Aditya played like a champion
K. R. Wadhwaney
Aditya Singh (category B 12-14 years) played like a ‘commander’ at the Commando Course (Sembawang) in the recently-concluded Singapore Junior Championship. He bagged the title with the gross score of 231 (54 holes) although he was not in the officially-sponsored three-member team of the Indian Golf Union (IGU).

IPFA proposals will benefit Indian soccer
Ramu Sharma
The Indian Professional Football Association has finally spelt out its actual role in the running of the game in India. The outcome of the meeting of the IPFA in Mumbai in the third week of June may perhaps be construed as the working of a body parallel to the All India Football Federation but the proposal and plans, if given a proper direction and implemented in totality, will certainly be beneficial to both the game and the players and thus should be welcomed even by the official apex authority.

Immigrants, cricket and hooliganism
V. Gangadhar

At the Lord’s pavilion, the hallowed headquarters of English cricket, Australian cricketer Michael Bevan rubbed his jaw and looked in disbelief at his narrow escape from being knocked out by a full can of beer thrown by one of the rowdy spectators. The missile had glanced at Bevan’s cheek after missing the big-made, sleepy looking Pak batting star, Inzamam-ul-Haq. But "Inzy" looked as bored as usual.

The players had gathered after the cancellation of the prize winning ceremony at the end of the final of the triangular series, comfortably won by Australia. The match, played before a full house, was watched by thousands of Pak immigrants who, as usual, waved the green flags and shouted themselves hoarse. But their favourite team could not do anything right on that day.

While officials at Lord’s were pondering over their next move, the TV commentators led by former England batting star David Gower kept up an animated discussion on the indignities heaped on the noble game of cricket. Gower avoided naming Pakistan and went on making general comments on the crowd discipline the world over.

Not so, former England captain and pace bowler Bob Willis. Willis blasted the Pak spectators and wondered why they alone indulged in hooliganism. A vociferous minority had held the silent majority to ransom, he fumed. Finally he commented on the behaviour of the modern youngsters who were a law unto themselves and cared little while inflicting misery on others.

"While we were young, we did not behave like this," he pointed out. "We were noisy occasionally, but learnt to appreciate good cricket in an atmosphere of discipline and order." Wise words, but no longer relevant.

Cricket, of course, was born in England and it is not surprising it had a hallow past which is still remembered fondly. That was why there was a sense of shock at the frequent pitch incursions by the crowds this summer in the matches against Pakistan. This simply was not done. Crowd invasions, bottle throwing, lathi charges, tear gas and other unpleasant activities were associated with cricket in the sub continent and occasionally, the Caribbean. But England?

Cricket in England was a gentlemanly game despite the emergence of a vociferous group of local supporters who called themselves the "Barmy Army" and accompanied their team wherever it toured.

It is surprising that gentlemanly behaviour was expected from English cricket fans even as the British soccer fans who indulged in violence and hooliganism, created terror both in England and elsewhere. The fans, drunk on beer and hard liquor, terrorised other spectators, pelted rocks and fought battles with the local police. The soccer hooligans among whom there were not many immigrants came to be regarded with terror all over Europe. In fact, their arrival was banned by some of the European nations and serious doubts were expressed in soccer circles whether international tournaments like the European Cup or the World Cup could ever be allotted to England in the years to come.

Football, of course is more of a blood and guts game, arousing strong passions. Perhaps that was why the traditional Briton and the national media in the country, while condemning the football hooligans, expressed more outrage at the recent pitch invasions. But there was a major difference. Unlike the violent football fans, who were mostly white and British, the cricket hooligans were immigrants from the Asian nations and the West Indies. The judgement on them was bound to be harsher. They could be accused of "polluting", the noble British tradition of cricket.

