SPORTS TRIBUNE | Saturday, February 17, 2001, Chandigarh, India |
Perpetuating permanence: is it good for TT? by Ramu Sharma A laudatory reference to the reelection of Mool Chand Chowan as Secretary General of the Table Tennis Federation of India in one of the leading newspapers of the country reveals that the genial gentleman has entered the third decade as chief executive of the TTFI. NFL’s leading scorer Magic and mystery of Cuban boxing Volleyball takes a retrograde step
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Perpetuating permanence: is it good for
TT? A laudatory reference to
the reelection of Mool Chand Chowan as Secretary General of the Table
Tennis Federation of India in one of the leading newspapers of the
country reveals that the genial gentleman has entered the third decade
as chief executive of the TTFI. All very good and certainly a worthwhile
achievement. But viewed in proper perspective is such a long and
continuous reign by one person good for the game? Mool Chand Chowan is
a part of a system and cannot be faulted for sticking on to his
position. And he is supposed to be good at paper work which contributes
considerably to the smooth functioning of the federation. And his
responsibilities are many. He is the secretary general of the
Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation and a vice-president of the
international body from the Asian continent. In addition he has built up
a reputation of having conducted the World Championships and other major
competitions in India. He has been in the federation for 40 odd years.
And he is also not a young man any more. Thus it is difficult to believe
that in all these years no one else, a younger man for instance, has
shown any interest or ambition to take over the job. This is not to
question his commitment to the game or his organisation skill but one
does grow old and it is not always easy to work at the same level day in
and out and year after year without getting tired or even bored. It is
not good for the person or the discipline he is controlling.
Perpetuation could also lead to stagnation. In this respect and
whatever may be M. C. Chowan’s personal achievement, one can
categorically state that the standard of the game in the country has
hardly shown any improvement over the years. One sees the same players
sweating it out for years altogether unlike in progressive countries
like China where the top man or woman player has always got to be in the
best of form since there are some 150 or more of near equal status ready
to step into his or her shoes That sort of depth and standard does not
exist in India where the top two or three players can take it easy for
years to come. This is not fault of the Secretary General who
religiously organises nationals and other tournaments with great care.
But something is surely wrong for the standard in India to have
virtually remained static. Sometimes changes are good for the
federations. New blood is always welcome and helps to reinvigorate the
system. Chowan and others like him in quite a few federations should now
step aside or take up an honorary and venerated positions and guide the
younger and newer generation to learn and promote the game. It is not
in India alone that perpetuation of officials is accepted and taken for
granted. These things happen at the international level also but there
is one difference. The working agencies are younger and the load is
shared. Thus in the International Olympic Committee most of the members
are much advanced in age with the retirement fixed at 80 but those
working are a younger crop. In India this does not seem to happen. One
can understand a senior and often aging politician taking up the job as
a President of a federation if only to give it some status and also help
in money collection. There were and there are federations where the post
of the President is only nominal with the actual work being done by a
younger secretary and his cronies. But there are also federations and
certain independent bodies which could do with a change of blood. It is
still a mystery of sorts why the government which is prompt in forming
guidelines chose to drop the most important one some years ago. That
guideline restricted a person from holding on to a post to just two
terms. Understandably not everyone was happy with this particular ruling
and perhaps worked to have it done away with. There is thus much to be
said for some new blood for instance in the Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey
Society, not at the members level but at the active organisational field
where it is time a younger man did the running about and the current lot
of people involved in the active running of the show convert to the role
of advisors. The society which almost worked miracles when it started
years ago needs to change its face. The tournaments conducted by the
society contributed considerably to the national hockey scene and a
