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Soccer -
Foreign Remedy
Kushal Chakraborty
Accompanying
Brazilian President Lula to India next month would be a
six-member national football delegation of that country
to India for betterment of Indian soccer. Not unusual
going by the fact that Indian soccer is invaded by
foreign players. The failure to create its own pool of
talent is forcing India's football think-tank to peep
outside its geographical borders, often in search of the
players of Indian origin, who can salvage its pristine
pride. Kushal Chakraborty traces the history of foreign
invasion in soccer
Jose Barreto, Edmilson, Roberto Mendes Silva, Yusif
Yakubu, Ranti Martins - this not a roll-call for an
all-star world soccer team. These are some of the foreign
players who are dominating the Indian football club
rosters. In the Indian soccer scenario induction of good
foreigners is vital to the success of a club. The craving
for a foreign recruit has reached such a pass that the
Indian football officials are now seriously thinking of
giving Indian citizenship to some good foreign
footballers. Japan is lending the cue with the success of
Brazil-born Alex in its ranks.
The failure to create its own pool of talent is forcing
the country's football think-tank to peep outside its
geographical borders in search of the players of Indian
origin who can salvage its pristine pride. With the
country's present world ranking in soccer plummeting to
157, the mandarins of the sports are taking recourse to a
relatively new legislation laid out by the sport's world
governing body - FIFA. It is about the dual nationality
of a player. In the Indian context the law would broadly
read like this -- A player playing outside India but of
Indian origin would be eligible to play for the country
if he has not represented the country where is presently
residing. Now with lot of the second or third generation
Indian expatriates making their presence felt in
different soccer leagues in Europe, the football
administration is seeing its deliverance in the new
generation of NRIs.
The need to excel in a highly competitive format spurred
the Kolkata clubs to look outside the country for better
talents. In this effort to outscore each other, two clubs
- especially East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting - played
the pioneering role. Mohun Bagan, being more conservative
in principle, kept itself away from this process of
hiring foreign players initially. Both East Bengal and
Mohammedan Sporting were regularly reaching outside the
geographical boundaries to recruit players from of
different countries. Still, the clubs had some
self-imposed prohibitions. For example, East Bengal club
did not recruit Anglo-Indian players till 1942. East
Bengal broke this embargo with Fred Pagsali, an
Anglo-Indian refugee from Myanmar. The player went on to
occupy a prominent spot in the pantheon of the club's
all-time stars with his exceptional skills as a striker.
This was time Mohun Bagan was beginning to realise the
inefficacy of its stubbornness in not going for imports.
It broke the convention finally in 1992 and did so in
style bringing in Chima as its first foreign recruit. By
this time East Bengal had made it their habit bringing
hordes of foreigners every season. East Bengal had
introduced another future star in 1986 picking up Emeka
Ezuego from Aligarh Muslim University. After a brief
stint in Kolkata and Dhaka, Emeka went back to his native
country Nigeria and represented his national side in the
1998 World Cup. The stream of foreign invasion continued
with the likes of Charles Appu, Chibuzor, Johny, Santos -
who was perhaps the first Bazilian player to play in the
country - joining East Bengal.
The cue was taken over by even smaller clubs, like George
Telegraph, Port Trust, picking up foreigners in their
roster. In the later years East Bengal further
embellished its illustrious record of foreign recruitment
reaching out to England from where they brought in the
trio of Peter Maguire, Prindevelly, and Edmonds early in
the 90s. Mohun Bagan picked up late but in the last 15
years it has caught up with the race along with other
clubs in the country to make it a pan-Indian phenomenon.
Going by the performances of foreign players in Indian
soccer, it can be said without any doubt that Africa-born
players are more successful than the imports from the
other continents. The last decade has seen the biggest
proliferation in this phenomenon with the clubs in Goa,
Kerala, Mumbai, and Punjab garnishing their squads with
plucking from virtually all across the world. The past
has seen the likes of Chima, Kenyan Sammy Omello,
Ghanaians Sule Musha and Jackson Agygpong, Nigerians
Emanuel Opoku, Bernard Oparanzie, Christopher among
others. Now with Brazilians turning their attention to
India, the clubs rosters have a healthy presence from the
land of Samba. Led by Jose Barreto, who can easily be
ranked among one of the foreigners to have ever played in
the country, there are many other Brazilians who are
tugging the fortune of the clubs in the country. The
other successful Brazilian in the Indian conditions was
Cristiano Junior, who met an untimely end on field in the
2004 Federation Cup final at Bangalore.
Surajit Sengupta, former Indian captain, says that most
of the foreigners who come to play in the country are
often of mediocre standards. "The only ones who are
very exceptional compared to the Indian players can only
make their mark. This is paradoxical situation where the
talented foreigners often prefer good professional
leagues in Europe and Asia (like in Japan and Korea),
leaving only the ones without any option search the route
to India," he says.
