Can India win gold at Sydney?
By M.K. Madhusoodan
Collective morale is high and India’s top hockey players and officials are confident that gold at the Sydney Olympics is very much within the team’s reach. “They (the players) breathe and live hockey and do not have time for anything else. They did not have time to celebrate their leader Dhanraj Pillay’s birthday recently. That shows their commitment,” team manager Krishna Mech said of the players undergoing training at a camp in Bangalore to prepare for the Sydney games.

Indira Gandhi complex boon for sportspersons
By S.P. Sharma
IN a short span of just three years the Indira Gandhi State Sports Complex has emerged as a major centre of attraction not only for budding sportspersons and local residents but also for tourists. Facilities for yoga, gymnastics, martial arts, table tennis, volleyball, badminton and boxing are available under one roof at the complex which also has a modern fitness centre.

Rise of the Williams sisters
By K.R. Wadhwaney
RICHARD WILLIAMS is not an astrologer. But when he saw his daughter Venus, now 20, play at the tender age of about eight years, he had predicted that a star had been born. Her movements on the court were so easy and quick and her strokes so electrifying that most of the tennis pundits in the United States joined the “papa” in agreeing that a champion had been born. That was many years ago.

South Korea’s rise as hockey powerhouse
By Ramu Sharma

FORMER India captain MP Ganesh was very prophetic when he spoke about the tremendous potential of the South Koreans after watching the country’s junior team in the early 80s. But discerning as he was in his assessment of the Korean players even he would not have visualised a day when South Korea would replace both Pakistan and India not only at the head of the continental level (Asian Games and Asian Championships) but also become the only Asian team in the Champions Trophy a competition started at the behest of Pakistan.

Today South Korea are the Asian champions, runners-up in the Asian Games, the top junior team in Asia, the third best team in the recently concluded Champions Trophy and the team which has qualified for the Olympics ahead of India and Pakistan in 1998 and has also made the World Cup grade without much fuss even as India continued to struggle to be able to play in the tournament. Not only that, its women’s team till quite recently was among the top three in the world. Running the till hitherto world champions, Australia, close in most competitions, is the top team in both women and girls teams in Asia. Its teams in women’s and girls sections can compete with the best in the world.

And where was it in 1980. Nowhere. In fact, South Korea first took part in a major international men’s competition only in 1982 where it entered a team in the Asian Games in New Delhi. It then finished fifth. Four years later, in the Asian Games held in Seoul, they became the champions, beating Pakistan in the final and drawing with India in the pool match. This was easily one of the greatest examples of a team determined to do well on home soil and achieving their aim. After that they slipped somewhat in the Asian Games held in Beijing in China in 1990 but came roaring back to reclaim the title in the edition held in Hiroshima. It defeated Pakistan in the semifinals of the Bangkok Asian Games before losing to India in the final. Incidentally this was India’s first title win in the Asian Games after the 1966 Games, also held in Bangkok.

Their junior team managed to beat Pakistan, the champions and India, the runners-up of the last World Cup, in the final at Kuala Lumpur to qualify for the World Cup. The victory of the junior team suggests that South Korea are all set to bag the title in the next Asian Games and threaten the rest of the world in major competitions elsewhere. Also in action in Kuala Lumpur was their junior girls team and that too won the title, beating China in the final with India finishing third.

How did all this happen. Hockey even now is not the most popular game in South Korea. According to reports “more than half a dozen other sports, from baseball to soccer, enjoy a higher public profile than field hockey but in both the women’s and men’s sections, South Korea, is among the top five nations in the world.

Hockey is not a traditional game in South Korea, like it is in India and Pakistan. There are not many tournaments in the country. But when it comes to international hockey, South Korea have been able to revolutionise the whole concept, replacing both India and Pakistan from the Asian continent as a major power in the game. The victory over Pakistan in the Seoul Asian Games was no fluke. It has done it time and again later. It has had as many successes against India too. The two Asian countries who once dominated the game in the world can no longer ignore the repeated defeats at the hands of the South Korean teams. In a matter of two decades, in fact less if one were to start counting from Seoul, South Korea have become a hockey power, not only replacing India and Pakistan from Asia but also replacing Malaysia, once a known hockey nation and Japan who have a history of sorts in the game.

