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| SPORTS TRIBUNE | Saturday, December 30, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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A year punctuated with
optimism Cricket is no more a gentleman’s
game Indian tennis hits the
nadir Paradox underscores
tainted year |
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A year punctuated with
optimism IF in the years to come one was to single out a specific instance of a performance by an Indian which outshone every perceivable acts of excellence on the sporting arena the vote would automatically go to Vishwanathan Anand, the country’s, nay the world’s most accomplished player. The year of achievement would be 2000 A.D. Indeed the year in itself has been one of punctuated optimism for Indian sport with Anand’s victory over Alexei Shirov in the title match at Tehran in December as the ultimate achievement. This was Anand’s third bid at the World Championship and perhaps the most satisfying since it was also the one totally sponsored by FIDE, the apex body of the official chess organisation in the world. His earlier experience of a title matches was against Kasparov, the match held under the aegis of PCA (Professional Chess Association) where he drew the first eight matches and stunned the world champion in the ninth before Kasparov clawed back to retain the title, and Karpov whom he played after having laboured to the final through a qualifying round. This time his run-up to the final phase was a very tightly fought World Championship (upto the semi-final stage) held in Delhi where though he came through unscathed he would be the first to admit to have been really stretched but which toughened him for the final match against Alexei Shirov. The year has been particularly satisfying not only for Vishwanathan Anand but also for chess in India. To begin with Anand started the year well, winning the World Blitz Championship at Warsaw in February where he set a record of sorts, winning 17 of the 22 matches he played in one day. The other five were drawn. He then followed this by wining the inaugural World Cup in Shenyang in September before triumphing in the Delhi qualifying before the final bout with Shirov in Tehran. From the Indian point there were other heroes and one heroine for variation. In Abhijit Kunte and K.Sasikaran the country had the distinction of producing tow GMs in the space of 15 days in February. And then in July came the first woman GM in Vijayalakshimi. Emulating the seniors were the youngsters Koneru Humpy and Deep Sengupta who won the Age Group Championships held in Spain in the period September-October. Humpy was the under-14 title while Sengupta the under 12. All this in addition to the achievement of Aarathie Ramaswamy who won her first world GM norm in the Goodricke Championship at Calcutta. It has indeed been a great year for chess in India. Chess of course has a rich tradition to live up to and the performances of Viswanathan Anand at the top of the world and the aspiring followers of all age groups should help the game grow in popularity. India has had the best of the world in billiards and snooker and a Prakash Padukone in badminton. A world champion in chess is a welcome addition. The other two world rating performances by Indians in the year 2000 AD have come in athletics and weightlifting and both by women competitors. In athletics young Seema Antil made up for the below par showing of the senior athletes in the Sydney Olympics by becoming the first Indian to win a global-level title in athletics. Her event was the discus and she won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile. It is of course easy to guess the woman weightlifter who gave a fresh lease to competitors of her gender and the sport in general with a bronze medal in the Sydney Olympics. What made her performance all the more praiseworthy was that something was expected from her and she fulfilled a promise as it were, lifting to her potential at a time when it mattered. On a lesser scale but holding out a promise for the future were the performances of the shooters Anjali Vedpathak and Abhinav Bindra in the Sydney Olympics. Anjali became the first Indian shooter to take part in an Olympic final (air rifle-10 mtrs) while Abhinav Bindra, just 17 and full of go, strove gallantly towards the same goal but missed the final by two slots. It was nevertheless great going by this 17- year youngster from Chandigarh. Of the other games one could perhaps glory in the victories over Australia and South Africa by the Indian cricketers in the ICC Cup held in Nairobi but wail at the ignominy suffered at the hand of Sri Lanka at Sharjah. It would be too much to read into the 1-0 win in the two-Test match series and the 4-1 win in the abridged version against Zimbabwe