Tarun De, another international footballer, says the
Indian clubs hardly make a quality check on the
foreigners. To recruit a foreign player club officials
need to be more professional in their approach. (TWF)****
Australian
eye on World Cup
S S Ramaswamy
None currently in
world cricket can excel defending champions Australia in
this respect which makes them the favourites for keeping
the World Cup in their graps despite suffering some
serious setbacks of late.
Self-confidence can make people surmount what appears to
be an impossible-to-scale challenge. And none do it
better than Australia who may have lost some of their
past aura but are still strong enough to make it an
unprecedented three-in-a-row.
Their title-runs in 1999 in England and in 2003 in South
Africa were not smooth sailing all the way, but the
winning habit they had cultivated since 1995 when they
overturned world champions West Indies in the
latters backyard to scale Test crickets
pinnacle gave them the extra confidence and will power to
overcome the obstacles.
A lesser team in determination and resilience than Steve
Waughs Australia of 1999 or Ricky Pontings
side four years later would have succumbed to the intense
pressures.
Thus, any team, including the resurgent and high-on -
confidence India, needs to play far above its potential
to get past the two-time champions in the race for the
top prize in the West Indies.
India, two - time Cup winners and hosts West Indies and
South Africa currently the worlds top-rated one-day
team, do have the players to challenge Australias
supremacy.
The vital question is, can they hold their nerves like
the Australians do in times of serious difficulties ? Do
they possess that extra vitality, fighting spirit and
never-say attitude to even come back from the dead and
clinch the Cup like Waugh and his men did against South
Africa in 1999?
Australia certainly have been hit hard by the ankle
injury sustained by speed ace Brett Lee, which has ruled
the blond New South Welshman out of the tournament, and
the biceps tendon injury suffered by the highly talented
but unpredicatable Andrew Symonds.
But the quality of the domestic cricket in Australia is
much higher than in the rest of the world and thats
the reason they have been able to find a fine replacement
in Stuart Clark, a gangling bowler in the Glenn McGrath
mould, for Lee and it would be surprising if he fails to
fit the bill.
The injury to all rounder Symonds is the bigger concern
for Australia who, at present, do not have so many
players who can do multi-tasks like say India or Sri
Lankan players.
Symonds is expected to take part in the later stages of
the tournament, and his absence could be felt in the
earlier stages too.
Australia, grouped ironically with South Africa, Scotland
and The Netherlands in pool A, should not have much
trouble in reaching the Super 8 stage, but could face
unforeseen difficulties in the second stage if Symonds
remains unfit to play.
But one only needs to go back to 2003 to see how
Australia had bounced back after losing Shane
Warnes guiles after landing in South Africa.
Warne then had been declared to have failed a dope test
conducted at home before the teams departure and
write off Australia at our own peril.
Most other teams would have been devasted by such a big
blow to their hopes but Ponting and company took the
severe setback in their stride and rode home all the way.
South Africa should also expectedly make it to round two
along with India, Sri Lanka (group-B), New Zealand,
England (group C) and Pakistan and West Indies (group D)
from the preliminary stage where mismatches look likely
to be the order of the day.
Coming to Indias chances in whats widely
believed to be an open Cup, they are as good as any other
teams barring perhaps Australias.
The sound blend of experience and youth, the depth and
class in batting and the varied skills of a number of
players surely gives Rahul Dravids team a classy
look and a team which does look to have the ability to
bring back the Cup to India after 24 years.
But generally India do not perform well away from home as
was shown in the West Indies on their last visit in April
2006 and in South Africa, the main culprits being the
wickets.
In the Caribbean the slow wickets affording low bounce
stymied the teams stroke players and it also missed
the calming influence of Sachin Tendulkar who is present
now and will surely boost the middle order.
Among the other serious challengers, South Africas
batting looks a bit brittle and they also lack a good
spinner. Their ability to handle pressure well in the
past also puts a question mark against them.
Pakistan appear to be in total disarray with Shoaib
Akhtar and Mohd Asif dropped because of
injuries though there are talks
that the duo have failed a privately held dope test.