After the meteoric rise in the Seoul Asian Games experts in India sought to explain away the phenomenon as something which could not last. They attributed South Korean progress in the game to their commando training and top physical conditioning. But these were only the hasty and initial forays. Then one remembered what Ganesh had predicted in the early 80s and then there was the incident, related to women’s hockey, during the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi. A journalist recalls even this day the sight of the “Korean coach slapping some of his charges for not following his instructions. The beating was received with typical Korean stoicism; and though the team emerged third after champions India and runners-up Japan in that event, four years later the Koreans were tops at the Asiad at home.”

Obviously it has to do with both determination and the character of the people in that country. Once it was decided that hockey had to be played and the team had to make an impression in the world, then everything was directed in that direction and with what results we now know. South Korea adopted both the Asian sub-continental style and the European tactical version and made it a winning mixture. The East and West, it has shown, can certainly meet, and with some success.

There are some lessons which India can draw from the South Korean success. The most important one pertains to physical fitness. India certainly need to work on that aspect much more to be able to make an impression in the world. True, the India teams, both boys and girls, were according to reports, “more pleasing to the eye but not telling enough on the field.” This was particularly so in the girls competition. As for the boys, it is an old story. The team had enough chances but failed to convert.

Physical fitness apart, perhaps it is time the Indians also manage to imbibe some of the more telling aspects of European hockey. Conversion of penalty corners, more emphasis on the defence as well as extra work on goalkeeping, a department which certainly needs improving though after the Australian tour the management has reasons to be quite happy on that score.

Building up determination and character is not the job of any federation. That comes with the atmosphere and upbringing. Maybe it is time that the IHF thought in terms of a psychologist to work on the team in this field. India has the maximum number of tournaments, the largest number of players and a history. All that is needed is a winning combination with the right mixture of determination, guts and skill to put the game back on the track. Otherwise tradition and history will soon become a memory.

Can India win gold at Sydney?
By M.K. Madhusoodan

Collective morale is high and India’s top hockey players and officials are confident that gold at the Sydney Olympics is very much within the team’s reach.

“They (the players) breathe and live hockey and do not have time for anything else. They did not have time to celebrate their leader Dhanraj Pillay’s birthday recently. That shows their commitment,” team manager Krishna Mech said of the players undergoing training at a camp in Bangalore to prepare for the Sydney games.

“We are sure that with the training under (Vasudevan) Bhaskaran, we can snatch gold,” said Pillay, who was recently awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna honour. “We are doing an extra two hours’ training for penalty corner strikes. The physical training and training in tactics in the morning is tough.”

“I find it (the Olympic gold dream) not too far,” said Pillay, the superstar of the Indian team who has just completed 11 years in the game. “We will get to know at the opening game against Argentina on September 17. The complacency of the past has gone. Our strength depends on our tough training, both at fitness and skills. To add to it is our team spirit and unity. We are hoping to be among the first four.”

But chief coach Bhaskaran was more cautious when asked about the team’s prospects. “We can’t say anything now. It is a hard way up to the Olympics. There is much more to be done before we can dream about the gold,” he said.

India last won the Olympic gold at Moscow 20 years ago. Incidentally, Bhaskaran was the captain of the team then.

Mech said the players would be given Indian food at Sydney and there would be a 20-day training camp there. “We are not risking anything. Our team has the highest exposure in the game compared to others. The defeat of Australia in the recent four-nation tournament has completely demoralised the Aussie team,” he said.

“I feel the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) will have a tough time selecting the team. Each of them is very good and has the right kind of team spirit.” The team for Sydney will have 22 members and two players from the camp will have to be dropped. — IANS

Indira Gandhi complex boon for sportspersons
By S.P. Sharma

IN a short span of just three years the Indira Gandhi State Sports Complex has emerged as a major centre of attraction not only for budding sportspersons and local residents but also for tourists. Facilities for yoga, gymnastics, martial arts, table tennis, volleyball, badminton and boxing are available under one roof at the complex which also has a modern fitness centre.

Situated on the Mall, the sports complex constructed at a cost of Rs 4.40 crore, was commissioned in August, 1997, with the sole objective of providing all-weather sports training facility to sports lovers and students of the state. Later, the complex was also thrown open to tourists who can avail the facilities at nominal rates.