number of internationals came out of these competitions. But now
everything has changed. The tournament has no ground and the makeshift
venue does not attract crowds. And also there is a considerable drop in
the overall standard. Something new and fresh is needed to revitalise
the whole show and there are enough high profile personalities in the
society who could bring about the changes needed. Nothing much drastic
but something new and fresh in odd places. A little more effort could
also be made to bring in the crowds. The Nehru Hockey Tournaments as
they are held these days can be likened to formalities that need to be
observed. One could have perhaps understood the practice of people
clinging to their posts in the various federations in the period
immediately after independence. In fact the practice went on for quite
some time till the government came out with the guidelines. But now with
more and more people coming in and the system too quietly changing its
pattern the time has come for people to realise that a new generation is
waiting in the wings for a chance to serve. It is time that sports
federations and other such conglomerates realise it and accept the need
for changes. There is no denying that old is gold but one cannot stop
progress. One remembers a major athletic meet when one of the parents,
on seeing some of the officials on duty remarked, that something never
change. These officials were there in my father’s time and they still
continue now in my son’s time. |
NFL’s leading scorer FC Kochin’s Joe
Paul Ancheri, who recently represented India in the Millennium Cup, is
currently the leading scorer in the fifth edition of the National
Football League which has entered its seventh round.With four goals to
his credit, Ancheri is ahead of several other stars who are virtually
breathing down his neck. FC Kochin, who beat winners of the inaugural
edition JCT Phagwara 1-0 at Kochi on February 15, have also jumped to
the top spot with 15 points from four victories and three draws in the
12-team league by virtue of this win. The Kochi outfit are one of the
three teams who have not lost any match in the league so far.The others
are Mohun Bagan and debutants Vasco. Joe Paul Ancheri has been a
familiar figure in this part of the region. When the National Football
League was launched in 1996, Ancheri,along with other stars like IM
Vijayan,Baichung Bhutia,Carlton Chapman,and Stephan Abarowei joined the
ranks of JCT Phagwara and eventually guided the Punjab outfit to the
memorable title win.However,a knee injury kept Ancheri out of action for
a long spell but he soon recovered before shifting to FC Kochin. In
the current league, FC Kochin have so far scored 12 goals, the highest
number by any participating team,out of which Ancheri alone has scored
four. His first goal came in the match against Salgaocar which FC Kochin
won 3-2; the second against Goa’s Churchill Brothers which they won
2-1; the third against ITI which they drew 1-1; and the fourth against
Mohun Bagan which they drew 2-2. Among others who are following close
behind with three goals are Jose Baretto(Mohun Bagan), RC Prakash(Mohun
Bagan),Kashimov Avazbek (Vasco), Bruno Coutinho(Salgaocar),Climax
Lawrence(Salgaocar), Dipendu Biswas(East Bengal) and Abdul Hakkim (SBT). |
Magic and mystery of Cuban boxing ALL
the hype and
hoopla surrounding the retirement of Cuban boxing icon Felix Savon has
subsided. Now is the time to provide answers to some searching questions
about the magic and mystery of Cuban boxing. Why is the tiny Caribbean
nation regarded as the worlds boxing powerhouse? Why are Cuban boxers
hot ? Boxing is taught in innumerable clubs dotting the narrow alleys
of Havana. There, every evening is the same. As the gentle light fades
fast, a sweet chaos prevails. Soft strains of Mozart intrude.That is
till the ring is invaded by nagging coaches, cloaked fighters, busy
seconds. The gloves are checked, the air is punched and practice starts.
Now the Mozart is replaced with a different music — boxing. Yes, the
world admits that Cubans are good boxers. In fact, not good but
beautiful boxers. Beautiful as a panther who quietens an entire jungle
in trepidation and respect when his sleek body rises for the hunt. And
like panthers there is an earthly, deathly aura surrounding these
boxers, too. Evidence exists that Cuban’s initially took advantage
of some East German expertise. Perhaps not directly in coaching, but in
setting up comprehensive selection and training systems. Add to it the
fact that children are initiated into the sport at a very early age. And
we have a semblance of an answer. There is much intellect to Cuban
boxing. Each weight category demands a different blend of energy,
caution, aggression and muscle and the Latin boys are archive material
in this respect. Modern sports science stresses greatly the virtue of
cerebral advantage: talent is not sufficient, an athlete must have the
ability to grasp, assimilate, and use tactics,information and advise.