Even while soccer hooliganism was condemned, it had come to be grudgingly accepted. But not the happenings on the cricket field. That was why cricket matches in England had only limited security which was in the hands of the stewards of the respective centres. Believe it not, even now there were no fences to prevent crowd invasion. There was no ban on drinking provided the spectators brought with them their own beer or hard spirits. The traditional British spectators viewed the cricket scenario like a picnic. On sunny days, the women appeared in bikinis, the men swigged beer and families enjoyed picnic lunches. The picturesque English cricket grounds had enough room for all these pleasant activities. Naturally, they were disturbed than other games and was viewed not just as a game, but as a way of life. Hence the terms like ‘not playing cricket’, "keeping a straight bat" and so on. Traditional lovers of the game were getting disturbed at what was happening and one should not be surprised if the immigrants were blamed for the problems.

Trouble erupted only when England played teams from the sub continent, or occasionally the West Indians. But even the West Indian immigrants were a lot more disciplined than their counterparts from India and Pakistan. Now, England and Australia had been traditional cricket rivals for the "Ashes", but there were hardly and crowd invasions when the teams clashed in England. The sole exception was the occasional streaker, both male and female, who provided some extra entertainment. In a week’s time, another Ashes series will start, but one can be assured that there would be no crowd invasions or violence on the grounds.

Going back to the statement by Bob Willis on the changing values among today’s youth, one had to agree with him to a certain extent. The British youth who created havoc during soccer matches involving their home nation could be accused of not having any values. It was mostly drink and excessive exuberance which drove them to a frenzy. Coupled with this was the feeling of xenophobia. In the case of cricket hooliganism from the sub continent, it was the inborn lack to discipline in the family backgrounds and overall system which led to bottle throwing and pitch invasions. If their team was doing well, the Pakistanis had to do something to show off their exuberance. And the frustration came out when this did not happen and their team lost. Throwing a full can of beer was a reflection of this frustration. The much-touted Pakistani team was simply bulldozed by the mighty Aussies and some of the Pak supporters could not stomach this.

As for the Indian spectators in England, they are an equally noisy, flag waving group. Many of them smeared their bodies with orange, green and white paints, which appeared on their national flags. The Indian spectators also rushed to the field but only after the match was over. And so far in England, they had not thrown missiles at the players. But I am sure, all these will take place, next time India toured England. After all, pitch invasions, missile throwing and other instances of hooliganism were common on Indian grounds. And Indians remained Indians wherever they had settled down. The same rule applied to Pakistanis settled abroad.

What then is the solution? The British authorities must come out of the ivory towers. The grounds must be protected with strong fencing and police brought in to help the local stewards. The South African security used fierce dogs to keep away unruly spectators. In Australia, the intruders were caught, booted out unceremoniously and fined heavily. It is time such steps were taken in English grounds. The time to worry about changing cultural values had gone for ever. The over excited immigrant population will not watch cricket matches, sporting a stiff upper lip and nibbling cucumber sandwiches. If English spectators wanted to watch cricket in peace, sterner security measures are urgently needed.

Aditya played like a champion
K. R. Wadhwaney

Aditya Singh (category B 12-14 years) played like a ‘commander’ at the Commando Course (Sembawang) in the recently-concluded Singapore Junior Championship. He bagged the title with the gross score of 231 (54 holes) although he was not in the officially-sponsored three-member team of the Indian Golf Union (IGU).

Harinder Gupta (227) finished runner-up in the A category (15-17 years). Chiragh Kumar (category A) flattered to deceive while Jaskirat Dullet and Manav Jaini could not strike form. Unquestionably the best among five, Aditya did not get overawed by the Air Force-managed hazardous course. He was unconcerned about his redoubtable rivals, hitting the ball long and showing a lot of concentration and accuracy in playing a short game. Not for nothing had Greg Norman predicted that he was ‘champion material’ at Mumbai when he was merely 9 years old.

The 72-par course was short (5942 metres) from the Blue Tees. It comprised 10 holes in the first nine and eight in back. The participants were allowed to practice on the eve of the tournament. They had to work their own strategy with heavy bags on their shoulders. They were not allowed the benefit of caddies. This was done with a view to render them tough and rough.

