Friday, September 3, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Stig mystery solved as BBC loses court battle
BBC News - Stig mystery solved as BBC loses court battle: "The Stig has never removed his helmet on the show"
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Vishy checkmates nationality issue Sibal says sorry
The Pioneer > Online Edition : >> Vishy checkmates nationality issue Sibal says sorry: "“The idea of conferring an honorary doctorate was mooted in October 2009. The University of Hyderabad enthusiastically took up the proposal and did all the necessary background work and submitted it for clearance to the appropriate department at HRD Ministry. Despite repeated follow-ups, the Ministry did not forward the proposal for the signature of the President. As a result, this unfortunate turn of events has taken place.”"
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Friday, October 31, 2008
Viswanathan Anand wins world Chess Championship secon time
30 Oct 2008, 2009 hrs IST , Chidanand Rajghatta , TNN
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WASHINGTON: Vishy Anand must have a soft corner for The Times of India. Why else would he field calls from three correspondents of the same organi Our association with him goes back to the late 1980s when he had just become Grandmaster. After meeting him in an Asiad Village apartment in New Delhi for an interview, I hared back to office to announce that a future world champion had arrived, as had a page one story. The raw enthusiasm — or sales pitch — of a callow reporter was viewed dubiously (nice try, Rajghatta), because in those days sports, much less chess, did not make the page one cut. more |
Monday, September 29, 2008
Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie wins the Berlin Marathon for the third time creating a new Wrold record
New world record for Gebrselassie | |
Haile Gebrselassie broke his own world record as he won the Berlin Marathon for the third time in a row. The 35-year-old Ethiopian became the first man to run under two hours, four minutes as he clocked 2:03:59. His time was nearly half a minute quicker than his previous record, set over the same course last year. more | |
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Dhoni named ODI Player of the Year
Dhoni named ODI Player of the Year
PTI
Thursday, September 11, 2008 00:17 IST
West Indies' Mr. Dependable Shivnarine Chanderpaul was adjudged Cricketer of the Year after a fine performance in Tests as well limited over cricket while South African fast bowler Dale Steyn earned the Test Cricketer of the Year Award.
India ODI captain Dhoni beat off tough competition from team-mate Sachin Tendulkar, Australian fast bowler Nathan Bracken and Pakistan stalwart Mohammad Yousuf to take the prestigious award.
Friday, August 15, 2008
The Original Olympics
The 2008 Olympic Games are underway! The Olympic Games are Greek. Their old Greek home was the religious sanctuary of Olympia. Olympia was home to the gargantuan Statue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The ancient Olympic games were abolished in AD 393. The statue of Zeus crumbled a few decades later.
Nike was the Greek Goddess of Victory.
According to legend, the Olympics began in 776 BC, with a footrace held during Olympia's Zeus festival. After that, when Greeks flocked to Olympia's rural sanctuary every four years to praise Zeus, they stayed for the thrill of Nike and the agony of defeat. Similar games were held at Delphi and other sanctuaries, but Olympia's games reigned supreme.
Like the modern games, these competitions were intended to reveal the most skilled athletes. But a lack of protective gear, random pairings that failed to account for size, and few rules made the ancient Olympics into a most dangerous game. Athletes could die trying to please the crowd.
Battered Ears, Broken Men
Forget restrictions against low blows, kidney punches, and hitting a man while he's down. Ancient boxing was closer to a barroom brawl. Fighters were free to unleash a flurry of blows on a cowering opponent. Rounds didn't exist; men simply fought until one cried uncle or got knocked out cold.
At first, boxers wrapped soft leather straps called himantes around their hands to lessen the impact of their blows. But with each passing Olympiad, the straps grew harder. In some cases, metal was added for an especially memorable right hook. It's hardly surprising, then, that in one of his dialogues, Plato refers to boxers as "those with the battered ears."
Wrestlers couldn't bite, gouge eyes, or grab genitals. But choke holds and joint locks were legit. One particularly violent event, the pankration, combined wrestling and boxing. Athletes fought barehanded (without himantes), punching, kicking, and grappling to win. On one occasion, an athlete who was strangled to death was judged the winner, and his corpse was crowned with the prized olive wreath.
The Quick and the Nude
Those with Hermes's speed proudly raced barefoot and naked, but legend suggests that this wasn't always so. An ancient story circulated that the tradition of nudity among athletes at the games began in 720 BC when an eager sprinter simply lost his shorts.
Runners had four races to choose from, all measured by the length of the 210-yard (192-meter) stadium. The first was called the stadion or stade, a sprint exactly one stadium long. The next race was double that length, while the third was long distance--between 7 and 24 stades.
The other race was the hoplitodromos, an exhausting two- to four-stade sprint by runners encumbered with 50 to 60 pounds (23 to 27 kg) of hoplite armor. Eventually, nakedness won out there, too, and racers just grabbed heavy helmets and shields. A starting rope ensured few jumped the gun; those who did were beaten.
Chariots of Fire
Like the fighters and the runners, Greek jockeys also competed sans pants. No saddles or stirrups either. But they never got much credit for being real athletes. As in modern times, it was expensive to buy, stable, and train a horse. Jockeys were considered mere employees. The victorious owner, not the jockey, was crowned with the olive wreath.
The real glamour lay in the chariot races. The four-horse chariot race, called the tethrippon, was the real crowd pleaser. According to some accounts, Greek women could vie for the olive wreath in this category as horse owners--though under practically every other circumstance, married women were expressly forbidden to watch the games.
Complaints that the horse races were rigged cropped up frequently. In AD 67, the extravagant and eccentric Roman emperor Nero staged a unique ten-horse chariot race. Judges declared him the winner despite the fact that he fell from his chariot and failed to complete the race. Later historians duly struck Nero's name from the list of champions.
And for the Overachiever . . .
There was the pentathlon--"pent" for five events: sprinting, long jumping, javelin hurling, discus throwing, and wrestling. The philosopher Aristotle called pentathlon competitors the most beautiful athletes of all, since their bodies were "capable of enduring all efforts."
Discus and javelin hurling required balance, agility, and strength. The saucer-shaped discus was more or less a lead or stone Frisbee, while the wood javelin was a six-foot (2-meter) pole with a leather thong near the center to help the hurler keep a firm hold. Long jumpers used barbell-shaped weights called halteres to increase their distance, in a swinging motion physicists say really does work.
The games concluded as they began: with a sacrifice to the gods. Winners returned home to be feted with banquets, parades, and money. Some were even granted free meals for the rest of their lives. The defeated went home in disgrace.
--Claire Vail
Chariots of Fire
Like the fighters and the runners, Greek jockeys also competed sans pants. No saddles or stirrups either. But they never got much credit for being real athletes. As in modern times, it was expensive to buy, stable, and train a horse. Jockeys were considered mere employees. The victorious owner, not the jockey, was crowned with the olive wreath.
The real glamour lay in the chariot races. The four-horse chariot race, called the tethrippon, was the real crowd pleaser. According to some accounts, Greek women could vie for the olive wreath in this category as horse owners--though under practically every other circumstance, married women were expressly forbidden to watch the games.
Complaints that the horse races were rigged cropped up frequently. In AD 67, the extravagant and eccentric Roman emperor Nero staged a unique ten-horse chariot race. Judges declared him the winner despite the fact that he fell from his chariot and failed to complete the race. Later historians duly struck Nero's name from the list of champions.
And for the Overachiever . . .
There was the pentathlon--"pent" for five events: sprinting, long jumping, javelin hurling, discus throwing, and wrestling. The philosopher Aristotle called pentathlon competitors the most beautiful athletes of all, since their bodies were "capable of enduring all efforts."
Discus and javelin hurling required balance, agility, and strength. The saucer-shaped discus was more or less a lead or stone Frisbee, while the wood javelin was a six-foot (2-meter) pole with a leather thong near the center to help the hurler keep a firm hold. Long jumpers used barbell-shaped weights called halteres to increase their distance, in a swinging motion physicists say really does work.
The games concluded as they began: with a sacrifice to the gods. Winners returned home to be feted with banquets, parades, and money. Some were even granted free meals for the rest of their lives. The defeated went home in disgrace.
Read from Claire Vail, Knowledge News
Nike was the Greek Goddess of Victory.
According to legend, the Olympics began in 776 BC, with a footrace held during Olympia's Zeus festival. After that, when Greeks flocked to Olympia's rural sanctuary every four years to praise Zeus, they stayed for the thrill of Nike and the agony of defeat. Similar games were held at Delphi and other sanctuaries, but Olympia's games reigned supreme.
Like the modern games, these competitions were intended to reveal the most skilled athletes. But a lack of protective gear, random pairings that failed to account for size, and few rules made the ancient Olympics into a most dangerous game. Athletes could die trying to please the crowd.
Battered Ears, Broken Men
Forget restrictions against low blows, kidney punches, and hitting a man while he's down. Ancient boxing was closer to a barroom brawl. Fighters were free to unleash a flurry of blows on a cowering opponent. Rounds didn't exist; men simply fought until one cried uncle or got knocked out cold.
At first, boxers wrapped soft leather straps called himantes around their hands to lessen the impact of their blows. But with each passing Olympiad, the straps grew harder. In some cases, metal was added for an especially memorable right hook. It's hardly surprising, then, that in one of his dialogues, Plato refers to boxers as "those with the battered ears."
Wrestlers couldn't bite, gouge eyes, or grab genitals. But choke holds and joint locks were legit. One particularly violent event, the pankration, combined wrestling and boxing. Athletes fought barehanded (without himantes), punching, kicking, and grappling to win. On one occasion, an athlete who was strangled to death was judged the winner, and his corpse was crowned with the prized olive wreath.
The Quick and the Nude
Those with Hermes's speed proudly raced barefoot and naked, but legend suggests that this wasn't always so. An ancient story circulated that the tradition of nudity among athletes at the games began in 720 BC when an eager sprinter simply lost his shorts.