However, they have always been a totally unpredictable
lot and still can come up with something spectacular out
of the blue and regain the crown.
Sri Lanka have realistic chances of winning the Cup but
they depend a lot on the top-order strike prowess of
Sanath Jayasuriya as was shown in their last series in
India. But the return of veterans Chaminda Vaas and
Muthiah Muralitharan gives the team a healthier look.
England had a terrible Ashes series in Australia but
bounced back well to surprise the World Cup holders and
win the tri-series late, but cannot be said to be truly
front-runners for the crickets most coveted prize.
New Zealand, who have also not won the Cup, are sailing
in the same boat-good at home but not so impressive away
from familiar surroundings.
That leaves the West Indies who had finished runners up
to Australia in last years ICC Champions Trophy
held in India.
The winners of 1975 and 1979 would depend a lot on the
trio of Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and captain
Brian Lara in batting. They have a good mix of bowlers,
fast and slow medium, to trouble a lot of batsmen, along
with the effective spin of Gayle and Marlon Samuels.
If the Calypso charmers do so it will certainly inject
new life into the game in the Caribbean where its
popularity has waned considerably. PTI Feature
Computers
Rule cricket umpiring
G V Joshi
The 14 Leg Before
Wicket (LBW) decisions at Lords Test and Simon
Taufels decision at Trent Bridge in UK to give
Tendulkar LBW out has generated enough debate. Tendulkar
might have scored a century which would have added one
more feather to this already overcrowded cap. Taufel
later admitted that his decision was incorrect. All his
only points to a recent trend that the use of computers
supported by electronic cameras and associated software,
to make every decision in cricket is coming soon. Result:
Many test umpires in International cricket could be under
scrutiny or out of job in a few years time. Developments
in computer programming have reached a stage when all key
decisions that were once the privilege of field umpires,
third umpires as well as match umpires would be resolved
by television replay and computer programs like Hawk Eye.
Computer wizards have developed programs to resolve such
doubtful issues as LBW appeals or whether the ball
brushed the bat or the glove on its way to the
wicketkeeper. Most decisions like No Ball, Wide Ball,
Catch, Catch Behind Wicket, stumping, boundaries, and
sixers are easy and TV replay has been helping the third
umpire to decide any doubtful decision. It has already
reached a stage that the third umpire is at times more
important than the two umpires on the field. But a LBW
decision is the most disputed part of cricketmatches. It
involves a keen eye sight and a lot of personal judgment
and that too taken in a very short time by the umpire.
What is LBW? To a common cricket fan, LBW is simply leg
before wicket. The umpire will consider an LBW decision
if he believes the ball would have hit the stumps had its
path not been obstructed by the batsmans pads or
body. But the umpire also has to take into consideration
a number of other factors before making a decision. LBW
appeals come within the space of two seconds, often less.
During that time the umpire has to assess numberous
factors before arriving at the right decision. TV viewers
can see a ball and the bat from a number of angles. But
the umpire has only one position, one chance and few
seconds to decide correctly and at times he is not right.
As of today, his word in final.
Dr Paul Hawkins, a British computer wizard has perfected
a computerised state-of-the art technology to determine
without any doubt, if a batsman is LBW out or not.
It has been aptly named Hawk-Eye (HE). Based on the
missile-tracking technology, it can decide within two
seconds whether a batsman is LBW or not. Special cameras
are placed all-round the ground to provide
three-dimensional images of the ball during its flight
from the bowlers hand to the players bat.
Within a second, he calculates where the ball pitched,
its sideways movement in the air and off the pitch, its
speed and bounce. Finally, it pinpoints where exactly the
ball had struck the batsmans pad. The device then
works out the path the ball would have taken, if the
batsmans pads had not come in its way, thus,
deciding if the ball would have hit the stumps or not.
The system uses six cameras mounted on stands around the
ground, two behind each set of stumps, and two at right
angles (square) to the stumps. The four straight cameras
workout the speed of the ball, how much it swung, where
it pitched and where it hit the batsmans leg. The
remaining two support the system. The square cameras
determine how much the ball bounced. This information is
fed to a computer which works out a few facts to
establish whether or not the batsman is out, (1) Did the
ball pitch outside the off stumps? (2) Did the ball
pitchoutside the leg stumps? (3) Did the ball pitch on
the leg-stump, (4) Did the ball hit the batsman outside
the line of the stumps? (5) Would the ball have gone on
to hit the stumps? After considering the answers to the
first four questions and if the answer to the fifth
question is in the affirmative then the batsman is
declared out. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has
requested for a demonstration at the start of the season
at the Lords in London. If the computer system is found
to be one hundred per cent accurate, and better than the
field umpires visual judgment, it could get an
official go-ahead from the ICC, perhaps in a year or two.
