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India, the Asian Games and Indian Sports

Admittedly this hasn’t been the greatest Asian Games so far for India and we would be hard pressed to even match our performance in Doha four years ago. However, there have been some positives that get me enthused about India’s chances going forward in the not too distant future.

To start off, India won a couple of medals in disciplines that India was never considered to have even an outside chance in. Two Indian boys won us medals in swimming and gymnastics where even I, as an eternal optimist, has since long felt that we were yet not competitive enough to win anything at the Asian level. Oh boy, am I glad to be wrong and wouldn’t I be just delighted to be wrong on these more often.

So far China has completely decimated the competition and it seems as if most of the others are just competing for the silver and bronze medals. China's gold medal tally is more than its silver and bronze medal count combined and China got more medals in the first six hours then India’s overall medal at the end of 9th day of the Games as I write this.

I have a epiphany of sorts as I write this piece that when I reminiscent on this blog again after 16 years, roughly at the closing stages of the fourth Asian Games after this current one, I see Indian and China going head to head for the most gold and I hope India gives China a hell of fight that China quakes in its boot and romanticize on the days of their complete dominance.

Guys, won’t it be a great day for India and a proud day for us all. By that time I also want India to be preparing to host the Olympics Games and give shape to the greatest Games ever

Getting back to the present though, the reality is much different and we have to take whatever we can from the present and build on it in the future.

On a positive note, I just have had a great evening watching Indian women winning 2 golds for India in the middle and long distance races on the first day of the track and field events where India has managed to match China’s tally. By matching I mean, so far at least. I also have a premonition here that there are some more gold medals still to be had for India in the track and field.

Today has been in fact the best day for India at the Games with one gold in the shooting range at last and two on the track and field as I said earlier. Our performance in shooting though has been a tad disappointing considering the pedigree we have in the sport, but better late than never I say.

Today, the Indian women archers also did India proud when they so nearly toppled the favorites South Korea which was mesmerizing to see. We were on the verge of beating them, but one shot cost us victory and we lost the match in a tiebreaker. The Koreans went on to eventually win the Gold and left me pondering on what could have been.

I really am proud of the girls who in the end won the Bronze coming back from behind to win a nail biting thriller over the Taipei team who lost focus and were at times getting too confident for their own good. I see in the Indian girls the potential to be real world beaters if they go on and build on the potential they showed here and are able to keep their emotions in check and handle the pressure better. I wouldn’t also be surprised if we do well at the individual competition at archery.

We can hope for some more medals coming from wrestling, boxing and tennis, but track and field holds the greatest promise.

Looking at the performance at some of the more un-fancied sports, I am optimistic of India’s chances in these sports in the coming time. All we need is a commitment to building up a sports culture and when you consider the size and population of India, we have many world and Olympic champions just waiting to be burst on the scene.

I today prophesize that India’s financial, strategic and political influence in the world would be mirrored by its performance in the world of sports and we are already seeing that in a number of sports where we have more world champions and world number 1 emerging.

China is set to have a greater challenger than what Asia has been able to offer so far and I also have no doubt that China also recognized the threat that India is destined to offer in the future and are already working towards minimizing the repercussions.

Saina Nehwal has already put a serious dent on the Chinese aura of invincibility and it is no coincidence that there are at least 10 cameras covering her every move so that the Chinese could work on her weakness prior hand and potentially prevent an Indian supremacy in what has so far been a Chinese bastion.

I only hope that Indian sports administrators take sports just as seriously as the Chinese clearly do. There is so much that the dragon nation could teach the slumbering elephant, pardon the clichéd use of analogies, but the fact of the matter is that Chinese are already preparing for an Indian onslaught, which although maybe years out, makes you marvel at the Chinese preparation and dedication.

But one thing I have to admit, I much better see the Chinese win on the world stage which is the strongest developing nation in the world rather than see the old barons of the sporting world dominate again and again. Many might ask why do I support China, but my thinking on this matter goes like this; what the Chinese can achieve today is a precursor to what India is poised to achieve tomorrow.

I just can’t wait for India to win some more medals tomorrow. Go India go. I know I’ll be cheering. I am sure you all will be too.

The Most Deadly Animals in the World

This is a list of the 10 most deadly animals found on land and in water. While some may seem innocuous - especially number 1, they lead to millions of deaths every year. From least, to worst, the list:


10. Poison Dart Frog
The backs of the poison dart frog ooze a slimy neurotoxin that is meant to keep predators away. Each frog produces enough of the toxin to kill 10 humans, though, strangely, in captivity, the frogs do not secrete this poison. The frogs are brilliantly coloured and live mainly in Central and South America. [Wikipedia Article]


9. Cape Buffalo
Cape buffalos weigh 1.5 tons and, when faced by danger, attack head on with razor sharp horns. They stand up to 1.7 metres high and 2.8 metres long. Humans are virtually its only predator and even lions will avoid crossing their path. Every year the Cape Buffalo is known to maul and kill multiple humans; some believe that it kills more humans in Africa every year than any other creature. [Wikipedia Article]


8. Polar Bear
These massive creatures, native to the Arctic, regularly eat elephant seals and could cut off a human head with one swipe of its paw. The Polar Bear is the most carnivorous of all the Bears and will eat walruses, whales, rheindeer, and even other polar beers. [Wikipeida Article]