Runners had four races to choose from, all measured by the length of the 210-yard (192-meter) stadium. The first was called the stadion or stade, a sprint exactly one stadium long. The next race was double that length, while the third was long distance--between 7 and 24 stades.
The other race was the hoplitodromos, an exhausting two- to four-stade sprint by runners encumbered with 50 to 60 pounds (23 to 27 kg) of hoplite armor. Eventually, nakedness won out there, too, and racers just grabbed heavy helmets and shields. A starting rope ensured few jumped the gun; those who did were beaten.
Chariots of Fire
Like the fighters and the runners, Greek jockeys also competed sans pants. No saddles or stirrups either. But they never got much credit for being real athletes. As in modern times, it was expensive to buy, stable, and train a horse. Jockeys were considered mere employees. The victorious owner, not the jockey, was crowned with the olive wreath.
The real glamour lay in the chariot races. The four-horse chariot race, called the tethrippon, was the real crowd pleaser. According to some accounts, Greek women could vie for the olive wreath in this category as horse owners--though under practically every other circumstance, married women were expressly forbidden to watch the games.
Complaints that the horse races were rigged cropped up frequently. In AD 67, the extravagant and eccentric Roman emperor Nero staged a unique ten-horse chariot race. Judges declared him the winner despite the fact that he fell from his chariot and failed to complete the race. Later historians duly struck Nero's name from the list of champions.
And for the Overachiever . . .
There was the pentathlon--"pent" for five events: sprinting, long jumping, javelin hurling, discus throwing, and wrestling. The philosopher Aristotle called pentathlon competitors the most beautiful athletes of all, since their bodies were "capable of enduring all efforts."
Discus and javelin hurling required balance, agility, and strength. The saucer-shaped discus was more or less a lead or stone Frisbee, while the wood javelin was a six-foot (2-meter) pole with a leather thong near the center to help the hurler keep a firm hold. Long jumpers used barbell-shaped weights called halteres to increase their distance, in a swinging motion physicists say really does work.
The games concluded as they began: with a sacrifice to the gods. Winners returned home to be feted with banquets, parades, and money. Some were even granted free meals for the rest of their lives. The defeated went home in disgrace.
--Claire Vail
Chariots of Fire
Like the fighters and the runners, Greek jockeys also competed sans pants. No saddles or stirrups either. But they never got much credit for being real athletes. As in modern times, it was expensive to buy, stable, and train a horse. Jockeys were considered mere employees. The victorious owner, not the jockey, was crowned with the olive wreath.
The real glamour lay in the chariot races. The four-horse chariot race, called the tethrippon, was the real crowd pleaser. According to some accounts, Greek women could vie for the olive wreath in this category as horse owners--though under practically every other circumstance, married women were expressly forbidden to watch the games.
Complaints that the horse races were rigged cropped up frequently. In AD 67, the extravagant and eccentric Roman emperor Nero staged a unique ten-horse chariot race. Judges declared him the winner despite the fact that he fell from his chariot and failed to complete the race. Later historians duly struck Nero's name from the list of champions.
And for the Overachiever . . .
There was the pentathlon--"pent" for five events: sprinting, long jumping, javelin hurling, discus throwing, and wrestling. The philosopher Aristotle called pentathlon competitors the most beautiful athletes of all, since their bodies were "capable of enduring all efforts."
Discus and javelin hurling required balance, agility, and strength. The saucer-shaped discus was more or less a lead or stone Frisbee, while the wood javelin was a six-foot (2-meter) pole with a leather thong near the center to help the hurler keep a firm hold. Long jumpers used barbell-shaped weights called halteres to increase their distance, in a swinging motion physicists say really does work.
The games concluded as they began: with a sacrifice to the gods. Winners returned home to be feted with banquets, parades, and money. Some were even granted free meals for the rest of their lives. The defeated went home in disgrace.
Read from Claire Vail, Knowledge News
Indian scientist explains Phelps phenomenon
Indian scientist explains Phelps phenomenon-USA-World-The Times of India
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Indian scientist explains Phelps phenomenon-USA-World-The Times of India
Indian scientist explains Phelps phenomenon-USA-World-The Times of India
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Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Beijing Faking Olympics
ABC News: Faking Their Way to a Perfect Olympics
Olympics Ceremony Featured Fake Fireworks, Fake Singer, All in the Name of National Interest src="http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/showlogos/carousel_nightline_logo.gif" border="0" />
Faking Their Way to a Perfect Olympics
Olympics Ceremony Featured Fake Fireworks, Fake Singer, All in the Name of National Interest src="http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/showlogos/carousel_nightline_logo.gif" border="0" />
Eager to put on a perfect Olympics, Beijing has swept its streets of fake designer handbags, pirated DVDs and phony corporate logos.
That dedication to authenticity apparently does not extend to Olympics ceremonies.
In recent days the Chinese Olympics organizers have admitted to faking the "footprint" fireworks that dazzled television audiences around the world.
And today they conceded that the perfect little girl who stole the show while singing "Ode to the Motherland" wasn't singing at all. She was lip synching for another little girl who was deemed -- for the good of the country -- not cute enough for China's national image.
For more on this story watch "Nightline" tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET
Fake Fireworks
Part of Friday night's jaw-dropping opening ceremonies revealed sweeping shots of the footprints in the skies over Beijing marching from Tiananmen Square north to the Bird's Nest.
Viewers were led to believe they were synchronized fireworks going off across the city.
Related
Days later it was revealed that the images were computer generated and were only seen by those watching television. There were actual fireworks in Beijing but viewers didn't see them. Producers were fearful that they wouldn't be able to properly capture the images live on TV.
At a press conference today, Wang Wei, Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) vice-president and spokesman acknowledged that the fireworks may not have been live.
"On the day of the ceremony there were actual footprint fireworks from the south to the north of the city," Wang said to reporters. "However, because of poor visibility on the night, some previously recorded footage may have been used."
But he did not admit that they were digitally created.
However, the Beijing Times newspaper quoted the head of the ceremony's visual effects team, Gao Xiaolong, saying that a 55-second sequence of steps was digitally recreated because it was impossible to film by helicopter.
Fake Singer Three days after the opening ceremony, the China Daily newspaper headline declared, "Nine-year-old Lin Miaoke becomes instant star with patriotic song."
Her perfect smile and pixie face accompanied by a perfect rendition of "Ode to the Motherland" made her a national sweetheart. Her moment in the spotlight was considered one of the most memorable parts of China's mesmerizing opening.
But a few days later, the musical director of the opening ceremony, Chen Qigang, told Beijing Radio that Lin, who was memorably clad in a red dress and white shoes, did not actually sing "Ode to the Motherland." Lin was lip-synching to another girl's voice.
(Landov/AP Photo/ABC)
More Photos
More Photos
Chen says that an alternative singer was chosen in a last-minute switch.
In the recordings that happened before the opening ceremonies, Chen said, "Lin Maoke's voice didn't quite meet our standard, the breadth and depth wasn't quite up to our standards. So, at last, we decided from a sound perspective to use Yang Peiyi."
But Chen Qigang also suggested, however, that Yang Peiyi wasn't cute enough.
"The performer was Lin Miaoke, but the sound was Yang Peiyi. The reason...is this: One was for the benefit of the country. The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feelings, and expression, and Lin Miaoke meets our requirements in those aspects."
Related
"However, from a sound perspective, our entire team unanimously agreed that Yang Peiyi fulfilled all of our requirements and more. She is the best."
But if Yang Peiyi was the best, why was she not on camera? A photo of Yang posted Tuesday on popular Web site Sina.com shows a smiling girl with bangs and crooked teeth.
National Interest
In his interview, Chen claimed that the last minute change-up was a "sad decision that we did not want to make."
In fact, the change happened at such a late notice that Chen said, "The voice that Lin Miaoke heard was actually Yang Peiyi's sound, but she herself may not have realized this."
"We've heard Lin Miaoke's recording," Chen said as he shook his head. "It was played live at a rehearsal. There were many different departments, especially leaders from the Politburo [the Central Communist Party leadership] who all gave us their opinions that it must change. So, we had no choice."
Chen believed that replacing Lin's voice with Yang's was fulfilling an obligation to society. "We have a responsibility to face the Chinese audience," Chen said.
"I think all of the listeners and audience should also understand this situation. This is for the benefit of the country, the national culture. This is the face, the image of the national music culture. Especially the entrance of our national flag, this is an extremely important, extremely serious matter."
Related
"I think this situation is fair for Lin Miaoke and Yang Peiyi, it's fair for both of them. This is to say, [we] have the best image, and the best sound and we combined the two.
Blogosphere Reacts
Chinese bloggers generally accepted the lip synching and some even approved of it.
"Why was the original girl not on stage? Because she was having dental work done," justified a blogger on Sina.com.
Another blogger wrote, "Fake singing is not good but for the image and interests of the country, fake singing now and again is acceptable."
"On a sidenote, we should recognize that lip synching is in fact a form of art," the same blogger said sarcastically, in an attempt to provoke others.
Others found nothing wrong with the lip-synching.
"Lip synching has been happening for decades. Putting on the best performance we can is the most important. Plus two girls, not just one, got a chance to be famous. Their futures are very bright."
The Associated Press and ABC News' Cao Jun contributed to this story.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Abhinav Bindra Wins Olympic Gold Medal for India after 27 years
Abhinav Bindra Wins First Ever Individual Olympic Gold Medal in Beijing 2008Olympics.Abhinav won the gold in 10m Air Rifle event. Abhinav Bindra scored 700.5 points in the final.Abhinav Bindra achieved the feat beating China and Finland shooters.
Although India had won 8 gold medals in Olympics hockey, it never won any individual gold medals. This is the first time any Indian won a gold medal in an individual event. The last time India had won an Olympic gold medal was in 1980 Moscow Olympics where the hockey team had claimed the gold.