If this happens, cricket will be played with only the
players on the ground and the only umpire for the match
sitting infront of the Television and HE to give
decisions. According to Dr Paul Hawkins, the brain behind
Hawks Eye, At least about one in
five lbws that are given by the on-field umpires are
incorrect. HE can also be used in tennis to decide
if the ball were in or out. South
African cricket authorities propose to use the Red
Zone and Flight path systems to help
them take LBW decisions.
They also use a device named Snickometer to
detect if a batsman had hit the ball, but these, like the
LBW aids, are not yet available to officials. They are
also being refined to establish whether wood or any other
materials have generated the sound. According to Dr
Hawkins, He has never imposed HE on any sport,
whether cricket or tennis. It is a decision-making tool
to resolve the tightest calls, in place where human
judgement is no longer enough. A former umpire
Dickie Bird feels the technology is leading the game down
the garden path. In his words, HE is rubbish. Allit
has given the game is controversy, and put umpires
undermore stress. Mr Jayaprakash, an Indian umpire
says: It is an innovative tool, no doubt, and may
be what it has done isto readjust the line of sight of
umpire. This prompts umpires to give more front-foot LBWs
because theyve seen that HE shows the ball hitting
the stumps anyway. However, there will always be a
need for somebody to supervise the behaviour of players
and their sledging on the ground. Sledging in cricket
involves insulting opponents to break their concentration
and cause them to make mistakes.
(PTI Feature)
Performance is the mantra

Joaquim Carvalho, popularly called
"Jack" by his friends, was part of the 1984 Los
Angeles Olympic squad and considered one of the strongest
ever to leave the Indian shores. As Chak De spirit sweeps
India and the team prepares for the Beijing Olympics next
year, the head coach of Indian hockey speaks to B
Arindham in an exclusive interview
What changes you brought about in the team that retained
the Asia Cup?
The changes I made were simple and straightforward. I
asked the players to run hard, retackle, be aggressive in
attack and solid in defence. The stress was also on
discipline, teamwork and honesty
it was about giving
100 per cent. Another thing we did was making the video
analysis programme more planned and fruitful
.we
scouted for the opposition's strengths and weaknesses and
planned accordingly.
How is the team shaping for Beijing Olympics?
Presently the team is in Germany. After they return we
will have a month-long camp from the first week of
November where we will concentrate on the skill, fitness
and strength part. The mental aspect of the game would
also be looked into. We cannot take Great Britain lightly
especially after the influx of a few players from
Scotland and Ireland into their ranks. I am very
optimistic. I never give up.
Who are the players you look forward to for delivering
the goods?
All the players are important for me. I am concentrating
more on the team than on any individual. So it would be
unfair to single out anybody. We have a very talented
bunch of youngsters and some very committed seniors. It's
a well balanced side.
What was the inside story behind Sandip Singh being
dropped? There are polls for Sandip Singh
.
People who conduct these polls are not aware of the
facts. I am not going to compromise with discipline and
commitment
stardom and past laurels means nothing to
me
no individual is more important than a team. He
is supposed to be a penalty corner specialist and for
that one needs to practise day in day out. He was missing
practice in camps and that is not acceptable. I dropped
Raghunath in spite of him being a drag-flick specialist.
This is because he was not performing. So there is no
bias
performance is the only mantra.
How would Ric Charlesworth's inclusion help you?
Ric is a legend in his own right. He is one of the most
experienced coaches. But here his job is off the ground.
He is the technical director. He gives suggestions and
the ones we deem fit will be taken. There will be no
interference in day to day coaching.
What is your definition of modern hockey?
Modern hockey is all about playing according to the
necessity of the match. The top notch teams like
Australia or The Netherlands do not play fancy hockey.
They play effective hockey. We need to use the
substitutions to the core, play hard effective hockey and
translate the individual skills into group skills.
Has Premier Hockey League helped Indian Hockey?
It has surely built the hype. The media coverage has
brought in money. The visibility factor is a big thing.
It creates support base
the inclusion of the foreign
players gives a chance to the junior players to rub
shoulders with the biggies. Youngsters come to know that
there isn't money only in cricket when they see a player
like Dilip Tirkey make Rs five to six lakh from one
tournament.
How would you describe the protest after the Twety20
victory celebrations?
