India's Best Olympics Ever

I know it might seem a bit of an overstatement when you consider the overall haul of medals in this particular Olympics of 2008 in Beijing was 3, at least so far, as there are still some disciplines to go. But, like the saying goes, every great journey has a beginning and these three medals should only be looked upon as a start towards attaining the status of a respectable sporting nation.

Among these medals, one of the more positive points has been that all three medals came in different discipline. Bronze came in Wrestling, Boxing has guaranteed us a medal, and Shooting where Abhinav Bindra gave India its first individual gold ever. So there is case for optimism that these three different disciplines can give us more medals in the future.

What the athletes and sports in India generally needs is for the entire nation, not just the administrators and the politicians to make sure that we devote some more time in these sports, and make sure that we focus on these sports as well as other sports which are being neglected and give our young boys and girls the best opportunity to make their country proud.

Also, the influential elite of this nation should also keep in mind that rewarding a champion is good and must be encouraged, but we should also keep in mind it is much tougher to give rise to a champion than merely showering them accolades although it might be well deserved. After the dusk has settled and we look back at the these memorable Olympics, we should get our priorities right. Its time we help create many more champions who the adoring fans like me can shower with all at our disposal. Let's say Amen to that. Ciao.

Well done boys!!

India's Olympians: Boxer, wrestler bring glory home

New Delhi: India's fledgling Olympic campaign got a big boost on Wednesday when two men from the heartland of Haryana gave India its best ever medal haul at any Olympics.
The dismal record – of getting no medals at the Games – that’s been held for the last 56 years, is on the brink of being broken with India's Olympians assured to return home with at least three medals.
But how did it come about?
While shooter Abhinav Bindra’s shot at fame is stuff history is made of, India's wrestler Sushil Kumar won three consecutive rounds to win the bronze in the freestyle 66kg category on Wednesday. He is the second wrestler to do so after KD Jadav in the 1952 Games.
Sushil Kumar: Wrestling with fate
Sushil defeated Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhstan 3-1 in the repechage match of the men's freestyle wrestling 66kg to win India's India's first wrestling medal since the 1952 Helsinki Games.
With his first-round conqueror reaching the final, Sushil got a reprieve, as it were, and a place in repechage, which then gave him a chance to win three bouts in a space of 75 minutes and bring in India's second ever Olympic wrestling medal.
Sushil, a resident of Boprala village in West Delhi's Najafgarh area, won the fight in the extra 30-second period to ensure a podium finish, when everyone had lost hope after his first round loss Wednesday morning.
Sushil had gone down to Andriy Stadnik of Ukraine on points. But his slender hopes hung on the results of his conqueror, Stadnik, who went on to reach the final. That gave Sushil an extra lease of life as all wrestlers losing to the two finalists then contest the repechage.
Here's Sushil Kumar's path to that Bronze Medal in Beijing:
He lost in the quarterfinal of the 66kg category wrestling to Andriy Stadnik of Ukraine 1-3 on Wednesday morning.
But he fought back in the Repechage 1st Round bout.
Sushil beat Doug Schwab of the USA 3-1.
Then in his second repechage Round he beat Albert Batyrov of Belarus again 3-1 and then finally in the Bronze medal bout he overcame Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhastan 3-1
Vijender Kumar: The model boxer
For eight minutes around half past 6 on Wednesday evening, it was almost as if all work had stopped. Millions stayed glued to their TV sets to watch what could be the most inspiring fight in his entire career.
Indian middleweight boxer Vijender Kumar carved out an emphatic 9-4 victory over Ecuador's Carlos Gongora in a lop-sided quarterfinal at the Workers' Gymnasium. Both losing semifinalists are given bronze in the discipline.
Vijender never kept anyone in doubt about his victory since the bout started.
Vijender looked indefatigable and his nimble footwork stood him in good stead as the Indian tired out his opponent and connected most of his blows to run away with the game.
Once he got himself into a 3-0 lead, Vijender decided he was not going to do anything silly and started evading, with a desperate and exasperated Gongora chasing him all over.
Vijender is assured of at least a bronze as he goes into the semi-final bout on Friday because both the losing semi-finalists are awarded bronze at the Olympics.

