|
|
|
| SPORTS TRIBUNE |
|
The
‘Rebels’ are back Vishing
for the top Another
chance for Lance |
|
|
|
Vishing for the top Viswanathan Anand
says his upcoming World Championship match against Russia's Vladimir Kramnik would be a battle of nerves because his opponent is as well prepared as he is for the showpiece event. Anand, who is giving undivided attention to his match preparation since April, will defend his World Champion title against Kramnik in Bonn, Germany from October 11. "Well, it's a challenge you have to enjoy it and give it your best. I have prepared well. I guess there is no better way to answer this question," Anand said from Madrid, Spain. "I have done both, a physical regimen as well as extensive work. Since it's a 12-game match keeping the nerves till the end will be very important. Stamina and mental fitness will also be something I will be working on," he said. Anand said he also took care to relax during tournaments. "If you see, on January 1 both Kramnik and myself were number one in the world. We can then see that we have spent the rest of the year just training for each other," said Anand, who slid to the fifth spot. Having said that, Anand insisted he did not repent playing in the Chess Masters Final in Bilbao, which cost him precious rating points and the top ranking. "In Linares, I was able to play well and win and in Wijk (Aan Zee - Corus Championships) make a very strong comeback to get the third place. But since April the focus has clearly been the (World Championship) match. When I went to Bilbao I was quite clear that I wouldn't be in the best of form as I have not really been working on my immediate rivals but rather on one person. So I don't repent having played there," he said. Anand agreed Kramnik was more comfortable in match-plays than the tournament but predicted that the matches would be well fought and hold public interest. "He (Kramnik) is a very classical player and has a very deep understanding of chess. He feels very comfortable in matches. Since we do a lot of work and especially now a days with computers, both of us will have an extensive analysis. I expect the games to be well fought and hopefully interesting for the public.
— PTI
|
|
Another chance for Lance To
sum up a man who has risen from deathbed and gone on to win the most gruelling bicycle race in the world the following quote seems totally apt - “You may shoot me with your words; you may cut me with your eyes; you may kill me with your hatefulness; But still, like air, I’ll rise”. Lance Armstrong came back from the brink of death after battling cancer for two years (1996-98); won the ‘Tour de France’ and also became the first man to win it for seven consecutive years from 1998-2005. Armstrong de facto is a living example of how one man, with resolve in his heart and passion running through his veins can conquer cancer, endless chemo sessions, and still be left with enough breath in his lungs to find a way to ride a bicycle uphill; that too faster and better than anyone else. After a 3-year hiatus, Armstrong, one of the sport’s biggest legends, is all set to hit the road racing track with the goal of winning 2009 Tour de France. Lance claims his comeback is all about spreading global awareness of the threat cancer poses and is hoping to make his competitive return in the same category he always played in i.e. ‘Tiger woods’. Attracting plaudits and censure alike, the ‘never-say-die’ man’s return is making waves all around and even within Astana - his team for 2009. Though few believe his comeback will plainly invite the old doping controversies, which he faced throughout his fabulous career, Astana’s chief Johan Bruyneel is standing firmly behing Armstrong. “He has a charisma that makes people want to go to war with him, sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the team,” Bruyneel says, adding that “It’s not a common trait. I strongly believe he’s a champion in its true sense”. Despite the fact that Armstrong will be making a comeback after a 3-year break, he is all set to ride as Astana’s main rider, a testimony to his grit and the fact that he has built an image where people prefer not provoke him by writing him off. Greg Lemand, former three- time yellow jersey winner, is not very happy hearing Armstrong’s ‘comeback’. “His return is not a good news. It’s like a nightmare that we’ve lived through all these years,” he says referring to the doping allegations that surfaced throughout Armstrong’s career. Dope or no dope, one thing is for sure that when Armstrong does take it to the track next year, the yellow jersey will have another befitting suitor, and if the past is an indicator, an extremely passionate one. |
Sheelpa
Kothari Sorti
Nidhi
Arora