First I would like to clear one thing. I have nothing
against cricket. In fact I watched the final myself and
was supporting Dhoni and company
was biting my
nails. I celebrated too. Most of the cricketers are my
friends. But what I found very odd was that the state
governments were vying with one another to reward the
players but not a word of congratulations came for my
boys who are the champions of Asia in a very high voltage
and tough tournament. It was as if cricket was the only
sport and all other sports were pushovers. I was
protesting this apathy from the administration. This
protest was a precedent set for the later generations.
What are two things that you would like to change if made
the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) boss?
I would like to make the administration more professional
and strengthen the domestic structure. The second thing I
would like to do is build on the infrastructure for the
game in the country and creates awareness.
Has "Chak De India" created a renewed love for
the game?
The film was well made and has certainly raised a few
eyebrows with the amount of media coverage it got. For
the boys it's still a lot of hard work and a commitment
to continue winning. The best thing that Chak de has done
is that it has given an idiom for winning in the name
"Chak de".
How would you like to be remembered as a coach?
I will be satisfied if the boys give 100 per cent in
every game. The results don't worry me. Having said that
I would like to keep my winning ways uninterrupted
(Laughs). (TWF)
Cradle of Cricket

Raju Bhartan
A tattered, yellowing tent. An old mali
wearing an outsized khaki shirt and shorts. Weeds growing
all over the outfield that would embarrass any amateur
week-end gardener. A rickety score-board. A quiet
drizzle. And a crowded ground, with many matches on at
the same time, where the third slip in one match has only
to turn around to become mid-on in another, and third man
in the third. It seems chaotic and disorderly, but in the
anarchy there seems to be a purpose.
In the tent, as on the field, are some of the keenest,
most eager young cricketers one can find. They look
scrawny and bony, but when they grow up they could become
a Sunil Gavaskar, a Dilip Vengsarkar, an Ajit Wadekar, a
Dilip Sardesai, a Ravi Shastri, a Sanjay Manjrekar, a
Sachin Tendulkar and a Vinod Kambli. Along with Praveen
Amre and Vinod Kambli, Manjrekar and Tendulkar led a
powerful revival of the traditional Dadar-Shivaji Park
domination of Indian batting.
If the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields
of Eton and Harrow, battles at Lords or Bridgetown
have been saved and won due to the playing fields of
Mumbais Shivaji Park and Dadar Union. For the
batsmen who have emerged from these clubs with no
facilities but loads of history and tradition, are full
of grit. They give Indian batting its spine. Says Milind
Rege, former Mumbai player: Mumbai produces the
countrys gutsiest cricketers.
From the moment they open their eyes they think, dream,
and hear cricket. As does anyone who lives near Shivaji
Park. From seven in the morning, every day of the week,
the reassuring thuds of the willow reverberate in the
vast ground in central Mumbai, and the air carries the
smell of leather, even as RSS men perform their daily
exercises and the statue of Shivaji looks on vigilantly.
All over the ground, hundreds of schoolboys, donning
flannels, bat and bowl at the eleven nets with
determination, their minutest error spotted and corrected
by eagle-eyed coaches like Vasant Amladi and Vithal
Patil.
Over the years, Shivaji Park has become the metaphor for
the countrys cricketing nursery. There are other
grounds too in Mumbaithe Tairsee nets in downtown
Mumbai where Vinoo Mankad used to teach, or the sylvan
MIG ground in midtown Mumbai, where Vasu Paranjpe, who
played for 35 years for Dadar Union, still
teachesbut nothing as symbolic of the citys
cricketing prowess as Shivaji Park.
Those practising there follow a tough schedule: bowlers
bowl two hours at a go and many of todays Test
stars say they used to practise six hours a day in their
formative years. Cricket maniacs like Sachin Tendulkar
and Vinod Kambli during summer vacations, used to
practise from 7 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. then play a game
through the day, and then be at the nets again till 7
a.m.
As the days get warmer, the tents at Shivaji Park become
a beehive of activity, as young aspirants rub shoulders
with Test stars and a few veterans. The youngsters are
all eyes and ears as the old-timers like Vijay Bhosale
recall the days of Shivaji Park alumni and their glorious
deeds: how Sunil Gavaskar batted even when he was ill and
carried his bat through the innings, or how Padmakar
Shivalkar bowled like a man possessed.
Special lightweight pads, since both of them are of short
stature, after Tendulkar hit a century in the match. Then
in England, Gavaskar advised Tendulkar: Everything
youre doing is fine. But dont go for the
ball; let it come to you. Recalls Tendulkar:
I thought about it and followed it in the next
innings. It was an innings that gave Tendulkar his
first Test century.