Between 1928-1956 India at the Olympics, won the gold medal consecutively, 6 times. India played 24 Olympic matches, won all 24, scored 178 goals (at an average of 7.43 goals per match) and conceded only 7 goals. The two other gold medals for India came in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Olympics. For over 20 years, the only triple gold medallists for India were the `Hockey Wizard` Dhyan Chand and goalkeeper Richard James Allen (1928-1936). After the 1956 Olympics, Balbir Singh Sr., Randhir Singh Gentle and Ranganathan Francis became the other triple gold medallists for India (1948-1956).
Although India had won 8 gold medals in Olympics hockey, it never won any individual gold medals. This is the first time any Indian won a gold medal in an individual event. The last time India had won an Olympic gold medal was in 1980 Moscow Olympics where the hockey team had claimed the gold.
Between 1928-1956 India at the Olympics, won the gold medal consecutively, 6 times. India played 24 Olympic matches, won all 24, scored 178 goals (at an average of 7.43 goals per match) and conceded only 7 goals. The two other gold medals for India came in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Olympics. For over 20 years, the only triple gold medallists for India were the `Hockey Wizard` Dhyan Chand and goalkeeper Richard James Allen (1928-1936). After the 1956 Olympics, Balbir Singh Sr., Randhir Singh Gentle and Ranganathan Francis became the other triple gold medallists for India (1948-1956).
Did Jesus play cricket as a child? Dr Abraham Terian of Hebrew University of Jerusalem says "Yes"
'Jesus played cricket as a child'-Health/Sci-The Times of India
'Jesus played cricket as a child'
10 Aug 2008, 0040 hrs IST,ANI
MELBOURNE: It is possible that cricket, a game venerated all over the Commonwealth, is older than currently thought.
In fact, Jesus may have played the game (or a similar bat-and-ball combination) as a child, according to an ancient Armenian manuscript.
Long before the English launched cricket some 300 years ago, similar games were being played as early as the 8th century in the Punjab region, Derek Birley writes in his Social History of English Cricket.
But an Armenian scholar says there is good reason to believe that similar games were played in the Middle East long before that time.
Dr Abraham Terian, recently a visiting professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as Fulbright Distinguished Chair in the Humanities, points to a rare manuscript as his source.
Terian notes that in the Armenian Gospel of the Infancy, translated into Armenian in the 6th century from a much older lost Syriac original, a passage tells of Jesus playing what may well be the precursor of cricket, with a club and ball.
Terian, who discovered the manuscript more than a decade ago at the Saint James Armenian Monastery in the Old City of Jerusalem, says he has now identified the same passage in a couple of other manuscripts of the same gospel of which some 40 copies exist in various archival collections in Europe and the Middle East, including the oldest copy now in Yerevan, the capital of the Armenian Republic.
The latter manuscript is dated 1239, whereas the undated Jerusalem manuscript is considerably later.
Quoting from his Armenian source, Terian says the gospel relates how Jesus, at the age of nine, had been
apprenticed to a master dyer named Israel in Tiberias, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
"Jesus is instructed to watch Israel's house and not leave the place while the master goes away on a tour to collect clothes to be dyed. But no sooner has Israel left the house, than Jesus runs out with the boys," The Daily Telegraph quoted Terian, as saying.
"The most amazing part of the story of the nine-year-old Jesus playing a form of cricket with the boys at the sea shore, is that he would go on playing the game on water, over the sea waves," he added.
He gives the following translation: "He (Jesus) would take the boys to the seashore and, carrying the playing ball and the club, he would go over the waves of the sea as though he was playing on a frozen surface, hitting the playing ball.
'Jesus played cricket as a child'
10 Aug 2008, 0040 hrs IST,ANI
MELBOURNE: It is possible that cricket, a game venerated all over the Commonwealth, is older than currently thought.
In fact, Jesus may have played the game (or a similar bat-and-ball combination) as a child, according to an ancient Armenian manuscript.
Long before the English launched cricket some 300 years ago, similar games were being played as early as the 8th century in the Punjab region, Derek Birley writes in his Social History of English Cricket.
But an Armenian scholar says there is good reason to believe that similar games were played in the Middle East long before that time.
Dr Abraham Terian, recently a visiting professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as Fulbright Distinguished Chair in the Humanities, points to a rare manuscript as his source.
Terian notes that in the Armenian Gospel of the Infancy, translated into Armenian in the 6th century from a much older lost Syriac original, a passage tells of Jesus playing what may well be the precursor of cricket, with a club and ball.
Terian, who discovered the manuscript more than a decade ago at the Saint James Armenian Monastery in the Old City of Jerusalem, says he has now identified the same passage in a couple of other manuscripts of the same gospel of which some 40 copies exist in various archival collections in Europe and the Middle East, including the oldest copy now in Yerevan, the capital of the Armenian Republic.
The latter manuscript is dated 1239, whereas the undated Jerusalem manuscript is considerably later.
Quoting from his Armenian source, Terian says the gospel relates how Jesus, at the age of nine, had been
apprenticed to a master dyer named Israel in Tiberias, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
"Jesus is instructed to watch Israel's house and not leave the place while the master goes away on a tour to collect clothes to be dyed. But no sooner has Israel left the house, than Jesus runs out with the boys," The Daily Telegraph quoted Terian, as saying.
"The most amazing part of the story of the nine-year-old Jesus playing a form of cricket with the boys at the sea shore, is that he would go on playing the game on water, over the sea waves," he added.
He gives the following translation: "He (Jesus) would take the boys to the seashore and, carrying the playing ball and the club, he would go over the waves of the sea as though he was playing on a frozen surface, hitting the playing ball.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Dhyan Chand & Co defied Hitler in Olympics 1936
Malayala Manorama Indian Newspaper of Malayalam Language from eight places in Kerela
When Dhyan Chand & Co defied Hitler
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| Friday,25 July 2008 21:55 hrs IST |  |  |
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| Dhyan Chand |
New Delhi: They had the gift to mesmerise opponents and crowd alike. Few know, Dhyan Chand and his teammates had the guts as well to defy the Fuhrer at his backyard.
In fact, a new book suggests, India was one of the only two contingents -- America being the other -- which refused to salute Adolf Hitler during the opening ceremony of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
"Olympics: The India Story" by Boria Majumdar and Nalin Mehta sheds light on an obscure but glorious chapter of Indian sports and relives how a bunch of mostly unsuspecting, rustic Indians went on to make a stupendous political statement in a grand gesture of defiance.
The book narrates the opening ceremony of the Berlin Games, which was as much a Nazi propaganda vehicle as a sporting extravaganza. Hindenberg, the giant Zeppelin, whirred over the stadium as Hitler arrived for the guard of honour amid great fanfare.
The Indians, Dhyan Chand carrying the flag, were arguably the most dazzling contingent in their light blue turban and golden outfit, resembling a 'marriage procession', as one of the players later remarked.
"But this was no ordinary 'marriage procession' its members were about to make a huge political statement by becoming one of the two contingents who refused to salute Hitler," the book recalls.
The crowd watched in dismay as the Indians did not offer the Nazi salute and while their gesture went largely unnoticed back home, it created quite a stir in Germany, the book claims.
"For most journalists, the Americans were the story of the Games but the Indian decision not to salute Hitler was grand gesture of defiance, totally in sync with the tenets of the dominant stream of Indian nationalism and the Congress Party," the book says.
Its authors admit there is no concrete evidence to suggest that there was a direct linkage between the athletes' gesture and the Congress party but maintain it was a political gesture nonetheless. "...the fact remains that it was a political act, breathtaking in its audacity, in direct opposition to most other contingents at the Games, including the British," they observe.
They also doubt the veracity of the sporting folklore that Hitler was so impressed by Dhyan Chand's sorcery with the stick that he offered him an officer's commission in the Wermacht.
"This story is almost certainly apocryphal because none of the contemporary sources mention this incident and neither dopes Dhyan Chand in his autobiography," they say.
The book also digs out another interesting trivia about how Dhyan Chand and the team management enforced a strict discipline code for the players in Berlin only to violate it himself and going out in the night to see the dance of a certain Ms Menaka.
"Newspaper archives and contemporary reports of the period give no clue about the identity of the intriguing Ms Menaka but it's clear that it wasn't just all work for the Indians in Berlin; they were also having good fun," the book says. For the record, India crushed Hitler's Germany 8-1 in the final to complete their golden hat-trick in Olympics.
In fact, a new book suggests, India was one of the only two contingents -- America being the other -- which refused to salute Adolf Hitler during the opening ceremony of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
"Olympics: The India Story" by Boria Majumdar and Nalin Mehta sheds light on an obscure but glorious chapter of Indian sports and relives how a bunch of mostly unsuspecting, rustic Indians went on to make a stupendous political statement in a grand gesture of defiance.
The book narrates the opening ceremony of the Berlin Games, which was as much a Nazi propaganda vehicle as a sporting extravaganza. Hindenberg, the giant Zeppelin, whirred over the stadium as Hitler arrived for the guard of honour amid great fanfare.
The Indians, Dhyan Chand carrying the flag, were arguably the most dazzling contingent in their light blue turban and golden outfit, resembling a 'marriage procession', as one of the players later remarked.
"But this was no ordinary 'marriage procession' its members were about to make a huge political statement by becoming one of the two contingents who refused to salute Hitler," the book recalls.
The crowd watched in dismay as the Indians did not offer the Nazi salute and while their gesture went largely unnoticed back home, it created quite a stir in Germany, the book claims.
"For most journalists, the Americans were the story of the Games but the Indian decision not to salute Hitler was grand gesture of defiance, totally in sync with the tenets of the dominant stream of Indian nationalism and the Congress Party," the book says.