Source: IBNLive

Top 10 Medal Winners at the Olympics

Number 1: Name: Michael Phelps; Country: United States; Event: Swimming; Olympics: 2004-2008 Summer ; Gold: 14; Silver 0; Bronze: 2 Total: 16

Number 2; Name: Larissa Latynina ; Country: Soviet Union; Event: Gymnastics; Olympics: Summer 1956-1964 Gold: 9; Silver 5; Bronze: 4; Total: 18

Number 3; Name:Paavo Nurmi ; Country: Finland; Event: Athletics ; Olympics: 1920-1928 Summer ; Gold: 9; Silver: 3; Bronze: 0 ; Total: 12

Number 4; Name:Mark Spitz ; Country: United States; Event: Swimming ; Olympics: 1968-1972 Summer; Gold: 9; Silver: 1; Bronze: 1; Total: 11

Number 5; Name:Carl Lewis ; Country: United States; Event: Athletics ; Olympics: 1984-1996 Summer; Gold: 9; Silver 1; Bronze:0 ; Total: 10

Number 6; Name: Bjørn Dæhlie; Country: Norway; Event: Cross-country skiing ; Olympics: 1992-1998 Winter; Gold:8 ; Silver; 4 Bronze: 0; Total: 12

Number 6; Name: Birgit Fischer ; Country: Germany; Event: Canoeing ; Olympics: 1980-2004 Summer; Gold: 8 ; Silver: 4; Bronze: 0; Total: 12

Number: 7; Name: Sawao Kato; Country: Japan; Event: ; Gymnastics Olympics: 1968-1976 Summer; Gold: 8; Silver; 3Bronze: 1; Total: 12

Number 8; Name: Jenny Thompson; Country: United States; Event: Swimming; Olympics: 1992-2004 Summer; Gold: 8; Silver; 3 Bronze: 1; Total: 12

Number 10; Name: Matt Biondi; Country: United States; Event: Swimming; Olympics: 1984-1992 Summer; Gold: 8; Silver: 2; Bronze: 1; Total: 11

Detailed list of the Winners : Wiki Source

The ouster of Musharraf throws up many questions for India

General Parvex Mushraff, who later came to be known as President Musharraf was a colossal figure in South Asia politics and the world at large post 9:11, especially, after his support for the 'Global War on Terror'.

On the night after his ouster and possible Amnesty from Saudi Arabia, India couldn't help itself, no matter how much it would like to disown this fact, has to look at the possible ramifications of his, for a lack of a better word, eviction from the seat of power.

Here I list some of the more obvious and immediate impacts, and questions this throws up:

No matter what his critics may say, Musharraf was a liberal, comparatively modern a person with the gusto to take risk for the greater good. India will have to hope that the next in command will have some of those qualities when they sit across the table for dialogue. Because, some hard decision has to be made if there is to be any progress
On the issues that concern these two countries.

Mushraff was prepared to face down the competition from the fanatical elements inside Pakistan. Will a democratic government have the same willingness to neglect, what is a sizeable number of the voting public who sympathize with these rogue elements, as the establishments like to call them?

With Mushraff gone, will the army step up its uninvited efforts to impose itself on the democratic institutions.

Will the democratic entities have the desire, willingness and the capability to use an 'Iron Fist' to suppress possibility of episodes like 'Las Masjid', if it were to be repeated?

Now what happens to the 'War on Terror'? Will the democratic parties go out of its way to help the US did and risk it's popularity among the people? And will the US continue to support Pakistan by way of grants, loans, and military supply.

Pakistan is soon to witness a power struggle from the vacuum that’s been created by the departure of Mushraff. It could all very soon resemble a cycle of events that has played itself out in Pakistan more often than any Pakistani will want to remember.

