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| SPORTS TRIBUNE | Saturday, July 27, 2002, Chandigarh, India |
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Sports keeps Manchester going Poetic justice at last for Kapil World Cup’s unsung heroes |
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Sports keeps Manchester going The world’s first industrial city that was once a model of the emerging industrial society has undergone transformation in character during its march from the Roman days when the place had a military identity, to its present distinction as a sports city. Manchester’s unassailable position in cotton suffered during the Second World War bombing consigning its glorious days to the pages of history. As always, a city is what its inhabitants make it and more so their spirit and their guts. And during its ups and downs it is sports and the sporting spirit that has always kept the city going, not succumbing to adversities but always fighting and coming back strong. Early sports, though different were sports all the same. Today, some of them may be called notorious, such as cockfighting, dog- fighting and bullfighting. Some could be called fun, like sugar-coated loaf, eating, smoking matches, apple-dumpling eating or wheelbarrow racing. There were mad-cap which included climbing up greased pole to retrieve a leg of mutton or chasing a greased pig and bringing it to a halt. And what an appetite for sport! One man, as the records show, ate three pounds of porridge, drank one quart of water, one quart of milk, one quart of small drink and two oatcakes. Another man gobbled nine pounds of cowhead (without bone), drank four quarts of water and one quart of ale and ate three oatcakes. Football was played in early days too but that meant kicking an inflated pig bladder through a rough goal. The teams involved whole of male population divided into two and the game could last a full day. Serious injuries were common. Great lumping kicks were applauded. But red cards were unheard of. No medical was at hand and no one waited with stretchers. Clog fighting, a Lancashire speciality, was popular. Iron tipped clog tipped clogs were used. The contestants would kick each other with clogs landing the blows between knee and ankle. Sometimes spiked clogs made the fight violent and bouts ended in fatalities. And victors, if caught, were transported and in some case even executed. Most contestants and spectators were drunk. As always extremes and excesses led to order and discipline and codifying of sports. The result was the organised leagues and playing of football, cricket, rugby, golf and many more sports. Today, the city breathe sports. At the head of the marching sports squads comes football. The football league was founded in 1888. and Manchester supports eight professional clubs in the premier and league categories. To say Manchester United is a world famous football club does not sufficiently describe its real position. It may not, even if you exhaust all the superlatives. Manchester United is the richest sporting institution in the world — worth over a billion pounds; has the biggest national membership 1,40,000) and the largest number of overseas fan clubs; the largest football merchandise turnover with the greatest profitability. Football is what gives Manchester its identity of hardy, competitive spirit. You see football at second and third leagues centers too and in fact in scores of grounds spread all over. Equally popular is cricket. And the most famous of cricket clubs, Lancashire Cricket Club, founded in 1816 as ‘The Aurora’, is based just down the road from Manchester United. The club was the first to introduce contracts employing all its players. The Indian cricket, perhaps talking a cue, is making some sort of beginning towards this end, triggering off media discussion and criticism. So different in character and yet cricket and football hold sway on Manchestrian sportive culture. Cycling all over Europe is a passion, France de tour being the ultimate in the sport. Manchester has a superb velodrome, with just about the fastest track and 3,500 capacity, and will be the hub of cycling competitions during the Commonwealth Games. The velodrome runs round the year programme of races plus other items. The best part is that general public can try out their skill here at regular sessions. The city boasts of a large number of golf courses spread throughout greater Manchester. Most of these are private but several are public, and all of high quality. Heaton Park Course is closest to the city center and hence most accessible. Rugby is the showcase sport of Europe. No wonder the Rugby 7s will be on show at the closing ceremony of the games. Wigan Warriors is one of the very best professional Rugby league clubs in the world. Salford City Reds, located about 6 km from the city center, is another premier club. Manchester also has ice hockey arena and karting parks; slopes for skiing and snowboarding, and snooker and pool facilities. The latest addition to the sports extravaganza is the National Squash Center in the sport city. Water sports and other outdoor pursuits keep Manchestrians and the tourists occupied and entertained. There are several of these spread at Chorlton, Debdale, Burrs, Castleton, Trafford, Wigan and Hollingworth lake. Grey hound racing is popular at BelleVue Grey Hound stadium that has cosy atmosphere with bars and restaurants where punters flock four nights a week and have real jolly time betting, feasting and even fretting. Close to Belle Vue is a new hockey stadium with a practice and match pitch with about a 1000 seating capacity stands on two sides. But what a pity, India will not be playing hockey at the Commonwealth Games! And let me add, countries, like Barbados figure in the draw. What a shame! All the same, the city has braced itself for the XVII Commonwealth Games most enthusiastically, as this will be a never-before, life-time event in the history of the city-nay UK itself. There is excitement in the air. And the stadia