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| SPORTS TRIBUNE | Saturday, August 2, 2003, Chandigarh, India |
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Indian sport on the upswing A welcome change in attitude Teeing-off |
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Indian sport on the upswing
THE recent triumph of Kolkata’s East Bengal in the Asean Football Tournament in Jakarta has come like the icing on a cake of Indian sports, which over the years had become cricket centric thanks largely to the media, largely due to the lack of success in any other discipline. But now suddenly Indian sport is on an upswing. Success has come in various disciplines — from hockey, to tennis, to volleyball and shooting — which augurs well not only for the players but also for those who organise sports in the country. It is only such successes which help them to get the much needed sponsorship without which sport at any level just cannot flourish or be conducted. But with the Indian cricket season just round the corner with a string of international matches lined up, the tempo has to be maintained. Otherwise there is that lurking fear that Indian sports might again become cricket centric which can only harm the interests of those who do not play cricket but wish to pursue other disciplines. In fact, the Indian cricket team has been out of action since March last when it defied all odds to make the final of the ICC World Cup in South Africa, losing to eventual champions Australia in the final. But since then Indian cricket and Indian cricketers have been out of the limelight and the performance of the players who are taking part in the England county circuit have been relegated to the background in the face of some indifferent performance of the cricketers and the wonderful performance of boys and girls in other disciplines. In tennis Hyderabad’s young star Sania Mirza became the first Indian girl to claim a title in Wimbledon where she, partnering Alisa Kleybanova, claimed the junior girls doubles. In the same tournament Leander Paes helped legendary Martina Navratilova claim a record grand slam title when they both won the mixed doubles title, but it was Sania’s feat which hogged the limelight. Paes and Martina had together won the title at the Australian Open which gave a new lease of life to Paes’ sagging tennis career. Sania’s win is a huge boost to Indian tennis, coming as it does after Sania, then in partnership with Sanaa Bambri, reached the semifinals of the girls doubles event in the French Open which preceded the Wimbledon championship. It was in Paris that veteran Indian campaigner Mahesh Bhupathi picked up yet another grand slam mixed doubles title, in partnership with Russian Elena Likhovtseva, but it is in the youngsters where the future of Indian tennis lies. But Sania knows that she has to work really hard to make a mark in the pro circuit but now that she has come under the wings of Mahesh Bhupathi she is bound to get the right guidance from somebody who has been playing international tennis for years. But there was still more to come. For the first time the Indian under-19 volleyball team finished runners-up in the Youth World Championship in Thailand, losing to the formidable Brazilian squad in the final. What is now needed is sponsorship and the right kind of coaching for these youngsters to scale even greater heights. The team is yet to find a sponsor without which the Volleyball Federation of India would be hardpressed to provide the right type of inputs to the players. In contrast the Indian hockey players were more successful in roping in a sponsor when Sahara (the same company which sponsors the Indian cricket team ) came forward to sponsor Indian hockey for the next four years after the team’s wonderful effort to win two international tournaments — in Sydney and in Hamburg in Germany — in a span of just one month. But the biggest challenge for the Indian hockey team is to qualify for the Olympics at Athens next year but the way the team is shaping up this should not prove to be an insurmountable task. But some Indians have already qualified for the Athens Olympics. Leading the pack is Chandigarh’s 20-year-old Abhinav Bindra who has already grabbed a spot for the 10-metre air rifle event (he will be participating in the Olympics for the second time in a row) who followed fellow shooter Anjali Bhagwat, who also has booked her seat for the Athens Games. Also booking a seat for Athens are the Indian archery men and women teams. In addition, two men and one woman have also qualified for the individual archery events at Athens. It is time for some agency, may be the government, to come forward and provide funds for these young sportspersons to prepare fully for the ‘‘greatest show on earth’’ scheduled to take place in an year’s time. |
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A welcome change in attitude RECENT happenings in Indian sport is a sign that there has been a welcome change in attitude all around. One of the main reasons for the new found patrons in hockey and volleyball in particular is the victories notched in the international arena. Everyone loves a winner and Indians are no different! Thus for the first time in the history of India the captain of an Indian hockey team has his birthday recorded in the media and celebrated all over. Dhanraj Pillay must be the most happy man in the world. From being the media’s whipping boy he has converted to a hero. No fault of the media though. Dhanraj Pillay has been his own enemy and friend. His over-aggressive attitude on the field has rightly drawn flak from the media and perhaps has even cost him international acclaim, losing out in the ‘best player’s award of the International Hockey Federation. At the same time he cannot complain about the lack of praise from all sources and the public adulation he has received. He deserves it too. One can state without reservation that Dhanraj Pillay has been one of the biggest contributing factors for the recent high profile attained by Indian hockey. The success of the hockey team has had a welcome fallout. The biggest gain for the game will be the change of heart in the ranks of Doordarshan. As per reports DD has decided to revise its position on hockey and reassess its commercial stand on lesser sport. The most important result of the change in policy is that hockey fans would now be able to see live the Champions’ Trophy held in Holland next month. And then there is the promise of coverage of other international matches for future. Then also perhaps for the first time in India individual players have attracted sponsors. According to reports Dhanraj Pillay, Gagan Ajit Singh and Jugraj Singh among others have landed endorsement deals with Percept D’Mark, with Pillay’s amount valued at Rs 25 lakh a year. Also in line for some cash recognition is Prabhjot Singh. Other names will, one hopes, will soon crop up for such monetary gains. Money has never been a part of an Indian hockey player’s