draw. But a rechecking of American judge Julie Lederer’s scorecard declared Simon the deserved winner.

“I worked so very, very hard and I thank God I made it. I’m the first Namibian to be world champion ever, and that feels good,” he said.

He played particular tribute to his trainer” “Brian’s the best trainer I’ve had. He was a boxer himself, so he knows how tough it is. He knows the moves and teaches them, and tells me how to train, what to eat, and what it takes to be champion.”

While previous trainers have had trouble coming to terms with Simon’s prickly persona, Mitchell has a warm relationship with his protege.

“I’ve learnt to read him very well as a person. He comes across as very arrogant, like I do, but he’s got a good sense of humour and he’s a nice guy when you get to know him. “His arrogance works for him and it suits me as a trainer because I need him to be cocky and confident when he gets in there. He puts it into the fights, and it helps make him special.”

The father of two aims to win several more world titles before retiring to the kind of family life that eluded him during childhood.

“When I stop boxing I want to become a trainer or a businessman, and I want to help these streetkids too. I want to do something for the youngsters who grew up like I did-gave them another direction and show them how to help themselves.” — Gemini News

Women’s weightlifting sans glory
By Ravi Dhaliwal

WEIGHTLIFTING is a sport which offers neither art nor beauty, only unsavoury sounds. Amidst all this clatter of iron, in a male dominated sport, there exists a long list of Indian women weightlifters who have purists wincing at the brawns’ successful bid to overshadow the brain.

Ours is a nation of sports under-achievers where a world class performance comes as regularly as sighting an igloo in the Sahara. Yet despite a staggering 124 medals in world and Asian championships since 1989, fame refuses to embrace these women. Ask Karnam Malleswari. Arriving at the IGI Airport from Istanbul in 1994, with the countries first ever gold medal in this sport dangling majestically down her neck, she was flummoxed. No photographers, no autograph hunters. Only a passport-size photo tucked in a corner of an eveninger was what she got.

Malleswari understands annonymity. For she lives in it. And so do Romi Dovi, Krishna Kumari, Sumita Laha, Kunjarani Devi, Ujwala Manhe, Sanamacha Chanu and Pratima Kumari, the last four named who along with Malleswari will be at the Bangkok Asiad ready to face the Chinese intimidation.

Women weightlifting may be a sport still in its infancy, yet as the short haired, short statured and short sighted Kunjarani Devi says: “We deserve more than those passport size photographs”. And she should know for she, as per the latest IWF rankings, is among the best 100 lifters of the 20th century.

Most of these women are from rural backgrounds, wrapped in innocence and find that ridicule is the first barrier towards success. “Aur kuch karne ko nahin mila” is the first derisive query thrown at them. But they have an answer, which they have patented by now “We do it for nobody else does it”. And they do something else also which nobody else does. They win medals.

How is it explained to girls from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh (Malleswari and sister Krishna Kumari) or from remote areas of Manipur (Kunjarani) that sport is class conscious, that lifting weights is staid and static? That the flair of their adopted sport cannot be equated, even roughly, with that of cricket or tennis? Then why do these women from far-flung areas take up weightlifting in the first, second or even last place? The irony is inescapable. The common refrain is ‘we want fame’. The same fame which is our country is reserved for cricketers, a tennis ace and a chess champion.

Unlike bodybuilders, the bodies of these women are almost offensive. They eat moderately. They have to for there is no other choice. Underweight in a category means loss of power and strength. A gram overweight means instant disqualification. Yet their strength is more explosive, all flat, solid power packed at a few places.

A visit to the rooms of the these women at the NIS hostel shows that the word femininity is thrown out of the side window. Mascara, nail polish, hairstyles, creams do not exist. Here the hair is pulled back, wrists tapped, fingers bandaged and knees strapped. It it not a war time exercise. It’s the Asiad camp in full swing. Every muscle screams, knees are sore and backs ache. Bodies are complaining and balm is being rubbed into the lower back and wrists. Here scissors are not used to cut nails but to snip off blisters of dead skin that pockmarks their rough palms. Chief coach P.S. Sandhu has put his girls on a schedule which would make many an international run for his life. Kunjarani has just returned after doing sit-ups on a 45 degree inclined bench with a 15 kg load tied behind her neck. And one more thing. Sandhu says this is a light week.