7. Elephant
African Elephants, with their sharp tusks, are not as friendly as many believe. They kill over 500 people per year (either by stomping or impaling). The African Elephant generally weighs in at 16 tons. [Wikipedia Article]


6. Saltwater Crocodile
This is the largest of all living reptiles and is found mainly in Northern Australia and Southeast Asia. A healthy adult is typically 4.8 - 7 metres (15.75ft - 21ft) long, weighing up to 1.6 tons. There have been reports of larger. This creature is capable of killing and eating animals up tot he size of a water buffalo. In its most deadly attack (called the Death Roll) the crocodile grabs an animal or human with its mouth and begins to roll. A 1ton stallion is known to have been killed by this method in under 1 minute. In the water, the crocodile can move as fast as a dolphin. [Wikipedia Article]


5. African Lion
The African Lion can reach up to half a ton. Lions are thought to kill up to 70 humans per year in Tanzania. These large animals are eclipsed in size only slightly by the tiger. [Wikipedia Article]


4. Great White Shark
This shark is an exceptionally large shark found in coastal waters in all major oceans. It can reach lengths of up to 6 metres and can weigh up to 5 tons. The Great White Shark is the worlds largest known predatory fish. It is the only surviving species of its genus. In general these creatures do not attack humans, and (while there have been some fatalities) the majority of attacks on humans are believed to be test bites - the Great White Shark are known to test bite other objects in order to determine what they are. More people are killed each year in the US by dogs than Great White Sharks in the last 100 years. [Wikipedia Article]


3. Box Jellyfish
Also known as the wasp jellyfish, this salad-bowl sized jellyfish can have up to 60 tentacles as long as 15 feet. Each tentacle has enough toxin to kill 50 humans. They are found in Australia, the Philippines, and many other tropical areas. Since 1884 at least 5,567 deaths have been attributed to these creatures. [Wikipedia Article]


2. Asian Cobra
While the Asian cobra does not have the deadliest venom, it does make the most of what it has, causing the largest chunk of the 50 thousand deaths by snakebite per year. An average cobra is about 1 metre in length. [Wikipedia Article]


1. The Mosquito
Due to malaria carrying parasites transferred by the mosquito, it is responsible for the deaths of more than two million people per year. In addition, Mosquitos are estimated to transfer diseases to more than 70 million people per year. Even in countries such as the UK, New Zealand, and Japan, where the more temperate climate has reduced mosquito bites to mostly an annoyance, they still cause some deaths every year. [Wikipedia Article]

Source: http://listverse.com/nature/top-10-most-deadly-animals/

The Deepest Living Creature

Amphipods; Members of the Crustacean family (lobsters, shrimp)

The specimen you see in the photo was dredged up with 129 others from the Challenger Deep. This little guy is only about 4.5 cm long, but in amphipod terms, that’s a world record. Amphipods are flea-like creatures that are one of the most plentiful species of living things in all the worlds’oceans. Many species of amphipods are from 1 to 10 mm long, with the largest specimens growing up to 30mm. Finding living creatures at the bottom of the ocean in the Challenger Deep was exciting for the scientists who discovered them. They were equally surprised by the sheer size of these world-record holding amphipods.

Source: http://www.extremescience.com/deepest-creature.htm

The Deepest Living Fish Ever Found

The world's record holder for deepest fish goes to the brotulid* family, about which scientists know almost nothing. These fish are benthopelagic, living at depths of 7000 meters or more. The world's deepest fish (Abyssobrotula galatheae) was found in the Puerto Rican Trench at a depth of 8,372 meters (that's over five miles down!).

Their eyes appear to be virtually nonexistent. Maybe it's because there is never enough light for the fish to see, so why bother with the eyes? After all, eyes in most organisms are designed for gathering light in the creature's visual field and transmitting it to the brain - giving it useful information about its environment. In a world where no sunlight ever penetrates there's probably little use for eyes.

The brotulids probably have other, highly developed senses to compensate for their lack of vision, which help them to find their way around in the dark depths. Maybe YOU could be the scientist who studies this species and unravels its mysteries.

Source: http://www.extremescience.com/DeepestFish.htm

Unnecessary Knowledge

Source - http://www.unkno.com/toplist/

- Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.

- 50% of female polar bears also have a penis. 4.05

- An adult giraffe's kick is so powerful that it can decapitate a lion.

- The word “lethologica” describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.

- Turtles can breathe through their butts

- 45% of Americans don't know that the sun is a star.

- The brain continues sending electrical wave signals for 37 hours after death

- Every year approximately 2,500 left-handed people are killed by using object or machinery designed for right-handed people.

- In ancient Rome, when a man testified in court he would swear on his testicles.

- Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

- On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents every day.

- Between 1902 and 1907, the same tiger killed 434 people in India.

- During their periods womens middle fingers shrink. No one knows why.

- In “Silence of the Lambs”, Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins) never blinks.

- It would take 1.2 million mosquitoes biting you simultaneously to drain all your blood.

- Los Angeles’ full name is “El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula.”

Source - http://www.unkno.com/toplist/