The newly built sports complex with its unique architecture attracts every passer-by. Equipped with latest facilities and a team of well trained coaches, the facilities are daily availed by about 400 persons. The basement of the complex has facility for wrestling while ground floor has the office of the General Manager, besides a dormitory. The martial arts hall and kitchen are on the first floor while the volleyball court and fitness centre are located on the second floor. The third floor of the complex has a table tennis hall with two tables and a boxing hall, whereas the fourth floor has a badminton training hall with two courts. All halls have separate changing rooms and bathrooms.

The government has provided various sports training facilities at low rates to all sports loving persons. One can avail the facility at the fitness centre for Rs 250 per month while for games in the morning and evening one has to pay just Rs 150. The government has also provided a concession to students as they have to pay Rs 100 and Rs 50 per month only for the fitness centre and games, respectively. Sportspersons who visit Shimla for sports activities use the dormitory at a nominal rate of Rs 25 per bed while others have to pay Rs 50 for the same. There are a total of 78 beds in the dormitory, 54 for men and 24 for women.

Tourists can also avail facilities at the sports complex at the rate of Rs 25 per hour. Shimla-based persons who want to avail facility at the fitness centre for long durations and sportsmen who are really interested in a particular game can avail a 10 per cent concession half yearly and 15 per cent on yearly basis. The fitness centre has modern equipment worth Rs 3 lakh and 50 person can exercise simultaneously.

Specific programmes for weight gain and weight loss and exercises for women are added features at the fitness centre. Eleven sessions comprising 45 minutes each are held daily.

Though the sports complex is in the development stage it has contributed a lot to promotion of games and has enhanced the skill and level of performance of sportspersons both in state and national level championships. Badminton players who made use of the facilities here dominated in the HP State Championships over the past three years in all age groups. Likewise, the performance of other players in games like boxing, volleyball and table tennis has also improved.

In view of the increasing interest of people in indoor games like billiards and snooker, one pool table and two billiards tables are shortly being provided at the complex. The state government also proposes to make this complex a society with the status of a full fledged autonomous body. This would make it a self-reliant institution with a free hand to manage its affairs independently.

At present the complex is meeting its expenses by itself as the total upkeep charges and other expenditure is about Rs 25,000 per month and its income from fee is also the same on an average. It is also proposed to launch adventure sports activities from this centre like trekking and to have exchange programmes for youth of other states and other countries. The centre may become a nodal point for such activities.

Special efforts are also being made for the development of sports-related infrastructure in the state and the state government proposed to construct indoor stadiums at Dharamsala, Una, Amb, Solan and a shooting range and indoor stadium at Hamirpur. Work on the indoor stadium at Bilaspur and swimming pools at Una and Mandi is in progress. Besides 40 posts of coach are being filled during the current year. These steps will surely bring hidden talent into the limelight.

Rise of the Williams sisters
By K.R. Wadhwaney

RICHARD WILLIAMS is not an astrologer. But when he saw his daughter Venus, now 20, play at the tender age of about eight years, he had predicted that a star had been born. Her movements on the court were so easy and quick and her strokes so electrifying that most of the tennis pundits in the United States joined the “papa” in agreeing that a champion had been born. That was many years ago.

When Venus hit the headlines in the world of tennis came her two-year younger sister, Serena. She took a leaf out of her sister’s book and displayed her prowess in no uncertain terms. Now two sisters are on the pinnacle of the tennis world and, judging by their temperament and skill, they should hold beacon lights to all the ghettos of Los Angeles. Venus is the Wimbledon champion and Serena the US Open champion.

The Wimbledon women’s final between Venus and the defending champion Lindsay Davenport, seeded number two and also from the USA, did not touch dizzy heights, as expected. It was the final between two exceptionally tall players, who were as energetic as they were strokeful. But Venus looked far more calm and composed than the defending champion and this made all the difference.

Venus was candid in saying that she had eventually succeeded in translating her dream into reality. “I will no longer have nightmares as it is a reality”, said Venus after her victory which came relatively easily.

Much before the final between Venus and Davenport started on centre court, Richard had declared that his daughter would carry the day. He was saying this not because he was Venus’ father, but he had made a detailed analysis of strength and weakness of the two players during the course of the Wimbledon tournament this year. Venus, according to Richard, seemed better equipped than the defending champion.

Davenport’s entry into the final was rather easy. She defeated Monica Seles who this year was not at her dazzling best. She beat Jelena Dokic in the semi-final. She amply demonstrated that, despite not being in top physical condition, she was champion material.