except for the fact that a start could be said to have been made to induct fresh blood in the national side. But cricket remained a constant topic all through the year not because of the performances on the field but because of the controversy and the ugly face of match-fixing and betting which surfaced following the dramatic disclosure of the now famous Hansie Cronje tapes after the tour of South Africa to India. In hockey India held out considerable hope after the win in the second leg of the four-nation tournament in Australia but despite the best of efforts failed to make the grade at Sydney. The team had all the qualities needed to play in the semi-finals but could not persuade “dame luck” to throw her weight with it for once. It is a pity though that in the aftermath of the Olympics the IHF has sought to apportion blame and dismissed coach Bhaskaran and captain Ramandeep Singh. It is also on the card that the captain may come back (former Sports minister Dhinsda is reportedly already working on that theme) and Bhaskaran could always get his post back in the now familiar game of musical chairs the IHF appears to enjoy. In football too there was more news off the field. The running battle between the newly formed Indian Football Players Association and the All India Football Federation captured the media attention as did the elections to the apex body. In the end compromises appear to have been made all round though one does feel bad for Samir Thapar who raised hopes of a good fight for the post of President. Boxing projected Gurcharan Singh as the hero, the man who all but made the bronze medal category of the Olympics in Sydney but lost out on count-back after tying on points in the quarter-final round of his weight class while Gopi Chand who singlehandedly carried India into the main phase of the Thomas Cup Badminton Championship could be classified as an unsung hero. He is ranked No 7 in the world and it is arguable whether it was just bad luck that he crashed out in second round of the Olympics where the Chinese gold medal winner was the man whom he had beaten in the Malaysian Open. These things do happen. If one had to count the promises made and broken promises athletics and athletes would take the first prize. In terms of national records and general improvement athletics promised the world this year. And some sort of achievement was recorded at the Asian Championships at Jakarta, just before the Olympics at Sydney, where Shakti Singh, Neelam J. Singh, K Jagdish Bishnoi, Bobby Aloysius and the women 4 x 400 metrs relay squad among others won gold medals, promised much. But came the Olympics and with the possible exception of Beenamol, everyone failed. Most of them had stood tall while leaving the shores and when they came back, they had no face to show. It was one of the biggest contingents ever and the returns were zero. No one wanted medals but what was expected was a repeat of the performances in competitions at home. By failing miserably the athletes have lent substance to the rumours that performances at home were engineered by taking recourse to illegal means. |
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Cricket is no more a gentleman’s
game THE
bodyline Ashes series gave the first major blow to the gentleman’s game of cricket. The red leather ball was blood thirsty for victory. Kerry Packer in the 1970’s transformed the game by giving it colour and glamour. With it came the sure result and unconventional strokes, which were frowned upon by cricket loyalists. The mesmerising India triumph at the Lords in 1983 World Cup transformed the game in the sub-continent and cricketers became icons. However, the gentleman’s game suffered an ignominous and unbecoming blow this year when the Delhi Police, on the trail of some underworld members were tapping some telephones, stumbled upon the conversation between the South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje and the alleged bookie Sanjeev Chawla. What was being talked in hush-hush tones in some circles for the past couple of years, was now in the open. The police in April registered a first information report against the South African cricketers captain Hansie Cronje, Hershelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje, Pieter Strydom and Henry Williams. The Delhi Police, which had till now been ridiculed for its investigative skills, hit the headlines of the international media and its expertise were compared to that of the Scotland Yard. South Africa instituted an inquiry and Cronje, before the King Commission, admitted to match-fixing. The pandora’s box was now open and the cricketing world was aghast. Considering the international ramifications of the case, the government asked the Central Bureau of Investigation, the premier investigating agency of the country, to