The Cubans are lightening quick to disassemble an opponent,sending
electric signals from the brain to various parts of the body on what to
do. They have their technique down pat, have set patterns but
interspersed with variations.They understand boxing. Take legend Felix
Savon who was virtually a Mohammad Ali reincarnate. At the peak of his
prowess, Savon had superior hand speed, his sinewy arms flicked in and
out like a snake’s tongue, and as lethal. And rarely was he hit - for
he played the`invisible man’, courtesy his fleeting footwork. More the
shame for his love for the cigar chomping Fidel Castro and his comrades
meant he could not turn professional. Teofilo Stevenson was another
Cuban legend whose sense of patriotism did not allow him to turn pro. A
final factor is stamina — the freshness of movement and commitment to
dance that the Cubans display when the bell goes for the fifth round, is
enough to destroy the already fragile psyche of their opponents. Some
huff, some puff, some stumble, some duck in agonisingly slow motion -but
the Cuban is shooting lefts faster than the first round. Yes, these
Cubans can dance all night, under any moon, in any ring. The question-
why are Cuban boxers hot-still remains unanswered. The secret perhaps is
the harmony within their souls. And that far no one can see. Sometimes
it is better just to sit and watch and marvel at their genius.And not to
think, how it happens. |
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Volleyball takes a retrograde step THE
retrograde and perfunctory manner in which Indian sports functions was brought home tellingly when Delhi hosted the second National Volleyball League preliminary group matches at a non-descript venue at the far-flung Ashok Vihar area in Delhi from February 6 to 12. The League was bereft of the basics, but it’s to the credit of the players and the quietly efficient officials that they put up with every inconvenience and discomfort to make the League a success. The National League was conceptualised by the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) as a competition equal in importance only to the Senior National Championship. Yet, the VFI paid scant attention to the organisational part, and but for the enthusiasm shown by a motley band of dedicated officials, led by Delhi Volleyball Association (DVA) president Kuldip Vats, and his soft-spoken secretary-general, Gopi Nathan, it would not have been possible for Delhi to conduct the League (the other leg of the preliminary league was held in Renukoot, Uttar Pradesh). First, the VFI got the timings wrong, when it decided to go ahead with the league, despite a massive earthquake devastating most parts of Gujarat. While the whole country was focussing its attention on the relief works in Gujarat, the VFI decided to play ball, by shifting the venue of the Super League from Baroda (the new venue, though, is yet to be announced and there is the possibility of the Super League being cancelled!) and went ahead with the preliminary league matches in Delhi and Renukoot. But the quake made things difficult for the DVA, as the League failed to attract a good sponsor, nor could it afford a proper venue to host the League matches, on its own. Mr Vats also blamed the Delhi Government and the Sports Authority of India for their “non-cooperative attitudes” to complicate matters for the DVA. Consequently, an unused and encroached upon park in the Ashok Vihar shopping complex area, full of ditches and potholes, was levelled with mud, and readied for the competition overnight, as it were, though whenever a breeze swept past the court, it kicked up a maze of dust, making play difficult. But the players bore with the conditions without complaining, and therefore, it came as nothing short of a minor quake, when the VFI Technical Committee “scratched” the Karnataka men’s team for “violating rules”, after they had completed their five-match preliminary league campaign, to finish second in the group, behind leaders Punjab. Karnataka’s fault was that they fielded four players, instead of the permitted limit of three, who had not figured in their playing squad for the Senior National Championship at Kozhikode a few weeks back. Karnataka were scratched following a complaint lodged by the Chandigarh team, who themselves had finished at the wooden spoon position, after getting battered at the hands of all other teams. The purpose of starting the National League was to give the players more competitions at the national level, at par with the National Championship, and if Karnataka had fielded players who were not part of their National Championship squad, the VFI should have adopted a “more the merrier” attitude, instead of penalising them. The purpose of the National League should be to broaden the talent base, instead of stifling talent growth. But the VFI seems to be following some skewed up rules which result only in killing talent, instead of fostering them. In fact, Karnataka were victimised for the fault of the VFI. If the VFI was very particular in sticking to the rule book, it should have first set its own house in order, as its two Technical Committee