decked in their bridal best are eagerly waiting for the excitement to burst into applause. They expect 5350 athletes, 1050 officials, 2540 VIPs and 2600 journalists to descend on Manchester. And the organisers have prepared in the most meticulous manner, their reception, transport and stay. Ten thousand volunteers have been grilled for over six months to look after every aspect, every contingency to avoid any hitch or hiccup. For transport to be prompt and efficient, the organisers have learnt lessons from the Atlanta chaos. A million visitors will have a bus every minute. Information system is designed to provide details on every mode of public transport and all the bus stops will display screens with real time information. Over 300 buses and 150 stops are linked and bus stops traffic lights are connected via satellite. With countless rehearsals and trials the games are bound to be a resounding success. They are sure to leave happy memories behind, even after the visitors carry them in bagfuls. Also left behind will be the improved sports infrastructure. Three cheers to the Commonwealth Games 2002. |
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Poetic justice at last for Kapil Poetic justice was done, as BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya rightly said, after legendary allrounder Kapil Dev was adjudged the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century. It was not long ago when peerless Kapil Dev shed tears in full media glare after having been accused of match-fixing. It indeed was a pathetic sight to see an emotional Kapil pleading innocence after he had shouldered the burden of the expectations of the cricket-crazy nation for one-and-a-half decades with distinction. Nothing could have vindicated him better than his being chosen ahead of matchless Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar for the unprecedented honour. When "Kapil's Devils" achieved the unthinkable, winning the Prudential World Cup in 1983 stunning favourites and mighty West Indies, Kapil led from the front. Besides, it is Kapil to whom goes the credit of starting the tradition of fast bowling in a country whose batsmen had remained at the receiving end of the fast bowlers the world over. For Kapil, the saga of success began when as a youngster he was picked for the 1978 tour of Pakistan largely at the instance of skipper Bishen Singh Bedi. Though Kapil failed to gain much success as a bowler he gave glimpses of being an aggressive batsman. When India visited England though he was not among wickets he won praise from skipper S. Venkataraghavan who commented after the series: "Kapil bowled his heart out on the tour." By now Kapil had developed speed and accuracy and had discovered his deadly outswinger. Sunil Gavaskar, the then skipper for the following home series against Pakistan, deserves credit for monitoring Kapil's progress as a fast medium bowler and using him shrewdly for the benefit of the team. Kapil bowled with a lot of verve and enthusiasm to lead India to 2-0 victory over their arch-rivals. During the Calcutta Test in February 1980 Kapil completed a double ( 100 wickets and 1000 runs) in a record time of 1 year and 107 days. With this superlative performance Kapil announced his arrival on the international stage. During the 1980-81 tour Down Under Kapil defied excruciating pain and bowled India to a memorable victory in Melbourne Test. Australia needed just 100-odd runs for a win. An inspired Kapil ripped apart the strong Australian batting. He claimed five for 28 as the hosts were bowled out for paltry 82 giving India a historic victory. Appointed skipper for the tour of West Indies in 1982-83, he achieved a personal milestone during the tour completing 200 wickets and 2000 runs in his 50th Test when he was 24. Kapil reserved his best and inspired his team to give off the best at the Prudential World Cup in England in 1983. Against Zimbabwe India were down in the dumps at 17 for 5. Using his willow like a sledgehammer Kapil single-handedly changed the course of history hitting brilliant 175 not out which paved the way for an incredible Indian win. Then in the crucial match against Australia Kapil was again in the thick of action taking five for 43 at Nottingham to script another historic win for the country. An athletic Kapil running hard and taking a stunning catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the final will always remain etched in the minds of avid cricket enthusiasts. India denied West Indies a hat-trick and lifted the World Cup at the hallowed Lord's. Kapil scored 303 runs at 60.60 per innings besides taking 12 wickets. Immediately after the World Cup West Indies reached India
on a long tour and thrashed India badly to avenge the humiliation meted out to them at World Cup. Kapil, however, left his mark with a dream spell of 9 for 83 at Ahmedabad to prove that he could be as deadly and effective as any of the dreaded pace quartet of Windies. Many believed that the burden of captaincy was a bit too much for Kapil and he was relieved of the responsibility for the England tour of 1984-85. A rare setback was in store for Kapil when he was dropped for the Calcutta Test as a punishment for playing an "irresponsible shot" in the Delhi Test when a little longer stay at the wicket would have salvaged a draw for India. Otherwise during his glittering career spanning 17 years the gifted all rounder had never missed a match on account of injury. The mantle of captaincy again fell on Kapil when Gavaskar stepped down 1n 1985. Kapil's march forward continued and he became the youngest cricketer to complete 30 wickets and 3000 Test runs. Employing the most uncomplicated means Kapil toyed with England Eddie Hammings hammering the hapless off-spinner for four sixes in a row to help his team avert a follow-on at Lords Test in 1990. Kapil ensnared Australian opener Mark Taylor as his 400th Test victim at Perth in 1991-92. The ace all rounder finally claimed the scalp of Hashan Tillekaratne on February 8, 1994 to overtake Sir Richards Hadlee, the highest wicket taker in the world before bowing out of the first class cricket on November 2, 1994. Noted cricket writer Peter Roebuck wrote after Kapil crossed the 400-wicket mark: "What is truly outstanding about Kapil Dev is that he has been a pace bowler in India where sun beats with unrelenting ferocity, where pitches are more often brown than green and he has done it without much support." S. Venkataraghavan, a distinguished ICC umpire under whom Kapil played was of the firm view that Kapil, a natural hitter of the ball, had it in him to walk into a Test side on the basis of his batting skill alone. Gavaskar wrote after Kapil ended his career that had Kapil taken his batting seriously he would have easily added a minimum of a thousand runs to his tally of 5248 runs in 131 Tests. |
