IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE
Footballer Anwar, who is training at Coventry City at present, says the huge difference between the game in India and abroad lies in the approach to fitness
Vaibhav Sharma

THE Coventry City training ground in the UK has a buzz about it these days. Of course, the new season is around the corner, and there is much to look forward to. But there is something else as well. One look at the training ground, and you see what it is.

A certain Anwar from India has been training with the Coventry boys, and the area is being dominated by the NRIs, and this is making news. Locals come out to see the practice sessions, and Anwar is living the dream life, the life of a football star. But he prefers to keep his feet firmly on the ground.

"Of course, it is a great feeling. I am thrilled to be here, and it is just unbelievable how much I have learnt over the past week or so. It is so different. I mean, in a way you are still just playing football, but the difference is so big that I still get amazed.

"We always knew that English football would be leagues above our standards, but to actually play here, and experience the difference, that is really something. I am sure this stint will benefit my overall game, and also my development as a player," says Anwar, as he gets ready to wind up his training stint with the Sky Blues.

Ask him about the one significant difference, and he is quick and clear with the answer. "It’s fitness. Their levels of fitness are way, way above what we have here. The skill, although it doesn’t look so, is not all that different, but the moment you add their level of fitness to it, their skill gains and becomes very different.

"These guys can run, jump, dribble and work hard for much longer than we can. They also put in an amazing number of hours, not just practising the game, but working up their fitness, too. In the end, the difference is that even if you can’t outsmart your opponent, you will at least outrun him."

He also says that with better infrastructure, the crowds find the game to be more attractive. It is easier to get the crowds in and easier for clubs to generate money. "People have such intensity about the club’s dealings. They are so into all the affairs, and they religiously turn up for whatever matches they play. They support events and other activities by the club. All this makes the running of a football club a far more lucrative scenario than it is in our part of the world.

"Also, the structure of the league, the system in place to ensure its smooth functioning, is really efficient. It makes football look like a totally different sport from what we are used to seeing in India."

So, after seeing how the world treats the most popular sport in the world, does Anwar see any hope for Indian football as well? The eternal optimist does, but adds careful words of caution too. "We have almost all the things required to make football big in our country. What we need is vision and hard work to turn those dreams into reality.

"A country of a billion should be able to produce at least 15 world-class players. The fact that we haven’t does not mean that we are in anyway inadequate as a nation, but it just goes on to highlight our lack of planning. For the sake of Indian football, and the many fans it has, I hope it is just a matter of time before we arrive on the world stage for good."

Let’s hope Anwar’s optimism is on the mark, and he gets to play a bigger role in turning these dreams into reality.

Fitness mantra
Green tea for great shape
Celebrities swear by the slimming and feel-good effects of green tea and more and more youngsters are making it a part of their weight-loss diet since they are ready to follow in the footsteps of the fit and famous
Nancy Sahni

A CUP of tea gives that morning kick to make it a ‘good morning’ for us, but if it is green tea, then it can make a ‘good life ever after’ for everyone.

Green tea is made from unfermented leaves of camellia sinesis. Green tea has been used traditionally for more than 4,000 years in Chinese and Indian culture and medicine, to treat everything from headaches to depression. Why don't other teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the camellia sinesis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) compound from being oxidised. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.

Research says that since green tea contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants, these might help in delaying the ageing process, improve heart health, treat flatulence (gas problem) promote digestion and also improve mental health! More recent studies have found it to be helpful in conditions like cancer, arthritis, inhibits the formation of dental plague, lowers the risk of Type-2 diabetes and may even help increase lifespan. The source of these medicinal properties found in green tea is the high concentration of catechin polyphenols.

So many benefits, but the ‘most happening’ benefit that is making youth of today going ga-ga over green tea is its role in weight loss and helping in keeping them fit as a fiddle.

So, the health benefits of green tea are beyond dispute, but how does it help you to stay slim and burn off those extra pounds? Green tea can actually help you lose weight in two ways:

Firstly, green tea regulates blood sugar levels by reducing the amount of insulin produced. This prevents fat being stored and keeps your appetite under control.

Many studies point out that green tea results in a significant increase in energy expenditure and thus weight loss. Researchers suggest that if the average person were to drink five cups of green tea a day, they would burn an extra 70 to 80 extra calories through an effect known as thermogenesis —the process of heat production in organisms. Research suggest that thermogenesis in green tea occurs to some degree beyond its caffeine content from epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which increases the metabolism of fat. Studies show that 3-5 cups a day of green tea is enough to get the maximum benefits .The average cup of green tea contains between 50-150 mg polyphenols (antioxidants).

Drink a cup of green tea each morning since it's a proven, natural metabolism booster and having your metabolism boosted first thing in the morning will help in efficient calorie burning throughout the day.

You may make green tea a part of your meals by just drinking it along the food. People in China and Malaysia do so and it’s difficult to find anybody overweight and fatigued !

You can even carry it in a thermos to drink wherever you are since it tastes delicious as a refreshing cool summer drink! You won’t have that urge to gulp down that coke if you have a chilled lemony minty refreshing green tea thermos in your bag.

Steeping is the process of making a cup of tea; it is also referred to as brewing. Generally, two grams of tea per 100ml of water, or about one teaspoon of green tea per five ounce cup, should be used.

The hottest steeping temperatures are 81`B0C to 87`B0C (180`B0F to 190`B0F) water and the longest steeping times two to three minutes. The coolest brewing temperatures are 61`B0C to 69`B0C (140`B0F to 160`B0F) and the shortest time is about 30 seconds. Steeping green tea too hot or too long will result in a bitter, astringent brew. Preferably, the container in which the tea is steeped or the teapot should also be warmed beforehand so that the tea does not immediately cool down.

For summer months, as a refreshing cool drink you may add few drops of lemon juice, mint leaves and a little sugar and rock salt, chill the tea and enjoy.

For winters, turn the green tea into a warm delight by adding cinnamon, black cardamom and ginger and sip it hot.

Seeing the mad rush of life in which we all are a part, be it physical (trotting around the whole world to attend a conference here and a meeting there and a wedding somewhere else), and mental stress (meeting deadlines of work job or home job or kids), it’s all so much stressful everywhere since everybody wants to achieve more in less time! So, good dietary habits can prove to be great stress buster as well as boost our well being factor. Sipping green tea is one of them. Yes, it does help you in losing weight and keeping you in good health, but remember it is no magic wand. One has to follow other good lifestyle management techniques, of which green tea is a part.

The writer is a dietician with the Department of Dietetics, PGI

Bikram yoga beckons
Sonam Kapoor's new fitness mantra

HER father Anil Kapoor looks like he hasn't aged much in the past 25 years and now daughter Sonam Kapoor has revealed the secret behind it.

The 26-year-old actress says that she is starting with Bikram yoga like her father to stay fit and to look good.

"Starting Bikram yoga now or as everyone calls it hot yoga. It's my dad's secret for looking fab," she wrote on Twitter recently.

The actress will be next seen in Pankaj Kapoor directed Mausam, which stars Shahid Kapoor in the lead. — PTI

Sonam Kapoor is following in her father’s footsteps to stay in shape Photo: PTI