members — V.K. Ojha, who is also the Joint-Secretary of the federation, and Stanley D. Levilland — had no clue which as to all teams had brought extra players who did not pass the muster. It was the duty of the VFI to supply its technical committee delegates with the lists of players who had participated in the National Championship a few weeks ago. Karnataka coach Balaji Prabhu said he had intimated the technical committee delegates before the start of the League about the presence of the “extra” players in his team, and the VFI officials had not raised any objection then. He alleged that even hosts Delhi had fielded players who were not in the national team, though he could not pinpoint who all those players were, in the absence of a list of the players who had participated in the National Championship. Kerala too had brought six players who were not part of the National Championship, but three of them were barred from playing in the very beginning, and therefore, the newest national champions did not have to face the fate of Karnataka. Perhaps, there was some vested interest at play in keeping out Karnataka, as their exit promoted hosts Delhi to the second position on the league table, enabling them to have a match-up with Punjab in the final. Kerala, who would have bowed out had Karnataka not been penalised, finished third, to qualify for the Super League. Punjab, who maintained an unbeaten record, emerged the winners of the preliminary league in the men’s section, while Railways took the honours in the women’s section. In the six-team men’s league, Madhya Pradesh ended up fourth, after Karnataka’s exit, and Chandigarh finished at the bottom. On the distaff side, Railways and Karnataka qualified for the Super League by finishing first and second in the preliminary league. Delhi and West Bengal failed to make the cut, finishing third and fourth, respectively. After the Millennium Cup soccer farce, the volleyball fiasco has once again highlighted the lackadaisical way in which sport is run in the country, without any accountability. It’s easy to pass the buck, but very difficult to own up responsibility. And the Indian sportspersons, who are expected to bring laurels from international competitions, remain ever the best man, never the bridegroom. How can they ever bring glory to the country, after honing up their skills on mud courts? Volleyball has always got a raw deal from the Government, and the best example of it was in 1986 when India, after a gap of 17 years, won the bronze medal in the Asian Games, when they finished third at the Seoul Asiad. But on return, chief coach Achutha Kurup found himself stripped of his job, and a few months later, the Government removed volleyball from the “priority list”. So much for fostering sports, Indian style! |
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Punjab cricket The Punjab cricket team deserves a pat on the back for performing magnificently in the north zone Ranji Trophy. They not only won all their Ranji matches by handsome margins (four by innings and one by 199 runs) but also won all their one-day matches. The cricket management of Punjab also deserves congratulations for grooming youngsters like Sodhi, Rickey and Yuvraj Singh. I feel these cricketers will serve not only Punjab for many years to come but will also serve Indian cricket in future. Punjab’s neighbour Haryana should learn a lesson to groom youngsters. VED
PRAKASH, Arjuna Award There is no logic at all in withdrawing the Arjuna Award from ‘tainted’ cricketers as the awards were given on the basis of their contributions, which were no doubt above board. The proposal can never be praiseworthy as the players, who are part and parcel of a corrupt system are being made scapegoats. Officials conerned are equally responsible. The players have been defamed, banned from playing and are being looked upon as villains by the public. They are not getting any offers from advertising agencies or film producers. The role of politicians is also under fire. My humble request to politicians is to stop all this and close the chapter as it has already left a permanent stain on the face of cricket, which at one time, was next to religion. DARLING
SAINBHY, Ranatunga Having gone through an article by S. Parvez Kaiser which appeared in The Tribune on December 23 providing information in respect of 24 world Test cricketers who achieved the distinction of playing in 100 Test matches in their career, I found Arjuna Ranatunga’s name missing. He, too, had achieved the rare feat of playing 100 Test matches. After including his name the number of players who were fortunate to play in 100 Test-matches rises to 25. NATHA SINGH, Anand’s win Hats off to Vishwanath Anand for hitting the jackpot at the FIDE World Chess Championship. Anand, hence became the first Indian to achieve this rare feat, through he already has a number of feathers in his cap. The 31-year-old has the unique ability to cross swords with his rivals. While Alexei Shirov was in a mess the confident looking Anand made headway promptly. By this victory he not only became richer by $ 6,60,000 but also realise his aim. HARSUKH
MANJEET, |