The new comers to power will have to show some quick results as the patience of the people, especially in the sub-continent runs thin. If that is the case, and the government doesn’t perform to the expectations of the public, the masses could very well start regretting the ouster of Mushraff.

The Pakistan leadership will have to come out clean on where it stands with respect to Kashmir, the War on Terror [Inside as well as outside Pakistan], economy, and relationship with Afghanistan, response to religious fundamentalism and extremism, and most importantly, relations with India.

Unstable Pakistan is the worst news that India could hope for. So, let's hope that things will sort itself out in the near future and both the government of this great nations could concentrate on what is most important, a better life and greater future for it's people.

Musharraf Ousted By Democracy

Pervez Musharraf took power in a bloodless coup and later led a reluctant nation into the U.S.-led war on terror — an alliance that won him plaudits in the West but fueled anger at home.
While few doubted he wanted a stable, religiously moderate Pakistan, his commitment to democracy was shaky during his nearly nine years in power.
As his political fortunes waned last year, he resorted to emergency rule, rounding up thousands of opponents and sacking independent-minded Supreme Court judges who could have barred his re-election to a third term as president.
He leaves the presidency reviled by many of his countrymen and with Pakistan in the grips of a wave of Islamic militancy, its border regions widely viewed as a haven for al-Qaida.
Musharraf yielded on Monday to months of immense pressure from bitter rivals who swept February elections. Facing the humiliation of impeachment, in what would have been a first for Pakistan, Musharraf chose to go — but not without a last burst of the defiant self-confidence that marked his long domination of the country.
"They want to impeach me now. Why do they want to do it?" a downcast Musharraf said in a televised address in which he denied any wrongdoing. "Do they want to cover their failure?"
His political demise was as tortured as his arrival was swift.
The former military commando seized power in a 1999 coup from then-prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who is now one of the leaders of the ruling coalition that pushed Musharraf out.
Sharif had ordered Musharraf's dismissal as the army chief while flying home from a visit to Sri Lanka and denied his plane landing rights in Pakistan, even as it ran low on fuel. On the ground, the army seized control, and after he landed, Musharraf took charge. He promised to install "true" democracy.
His decision to side with Washington after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks earned him favor in the West and a much-needed injection of aid that helped rescue Pakistan from bankruptcy and the status of an international pariah.
But his popularity plummeted in 2007 with his imposition of emergency rule and firing of judges — moves that ruling coalition officials say were illegal and could be used to justify impeachment.
Musharraf yielded on Monday to months of immense political pressure from bitter rivals who swept February elections. Facing the humiliation of impeachment, in what would have been a first for Pakistan, Musharraf chose to go — but not without a last burst of the defiant self-confidence that marked his long domination of the country.
"They want to impeach me now. Why do they want to do it?" a downcast Musharraf said in a televised address in which he denied any wrongdoing. "Do they want to cover their failure?"
He was widely credited with seeking peace with rival India. While a lasting solution to the core dispute over Kashmir remains elusive, the dialogue dramatically reduced the chance of a cataclysmic future conflict.
Musharraf, who described his military uniform as his "second skin," led Pakistan's army for nine years and only ceded control in late 2007. He often harked back to his time as a commando and was famously unruffled by two huge al-Qaida bombings against him within 11 days in December 2003 in which he escaped injury.