Its authors admit there is no concrete evidence to suggest that there was a direct linkage between the athletes' gesture and the Congress party but maintain it was a political gesture nonetheless. "...the fact remains that it was a political act, breathtaking in its audacity, in direct opposition to most other contingents at the Games, including the British," they observe.
They also doubt the veracity of the sporting folklore that Hitler was so impressed by Dhyan Chand's sorcery with the stick that he offered him an officer's commission in the Wermacht.
"This story is almost certainly apocryphal because none of the contemporary sources mention this incident and neither dopes Dhyan Chand in his autobiography," they say.
The book also digs out another interesting trivia about how Dhyan Chand and the team management enforced a strict discipline code for the players in Berlin only to violate it himself and going out in the night to see the dance of a certain Ms Menaka.
"Newspaper archives and contemporary reports of the period give no clue about the identity of the intriguing Ms Menaka but it's clear that it wasn't just all work for the Indians in Berlin; they were also having good fun," the book says. For the record, India crushed Hitler's Germany 8-1 in the final to complete their golden hat-trick in Olympics.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Asif has tested positive for nandrolone - Yahoo! India News
Asif has tested positive for nandrolone - Yahoo! India News
Search:
Asif has tested positive for nandrolone
Thu, Jul 17 08:44 PM
Karachi, Jul 23 (PTI) Pakistan's beleaguered paceman Mohammed Asif has tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone, his lawyer disclosed today. Traces of nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, was found in Asif's sample when he first tested positive just before the Champions Trophy in 2006 and was subsequently sent back home from India.
This is the second time that he has tested positive for nandrolone and now faces the possibility of being banned for a minimum of two years as per WADA regulations. "The substance is nandrolone.
He is really shocked by the development and we are seeking a 'B' sample test", his lawyer Shahid Karim said. The immensely talented paceman found himself in a fresh doping scandal after it was disclosed that he had flunked a dope test during the recent Indian Premier League (IPL).
Asif, who played for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, has been suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board for an indefinite period and has also been dropped from the team for the Champions Trophy. The 25-year-old paceman played for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL which will also impose a ban on him if his 'B' sample also turns out to be positive.
PTI.
Search:
Asif has tested positive for nandrolone
Thu, Jul 17 08:44 PM
Karachi, Jul 23 (PTI) Pakistan's beleaguered paceman Mohammed Asif has tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone, his lawyer disclosed today. Traces of nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, was found in Asif's sample when he first tested positive just before the Champions Trophy in 2006 and was subsequently sent back home from India.
This is the second time that he has tested positive for nandrolone and now faces the possibility of being banned for a minimum of two years as per WADA regulations. "The substance is nandrolone.
He is really shocked by the development and we are seeking a 'B' sample test", his lawyer Shahid Karim said. The immensely talented paceman found himself in a fresh doping scandal after it was disclosed that he had flunked a dope test during the recent Indian Premier League (IPL).
Asif, who played for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, has been suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board for an indefinite period and has also been dropped from the team for the Champions Trophy. The 25-year-old paceman played for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL which will also impose a ban on him if his 'B' sample also turns out to be positive.
PTI.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Tiger Woods becomes first billionaire athlete
tag: sports
Malayala Manorama Indian Newspaper of Malayalam Language from eight places in Kerela
Friday,11 July 2008 18:22 hrs IST
Woods to become first billionaire athlete
-
New York: Tiger Woods is on pace to pass one billion dollars in career earning by 2010, becoming the world's first billionaire to accumulate his fortune by playing sports, says Forbes Magazine.
The 14-time major championship winner earned 115 million dollars in 2007 alone, said the American magazine, which annually ranks the world's richest people with its Forbes' Celebrity 100 list. English footballer David Beckham was the No 2 sportsman on the list with earnings of 65 million dollars.
"It will be an unprecedented occurrence," the magazine said. "There are plenty of billionaires who have excelled at sports like Switzerland's richest man and champion sailor Ernesto Bertarelli. But there are no billionaires who accumulated their fortune by playing sports." The magazine goes on to say in its Wednesday edition that while tycoons like Bill Gates accumulated his wealth by holding a stake in a company with soaring profits, Woods is unique because his massive fortune was earned through pay cheques.
Woods is a sports marketers' dream, having earned more than 750 million dollars in endorsement deals to date in his career. At 32, Woods has won 50 tournaments faster than any player and is closing in on Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championship wins.
Malayala Manorama Indian Newspaper of Malayalam Language from eight places in Kerela
Friday,11 July 2008 18:22 hrs IST
Woods to become first billionaire athlete
-
New York: Tiger Woods is on pace to pass one billion dollars in career earning by 2010, becoming the world's first billionaire to accumulate his fortune by playing sports, says Forbes Magazine.
The 14-time major championship winner earned 115 million dollars in 2007 alone, said the American magazine, which annually ranks the world's richest people with its Forbes' Celebrity 100 list. English footballer David Beckham was the No 2 sportsman on the list with earnings of 65 million dollars.
"It will be an unprecedented occurrence," the magazine said. "There are plenty of billionaires who have excelled at sports like Switzerland's richest man and champion sailor Ernesto Bertarelli. But there are no billionaires who accumulated their fortune by playing sports." The magazine goes on to say in its Wednesday edition that while tycoons like Bill Gates accumulated his wealth by holding a stake in a company with soaring profits, Woods is unique because his massive fortune was earned through pay cheques.
Woods is a sports marketers' dream, having earned more than 750 million dollars in endorsement deals to date in his career. At 32, Woods has won 50 tournaments faster than any player and is closing in on Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championship wins.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Wimbledon - Nadal Ends Federer’s Reign at Wimbledon - NYTimes.com
Wimbledon - Nadal Ends Federer’s Reign at Wimbledon - NYTimes.com
By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY
Published: July 7, 2008
WIMBLEDON, England — No man had beaten Roger Federer at Wimbledon since 2002. But in near darkness, one of the greatest tennis matches ever played concluded in the Wimbledon final Sunday with Roger Federer hitting a short forehand into the net and with a victorious Rafael Nadal flat on his back with camera flashes illuminating his drained and delighted face.
Nadal had come the closest to ending Federer’s streak at Wimbledon in last year’s final, pushing his friendly rival to five sets before ending up in tears in the locker room as Federer equaled Bjorn Borg’s modern men’s record with his fifth straight title.
Last year’s emotional tussle immediately took its place among the best Wimbledon finals, but this five-set classic — played on a rainy, gusty day — was better yet.
At 4 hours 48 minutes, it was the longest singles final in Wimbledon’s 131-year history and did not finish until 9:16 p.m. local time.
“The most important thing is to win the title,” said Nadal, who won, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7. “After that, you think about winning against the No. 1, probably the best player in history or close, and the fact it was so dramatic. But it’s one of the most powerful feelings I’ve had in my life.”
By the end, as hard as it was to see, the top-seeded Federer and the second-seeded Nadal had produced so much brilliant tennis under pressure that it seemed the most normal thing in the world that Federer smacked yet another ace to get out of trouble or that Nadal hunted down yet another sharply angled ground stroke and ripped an off-balance passing shot for a winner.
The capacity crowd at Centre Court, which had not diminished through two rain delays, continually roared with delight or surprise and took turns chanting each combatant’s first name, which is not the way these things usually work at proper Wimbledon.
“Probably my hardest loss, by far; I mean it’s not much harder than this right now,” Federer said later, his voice muted and his eyes red.
The loss kept Federer from matching the men’s record of six consecutive Wimbledon titles set by Britain’s William Renshaw in the 19th century. Federer had won 65 straight matches on grass.
“I’m disappointed, and I’m crushed,” Federer said. “He played a super match, and I’m sure it was a great match to watch and to play, but it’s all over now. I need some time.”
Federer, 26, earned himself more time on Centre Court by saving two match points in the fourth-set tie breaker. He was later only two points from victory himself with Nadal serving at 4-5, 30-all in the fifth set. But Nadal, like his opponent, has a remarkable will as well as a remarkable topspin forehand.
And although Federer kept chipping and ripping away at Nadal’s service games, he broke him just once in the match, and that was early in the second set. In all, Federer squandered 12 of 13 break-point opportunities.
Nadal, a Spaniard whose serve was once considered his weakness, converted 4 of his 13 chances against Federer, none more important than the break that came when Federer, serving at 7-7 in the fifth, took a huge cut at a short forehand and knocked it just long.
Nadal, seldom short of positive energy, leapt with delight and hustled to his chair to prepare to serve for the championship. It was 9:10 p.m. in London when he walked to the baseline, and the light was so dim at the end of this intermittently rainy day that both players were concerned.
“I almost couldn’t see who I was playing,” Federer said, shaking his head.
Nadal agreed. “In the last game, I didn’t see nothing,” he said. “Was unbelievable. I thought we have to stop.”
Wimbledon’s organizers have pushed their sessions to the limit this year, with other matches finishing at 9:30 p.m. Not finishing on Sunday would have forced the tournament to extend to Monday, with all the logistical challenges that would have entailed.
“It would have been brutal for fans, for media, for us, for everybody to come back tomorrow, but what are you going to do?” Federer said. “It’s rough on me now, obviously, to lose the biggest tournament in the world over maybe a bit of light.”
But Nadal still had to hold serve one more time to get his hands (and teeth) on the gold-plated Challenge Cup. And although Federer did save a third match point at 40-30 with a bold backhand return that Nadal could not handle, Federer could not save the last, which came two points later.
As soon as Federer’s forehand hit the net, Nadal dropped to the grass as if he had been hurled there, his racket flying out of his left hand. Among those standing and cheering in the front row of the Royal Box were Manuel Santana and Borg.
Nadal, a 22-year-old from Majorca, joined them both on Sunday by becoming the first man to complete the grueling French Open-Wimbledon double in the same year since Borg in 1980 and also becoming the first Spanish man to win here since Santana in 1966.
After four straight titles in Paris, Nadal finally had a Grand Slam title on a surface other than clay.