Chiragh Kumar was the best on the opening day. He fired par 72. He was praised by the officials and the media took notice of his display. Aditya shot 75. Both Chiragh and Aditya seemed complacent by midday. Wayward in their play, Chiragh shot 83 and Aditya 82. Harinder came from behind to shoot 75 to stay in contention. Dullet shot 77.

The third day’s play was marred by rain. The play had to be called off. When play resumed, Aditya was in form. He finished with 74 to win the title. Harinder was leading by a hole in the 10th when he had a stroke of bad luck. Not aware of the rules, he had to bear a triple bogey instead of a bogey with his ball lying in the water hazard. He played it as a lost ball and returned to the tee to hit the third shot. But for this lapse he might have won the title which went to Yang Lee Keong (Singapore). His aggregate was 225 while Harinder’s was 227.

The IGU’s role again came in for criticism. It did not sponsor Aditya for unknown reasons. It did not help the juniors in any way, but help came from other quarters like, DLF Club, Classic Resorts and the Delhi Gold Club. It is not known why is the IGU neglecting juniors, who are after all going to be future champions.

Of the 37 participants, 22 came from Singapore. With feeble participation of foreign countries, the tournament was not as efficiently managed as it should have been. The satisfactory outcome of this competition is that some Indian youngsters may be provided kit by Mizuno Gold Club (Singapore).

The juniors deserve better attention and facilities. Promising players must be allowed to take part in at least 5 to 6 international competition in a year.

When Tiger Woods was a youngster, he went to attend on his father, who was hospitalised but when his father saw Woods, he virtually threw him out of the hospital on to the course. This is what our parents must learn to do instead of clustering around their sons and daughters. Our youngsters are already over-protected. That is why they do not possess killer instinct which is so essential.

The parents, as a rule, are more nervous than the players. Their nervousness renders the players tense and edgy and they invariably fail to perform to their potential. Leave the youngsters alone.

No parent should accept the post of the manager if his son or her daughter is the member of the team.

IPFA proposals will benefit Indian soccer
Ramu Sharma

The Indian Professional Football Association has finally spelt out its actual role in the running of the game in India. The outcome of the meeting of the IPFA in Mumbai in the third week of June may perhaps be construed as the working of a body parallel to the All India Football Federation but the proposal and plans, if given a proper direction and implemented in totality, will certainly be beneficial to both the game and the players and thus should be welcomed even by the official apex authority. In fact what the IPFA has spelt out in its deliberations in the Mumbai meeting is exactly what the AIFF should have done years ago. In the event it does not matter who does the thinking and working as long as the game benefits.

That much thinking has gone into the final minutes of the IPFA meeting in Mumbai is obvious. The body which came into existence before last year’s National League was given shape had gone into hibernation of sorts once the league got underway and the season became even more serious and competitive what with the Sahara Millennium Cup followed by the preparations for the World Cup qualifying. While the Sahara Millennium Cup was a forgettable chapter, the performance of the Indian team in the World Cup qualifying was a shot in the arm for the game in India. Indian football has never presented a more promising picture in the matches. If only for the excellent showing there one can even afford to forget the early departure of the team from the Merdeka Football Tournament.

The waking up of the IPFA should be welcomed. The meeting in Mumbai has crossed borders hitherto unheard of. Two of the more important aspects of the meeting relate to the standard of refereeing and the unethical methods employed by some players during the transfer period. Both need to be studied. The standard of refereeing is certainly not what it should be. There is no doubt about that. It is not that the referees lack knowledge about the rules but it is in the interpretation of them.

And then again the interpretation often depends on the venue and the crowd reaction. Referees are human and their actions have to relate to the atmosphere but not at the cost of interpretation. They are the sole judges of the match and the situation on the ground and sometimes can and do make mistakes but a strong referee will overcome odds and resist pressures of all sorts. It is not clear how the IPFA will solve the problem of substandard referee but the very fact that it is seized of the matter and has discussed it is a step in the right direction.

It is wrong to say that Indian referees need to be re-educated on the laws but they should certainly be given international exposure. The referees could perhaps also attend clinics in England and Europe for this purpose. It must, however, be borne in mind that they will all be doing duty in Indian conditions which vary from venue to venue. No amount of foreign exposure is going to help unless they are assured protection and fair-play from the organisers.