Born August 11, 1943, in New Delhi, India, the middle son of a diplomat, Musharraf's family joined millions of other Muslims in migrating westward when predominantly Hindu India and Islamic Pakistan split during independence from Britain in 1947. Riots and fighting left more than a million dead and many million homeless.
In the army, Musharraf said he was almost court-martialed for indiscipline but was saved by his bravery during Pakistan's second war with India.
He spent seven years in the elite Special Services Group and rose through the ranks, but was relatively unknown when Sharif promoted him over two other generals to army chief in 1998.
The next year, he masterminded a military operation at Kargil, the first Pakistani push into the Indian-held part of Kashmir since the 1971 war. The offensive nearly brought the nuclear neighbors to a new conflict.
Musharraf's relationship with Sharif grew tense after the prime minister agreed to withdraw the Pakistani troops.
The coup that brought Musharraf to power was bloodless and widely welcomed in Pakistan. Sharif, meanwhile, was convicted of hijacking and sentenced to life imprisonment, but agreed in 2000 to go into exile in Saudi Arabia. He only returned last year, vowing political revenge. His party is now the second-largest in the ruling coalition.
After Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, Musharraf faced a bleak choice. Pakistan had been instrumental in the rise of the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan in the mid-1990s — the Islamist regime which played host to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Despite fears of a backlash in Pakistan, Musharraf threw his lot in with the United States, earning more than $10 billion in aid for the near-bankrupt country in the years that followed.
The decision enraged Islamic hard-liners, and al-Qaida called for Pakistanis to "uproot" Musharraf. He escaped at least three reported assassination attempts between 2002 and 2003.
He held flawed elections in late 2002, and only after changing the constitution to give himself sweeping powers to sack the prime minister and Parliament. He then reneged on a promise to stand down as army chief by the end of 2004.
But Musharraf could not shake off doubts about his legitimacy as president. Fearing the judiciary would block his continued rule, he fired the Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry in 2007, triggering a mass movement by lawyers against military rule.
When the chief justice was reinstated by the court and the opposition grew in strength, Musharraf declared a state of emergency and replaced Chaudhry and other independent-minded justices.
While he struggled to manage domestic political affairs, pro-Taliban and al-Qaida militants were asserting control over vast tracts of Pakistan's northwestern frontier and launching a series of shocking suicide attacks on key political figures — former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto among them.
Under pressure at home and abroad to restore civilian rule, Musharraf stepped down as army chief, but rejected repeated calls to resign the presidency, saying his rule was crucial to the country's survival during one of the most turbulent eras in its history.
Though he won another five-year term, Musharraf faced a major national crisis following Bhutto's assassination in December, with opposition supporters demanding he resign for not protecting her and taking to the streets with chants of "Musharraf, killer." Musharraf's government blamed Islamic militants.
After his opponents won the February parliamentary elections, Musharraf found himself largely sidelined. The army, his former power base, said it wanted to avoid interfering in the political scene. And as the months have worn on, the U.S. has also toed a tricky line, not disavowing Musharraf while trying to develop relations with the new civilian leaders.
In his personal life, Musharraf has a reputation for being something of a bon vivant. He likes good food, traditional Pakistani music, Urdu poetry and fine clothes. He is known to enjoy dancing to Western music at parties.