Nadal wanted to share his victory with his family, and after shaking Federer’s hand, he climbed into the players’ box to hug his parents, Sebastian and Ana Maria, and his coach and uncle, Toni. Nadal then became the first Wimbledon champion to walk across the sloped roof of the commentary booths to the royal box —flashbulbs lighting his way — to shake the hand of Spanish Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia.
As is his custom, Nadal did not strike a triumphant tone in victory. He has long been deeply respectful of Federer, even as he has built a 12-6 career record against him and beaten him in the last three French Open finals.
“He’s still the best,” Nadal said. “He’s still five-time champion here. Right now I have one, so for me, it’s a very, very important day.”
Federer, who had not dropped a set until the final, will still be ranked No. 1 on Monday, but this has clearly been Nadal’s season, with victories in two of the first three Grand Slam tournaments.
Federer came into 2008 hoping to match Pete Sampras’s record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles. He is still holding at 12, with his only tournament victories this year coming in minor tour events.
Federer certainly responded like a champion to Nadal’s pressure on Sunday, and he also dispelled concerns that — after winning just four games against Nadal in last month’s lopsided French Open final — he would be unable to stay with the physically imposing Nadal on grass.
But Federer said losing big on clay was a pinprick compared with the sledgehammer blow of losing by so little here. “There’s not even a comparison,” he said. “This is a disaster. Paris was nothing in comparison.”
Down by two sets to love, Federer worked his way back into contention, weathering an 81-minute rain delay late in the third set, and then controlling the ensuing tie breaker with four aces and a service winner.
In the fourth-set tie breaker, Nadal took control and led, 5-2, with two serves to come, but instead of closing out the match, he played tentatively for the first time, double-faulting and then hitting a backhand weakly in the net. “I got nervous,” Nadal said.
It happens, even to indefatigable Spaniards, but Federer showed no nerves on the two match points soon to come. He saved the first at 6-7 with another service winner. He saved the second at 7-8 with a magnificent, pressure-proof backhand passing-shot winner down the line, after Nadal jerked Federer wide with a forehand approach shot.
But Nadal hardly looked like a broken man as they headed to a fifth set. “How can you not be 100 percent concentrated with sky-high motivation?” he said.
The sky was still a problem, however. Rain drove the players off court once more early in the fifth set with the score 2-2, deuce on Federer’s serve. But while a Monday finish was looking increasingly likely, the skies cleared, the tarp came off and the protagonists resumed play 28 minutes after they had stopped. They were able to finish just in time for the changing of the guard to be completed.
Not that Nadal is prepared to see it quite like that. “I don’t feel like the No. 1,” he said. “I’m not. I don’t like to feel that I’m something when I’m not.”
But there could be no doubt as he cried on court for a very different reason from last year — that Nadal now knows how it feels to be Wimbledon champion.
By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY
Published: July 7, 2008
WIMBLEDON, England — No man had beaten Roger Federer at Wimbledon since 2002. But in near darkness, one of the greatest tennis matches ever played concluded in the Wimbledon final Sunday with Roger Federer hitting a short forehand into the net and with a victorious Rafael Nadal flat on his back with camera flashes illuminating his drained and delighted face.
Nadal had come the closest to ending Federer’s streak at Wimbledon in last year’s final, pushing his friendly rival to five sets before ending up in tears in the locker room as Federer equaled Bjorn Borg’s modern men’s record with his fifth straight title.
Last year’s emotional tussle immediately took its place among the best Wimbledon finals, but this five-set classic — played on a rainy, gusty day — was better yet.
At 4 hours 48 minutes, it was the longest singles final in Wimbledon’s 131-year history and did not finish until 9:16 p.m. local time.
“The most important thing is to win the title,” said Nadal, who won, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7. “After that, you think about winning against the No. 1, probably the best player in history or close, and the fact it was so dramatic. But it’s one of the most powerful feelings I’ve had in my life.”
By the end, as hard as it was to see, the top-seeded Federer and the second-seeded Nadal had produced so much brilliant tennis under pressure that it seemed the most normal thing in the world that Federer smacked yet another ace to get out of trouble or that Nadal hunted down yet another sharply angled ground stroke and ripped an off-balance passing shot for a winner.
The capacity crowd at Centre Court, which had not diminished through two rain delays, continually roared with delight or surprise and took turns chanting each combatant’s first name, which is not the way these things usually work at proper Wimbledon.
“Probably my hardest loss, by far; I mean it’s not much harder than this right now,” Federer said later, his voice muted and his eyes red.
The loss kept Federer from matching the men’s record of six consecutive Wimbledon titles set by Britain’s William Renshaw in the 19th century. Federer had won 65 straight matches on grass.
“I’m disappointed, and I’m crushed,” Federer said. “He played a super match, and I’m sure it was a great match to watch and to play, but it’s all over now. I need some time.”
Federer, 26, earned himself more time on Centre Court by saving two match points in the fourth-set tie breaker. He was later only two points from victory himself with Nadal serving at 4-5, 30-all in the fifth set. But Nadal, like his opponent, has a remarkable will as well as a remarkable topspin forehand.
And although Federer kept chipping and ripping away at Nadal’s service games, he broke him just once in the match, and that was early in the second set. In all, Federer squandered 12 of 13 break-point opportunities.
Nadal, a Spaniard whose serve was once considered his weakness, converted 4 of his 13 chances against Federer, none more important than the break that came when Federer, serving at 7-7 in the fifth, took a huge cut at a short forehand and knocked it just long.
Nadal, seldom short of positive energy, leapt with delight and hustled to his chair to prepare to serve for the championship. It was 9:10 p.m. in London when he walked to the baseline, and the light was so dim at the end of this intermittently rainy day that both players were concerned.
“I almost couldn’t see who I was playing,” Federer said, shaking his head.
Nadal agreed. “In the last game, I didn’t see nothing,” he said. “Was unbelievable. I thought we have to stop.”
Wimbledon’s organizers have pushed their sessions to the limit this year, with other matches finishing at 9:30 p.m. Not finishing on Sunday would have forced the tournament to extend to Monday, with all the logistical challenges that would have entailed.
“It would have been brutal for fans, for media, for us, for everybody to come back tomorrow, but what are you going to do?” Federer said. “It’s rough on me now, obviously, to lose the biggest tournament in the world over maybe a bit of light.”
But Nadal still had to hold serve one more time to get his hands (and teeth) on the gold-plated Challenge Cup. And although Federer did save a third match point at 40-30 with a bold backhand return that Nadal could not handle, Federer could not save the last, which came two points later.
As soon as Federer’s forehand hit the net, Nadal dropped to the grass as if he had been hurled there, his racket flying out of his left hand. Among those standing and cheering in the front row of the Royal Box were Manuel Santana and Borg.
Nadal, a 22-year-old from Majorca, joined them both on Sunday by becoming the first man to complete the grueling French Open-Wimbledon double in the same year since Borg in 1980 and also becoming the first Spanish man to win here since Santana in 1966.
After four straight titles in Paris, Nadal finally had a Grand Slam title on a surface other than clay.
Nadal wanted to share his victory with his family, and after shaking Federer’s hand, he climbed into the players’ box to hug his parents, Sebastian and Ana Maria, and his coach and uncle, Toni. Nadal then became the first Wimbledon champion to walk across the sloped roof of the commentary booths to the royal box —flashbulbs lighting his way — to shake the hand of Spanish Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia.
As is his custom, Nadal did not strike a triumphant tone in victory. He has long been deeply respectful of Federer, even as he has built a 12-6 career record against him and beaten him in the last three French Open finals.
“He’s still the best,” Nadal said. “He’s still five-time champion here. Right now I have one, so for me, it’s a very, very important day.”
Federer, who had not dropped a set until the final, will still be ranked No. 1 on Monday, but this has clearly been Nadal’s season, with victories in two of the first three Grand Slam tournaments.
Federer came into 2008 hoping to match Pete Sampras’s record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles. He is still holding at 12, with his only tournament victories this year coming in minor tour events.
Federer certainly responded like a champion to Nadal’s pressure on Sunday, and he also dispelled concerns that — after winning just four games against Nadal in last month’s lopsided French Open final — he would be unable to stay with the physically imposing Nadal on grass.
But Federer said losing big on clay was a pinprick compared with the sledgehammer blow of losing by so little here. “There’s not even a comparison,” he said. “This is a disaster. Paris was nothing in comparison.”
Down by two sets to love, Federer worked his way back into contention, weathering an 81-minute rain delay late in the third set, and then controlling the ensuing tie breaker with four aces and a service winner.
In the fourth-set tie breaker, Nadal took control and led, 5-2, with two serves to come, but instead of closing out the match, he played tentatively for the first time, double-faulting and then hitting a backhand weakly in the net. “I got nervous,” Nadal said.
It happens, even to indefatigable Spaniards, but Federer showed no nerves on the two match points soon to come. He saved the first at 6-7 with another service winner. He saved the second at 7-8 with a magnificent, pressure-proof backhand passing-shot winner down the line, after Nadal jerked Federer wide with a forehand approach shot.
But Nadal hardly looked like a broken man as they headed to a fifth set. “How can you not be 100 percent concentrated with sky-high motivation?” he said.
The sky was still a problem, however. Rain drove the players off court once more early in the fifth set with the score 2-2, deuce on Federer’s serve. But while a Monday finish was looking increasingly likely, the skies cleared, the tarp came off and the protagonists resumed play 28 minutes after they had stopped. They were able to finish just in time for the changing of the guard to be completed.
Not that Nadal is prepared to see it quite like that. “I don’t feel like the No. 1,” he said. “I’m not. I don’t like to feel that I’m something when I’m not.”