The lives of these wonderful sportswomen revolve around two constants — bodies that must continue to endure pain if they are to triumph and coach P.S. Sandhu, whose word is gospel for them. An ex-Navy man and a Dronacharya, Sandhu is with the girls since 1993. His day is divided in two parts — an hour of Gurbani reciting and 23 hours of weightlifting thinking. His request with SAI for a contract has been filed. And for all his efforts he is being paid the princely sum of Ziltch. Honorary jobs mean honorary results. Only the Hindujas, besides picking up the tab for the girls in the Asiad camp, pay him Rs 8000 per month. All this should embarrass the government. But it doesn’t. And for once Sandhu has reversed the honorary jobs-honorary result theory.

Despite all those hours agonisingly spent in the gym, all the pain, all the medals, all shattered world records, there is a tinge of sadness which envelops this gritty bunch of women. The word fame, for which they have dedicated themselves to, has yet to acquire a specific significance. Training over, Malleswari suddenly turns around, fumbles for words and says “Hamare bare mein likhna, okay”.

by K. R. Wadhwaney
Golfers must study rules

ALL present on the final 18th hole were happy that Meerut’s 26-year-old Jyoti Randhawa showed that he had the temperament to withstand the pressure to win the prestigious Hero Honda title recently.

If Jyoti was unassuming in his hour of success, his father Brig Randhawa was modest. He wished his son all the luck in his future golf. The sponsor, Pawan Kant Munjal, came out gloriously as he expressed as much happiness in Jyoti’s win as he would have done in the case of Jeev Milkha Singh, who continues to be on his company’s roles. Jeev was runner-up.

There were some in the throng of spectators who held the view that Jyoti’s infringement (water) on the third day of the competition was neither accidental nor a casual happening. They argued — and vehemently — that it might not have been an attempt to “cheat” but it was a subtle move to steal an advantage, if possible.

Others, more charitable than these critics, said that Jyoti was unable to explain and express properly and that led him to earn a two-stroke penalty. They said that the penalty was in accordance to the rules and there was no deliberate attempt for Randhawa to secure an advantage.

Whatever it was, the Indian professionals with sufficient background of English language should study rules carefully so that they are not subjected to uncalled for humiliation abroad. This is all the more necessary because referees abroad have an anti-India bias and, in a similar infringement as that of Randhawa, an Indian would have been disqualified instead of getting away with the penalty or only two strokes.

The Delhi Golf Club (DGC), the Professional Golfers Association of India and Indian Golf Union should organise periodical clinics on rules, which are even more intricate and subtle than cricket laws. Maybe, this kind of exercise will help golfers perform better abroad. In success of the Indian golfers abroad is the success of the country.

The Hero Honda (Omega Tour) was indeed conducted under the umbrella of the Asian Professional Golfers Association (APGA). But ‘Tiger’ part of the PGAI, should have been more involved than it was. In fact, the press summary, prepared by Joy Chakravarty, has much greater depth than the one prepared by the APGA officials every day of the competition.

A HEALTHY SIGN
Som Datt’s continuation as the President of the DGC for another term proved two things. One his immense popularity as he won by an overwhelming majority of votes and second upholding of club traditions. This was a very welcome change as, in the previous three elections, the members had disturbed the rhythm and harmony of tradition.

All members were unanimous in saying that Som Datt’s tenure was free from any unseeing controversy or bickering. Some senior members said that they were simply voting for him because, a seasoned builder, he was expediting the construction of the health and physical fitness units.

If Som Datt was modest in his win, the vanquished Ramesh Kohli was philosophical. He said that he was fully aware of the outcome but he was hoping that the match would be a closely fought affair. He was, however, man enough not to have carried any acrimony against a group of voters, who failed to live up to their promise.

Rajeev Puri has done well as far as the course is concerned. He should see to it that juniors, boys and girls, are able to get more facilities. Also, he should see to it that the schools team, if and when it undertakes a tour abroad, is managed by an active golfer or a coach. The guidance will help the boys and girls perform better.

NATURAL WAY
Play the game the natural way was his philosophy. His emphasis was on enjoyment of the game instead of rigidly adhering to technique.

This was what Mike Spike Collier, an American based in Germany, impressed upon his trainees for 21 days while imparting lessons at the Classic Golf Resort which, according to Mike, was indeed a world class course.

Mike’s theory was: “When one is dealing with the source or motion in the golf swing, one gets an effortless effect, that is, one gets a powerful and accurate hit at the golf ball”.