Source : Associated Press

Education

Education; there has been so much said and written about Education that if you mention anything about Education anymore, it would not be much more than stating the obvious.

While that being the case, I would sill like to highlighting some interesting things about education, and some of the extra benefits that it brings along with it.

Education gives you bragging rights.

Has it over occurred to you that your Education is among the first thing that props in an conversation you are having with any new acquittance. If you happen to have a decent education or are in the process of acquiring one, you immediately have some extra bragging rights. For some reason, education is directionally associated with the capabilities and intelligence of a person.

Education allows you to face your Boss down

There are some industries with an of skilled workforce, and there are some which are not as blessed. So, if you happen to be in an industry which has a wealth of talented replacements, the Bosses here hold the upper hand. And they dictate terms to their employee. There are some head honchos who are always dangling the sword or the threat of the Pink Slip to have better bargaining power and hold a leveraged position in many conversations.

But, education gives you the option to Face him Down. It gives you the confidence to look the Boss face to face and call a spade a spade, cos you know, and more importantly your Boss appreciates the strength of education.

Smart girls will always end up choosing the more educated breed

Girls, who care of a stable and peaceful future will always end end up choosing the more educated lot, no matter what the world and the advertisement may tell you. It is the fact. All the rebels without a cause and the macho who is all brawn no brain is going to lose out. So, the educated man, who seems an underdog at the onset is going to pip everyone at the line.

The World's Newest War Zone

We are certainly living in a dangerous time. The so-called civilized world, which is a self proclaimed pacifier is responsible for three war zones; Afghanistan, Iraq and now the latest one, Georgia.

There is more and more evidence of the military powers willingness to flex their military muscle as soon as they get a chance. The Russians, who have been silence since the end of the Cold War have, under the aggressive stewardship pf Vladimir Putin started to assert themselves more pro actively at the world stage.

This is directly related to the attempt by the US and Nato to expand their influence in eastern Europe and Central Asia, which the Russians don't consider friendly to say the least favorably.

The US, who is falsely labeled as the custodian of peace and justice is left tongue tied on this issue, as the US is itself responsible for a couple of war zones of its own. Here the Russian sensed an opportunity to impose itself on its smaller neighbor, notwithstanding who is to be blamed for the current standoff; all while the world was too busy with Olympics and terrorism, what Irony!

In a world where diplomacy is seen as way to overcome all issues, this episode stands out as a testimony to the the fact the current current diplomatic channels and its mechanism is faulty and needs a drastic overhaul.

US, who made the diplomatic set ups like UN and the Security council seems like an unwanted hurdle started this trend with their invasion of Iraq, and now the Russians have all but ignored its existence.

If more and powers start to use these bodies as a tool against the have-not's like Iran, South Korea and Iraq, serious doubts will emerge as to the use and purpose of these international bodies.

Although I'm not claiming to support Iran or North Korea, isn't rule and regulations meant for all, and is not subject how influential you are or how many votes you can garner or whether you enjoy veto power.

Although, a resolution will be brought out and ceasefire brokered, but shouldn't this have been avoided. Why are lives of people people taken away why we sit and talk. Even as write this, there are still more lives being lost.

How did this come to this? Is the diplomatic channel too slow to hep anyone in time? Is the hegemonic tendencies of some states causing a security risk to other others? Do we need the resurgence of the Non-Aligned Movement? These are some of the question which have to be answered at the earliest.

Power cuts in New Bombay

Power cuts in nothing for Navi Mumbai, (New Bombay). Here power cuts could vary from a couple of hours to as long as the authorities deem fit, which is dictated by the need of South Mumbai and the whims and fancies of the authorities.

I have just one problem. Recently, the excuse given for the rampant power cuts, apart from the routine load shedding was blamed for the lack of rains. I really don't know the technicalities there, but one connection I can make was that the promise was made when we were in the middle of an impending election. Should i read anything more into it or is it just a coincidence. I hope it is.

But, even after we've been blessed by the rain gods and have been clobbered with rainfall, there seem to be no end in sight for the power cuts. Take for instance, at my place in Airoli, we had a succession of 5 power cuts. 3 in the day and 2 in the night which make sleep miserable as the bugs and mosquitoes come out to play.

If this is the current state of affairs, i cant imagine what will be the situation when the unforgiving summer hits. Lets hope for the best, and hope that electricity providers show us some mercy!!

Abhinav Bindra gives India an ideal Independence Day gift

Abhinav Bindra scripted a historic day for India and Indian Sports today morning. This day will hopefully be remembered as the day which resurrected dormant India as far as achievements in sports is concerned. It was a fitting Independence Day gift for India.

Although it was a long time coming, it was all the more delicious when it did come. After an hiatus of almost 26 years, India won gold at the Olympics.

More amazingly, this was India's first individual gold medal performance. It is almost unfathomable that a country of 1.3 billion people didn't have an Olympic Champion to call their own.