But there could be no doubt as he cried on court for a very different reason from last year — that Nadal now knows how it feels to be Wimbledon champion.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
'Wide World of Sports' Host Jim McKay Dead at 86
'Wide World of Sports' Host Dead at 86
Host of ABC's 'Wide World of Sports' and 12 Olympics Has Died in Maryland
June 7, 2008
Jim McKay, 86, a longtime television sports journalist, has died of natural causes in Maryland, according to a statement from the McKay family.
ABC's legendary sportscaster has died.
McKay is best known for hosting "ABC's Wide World of Sports" and 12 Olympic Games.
McKay won numerous awards for journalism, including the George Polk Memorial Award and two Emmys -- one for his sports coverage, the other for his news reporting -- for his work at the 1972 Munich Olympics, which were tragically affected by the Black September terrorists' attack on the Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village.
"Jim was a regular guy who wrote and spoke like a poet," Bob Iger, president and chief executive of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. "He loved sports. To him, sports defined life -- full of drama, adventure, accomplishment and disappointment. The thrill of victory for some, the agony of defeat for others."
ESPN and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer said there are "no superlatives that can adequately honor Jim McKay."
"He meant so much to so many people," Bodenheimer said in a statement. "He was a founding father of sports television, one of the most respected commentators in the history of broadcasting and journalism.
"For more than 60 years he brought sports into the homes of Americans on Wide World of Sports, the Olympics and many other programs that captured the essence of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
"Jim was the ultimate colleague, having helped generations of people who have now taken his mantle. He was also a warm and devoted family man. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Margaret, Sean and Mary for their loss. And I know that countless people, around the world, have been touched by this great man. We will miss him."
In 1968, McKay won the first of his 13 Emmy Awards, becoming the first sports commentator to receive that honor.
His 12th Emmy, in 1988, was not for his talents as a broadcaster but as the writer of the openings for ABC Sports' coverage of the 1987 Indianapolis 500, the British Open and the Kentucky Derby. He is the only broadcaster to have won Emmys for sports and news broadcasting and for writing.
In 1990 he was the recipient of the first-ever Lifetime Achievement in Sports award from the Academy. In 1992 he was the recipient of an Emmy Award in the Individual Achievement category for the ABC Sports special, "Athletes and Addiction: It's Not a Game."
Host of ABC's 'Wide World of Sports' and 12 Olympics Has Died in Maryland
June 7, 2008
Jim McKay, 86, a longtime television sports journalist, has died of natural causes in Maryland, according to a statement from the McKay family.
ABC's legendary sportscaster has died.
McKay is best known for hosting "ABC's Wide World of Sports" and 12 Olympic Games.
McKay won numerous awards for journalism, including the George Polk Memorial Award and two Emmys -- one for his sports coverage, the other for his news reporting -- for his work at the 1972 Munich Olympics, which were tragically affected by the Black September terrorists' attack on the Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village.
"Jim was a regular guy who wrote and spoke like a poet," Bob Iger, president and chief executive of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. "He loved sports. To him, sports defined life -- full of drama, adventure, accomplishment and disappointment. The thrill of victory for some, the agony of defeat for others."
ESPN and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer said there are "no superlatives that can adequately honor Jim McKay."
"He meant so much to so many people," Bodenheimer said in a statement. "He was a founding father of sports television, one of the most respected commentators in the history of broadcasting and journalism.
"For more than 60 years he brought sports into the homes of Americans on Wide World of Sports, the Olympics and many other programs that captured the essence of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
"Jim was the ultimate colleague, having helped generations of people who have now taken his mantle. He was also a warm and devoted family man. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Margaret, Sean and Mary for their loss. And I know that countless people, around the world, have been touched by this great man. We will miss him."
In 1968, McKay won the first of his 13 Emmy Awards, becoming the first sports commentator to receive that honor.
His 12th Emmy, in 1988, was not for his talents as a broadcaster but as the writer of the openings for ABC Sports' coverage of the 1987 Indianapolis 500, the British Open and the Kentucky Derby. He is the only broadcaster to have won Emmys for sports and news broadcasting and for writing.
In 1990 he was the recipient of the first-ever Lifetime Achievement in Sports award from the Academy. In 1992 he was the recipient of an Emmy Award in the Individual Achievement category for the ABC Sports special, "Athletes and Addiction: It's Not a Game."
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Mass mania: 24 million watched IPL final
Mass mania: 24 million watched IPL final
3 Jun 2008, 0012 hrs IST,Himanshi Dhawan,TNN
NEW DELHI: If you were glued to your television set on Sunday, you were not the only one.
Groans or cheers (depending on which team you were supporting) filled the air in numerous pubs, coffee shops, homes and offices with the Indian Premier League reaching its crescendo and millions of viewers logging on to the final between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
Snap polls suggest that over 24 million watched the nail-biting final, though industry experts say that this is a conservative estimate and the numbers could be much higher.
According to Audience Measurement And Analysis Ltd (aMap)-the overnight audience measurement system-the semi-finals too drew a crowd. Though the semi-finals were damp squibs, over 20 million people watched the Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils while the second semi-final between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab drew an audience of 19 million. The aMap has a sample size of 6,000 households in 85 towns.
Media analysts say that IPL viewership has been unprecedented. TAM has pegged the aggregate viewership between April 19 and May 24 at 99 million.
According to TAM, the World Cup cricket ODI final which was simulcast on SAB, Set Max and DD drew in 32.8 million people while the T20 final-in which India played and won-attracted an audience reach of 48 million.
In contrast, aMap said that 27 million watched the 2007 T20 final, indicating that these numbers could be on the lower side of the estimate.
3 Jun 2008, 0012 hrs IST,Himanshi Dhawan,TNN
NEW DELHI: If you were glued to your television set on Sunday, you were not the only one.
Groans or cheers (depending on which team you were supporting) filled the air in numerous pubs, coffee shops, homes and offices with the Indian Premier League reaching its crescendo and millions of viewers logging on to the final between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
Snap polls suggest that over 24 million watched the nail-biting final, though industry experts say that this is a conservative estimate and the numbers could be much higher.
According to Audience Measurement And Analysis Ltd (aMap)-the overnight audience measurement system-the semi-finals too drew a crowd. Though the semi-finals were damp squibs, over 20 million people watched the Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils while the second semi-final between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab drew an audience of 19 million. The aMap has a sample size of 6,000 households in 85 towns.
Media analysts say that IPL viewership has been unprecedented. TAM has pegged the aggregate viewership between April 19 and May 24 at 99 million.
According to TAM, the World Cup cricket ODI final which was simulcast on SAB, Set Max and DD drew in 32.8 million people while the T20 final-in which India played and won-attracted an audience reach of 48 million.
In contrast, aMap said that 27 million watched the 2007 T20 final, indicating that these numbers could be on the lower side of the estimate.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Premier League chief Lalit Modi convicted
Blue Star
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Premier League chief charged with abduction, assualt and doing hash
New Delhi: The high profile commissioner of the Indian Premier League, Lalit Modi, was convicted of possessing drugs, kidnapping and assault in the US during his days as a university student. The conviction came after Modi confessed to committing the offences before a North Carolina court.
In his defence, Modi’s lawyers say he did not serve the two-year jail sentence as he was let off on probation, and the Durham County Court did not give a final decision on his sentencing for drugs possession.
The Supreme Court has been hearing a petition challenging Modi’s position as a cricket official since 2005. But the case has acquired urgency lately after the petitioner asked for a quick resolution, either way.
Despite repeated attempts to contact him for a response through calls and SMSes, and despite explaining the story to him on SMS, Modi, though polite, indicated he would not comment.
Documents available with HT show Modi had pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine, abduction and assault in the state of North Carolina in 1985.
These documents are included in the petition being heard by the Supreme Court, challenging Modi’s election as president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association on the grounds that its rules do not permit anyone convicted of a criminal offence to hold the post of an office-bearer. The petitioner is Kishore Rungta, who was defeated by Modi in the elections.
If the court upholds the petitioner’s plea, Modi’s position as vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India may also become untenable.
In 1985, General Court of Justice, Durham County, had charged Modi with kidnapping, assault and possession of 400 grams of cocaine, court documents show. He then entered a ‘plea bargain’, which is permitted under the US law and allows a reduced punishment without a trial if the accused confesses to his or her crimes.
“Since the case was reported in the press, in order to avoid further publicity, embarrassment, protracted litigation in a foreign country, heavy costs and consequent intervention with his academic career, he entered into plea bargaining,” Modi’s lawyers wrote in a submission to the Supreme Court.
The Durham County Court accepted Modi's plea bargaining application and found him guilty of kidnapping and assault. The court sentenced him to two years imprisonment and fined him $10,000.
On Modi's request, the court placed him on a five-year probation, asking him to undergo 100 hours of community service. The decision on sentencing for possession of drugs was deferred for five years on the condition that a $50,000 cash bond was deposited with the court. This is a normal practice in North Carolina for first-time offenders.
Modi moved the court again in 1986 -- after graduating from Duke University -- seeking permission to move to India on health grounds. The court ordered: "As a fact the defendant has been hospitalised. His doctors indicate that a return to his home in India would facilitate his recovery… The said probation be modified to unsupervised probation. As a condition, the defendant is to perform 200 hours of community service by 1990. He may return to his home…"
Modi's lawyers say the US court did not pass any final judgment on the drugs charge in the next five years and the cash bond was also discharged. North Carolina rules allow first-time offenders in drugs cases to be given the benefit of deferred sentences.The issue of Modi's conviction has been haunting him regularly. A public interest litigation in the Mumbai High Court in 2007 challenged his election as BCCI vice-president on the same ground. (See accompanying box)
Though the court refused to unseat Modi, it asked the BCCI "to implement stringent regulatory measures so that those involved in criminal cases, not just illegal drugs but other serious charges have no place in administration". There are no indications so far that the BCCI paid any heed to the Bombay High Court's suggestions.