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World Cup’s unsung heroes The US team are the only unsung heroes of FIFA 2002 World Cup. They performed creditably. But, if your own countrymen will not cheer you, who else will? Most Americans didn’t even care that there was a World Cup. Football is a waste on them. They won’t even call it by its proper name. They play a game which is an armoured version of rugby, where an object that is not even a round ‘ball,’ is thrown about generally by hand, but insist that it should be called “football”. And for the one where a spherical object is actually dribbled all the way from one end to the other mostly by foot, they have the name ‘soccer’. Eight year ago FIFA figured that by holding the World Cup in USA they could cajole them into joining the rest of the world in discovering the joy of this great sport. That never happened. A similar logic went into the staging of the women’s football World Cup in the same country in 1999. Not only was America the host, they went on to win the final against China at the Rice Bowl, Pasadena, California. The regulation time went goal less. In the penalty shoot-outs Brandi Chastain, after scoring the deciding goal, jumped in delight and ripped off her shirt. Though later she pleaded momentary insanity no one was complaining. Her impromptu strip-tease, seen by millions on television, and a full stadium, should have been the icing on the cake after a great sporting victory. But, no. A great number of people, including Chicago Tribune’s sports writer Skip Bayless still had a mental block about the game. In his column he asked why anyone should watch a game in which they played for two-hours and no one scored. “Imagine Jordan and Reggie going for it for an entire (basketball) game and two overtimes without ever getting a single clean shot”! Americans are possessive about sports they invented and which anybody else would be embarrassed to take credit for. And so long as they stick to their own version of popular sports what the rest of the world plays will be of little interest to them. |
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Triumph of team spirit Heartiest congratulations to the Indian cricket team for their victory against England in the NatWest triangular series. Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh were the real architects of the incredible India victory. If Nasser Hussain and Trescothick milked the Indian bowling, Saurav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Kaif and Yuvraj Singh tore the England bowling to shreds. It was a war of nerves but the Almighty was with the Indians. It was triumph of team spirit. It was a victory of coaching abilities of John Wright. Both the teams played up to their potential but India had an edge. The role of Saurav Ganguly and Varinder Sehwag cannot be brushed aside. They displayed firm determination, courage and mental toughness. Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh kept their cool when they were at 146 for 5 and never succumbed to the pressure. Harbhajan Singh drove the last nail in the coffin by hitting a six at the critical juncture. K.L.
SETHI, Chandigarh II Victory at Lords is no less important than the World Cup win. All members of the team deserve praise for their collective effort. But excessive praise can be harmful. British media, too, is singing songs in praise of the Indian brigade. The Indian team should guard against such tactics. CHANDER
MOHAN SAHI, Patiala Kapil’s selection Kapil could never have thought that he would be adjudged ‘‘Cricketer of the Century’’ since other contenders like Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar were equally strong. The judges have done justice with the ‘‘Haryana Hurricane’’. He brought laurels to the country and took Indian cricket to the pinnacle. Young cricketers must follow in his footsteps. VIPUL
KANSAL, Ambala City Singapore’s feat Singapore recorded the biggest victory in the annals of one-day cricket in the ACC Trophy. Playing against Thailand, they plundered 440 runs for two off 50 overs, an incredible total but a one-day cricket world record. Then bowling them out for 115, they trounced their opponents by 325 runs, an all time high margin. Their batting maestro Kapila Mendis blazed his way to 191 off just 139 balls smashing 15 fours and nine sixes, a marvellous feat indeed. Earlier, it was Sri Lanka who had amassed the best one-day total by scoring 398 for five against Kenya in 1996. However, Singapore’s mammoth and whirlwind onslaught came to naught as they failed to secure a semifinal berth in the tournament. Anyway, their stupendous achievement cannot be belittled. TARSEM
S. BUMRAH, Batala |
Poetic justice was done, as BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya rightly said, after legendary allrounder Kapil Dev was adjudged the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century. It was not long ago when peerless Kapil Dev shed tears in full media glare after having been accused of match-fixing.
It indeed was a pathetic sight to see an emotional Kapil pleading
innocence after he had shouldered the burden of the expectations of the
cricket-crazy nation for one-and-a-half decades with distinction.