go deep into the murky world of match-fixing and betting. On October 30 when the CBI submitted its report, the hearts of many slipped a beat. Mohammad Azharuddin, former Indian captain, Ajay Jadeja, stylish middle-order batsman, Nayan Mongia, wicket-keeper, Ajay Sharma, former Delhi captain, Manoj Prabhakar, all-rounder, Dr Ali Irani, the team physiotherapist and umpire Piloo Reporter, were the Indians the CBI said involved in the match-fixing and betting scandal. The CBI also named several international cricketers in the report. They included former England captain Alec Stewart, former West Indies captain Brian Lara, Australian batsmen Mark Waugh and Dean Jones, former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva, former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe and former Pakistan captain Salim Malik. The investigating agency brought out the nexus between the bookies, cricketers and the underworld. The Income Tax Department also raided the premises of several cricketers, bookies and the board officials. They recovered several incriminating documents and undisclosed income of cricketers. The department has now completed its appraisal report and has sent notice to several cricketers to hear their side on the block tax demand. Suspecting violation of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act and bank accounts by cricketers and bookies outside India, the Enforcement Directorate has also initiated a probe. The Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) instituted an inquiry headed by former CBI official K. Madhavan. The BCCI inquiry gave second opportunity to the players to place their version on the whole episode. However, Mr Madhavan found Azharuddin, Ajay Sharma, Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Jadeja guilty of the CBI charges. He, however, exonerated Nayan Mongia, as little evidence to his complicity to the allegations could be found. In a swift move, the board imposed life ban on Azharuddin and a five-year ban on Jadeja, Ajay Sharma and Manoj Prabhakar. The ban has affected the cricketing career of Jadeja, a promising middle order batsman, as he had a few years left to represent the country. For others, the ban is merely symbolic as Prabhakar has not touched the willow for the past five years, Sharma has been playing Ranji Trophy and English county matches. Azharuddin who had been dropped from the Test team for sometime now, was hoping to stage a comeback, even though age was not on his side. The Haryana hurricane, Kapil Dev, whose reputation was tarnished by the match-fixing allegation by his team-mate Manoj Prabhakar, however, was given a clean chit by the investigating agency. The International Cricket Council, the apex cricket body is investigating the case globally as it has international ramifications. The CBI, however, continues to probe the nexus between the underworld and the cricketers. Many more skeletons could tumble out of the cupboard in the future. One casualty in the whole episode has been the glorious game of uncertainty. Catches win matches, runs saved is runs scored now look like mere cliches. The game has been described by antagonists like 22 players playing in the field and being watched by 22,000 other fools. In hindsight, all one can say is that a few players, hand in glove with some bookies, literally made fool of millions of money-paying cricket fans. There are dim hopes that the truth would actually be known. But, one thing is certain, the game is no more a gentleman’s game and every shot or catch would be viewed with suspicion. However, for the die-hard fans, there is some good news. It is untouched in the cyberspace. Create one’s dream team and let them play the game as you wish or get the fun by playing or watching in the lanes and by-lanes, where the game would continue to be played, as the yorkers and bouncers of match-fixing cannot kill the spirit of the game well entrenched in the hearts and minds of the enthusiasts. |
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Indian tennis hits the
nadir INDIAN tennis hit the nadir as the millennium year drew to a close when the country failed to figure in the finals of the fourth edition of the Asia Cup Tournament, which concluded at the R K Khanna stadium in the third week of December. With top players Leander Paes and Nirupama Vaidyanathan crying off at the last minute, India had to do with the second-rungers, save for Mahesh Bhupathi, but they proved unequal to the task, and the country bit the dust. For the first time, the men’s final was contested sans India. On the distaff side, India made an abject surrender, losing both their ties in the three-team league. And China pipped Thailand to lift the women’s crown, to emerge champs in the inaugural year. The Indian men, after a disastrous 0-3 defeat to South