It's a day all Indians can be proud of. And fittingly, the Gold came in China. This was as close India could have come to winning a Gold in their own backyard - at least in the recent future after the debacle of the Commonwealth Games. The Chinese played perfect hosts and came in second.The Olympics has just become very special to the Indians other than the celebrating Chinese.

I would like to make one confession here. I didn't really expect India to win any Olympic gold in this Olympics; and am I happy to be proved wrong or what!!


Abhinav Bindra, a child prodigy, who began to start shooting at the age of 5, who had a shooting range built into his house as a gift by his father, was always destined for greatness. Also, this gesture by a father is an indication of the lack of facilities sportsperson have in India.

Lets forget the negatives. It's a day to savor for all Indians. So, lets go ahead and celebrate this day before we are disrupted by any bad news. Don't let anyone spoil this day for us. Let's hope for another medal, preferably a gold, and I'm sure it won't take as long as it took for this gold.


Well done Abhinav Bindra. We are proud of you.

Cricketers want Cricket to be part of the Olympics

Adam Gilchrist is leading a player push for Twenty20 to be included in the 2020 Olympics, believing it is an essential step in securing the game's global future. With the start of the Beijing event less than a week away, Gilchrist says the cricket "pipedream" is a "potential reality" following the success of the new format and the Indian Premier League.

"It doesn't matter where the 2020 Olympic Games are held, but many of us who've experienced international Twenty20 cricket and the IPL are convinced that cricket should bid to become an Olympic sport in time for the Games," Gilchrist wrote in the Deccan Chronicle. Cricket was part of the 1900 Olympics before being cut, but last year it gained "recognition status" from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for two years.

"We have a responsibility to grow our game in new territories and amongst the women of the world," Gilchrist wrote. "I believe the Olympic Games is the vehicle the sport should use to aggressively sell the message of our sport to all 202 competing Olympic nations, so our sport is strong and robust in countries where it is currently played, and exciting and ground-breaking in countries who haven't yet caught the 'cricket-bug'."

To receive "programme status" at the 2020 Olympics, cricket would need to be approved by the IOC at a meeting seven years before the event. Twenty-six sports are part of the Beijing schedule and there are currently two vacancies for future Games. Golf, karate, baseball, softball, rugby sevens and roller sports are among the disciplines currently competing for the right to be involved in 2016.

Gilchrist believes it is time to start serious lobbying. "Between 2009 and 2013 cricket would promote itself to the IOC as a prospective sport and, if we get it right, cricket will be invited to the Olympic party in 2020," he said.

Each Full Member cricket board has been asked by the ICC to have two national men and women players complete Olympic questionnaires. The responses in Australia have been favourable and Gilchrist, a key performer in the IPL, has also sounded out excited colleagues from Australia, South Africa and England.

Gilchrist experienced the surge of interest in Twenty20 during his time with the Deccan Chargers earlier this year and is convinced the IPL revolution has "changed cricket forever". Now he wants the BCCI's officials to work with the ICC to help take it to the Olympics.

"They would be investing in the future of the sport because by having a men's and women's competition at the Olympic Games many more countries would be drawn to cricket," he said. "It wouldn't surprise me if countries like the USA, China, Italy, France and Japan become competitive very quickly in Twenty20, especially in women's Twenty20. I believe that in time the success of cricket at the Olympic Games will lead to more Test-playing nations, something that the sport will need in the coming century."

Gilchrist feels the aim is realistic. "The Olympic movement knows it needs to increase its presence in the Asian subcontinent as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh contribute nearly 22% of the world's population. In theory, this is a win-win for the Olympic movement and the ICC and its members."

India collected only a silver medal in Athens in 2004 while Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh failed to finish in the top three of any event. Cricket would dramatically increase each of the nations' chances of reaching the podium while lifting interest in the subcontinent.

Next year's Twenty20 World Championship in England will be held over 16 days, one day shorter than the Olympic programme. Supporters of cricket's push believe the length of the tournament - and its high-energy matches - is another valid reason for its inclusion.

Source : Cricinfo