“Golf the natural way also eliminates the elusive act of timing, that is, all acts follow a smooth sequence”, he added.

Mike began with tennis and then switched over to teaching golf. His wife, Joy, a golfer, provides him all the joys of life while he imparts his lessons.

Mike said that he enjoyed his stay here and he would visit again, if and when it was possible for him. Back home, he charges £ 50 for an hour’s training. Here it was free for the members of the Classic Golf Resort. He was here on the invitation of the ITC Chairman Deveshwar.

PRO-AM OF CHAMPIONS
Many top-notch professionals and amateurs are expected to take part in the Business Today Pro-Am of Champion on November 27 and 28.

While there is a prize money of Rs 5 lakh for professionals, the amateur winners will be provided an opportunity to play competitive golf at St Andrews (Scotland), the Mecca of golf.

This is the only pro-am event on the list of the PGAI. This will be the fourth competition.

Sportsmen to the fore
By M.G. Devasahayam

CRICKET legend Kapil Dev without doubt is among the most admired and respected sport personalities in the country. It is therefore natural that he is taken seriously when he talks of the dismal state of affairs in the Haryana Cricket Association (HCA), accusing it of “non-performance, arbitrariness of functioning and a fiefdom of secrecy.” He is reported to have launched this attack against the HCA as a “first step towards playing a larger role in the country’s cricket administration”. If this is true, it is a very welcome step, long overdue. On my part, I would urge Kapil Dev not to confine himself only to cricket, but to enlarge it to the administration of sport and games in the country which is reeling under a crisis of leadership. I am sanguine that all sport lovers in the country will join me in this.

The reasons are not far to seek. As it is, leadership in this country in all walks of life is mediocre and weak. But in the arena of sport, it is far worse, even destructive. What Kapil Dev has said about cricket — If cricketers don’t take charge as administrators, politicians and businessmen will ruin the game — is true to all sport in the country. The only difference is that while the game of cricket is yet to be ruined, most of other sport already stand ruined! Those in charge of these games and sport, barring honourable exceptions, are nothing more than self-seeking charlatans using the sport bodies more for personal aggrandisement rather than promotion of sport or sportspersons! As a result, while the level of sport activity within the country is abysmally low, in international competitions we move from one shame to another. There appear to be no end to this sordid saga of incompetence, mediocrity and non-performance!

If the sport associations and bodies are dens of non-performing vested interests, the government machinery in India, both at the Centre and the States, is no better. Except earmarking a pittance for sport development, and perpetually promising grandiose sport policies, Governments have done precious little to genuinely promote sport and games in the country. In their present form and style it is futile to expect any improvement in the working of the sport bodies or Government departments in charge of sport. Things are going only from bad to worse as is evidenced from our dismal performances in hockey, football, athletics and other sport. Indian’s occasional good performance in tennis, billiards, chess etc. are more due to individual and family efforts rather than that of Government’s or sport bodies’ efforts. It is, therefore, high time that outstanding sportsmen, professionals and sport lovers came together to take charge and prevent Indian sport from sinking any further. Distinguished and eminent sportspersons of Kapil Dev’s calibre should come together and form a nucleus in order to make this possible.

There are strong reasons for my advocacy for Kapil Dev to expand his attention to other sport and games in addition to cricket. First, cricket being the most popular sport in the country, it’s stars are national heroes and have a high visibility and public image. Such a profile is essential to take on the vested interests, deeply entrenched in the organisations managing the affairs of sport in the country. Second, in the event of the involvement of outstanding sportsmen in the promotion of sport in the country, it will become easier to enlist the support of industry and institutions in this venture. Third, such a gesture will come as a balm to the bruised egos of non-cricket sportsmen and women who are smarting under a feeling of public apathy and neglect vis-a-vis the game of cricket. And last but not the least, it is good for cricket also because it will be difficult for the game to grow and prosper in isolation under a ‘monoculture” syndrome.

The matter of excellence in sport, being vital to the youth of the nation and the honour of the country, need to be taken up and pursued as a national movement. This calls for dynamic, dedicated and devoted service to the cause of sport and a thorough professional approach to its development. Outstanding sportsmen like Kapil Dev have imbibed these characteristics in their blood and therefore are ideally placed to lead the movement. They can always access the services of experienced administrators and professionals who will be only too glad to assist. So, let the sportsmen come to the fore and lead from the front instead of sitting and sulking at the rear !!