Some critics feel it is the Maharashtrian ethos which has
produced the run-hungry machines. Mihir Bose writes in A
Maiden View: What is this Maharashtrian against?
Why is the Shivaji Park ingredient so crucial? It is
wronged nationalism. Somewhat similar to the one felt in
Yorkshire but infinitely more powerful. One that believes
that the true merits and genius of Maharashtrians have
not been acknowledged. Shivaji Park is the symbol of that
feeling.
But club loyalties are now waning. The days when Gavaskar
would fly back from a tour and turn up the next morning
for Dadar Union are gone. Says Sandeep Patil: Sunil
was the only guy who was devoted fully to the game. All
of usincluding myselfwere content to be
happy-go-lucky.
But Tendulkar and Manjrekar have proved that despite
being overcome by slackness, this nursery continues to
nurture talent. The crowd of Shivaji Park teenagers
struggling to get into the Indian team shows that the
turf still sprouts talent.
Different sets of heroes continue to emerge from the
playing fields of Shivaji Park. Gavaskar taught Indians
tenacity, and now hardly any Indian fights shy of facing
hard, fast bowling. One day Tendulkar will have left
behind a lesson: loose deliveries must be hit with the
contempt they deserve. That would be a fitting tribute to
the Shivaji Park ground, even if it is filled in the
evening with Shiv Sainiks and Congress workers
whove converted the ground into a battleground of
political ideologies.
The blades of grass sway not to the rhetoric of the
Thackerays the Pawars; but tingle with excitement each
time square cuts whistle by. (INAV)
The giant and gentleman
Jayant Muralidharan
India's current
test captain 37-year-old Anil Kumble is one of the finest
players of the game. Quiet, dedicated, humble to a fault
and rather decisive for a Libran, is as well-known for
his penchant for privacy as for his performance on the
pitch. For the Bangalorean, life is a balancing act
between action and accolades; family and fame. From a
typical Kannadiga Brahmin family, where right education
was the hallmark of a person's capabilities, he managed
mechanical engineering and gully cricket with a finesse
still associated with his performances.
The self-effacing leg spinner, with a surprisingly
guttural, sexy voice, brushes off compliments, "As
long as you are honest and committed, you will end up a
winner. Anyway, I have never planned anything in my life.
Things have just happened. Of course, there have been
times when I've had to take decisions, and I've always
stuck by them."
Like he chose to sweat it out-on and off field-when his
peers were burning up the dance floors. His single-minded
devotion paid rich dividends and he rose from the Ranji
team (Karnataka) to the national cricket team. He debuted
at 19, dazzling everyone with his first five-wicket haul
against South Africa at Johannesburg, just two years
later. Kumble's 17-long-years in international cricket
are peppered with a clever mix of top-spinners, googlies,
leg-breaks and a variation of pace that has outwitted
many a batsman. And of course, the ever-dependable Kumble
doesn't blow his own trumpet by reminding you of his
latest record that of being the first Indian to have
reached the 546-wicket tally in Test cricket. Hardly
surprising, if one considers his earlier feats on the
field-in early February 1999, he single-handedly upstaged
the Pakistan team to become the second bowler and only
Indian in Test match history to capture 10 wickets in an
innings. In 2002, in a Test match against the West Indies
at Antigua, (and with a fractured jaw to boot!) he bowled
14-overs with his face bandaged. And for the 6'2"
tall Kumble, his 10-wicket haul is his most prized
accomplishment. "I still have the ball," he
smiles.
All work and no play? It does seem like it. "Where
was the time?" says the cricketer who would have us
believe that his first and last love is his wife! Rather
difficult to stomach, considering the scandals that
surround his colleagues! But, even considerable digging
around didn't reveal any clandestine affairs!
Well, what you say about a guy whose favourite place is
home, fave colour blue, hot girl, his wife, and he
listens to "nice, soothing music!" We rest our
case and declare him a good guy!
Is cricket then his first love? "There's no way I
would have swapped cricket for the job of a mechanical
engineer," he says. Kumble attributes his success to
team members, supporters and to his education. "I
wouldn't have been as successful but for my
education." Do you then wonder at his penchant for
precision and accuracy in line and length?
