From the publishers of THE HINDU
VOL.26 :: NO.05 :: Feb. 01 - 07, 2003
Published Weekly
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From the publishers of THE HINDU VOL.26 :: NO.05 :: Feb. 01 - 07, 2003 |
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The Sportstar Published Weekly |
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News Update
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The truth now is that Indian football, once a force in Asia, struggles to hold its won even in the SAF region.
Ganguly and his men will have to pick themselves upSourav Ganguly, the captain, and the team have it in them to bounce back. But, after a disastrous time in New Zealand, the high profile World Cup could not have come at a worse time for India, writes S. DINAKAR.
If you go back into Aussie cricket history, Ian Chappell was a great sledger apart from being a combative cricketer and it was during his tenure as captain in the early 70s, that sledging entered the Aussie cricket scene in a big way. Chappell made his name as an attacking skipper, but he must take his share of the blame for bringing into cricket, something it could have done without.
AUSTRALIA may be the best team in the world but I sometimes think they give themselves a bigger crown than being the best entitles them to wear.
We have still to see the event management of the World Cup by STAR from virtually outside the boundary line. Sony has the true picture before it through near nine hours of play — counting the lunch or dinner intermission.
AS the media savaged Sourav in a Joseph Chamberlain vein of, "But the cup is nearly full. The career of high-handed wrong is coming to an end", well could Ganguly have apostrophised with William Ernest Henley: "It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul"!
Journalists ask the same, usual, hackneyed, beaten down, expected questions — and in response they receive answers that are, nothing new, earth shaking or sensational.
In Hussain junior's column in a British Sunday newspaper the captain offers the thought: "Perhaps it would be better if we lost 5-0." Perhaps it is time father and son had a chat.
Let's not be taken aback that a player might actually use the word `black' to preface a comment, as if it's "out of character" for sport, or cricket, or particular teams, as some like to think it is. It happens. A lot.
Extreme Heat Policy The tournament has, for some time now, had what is called the Extreme Heat Policy. "In addition to the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) being equal to or above 28, if the Absolute Temperature exceeds 35C (95F), the Tournament Referee may suspend the commencement of any further matches on the outside courts,'' reads the policy. HOPMAN CUP Second title for the U.S. THE smile on the faces of Serena Williams and James Blake holding the Cup said it all. It was neither a Grand Slam title nor an ATP title win, but nevertheless a win the two would remember for a long time. It was the respected and valued Hopman Cup. ADDIDAS JUNIORS Parantap toys with the opposition In a packed calendar it was tough to find berths for junior events, but Adidas did well to make its Masters event a memorable experience for the players.
ARJUNA RANATUNGA, no doubt, was a players' captain who brought the best out of the Sri Lankan team to win the World Cup, hosted jointly by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
HE walked in like a man possessed, determination writ large on his face. So much so, it was clear that Aravinda de Silva would take destiny in his hands, help Sri Lanka create history. SRI LANKAN TEAM ANALYSIS Self-pride proved the driving force IT was an emphatic World Cup triumph for Sri Lanka, as it did not lose a single match, just as the West Indies had done in 1975 and 1979. It was a win, which had a lasting impact on the Lankan populace.
THE myth that draped Calcutta as a sporting city was blown to pieces on a night of shame at the Eden Gardens. Even as Match Referee Clive Lloyd abandoned the World Cup semifinal and declared Sri Lanka as the winner, it left a scar on the city and the sporting traditions of a cricket-crazy nation.
IT was an innings which signified the aesthetics of skilful batsmanship, the tenacity of a sound warrior who was a pastmaster in crafting lethal finishes. It had everything that was needed to herald a new chapter in Sri Lankan cricket.
Fleming produced a magic spell at the Wankhede on that February night to figure prominently in the score sheet. It was probably the best ever spell of the sixth World Cup, the result of which was a 16-run win for Mark Taylor's Australia over India.
ARAVINDA DE SILVA was the toast of Sri Lanka in Asia's second World Cup extravaganza. It was a pleasurable pastime watching De Silva get his foot on the gas pedal so quickly. Of great captains and their successes So what is the difference between a great captain and a successful one. Rare ability, obviously, of the kind that, say, differentiates a great batsman from a good one.
A team not yet given Test status goes on to script a well-earned victory over a two-time champion. But those who have watched the steady decline of the once-invincible West Indies team were more surprised not by the defeat, but by the manner in which it lost to Kenya, in the Wills World Cup.
Warne to bid adieu to ODIs after World Cup Shane Warne plans to end his one-day career after the World Cup. From then on, Test cricket would be his complete focus and attention. Imran Khan's pep talk Pakistan came back from nowhere to triumph in the 1992 World Cup down under, a tournament where Imran Khan, captain extraordinaire, fulfilled a life-long dream. He was in the final stages of his illustrious career by now, but, he still proved an ... Ian Chappell & Croft not wanted by ICC? There, invariably are casualties after the World Cup, but this time around, things are happening even before the big event. World Cup Quiz 1996 saw the return of the World Cup to the sub-continent, with Sri Lanka also joining in as a co-host. A quiz on the sixth edition of One Day cricket's marquee event, an event that saw a new champion yet again. Questions: 1. ...
The popularity is growingIt had not happened at home for some time. Two international tennis tournaments in a row had never failed to produce an Indian singles champion in recent times.
A lacklustre finalFOR the connoisseurs of billiards, the Alok Kumar-Dhruv Sitwala summit contest was mundane. It never rose to the heights expected of a title clash. A visibly drained Sitwala was all copybook and Alok regained the title after four years.
Pankaj, the youngest champion THERE could not have been a better finale than the Yasin Merchant-Pankaj Advani duel.
A change in outlook neededA best-of-three-frame match in the league stage took so much more time than the BSFI would have liked to allot. The women kept attempting safe shots, lengthened the game and literally killed the interest. JUNIOR NATIONALS 
A lot of exciting talentPankaj is in no way a discovery. He has been around for a while, but now Pankaj has evolved into a potent force and is equally feared by the seniors. And, his ability to adapt — in playing high-quality billiards in the morning, and snooker in the evening — is really commendable.
PSPB reigns supremeContrary to public perception and despite Doordarshan's indifference — no live telecast of Senior National finals — the sport continues to thrive in every nook and corner of India.
Challenges keep him going Raman credits his longevity to self-motivation and more importantly the ability to use change as a challenge to fuel his appetite for the game. N.R. INDU Breaking a barrier "Coming into this tournament as the top seed meant nothing to me. Having been considered a contender for eight years and not coming close to winning, I was happy to consider myself as an underdog," said Indu.
Shankara, Swarnalatha claim titles SEEING the response to the 32nd senior National Carrom tournament at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore, anybody will change his or her opinion of the game.
Sriram Jha unstoppable IT was Sriram Jha all the way at the Rochess international rating chess tournament held at Thane.
India tops a poor field INDIA'S domination of the first Asian junior archery championship was near total leaving the poor foreign field to take the crumbs.
East Bengal emerges championEAST BENGAL won the Durand Cup for the 15th time in Delhi. The Kolkata side beat Army XI, making its maiden appearance in the final, by three second-half goals without reply for the coveted title.
RONALDO has swept the board. Voted in the annual France Football poll best 2002 player in Europe, voted top man in the world by the FIFA poll among international coaches. |
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