In this connection one goes back to an incident in the old days in the Durand, or perhaps it was the DCM in Delhi. The late Mr Cyril Flory, doyen of sports journalists then, was very fond of recalling one particular incident in an important match. The stadium was packed and the loyalties fiercely divided. The referee blew for a penalty which did not go well either with the public or the Press. In the interval Mr Flory met the referee and asked him why he awarded a penalty, a dubious decision at that.

The referee is supposed to have told him that the second half had yet to be played and anything could happen. Sure enough the referee got his opportunity and now awarded a penalty, this time against the other team. He had made amends as it were but it was the boldness with which he had acted that surprised Mr Flory. He had witnessed a referee make one mistake and repent and make amends with another mistake. This incident involving as it does one of the most respected referees of that time is an example of how even the most efficient of such officials can blunder.

The second aspect of the IPFA meeting in Mumbai referred to the unethical methods used by players during the transfer period. Some players sometime tend to pledge loyalty to more than one club and often land themselves in trouble. The IPFA is reported to be in favour the idea of blacklisting such players who are playing truant to two clubs at the same time. Fortunately this sort of a practice is on a very negligible scale and could be handled by the All-India Football Federation. In fact it comes within the purview of the apex body and not of the IPFA.

Quite often players indulging in such practice are guided not only by financial considerations but also by the tremendous pressure by the touts of the clubs concerned. A newcomer in particular is often caught between friends and his own preferences and this indecision has in the past ended in violence. One remembers reading the case of a famous hockey player who promised to join one club and on arriving in Calcutta changed his mind and almost created a law and order situation. This sort of thing happens more in football in Calcutta and it is the responsibility of the clubs to ensure that players are not tempted to stake their loyalty to more than one club while at the same time guarantee some sort of protection to them.

The IPFA can certainly help avoid such situations by seeking a mandate from the players to fix their financial ratings before the season ends. This is not a practice which is in vogue in the football scenario but given the peculiar problems facing Indian football, it could perhaps be the best solution. The clubs, too, should cooperate by sticking to the grades fixed by the IPFA. This is only a suggestion and a way out of a problem which has in the past created many an unpleasant situation.

The IPFA has done well to dwell on the ground conditions and dressing room facilities at some centres. The All-India Football Federation should pay heed to the IPFA’s minutes of the Mumbai meeting in this regard. Dressing room conditions are bad at most of the Indian venues and need to be revamped. One does not want to talk about the facilities for the public which are almost non-existent in most centres. Though related it does come under a different heading.

Also to be welcome is the IPFA’s move to give priority to the establishing academies at Durgapur and Kochi. The IPFA’s is also within its right to demand a better service from Doodarshan. It is up to the All-India Football Federation to pull up Doordarshan which happens to be the Federation’s only major source of income. Doordarshan in fact has not really served football fans well. Despite the popularity of the game, telecast of football matches in India is of a very poor quality. But then this is an old complaint and will age even more before someone in Doordarshan wakes up.

After being beaten by eight wickets in Bulaway, Zimbabwe cricketers fought brilliantly in the Harare Test. Without big names in the team, they restricted the Indians to just 237 runs in the first innings. All players made significant contributions enabling the team to take a lead of 78 runs which proved decisive. In the second innings also the same story was repeated as the Indian batsmen played without a plan. Being 197 for 3 till the last over on day three, they were bundled out for only 234 on the fourth morning. They could not resist the pressure built by Heath Streak and Blignaut. In the second innings Zimbabwe scored 157 and won the Test to level the series. The Indians had a good chance of winning a series outside the subcontinent after 1986 but their dream was shattered by the fighting Zimbabweans. Not only were the Indian batsman to blame but the team management was also responsible for the unsatisfactory showing.

VED PRAKASH, Kaithal

GIAN PRAKASH KANSAL, Ambala

SUBHASH C. TANEJA, Rohtak

ANKIT ARORA, Rohtak