The strength of their relationship is evident from the
fight Kumble and Chetana put up together, for
Aaruni's-Chetana's daughter from her earlier
marriage-custody. "It was a huge relief when we
finally won the case," states Kumble. Now his family
is complete with 11-year-old daughter Aaruni and two-year
old son Mayas. Has the father-daughter relationship been
smooth right from the beginning? Kumble feels it is quite
fine as "Chetana did a lot of work in this
regard". Talk about Mayas and his face breaks into
another happy smile, "At this age, he is quite a
handful. He has so much energy! Now he is old enough to
realise that I am not present 24 hours. So whenever I am
at home, he ensures that I spend maximum time with
him."
A lesser-known fact about Kumble is his fondness for
photography and his felicity with his camera, a Canon
Digital EOS 5D, no less! Of course, he has taken some
candid shots of his teammates but is loathe sharing them.
Kumble feels, "Certain photographs are very special
and I don't think my colleagues will want me to share
them with everyone!"
The more daring pictures are of course those of animals
in the wild. He is particularly fascinated by tigers and
has travelled to tiger reserves at Bandipur and Kabini.
"But I have never seen a tiger in my life," he
admits, adding that he is planning a coffee table book
with his collection of photographs.
Money, name and fame. Anil Kumble has it all. However,
the trappings of success don't really impress him much.
His luxurious house, his fancy Ford Endeavour are just
brushed aside with a simple "Certain things are just
there, but I hardly use them", almost like they
don't matter to him. For this vegetarian (he hates the
idea of killing an animal just to eat it), simplicity
rules. (INAV)
Adieu Indian Hockey!

Krishna Mohan
In a matter of just a few days the headline
writers in the country have exhibited a full range of
emotions. The victory in the triangular one-day cricket
international series in Australia sent them into ecstasy
with some gloating headlines raising visions of a
'resurgent' youthful Indian cricket team becoming number
one in the world! Even before this euphoria had died down
came the abysmal news of the defeat of the Indian hockey
by Great Britain in Olympic qualifying round matches in
far way Chile. The defeat eliminated India from
participating in the hockey event at the Beijing
Olympics. It was an unprecedented humiliation for Indian
hockey.
The defeat was unanimously described as 'shameful', which
would perhaps erroneously lead some to believe that the
Indian hockey team that played in the qualifying rounds
in Chile was capable of winning. The 'shameful' chapter
had indeed begun a few days prior to the final surrender
before Britain when the same country had handed a
drubbing to the Indian team. The fact is that the Indian
team that participated in the Olympic qualifying round
matches was ranked lower than Great Britain.
There was no dearth of head-hunters in India after the
decisive defeat in Chile. The media was at its carping
best and the hockey fans were dumbfounded. The
politicians joined the two in demanding heads-of the
bosses of the long discredited Indian Hockey Federation,
particularly its chief, aged 'super cop' K.P.S. Gill. The
latter arrogantly refused to step down, saying "IHF
is not a coffee machine that could pour out instant
coffee!"
While there were accounts analysing the weaknesses of the
team that played the final round in Chile, the overriding
theme in the criticism was that Gill must go at once for
the sake of resurrection of the Indian hockey. The demand
for his removal has been a constant refrain almost from
the time he became the chief of the IHF in 1994.
One does not know why, but the fact is that 14 years have
passed and nobody has been able to dislodge Gill if that
was considered to be the first step towards restoring
India's lost hockey pride. There can be no question that
Gill has outlived the IHF hospitality. But in demanding
his scalp certain other facts are sometimes overlooked.
Granted that much of the muddle in the Indian hockey team
can be traced to the IHF and its chief. But when talking
about the decline of hockey it may also be necessary to
talk about the clear downward trajectory of Indian hockey
from about the mid-1960s and the corresponding ascendancy
of the European style of hockey, which has contributed in
no mean manner to the decline of Indian hockey.
The world switched from grass to astro-turf for playing
hockey long time ago. The debacle of the Indian team at
the Montreal Olympics in 1976 was attributed to the
team's lack of practice on the astro-turf. More than 30
years on, the country is still short of astro-turfs
grounds. Big cities like Delhi and Mumbai may claim one
or two astro-turfs but in smaller towns where probably
there is still an abundance of hockey the game continues
to be played on grass. In fact, most schools do not have
adequate playgrounds.
India was a force to reckon with in hockey for a long
time, from the time the men led by legendary Dhyan Chand
pulverised the world in the decades after the first world
war. India bagged gold medals in eight Olympic Games. The
last one was at Moscow where the quality of participation
was questionable because of boycott by the western
countries upset over Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
The skills of the players can be honed by the coach. The
history of the Indian hockey team's coach is akin to a
revolving door policy. The coaches have been coming and
going at frequent intervals. A defeat in a major
international tournament is a sure signal for their hasty
exit. The coach of the team that has just lost in Chile,
Joachim Carvalho, did not complete even a year before he
resigned following the Chile defeat.