Korea in the lung opener, warmed up to beat China and Thailand by 2-1 margins, but those wins were not enough as the Koreans played a trick on the hosts in the last league match, when they tanked their tie to Thailand, to keep India out of the final. India lost out to Thailand in the countback (of sets won and lost) as the latter’s 3-0 victory over China stood them in good stead. It was pointless to blame Korea for India’s misery, as the visitors were not duty bound to do the hosts a good turn. If Korea played with their players’ self interest in mind, and trampled upon the interest and sentiments of India in the process, it was just as well. For, if India could not deliver on their own backyard, where would they? Mahesh Bhupathi just could not cope up with the burden of shouldering the singles and doubles responsibilities all alone as Harsh Mankad had cut a sorry figure against China and Thailand, while Syed Fazaluddin looked to be not yet fully prepared to do battle in singles play with consistency, though he proved an ideal foil to Bhupathi in the doubles. Winners of the first two editions of the Asia Cup, India, needless to emphasise, sorely missed the services of numero uno Leander Paes. Leander pulled out of the Asia Cup, after playing in the World Doubles Championship at Bangalore, citing a knee injury as the reason. Apparently, there is more to it than meets the eye, as Leander seems to have not yet sorted out his differences with the All-India Tennis Association (AITA). And the scars of his split with Bhupathi too seem to have not fully healed despite the reunion of the duo, for good. Knowledgeable sources reveal that Leander is unhappy with the AITA’s method of grooming junior talent, as despite all its efforts, there is no player in the Indian tennis horizon who can step into the shoes of Leander and Mahesh. Leander reportedly feels that the AITA should look for younger players to do the work in tournaments like the Asia Cup, instead of depending on top pros like himself. Leander may have a point there, as the composition of the Asia Cup team left a lot to be desired. Harsh Mankad had got into the Davis Cup squad in the tie against Sweden on his own steam, after a brilliant performance in the Satellite circuit in the country early in the year, but after winning the Masters title in Delhi, he went back to the USA to pursue his studies, and had had very little competitive exposure in the run-up to the Asia Cup. No wonder, he surrendered without much ado, but he was not to be blamed, as the selectors should have thought about his match-preparedness. New national hard court champion Nitin Kirtane was selected, but non-playing captain Ramesh Krishnan hardly had any faith in him, and Nitin got to play just one match, in the doubles against Korea. It’s inexplicable why the claims of a promising junior like Sunil Kumar of Chandigarh is being consistently ignored, after giving him a chance in the Davis Cup tie against Lebanon in Lucknow early this year. Sunil had created history, when he emerged the national champion at the tender age of 16 years in 1999. But after the Lucknow tie, Sunil went out of favour as the selectors felt that he needed to sharpen his skills a little more to get into the senior league. Just as well. But when there are not enough players around, Sunil deserves another look-in. The split between Leander and Bhupathi took a heavy toll on Indian tennis, as not only were India robbed of a medal in the Olympic competition at Sydney, but also were relegated to the zonal round in Davis Cup. After the dream run in 1999, when the Leander-Bhupthi team made the finals of four Grand Slams, and winning two of them—the French Open and the Wimbledon—India had a bumpy ride in 2000, as Leander and Bhupathi parted ways due to personal differences, though in Ramesh Krishnan, a new non-playing captain was at the helm in Davis Cup. Injuries to Bhupathi and Leander caused tremendous setback to the Davis Cup hopes, as after beating Lebanon at Lucknow, solely on the
strength of Leander’s play, in the absence of Bhupathi, who was recovering from a
rotator cuff shoulder surgery, India thrashed Korea in Delhi, to keep the World Group hopes alive. The emergence of Delhi’s Vishal Uppal as a good doubles player in the company of Leander, was a