Venus’ passage to the final was tough, which perhaps made her tougher. Her victory over Martina Hingis, world number one, gave her all the confidence that she needed. That was in the quarter-final.

In the semi-final, Venus was billed to meet her sister Serena. In their meeting, Papa Richard had nightmares. He walked out of the All-England Club as he did not wish to watch two daughters opposing each other. Venus came out triumphant as Richard heard it on radio. Serena shed tears but those were tears of joy rather than of any anguish or animosity. The outcome, in a way, was good for the Williams family because, what Venus achieved, her sister Serena might have not, had she met Davenport in the final.

The match between Venus and Hingis was the best in the section. No less absorbing was the contest between the two sisters. In both matches hard hitting was witnessed.

Partnership severed

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathy have always been two different persons with varying temperament, thinking and cultural habits. But they rose as a brilliant team bringing laurels for themselves and for the country. They won two grand slams, 13 ATP tour titles and climbed to become the world’s best doubles pair. In their success, the country was proud.

It was a pity that differences between the two should are arisen after they had reached the top. Many reasons were given. Mahesh’s coach Enrico Piperno was reportedly the major hurdle. No one knows why it should have bothered Leander who is always known to be easy going and friendly.

According to analysts, the difference between them arose quite some time back. But they left their differences in the dressing room, as the Pakistanis do. This saw them win competitions world over. But in the year 1999, their differences became noticeable as they hardly spoke to each other on and off the court. With no understanding between the two, the ‘Indian Express”, as the pair was often described as, had to detrain, to the disappointment of all country.

Many stars of different disciplines have expressed their concern at the separation of the two players. But the best statement has been issued by Sachin Tendulkar. He says: “Now that they are playing with different partners, it won’t be the same. It won’t be a 100 per cent Indian team. But I would rather look at the positive side, the pleasure and pride they gave India. The decision to separate was theirs. I am sure they gave it a lot of thought and did what was best for them”.

— N.P.A.

Omission of soccer players shocking

REPORTS that the football team for the England tour could not be announced till the eleventh hour as the president of the AIFF, Mr Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, could not find time for the same, is most disturbing. It is also shocking to note that Mohammad Najeeb, one of the best strikers from Kerala, and Delhi’s Vikrant Sharma, had to be dropped to accommodate two extra officials. And this drama was enacted at the airport. What a shame! The inclusion of five officials with the team is scandalous. The effect on the psyche of the dropped players can well be imagined. The politicians in sports are advised to show mercy and leave sport for those who know the game. It is a pity that our country with a population of more than a crore, has no place among top 100 football-playing countries.

J.K. MAGO
Panchkula

Pete Sampras

Heartiest congratulations to Pete Sampras for rewriting tennis history by winning a record 13th Grand Slam title. The 28-year-old American, not only equalled William Renshaw’s record of seven Wimbledon titles, but also got past Roy Emerson’s record of 12 titles. Out of 15 Grand Slam finals he only lost twice. Unluckily the French Open title always seems to elude the best male tennis player. The record breaker defeated Patrick Rafter of Australia to pick up the title and pipped Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus in the semifinals to pave his way towards history books. Rafter, the 27-year old Aussie, made it to the finals defeating 30-year old Andre Agassi to face the man, who is always popular for perfection as well as attraction. Kudos again to Sampras and Bridgette Wilson, his fiancee!

H.S. DIMPLE
Jagraon

Davis Cup

Kudos to Australia who blanked Brazil 5-0 in the semifinal to storm into their second consecutive Davis Cup final. The Kangaroos showed no compassion in pulverising the Brazilians who were comprehensively outplayed in all the matches except the doubles which turned out to be a marathon encounter. It was only in the doubles where Kuerten and Oncins fought tooth and nail for gaining ascendancy but ultimately went down fighting to the combined might of Sandon Stolle and Mark Woodforde. Otherwise the semifinal clash proved to be a one-sided affair in which Australia’s superiority and supremacy was obvious.

TARSEM S. BUMRAH
Batala

Lanka’s win

Full marks to Sri Lanka’s M. Muralitharan for inflicting an innings defeat on South Africa in the first cricket test at Galle. The credit of this historic win only goes to this deadly spin bowler, who ripped South Afirca’s innings by taking 13 wickets for 171 runs. Sri Lanka’s massive total of 522 also proved a turning point in this fascinating win. It appears as if Sri Lanka are emerging as an improved side.

SUNDER SINGH
Dialpura