The International Hockey Federation, reportedly concerned
over the decline of men's hockey in India, had appointed
Australian Richard Charlesworth, a four time Olympian, as
the India team's technical director. He was not with the
Indian team in Chile. According to the grapevine Carvalho
did not want him around.
It is believed that the Indian hockey bosses are not keen
on foreign coaches. In 2004, a German coach, Gerhard
Rach, was sacked after one of the regulation Indian
defeats. His parting shot against the Indian hockey
bosses: 'It (Indian Hockey Association) is an association
run by mad people.'
It is not very difficult to make the players and the
coach the scapegoat after a defeat. That will prove to be
futile if the hockey bosses continue to be immune from
accountability of any sort. There are guidelines for the
tenure of the sport bosses. But these guidelines have
been held in 'abeyance' for the last five years. Why?
The Government may not be in a position to directly
intervene in the administration of an autonomous body
like the IHF but it does not make sense that there is
absolutely no way to get rid of the hockey bosses when
their record has all along been dismal and disappointing.
The bus to Beijing Olympic has been missed but there is
still time to prepare for boarding the bus for a host of
other important tournaments in coming years-the Asian
Cup, the Commonwealth games, the World Cup. (Syndicate
Features)
I am Prepared for the
Kolkata pressure

Moroccan Karim Bencherifa, arguably the best
foreign coach in India at this time, talks with B
Arindham about his coaching in Churchill Brothers and his
future with Mohun Bagan
How was your tenure with Churchill Brothers?
It was a great experience coaching at Churchill Brothers.
When I took over it was a team of youngsters. I am lucky
I got such a great bunch of players. I also thank all the
players, with no exception, for cooperating with me to
help achieve whatever success we enjoyed over the last
seasons
All I want to remember now are the good
moments I had at this club (Churchill Brothers). I would
like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Churchill
Alemao for treating me as part of his family.
The Alemao family gave you a letter wishing you
luck
Yes, they have been very nice to me. They treated me like
their family and never let me feel the pressure alone. I
had a wonderful group of players and I am taking with me
some fine souvenirs.
What exactly happened between you and Okoli Odafa?
I believe in moving on and carrying forward the
positives. So I will not like to talk about any
bitterness. That is the past. Mohun Bagan is the future.
Odafa is a fine footballer and that is all I want to
remember.
When did you decide on joining Mohun Bagan?
After our last game, I first informed the management
about my intentions. They asked me to reconsider my
thoughts till the end of IFA Shield
What is the secret of your success when other foreign
coaches have failed?
I don't want to comment on other coaches. As for me, I
like to see each new assignment as a unique case. Each
nation, club and side has its own culture, mindset and
way of dealing with things. My effort is to understand it
and then communicate my message in the best possible
manner I can. When there is least miscommunication,
success is bound to follow more often.
Are you aware of the expectations as Bagan's coach?
I know the club has a long history. It is the oldest club
of the country and of late the cub has not done very
well. My aim will be to bring back the lost glory of the
club. If all hands join together to work in different
directions success is bound to follow. When I say all
hands I mean the coach, supports staff, players,
administrators and even the fans. What you need is
patience and hard work.
Are you aware of the pressure the job carries in Kolkata?
I am prepared for the pressure the job brings along with
it. Even a club in Malta will have pressure to perform
and the coach is as good as his team. I am not buckled
down by pressure, it ignites me.
What about Mohun Bagan's game with Bayern Munich on May
27?
The topic came up during our discussions. It will be a
rare opportunity and a great honour. But I will be
joining the club in June only. But if the club wants some
input from me they know how and where to contact me.
On India's bottlenecks?
The Indian players are hardworking and give their all
when on the pitch.
The one area where Indian football is lagging behind and
that is fitness and athleticism. You need them to be good
athletes too. If you have to choose between a short
talented boy and a tall, but less skillfull guy, go for
the tall one as you can groom him.
Your comments on the recent decision to allow four
foreigners in the clubs?
You see there is no league in the world without
foreigners. Football is not just about the game, but
about fans and sponsors too.
Foreigners add taste to the league. To resolve this
issue, you need to have a big pool of local talent and
increase the number of clubs competing in the I-League.
(TWF)
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