© Copyright 2008 HT Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Premier League chief charged with abduction, assualt and doing hash
New Delhi: The high profile commissioner of the Indian Premier League, Lalit Modi, was convicted of possessing drugs, kidnapping and assault in the US during his days as a university student. The conviction came after Modi confessed to committing the offences before a North Carolina court.
In his defence, Modi’s lawyers say he did not serve the two-year jail sentence as he was let off on probation, and the Durham County Court did not give a final decision on his sentencing for drugs possession.
The Supreme Court has been hearing a petition challenging Modi’s position as a cricket official since 2005. But the case has acquired urgency lately after the petitioner asked for a quick resolution, either way.
Despite repeated attempts to contact him for a response through calls and SMSes, and despite explaining the story to him on SMS, Modi, though polite, indicated he would not comment.
Documents available with HT show Modi had pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine, abduction and assault in the state of North Carolina in 1985.
These documents are included in the petition being heard by the Supreme Court, challenging Modi’s election as president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association on the grounds that its rules do not permit anyone convicted of a criminal offence to hold the post of an office-bearer. The petitioner is Kishore Rungta, who was defeated by Modi in the elections.
If the court upholds the petitioner’s plea, Modi’s position as vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India may also become untenable.
In 1985, General Court of Justice, Durham County, had charged Modi with kidnapping, assault and possession of 400 grams of cocaine, court documents show. He then entered a ‘plea bargain’, which is permitted under the US law and allows a reduced punishment without a trial if the accused confesses to his or her crimes.
“Since the case was reported in the press, in order to avoid further publicity, embarrassment, protracted litigation in a foreign country, heavy costs and consequent intervention with his academic career, he entered into plea bargaining,” Modi’s lawyers wrote in a submission to the Supreme Court.
The Durham County Court accepted Modi's plea bargaining application and found him guilty of kidnapping and assault. The court sentenced him to two years imprisonment and fined him $10,000.
On Modi's request, the court placed him on a five-year probation, asking him to undergo 100 hours of community service. The decision on sentencing for possession of drugs was deferred for five years on the condition that a $50,000 cash bond was deposited with the court. This is a normal practice in North Carolina for first-time offenders.
Modi moved the court again in 1986 -- after graduating from Duke University -- seeking permission to move to India on health grounds. The court ordered: "As a fact the defendant has been hospitalised. His doctors indicate that a return to his home in India would facilitate his recovery… The said probation be modified to unsupervised probation. As a condition, the defendant is to perform 200 hours of community service by 1990. He may return to his home…"
Modi's lawyers say the US court did not pass any final judgment on the drugs charge in the next five years and the cash bond was also discharged. North Carolina rules allow first-time offenders in drugs cases to be given the benefit of deferred sentences.The issue of Modi's conviction has been haunting him regularly. A public interest litigation in the Mumbai High Court in 2007 challenged his election as BCCI vice-president on the same ground. (See accompanying box)
Though the court refused to unseat Modi, it asked the BCCI "to implement stringent regulatory measures so that those involved in criminal cases, not just illegal drugs but other serious charges have no place in administration". There are no indications so far that the BCCI paid any heed to the Bombay High Court's suggestions.
© Copyright 2008 HT Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Aamir apologises for his 'Shahrukh' blog entry
Aamir apologises for his 'Shahrukh' blog entry
By indiaabroad
Tuesday May 20 9:55 PM
Mumbai, May 20 (IANS) Putting an end to the blog controversy, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan Tuesday apologised for his blog entry where he said he had a dog named 'Shahrukh', inviting criticism from King Khan's fans and shocking people in the Hindi film industry.
Aamir told newsmen at the residence of yesteryears' Bollywood actor Shammi Kapoor: 'I just wrote it out of humour and if it has hurt the feelings of mine or Shahrukh's fans then I apologise to all.'
The actor also said that he shares a healthy relationship with Shah Rukh Khan.
The actor had reportedly proclaimed that he has a dog by the name of 'Shahrukh'. The unflattering comment had sent shock waves through the film industry.
Commenting on the episode, Shah Rukh had said: 'Earlier, people used to name their children after famous people. Somebody naming a dog after a known person is a new beginning in that direction. I don't have a copyright over this name if used non-commercially.'
By indiaabroad
Tuesday May 20 9:55 PM
Mumbai, May 20 (IANS) Putting an end to the blog controversy, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan Tuesday apologised for his blog entry where he said he had a dog named 'Shahrukh', inviting criticism from King Khan's fans and shocking people in the Hindi film industry.
Aamir told newsmen at the residence of yesteryears' Bollywood actor Shammi Kapoor: 'I just wrote it out of humour and if it has hurt the feelings of mine or Shahrukh's fans then I apologise to all.'
The actor also said that he shares a healthy relationship with Shah Rukh Khan.
The actor had reportedly proclaimed that he has a dog by the name of 'Shahrukh'. The unflattering comment had sent shock waves through the film industry.
Commenting on the episode, Shah Rukh had said: 'Earlier, people used to name their children after famous people. Somebody naming a dog after a known person is a new beginning in that direction. I don't have a copyright over this name if used non-commercially.'
All is not well between SRK and Ganguly
All is not well between SRK and Ganguly
21 May 2008, 0017 hrs IST,TNN
MUMBAI: Has the peace in the Kolkata Knight Riders' camp been shattered? Are 'Dada' Sourav Ganguly and 'Badshah' Shah Rukh Khan not getting along with each other anymore? Yes, say insiders.
The two power centres in the Kolkata team are not seeing eye to eye on many issues. The problem apparently started with the entertainment tax that Shah Rukh Khan is paying for the matches being played at the Eden Gardens.
The Bollywood star wanted Ganguly to speak to West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and try and get it abolished. The Kolkata captain, who is known to be close to the CM, has refused to oblige, at least till now.
Interestingly, it is learnt that Eden Gardens is the only stadium where an IPL team is paying entertainment tax. That is not all though. The bigger bone of contention is KKR's sudden dip in form and its poor performance in the last few games, harming their semifinal chances. Shah Rukh, sources say, is not too happy with this change of fortunes although he hasn't expressed his feelings openly. Ganguly, on the other hand, has not been too pleased with the team composition right from the beginning. The differences surfaced during the auction itself, with Sourav wanting more batsmen while the team management was more keen on bowlers.
The problems magnified when coach John Buchanan was given more powers than the captain himself. To add fuel to the fire, Shah Rukh announced that the coach will take all the decisions for the team next year onwards, upsetting Ganguly in the bargain.
Ganguly has apparently already begun showing his discontent: he preferred to go back home after the last match rather than stay back for a press conference to annouce Knight Riders' tie-up with a website. Said an insider, who was present at the event, "Shah Rukh did pass some caustic remarks saying, 'I thank all my teammates for being at the press conference but who can forget Dada who is missing from the event'."
The duo also had a spat when Khan was keen that his team fielded first in the last game against Chennai; Ganguly, however, preferred to bat first. Eventually, the Knight Riders lost by 3 runs on Duckworth-Lewis following a rain interruption.
21 May 2008, 0017 hrs IST,TNN
MUMBAI: Has the peace in the Kolkata Knight Riders' camp been shattered? Are 'Dada' Sourav Ganguly and 'Badshah' Shah Rukh Khan not getting along with each other anymore? Yes, say insiders.
The two power centres in the Kolkata team are not seeing eye to eye on many issues. The problem apparently started with the entertainment tax that Shah Rukh Khan is paying for the matches being played at the Eden Gardens.
The Bollywood star wanted Ganguly to speak to West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and try and get it abolished. The Kolkata captain, who is known to be close to the CM, has refused to oblige, at least till now.
Interestingly, it is learnt that Eden Gardens is the only stadium where an IPL team is paying entertainment tax. That is not all though. The bigger bone of contention is KKR's sudden dip in form and its poor performance in the last few games, harming their semifinal chances. Shah Rukh, sources say, is not too happy with this change of fortunes although he hasn't expressed his feelings openly. Ganguly, on the other hand, has not been too pleased with the team composition right from the beginning. The differences surfaced during the auction itself, with Sourav wanting more batsmen while the team management was more keen on bowlers.
The problems magnified when coach John Buchanan was given more powers than the captain himself. To add fuel to the fire, Shah Rukh announced that the coach will take all the decisions for the team next year onwards, upsetting Ganguly in the bargain.
Ganguly has apparently already begun showing his discontent: he preferred to go back home after the last match rather than stay back for a press conference to annouce Knight Riders' tie-up with a website. Said an insider, who was present at the event, "Shah Rukh did pass some caustic remarks saying, 'I thank all my teammates for being at the press conference but who can forget Dada who is missing from the event'."
The duo also had a spat when Khan was keen that his team fielded first in the last game against Chennai; Ganguly, however, preferred to bat first. Eventually, the Knight Riders lost by 3 runs on Duckworth-Lewis following a rain interruption.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Shah Rukh Khan stopped by ICC at Kolkatta match
The International Cricket Council on Monday expressed surprise at film star Shah Rukh Khan's [Images] statement that its anti-corruption unit had asked him not to be with the team on the playing field, saying the IPL tournament is being played under the Board of Control for Cricket in India's rules and regulations.
The ICC [Images] said the IPL is a domestic tournament and the game's governing body does not have any role in formulating the rules.
"The reported incident has nothing to do with the ICC as IPL is a domestic tournament which is being held under the Rules and Regulations of the BCCI," an ICC spokesman said from Dubai.
*
IPL salary cap should stay, says Ponting
"Furthermore, the ICC Board in its meeting held in Dubai on 17-18 March had decided that IPL will introduce a code of conduct, an anti-corruption code and an anti-doping code that complies with ICC regulations," he said.
Bollywood superstar and Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan had on Sunday night claimed he had been barred by the ICC anti-corruption unit from going to the team dug out and dressing room for the remaining IPL matches.
"I like to hang around with the boys. I am very energetic. I am very disappointed that the ICC has stopped me," he said.