revelation, but Uppal fizzled out after the Davis Cup campaign, and when the crucial tie against Sweden at Bastaad came around, Leander pulled out with a wrist injury, suffered at the French Open, and Bhupathi was back in the team. But the Swedes packed too many guns for Bhupathi to handle all alone, and India suffered an ignominous 0-5 drubbing to crash to the Asia-Oceania zonal qualifying round. Though Leander and Bhupathi came together before the Sydney Olympics, it was too late for them to combine well together, and as a result, India lost out on a sure medal in the doubles. Bronze medallist at the Atlanta Olympics, Leander was just a pale shadow of his former self. But the pair kept improving as the weeks went by, and hit the pay cheque in the Japan Open, before coming for the World Doubles Championship in Bangalore in December. The Indian pair, making their entry as wild cards, stormed to the title round, before crashing out. Yet again, Indian tennis fans were denied the pleasure of witnessing the star pair climbing the victory rostrum. But they had the satisfaction that the duo were back together, for good. India look towards 2001 with a lot of expectation, for if Leander and Bhupathi can regain their form, they have some years left to conquer many more laurels, and Davis Cup honours for the country are most important of them all. |
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Paradox underscores
tainted year IT was the best of times; it was the worst of times. That was sports in the first year of the new millennium. The year 2000 had it all the good, the bad — but mostly the ugly. To begin with the good, the Sydney Olympics turned out far better than expected. Outgoing International Olympic Committee (IOC) boss Juan Antonio Samaranch has a habit of declaring every Games the “best ever” — even the fiasco in Atlanta in 1996. But this time everyone agreed. Sydney put on a show of efficiency, beauty and goodwill that captured what remains of the “Olympic spirit”, and displayed to the world how this could successfully be packaged for the new century. Its triumph provided dazzling proof that sport matters more than ever before, and the Olympics remain at its pinnacle — a corrupt and venal edifice certainly, but one that represents more than even its own hubris would suggest. In this post-modern, post-20th century world, where nation states have ceded power to corporations, banks and communications systems, the Olympics is a vital forum for all the world’s nations and peoples to display their collective strength without resorting to arms. The Olympics enabled tiny Equatorial Guinea to put itself on the Western map through the gallant attempts of a pair of swimmers who could barely swim. And the Games allowed beleaguered Cuba to assert its collective national pride by sticking it to the Americans in the boxing ring and being cheered by the rest of the world along the way. For Australia the national will was epitomised by the triumph of one athlete, Cathy Freeman, assuming the proportions of a mass apologia for a history of barbarity against Aborigines combined with an enticing glimpse of starting anew along the road to republicanism. It revealed a generosity of spirit — displayed so vividly by the thousands of unpaid volunteers who
delighted in just helping out — in stark contrast to the naked greed of Atlanta four years earlier. Sydney’s success occurred despite, and not because of, the IOC’s state of dubious grace. It is true that the Samaranch regime had been forced into a belated makeover as a result of a succession of bribery scandals, which exposed the practice of Olympic bidding cities offering kickbacks to IOC members in exchange for votes. But it remains a self-appointed body with no provision for democratic accountability. But the IOC was not the only sporting body fighting ugly in 2000. The outcome of the bidding process for the world’s other great international sporting spectacle, football’s World Cup, left a similarly sour taste in the mouth. The logic for an African World Cup in 2006 was compelling. France staged the event in 1998 — the 10th European turn, compared to nil for Africa. It came down to a shoot-out between the favourite, South Africa, and Germany. A tie was widely expected with FIFA President Sepp Blatter then placing his casting vote in South Africa’s favour to ensure a suitably happy ending. Instead Germany won by a single vote. Nothing remarkable there, until the reasons for its victory became apparent. New Zealand’s delegate Charles Dempsey, a former enthusiast for sporting ties with apartheid teams, was instructed by his home body to vote for South Africa. Instead he abstained, citing “extreme pressure” — primarily from German interests, it emerged. Equally disturbing was the fact that several Asian and Southern “friends” of South Africa voted for Germany, leaving clouds of suspicion about what precisely they had been offered. Football, however, enjoyed a relatively healthy 2000, highlighted by the upset successes of the two Olympic competitions — Norway’s women beating America and Cameroon’s under-23 men beating Spain. The game continued to extend its financial tentacles, to cross the gender barrier and expand its international player base. The only other team sport that can come close to claiming “world” status is basketball.
— Gemini News |