life no matter how well the team performs. The welcome and kudos to the wrestling team from Canada was but expected even though the standard of competition was reportedly not of the highest class. But medals do not have the quality of competition written on them and there is no questioning the merits of a win. One, however, was extremely happy with the reception and response to the silver-medal winning volleyball team from the World Youth Championships in Suphanburi. This is a game with deep roots in India, particularly in the South where it still draws big crowds. The publicity received by the players and the discussion in the media shows a big change in attitude. Apart from the brilliant performance in the championships, the Indians also had one of the players, Kamraj, voted as the best setter in the competition. That is indeed high praise and achievement and should go a long way in attracting attention from the right sources in the country. Volleyball is certainly inching its way back from exile. Tennis, a personality-oriented sport, provided a new champion material in Sania Mirza. Sania has been in the news in a quiet sort of way with regular wins at the junior level. But this girl from Hyderabad suddenly became the centre of attraction in the Indian media after being part of the title-winning pair in the Wimbledon championship’s junior doubles. And rightly, too, the response came in form of cash and kind and of course high praise from all sources. It is good for tennis, particularly women’s tennis in India which has always been a low key affair. Sania and her victory has certainly caused a change in attitude. The change in attitude towards games other than cricket is a new trend in Indian sport. It has been brought about by success abroad. But that success had been based on hard work at home by the individuals and the teams. One sincerely hopes that the thinking process and the change of heart will help in the promotion and progress of these disciplines. |
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Teeing-off AT the picturesque ‘Royal Springs in Srinagar, Jyoti Randhawa rose as a royal in winning the Kashmir Open, which had a rousing start and pulsating finish. Most of the participants seemed motivated and inspired in playing on this wonderful course, which had nothing but a friendly ambience. Randhawa was closely followed by Harmeet Kahlon. Except for the first day when he muffed some easy opportunities, Kahlon played as well as Randhawa. There was planning in his game and his strokes came along superbly on three days. His last day’s superlative performance saw him finish only one stroke behind Randhawa at 276. Displaying that he was in good form and relaxed mood even after his indifferent performance in the British Open, Randhawa played like a true professional. But his international career will display tremendous upswing only when he plays more consistently than he does. He, as also Harmeet, must realise that brooding is golf’s deadliest enemy. One, who takes a long time to forget bad moments, will seldom be able to play to his potential. In cricket, it is said, ‘tomorrow is another day’. Similarly, in golf, every hole is a new hole and it should be addressed without any worry or anxiety. The Kashmir Open title came to Randhawa after a long period of 27 months. He said he was keen to win it for several reasons. Two important reasons were that he had begun his career in Jammu and Kashmir and second he was in love with this course. The win for Randhawa was a moral-booster. He left for the Japan PGA Tour in a happy frame of mind and he should be able to perform there well, if he plays with the same cool temperament as he did in Srinagar. He and also Jeev Milkha Singh must bear in their minds that no player is superior to them in technique and stroke-production. They are equal to all participants and that they are playing against themselves and against the course and not against any other professional. All participants were unanimous in praising the course, which played easy and true. The organisation, as used, was meticulous. What rendered the competition a great success was that the local authorities showed immense warmth and provided lavish hospitality to the players. Maybe, more than one tournament should be held in the valley. |
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Kudos to East Bengal for historic win KUDOS to the East Bengal team for bringing glory to the country through their heart-warming performance in the inaugural LG Asean Club Cup Football Championship at Jakarta. Last year India did remarkably well to win the 2002 LG Cup in Vietnam. Also, far away in northern Ireland, the Indian football under-18 team’s performance deserves even better attention. Surely, the recent exploits of the national football teams augur well for Indian football. Soccer is a global phenomenon. Whenever an India soccer team performs admirably abroad, it attracts far greater attention than cricket because the latter is confined to only a few countries which can be counted on one’s fingers. Soccer is a fiercely competitive game. The Tribune deserves hearty congratulations for its remarkable job in highlighting this great triumph of East Bengal.
G.S. Jaidka MS Bhullar In the report ‘M S Bhullar and Punjab sports’ published in The Tribune on July 25, Amardeep Bhattal has summed up the feelings of the well-wishers of sports in Punjab most expressively by recording the exceptional contribution of Mr Bhullar towards sports as a police officer. As a teacher of Mr M.S. Bhullar, I too, join the chorus of Punjabis in applauding the role of the DGP in the promotion of Punjab sports. Mehal Singh Bhullar was a student of the then Government Middle School, Thatha Kishan Singh in Zira tehsil of Ferozepore district. He was modest, simple and sober. Volleyball was the only game that this poor school in a backward area could afford. Friends prevailed upon him to play volleyball. Very soon he was a pillar of strength of our volleyball team. I remember how our team defeated the then Government High School, Zira, in a Republic Day match at Zira by 15-0.Sweet and few were the words that M.S. Bhullar used to speak at that stage. Friends, teachers, even the school peon loved and respected him. Prof
D.R. Sharma Waugh’s feat Three cheers to Australian skipper Steve Waugh for notching up a record 37 Test wins after defeating Asian Test minnows Bangladesh by an innings and 132 runs. He not only surpassed the record of 36 wins in 74 Tests by Clive Lloyd but his success rate in comparison to the Windies’ captain is very high. After winning the World Cup the Australian team is giving a good performance in Test matches also. Ramandeep Chawla Stadium needed A world class stadium is the need of the hour in Dehra Dun. The parade ground hardly meets the needs as there is no parking facility. The stadium can be situated a little away, but should have all the necessary facilities. Siddharth |
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