"I don't know the ICC rules. I'll tell only one thing: Nobody dare stop me from coming to Kolkata. I'll be here whenever my team plays a match at the Eden," Khan said.
Asked whether Shah Rukh needed an accreditation for the IPL matches, the ICC spokesman said, "Everybody needs an accreditation and these are in line with the anti-corruption code. BCCI is following the anti-corruption code. Now I don't know what modifications they have made to the code."
Knight Riders CEO Joy Bhattacharya played down the incident and said Shah Rukh was actually stopped by security personnel for not carrying a visitors' pass.
"Look there is nothing like that. It was a gentleman from the security who stopped Shah Rukh Khan. He said Shah Rukh didn't have a valid visitor's pass... I don't think there is any controversy or issue," he said.
He said the ICC rules are to ensure that bookies don't enter the dressing room.
"When these rules were framed, the concept of franchisee owners' domestic tournament didn't even come, the law was not framed to stop people like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta [Images], Mukesh Ambani or Vijay Mallya [Images] from walking into the dressing room," he said.
"According to even ICC regulations, there is a system of visitor's pass, the manager and team management sign it. The person can be allowed in the dressing room as long as it is signed by them. So there is no way to stop Shah Rukh from entering the dressing room," Bhattacharya added.
The ICC [Images] said the IPL is a domestic tournament and the game's governing body does not have any role in formulating the rules.
"The reported incident has nothing to do with the ICC as IPL is a domestic tournament which is being held under the Rules and Regulations of the BCCI," an ICC spokesman said from Dubai.
*
IPL salary cap should stay, says Ponting
"Furthermore, the ICC Board in its meeting held in Dubai on 17-18 March had decided that IPL will introduce a code of conduct, an anti-corruption code and an anti-doping code that complies with ICC regulations," he said.
Bollywood superstar and Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan had on Sunday night claimed he had been barred by the ICC anti-corruption unit from going to the team dug out and dressing room for the remaining IPL matches.
"I like to hang around with the boys. I am very energetic. I am very disappointed that the ICC has stopped me," he said.
"I don't know the ICC rules. I'll tell only one thing: Nobody dare stop me from coming to Kolkata. I'll be here whenever my team plays a match at the Eden," Khan said.
Asked whether Shah Rukh needed an accreditation for the IPL matches, the ICC spokesman said, "Everybody needs an accreditation and these are in line with the anti-corruption code. BCCI is following the anti-corruption code. Now I don't know what modifications they have made to the code."
Knight Riders CEO Joy Bhattacharya played down the incident and said Shah Rukh was actually stopped by security personnel for not carrying a visitors' pass.
"Look there is nothing like that. It was a gentleman from the security who stopped Shah Rukh Khan. He said Shah Rukh didn't have a valid visitor's pass... I don't think there is any controversy or issue," he said.
He said the ICC rules are to ensure that bookies don't enter the dressing room.
"When these rules were framed, the concept of franchisee owners' domestic tournament didn't even come, the law was not framed to stop people like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta [Images], Mukesh Ambani or Vijay Mallya [Images] from walking into the dressing room," he said.
"According to even ICC regulations, there is a system of visitor's pass, the manager and team management sign it. The person can be allowed in the dressing room as long as it is signed by them. So there is no way to stop Shah Rukh from entering the dressing room," Bhattacharya added.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Shoaib’s nonstop soap opera
Showboat Shoaib’s nonstop soap opera
Cricket | R. Mohan
Showboat Shoaib" is Pakistan cricket’s longest running soap opera. Would cricket be the same without him? As cricket’s serial offender, he has reserved a unique place for himself in the annals of the game. At the latest turn in his interesting career, the quicksilver fast bowler is once again at a crossroads.
What comes on the grapevine out of Pakistan is quite tilted in favour of the Rawalpindi Express who they believe has not derailed but merely stopped at another junction. The pro-player sentiment is so heavy in word cricket at the moment that normally anything is forgiven. There is even talk of the Pakistan Cricket Board being bypassed by the new government in Islamabad.
Shoaib does, however, test the quality of mercy in everyone because he has been guilty of so very much and accused of even much more — 1. Chucking, 2. Taking Nandrolone (performance enhancing steroid), 3. Ball tampering, 4. Using abusive language, 5. Sporting an outsized logo on his bat and 6. Hitting a teammate (Md Asif) with a bat.
Shoaib Akhtar has been banned for general indiscipline, that too for five years. In his case, this particular charge sounded so weak that PCB found itself with no friends on its side. So it is on to the legal process by which a retired judge and two others will sit in judgment on the ban.
Since what is popular also drives such judgments in sport-legal cases, it is on the cards that Shoaib will find relief somewhere in the appeal process. It would be most interesting to see if he stages yet another comeback from yet another ban or suspension. However, if the five-year ban sticks, then it is curtains on what has been a remarkable, if somewhat under-achieving career.
The colourful star may have made it hotter for himself this time by exploding at the ban announcement, throwing allegations with the speed of a boxer coming up off the floor in a desperate counter-attack.
He has raised the hackles not only of PCB’s top honcho in accusing him of asking for kickbacks but also brought former captains Inzamam and Moin Khan into the fray by wild talk on so-called approaches to throw matches. That brought the ICC anti corruption sleuths to his door.
It has always been hard to define in his case where facts stop and fiction begins. Any of his captains would say what an exasperating experience they have had in predicting his moods. In fact, the bowler credited with sending down the fastest ball in cricket in the era of speed radar, has also enjoyed the worst record of pulling out at the last minute, leaving his team in disarray at the start of many an international match.
It is remarkable that in a man who has been charged with so many misdemeanours that he sees no wrong in anything that he has done. He is ever the injured innocent set upon by forces driven by jealousy. Captains and coaches have tried to tap his vast bowling talent, with a decreasing rate of success as time has also flown.
He may not be the world’s most consistently successful fast bowler on the scene now. He does, however, make a thrilling spectacle with an extended runup, an hyperactive delivery action and an hyper-extended elbow that never makes it easy for the batsman to pick the ball coming off the hand.
His bean balls are inevitably the nastiest, his villainous scowl and a semi apology making them even more sinister.
Not without reason has the standard joke in Pakistan been "Shoaib Actor" whenever his name crops up. Many former players have stood by him in his latest run-in with the establishment. On this side of the border, Shoaib has found a sympathiser in his team owner, Shah Rukh Khan.
The Bollywood star and the flamboyant fast bowler, who has probably received more film offers than any cricketer in history, have shared such a chemistry that there was no doubt at all that he would land up near Howrah, with the Knight Riders in Kolkata. The question now is will the Pindi Express take off again?
(From Asian Age)
Cricket | R. Mohan
Showboat Shoaib" is Pakistan cricket’s longest running soap opera. Would cricket be the same without him? As cricket’s serial offender, he has reserved a unique place for himself in the annals of the game. At the latest turn in his interesting career, the quicksilver fast bowler is once again at a crossroads.
What comes on the grapevine out of Pakistan is quite tilted in favour of the Rawalpindi Express who they believe has not derailed but merely stopped at another junction. The pro-player sentiment is so heavy in word cricket at the moment that normally anything is forgiven. There is even talk of the Pakistan Cricket Board being bypassed by the new government in Islamabad.
Shoaib does, however, test the quality of mercy in everyone because he has been guilty of so very much and accused of even much more — 1. Chucking, 2. Taking Nandrolone (performance enhancing steroid), 3. Ball tampering, 4. Using abusive language, 5. Sporting an outsized logo on his bat and 6. Hitting a teammate (Md Asif) with a bat.
Shoaib Akhtar has been banned for general indiscipline, that too for five years. In his case, this particular charge sounded so weak that PCB found itself with no friends on its side. So it is on to the legal process by which a retired judge and two others will sit in judgment on the ban.
Since what is popular also drives such judgments in sport-legal cases, it is on the cards that Shoaib will find relief somewhere in the appeal process. It would be most interesting to see if he stages yet another comeback from yet another ban or suspension. However, if the five-year ban sticks, then it is curtains on what has been a remarkable, if somewhat under-achieving career.
The colourful star may have made it hotter for himself this time by exploding at the ban announcement, throwing allegations with the speed of a boxer coming up off the floor in a desperate counter-attack.
He has raised the hackles not only of PCB’s top honcho in accusing him of asking for kickbacks but also brought former captains Inzamam and Moin Khan into the fray by wild talk on so-called approaches to throw matches. That brought the ICC anti corruption sleuths to his door.
It has always been hard to define in his case where facts stop and fiction begins. Any of his captains would say what an exasperating experience they have had in predicting his moods. In fact, the bowler credited with sending down the fastest ball in cricket in the era of speed radar, has also enjoyed the worst record of pulling out at the last minute, leaving his team in disarray at the start of many an international match.
It is remarkable that in a man who has been charged with so many misdemeanours that he sees no wrong in anything that he has done. He is ever the injured innocent set upon by forces driven by jealousy. Captains and coaches have tried to tap his vast bowling talent, with a decreasing rate of success as time has also flown.
He may not be the world’s most consistently successful fast bowler on the scene now. He does, however, make a thrilling spectacle with an extended runup, an hyperactive delivery action and an hyper-extended elbow that never makes it easy for the batsman to pick the ball coming off the hand.
His bean balls are inevitably the nastiest, his villainous scowl and a semi apology making them even more sinister.
Not without reason has the standard joke in Pakistan been "Shoaib Actor" whenever his name crops up. Many former players have stood by him in his latest run-in with the establishment. On this side of the border, Shoaib has found a sympathiser in his team owner, Shah Rukh Khan.
The Bollywood star and the flamboyant fast bowler, who has probably received more film offers than any cricketer in history, have shared such a chemistry that there was no doubt at all that he would land up near Howrah, with the Knight Riders in Kolkata. The question now is will the Pindi Express take off again?
(From Asian Age)
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