Been a while since I have blogged. Didnt realise we are down to the last half of the month, and I need to start playing catch up all over once again. History repeats too often, doesnt it.
Well there were a few topics which I wanted to write upon [interestingly all triggered post reading a contemporary sports story], but somehow when I was about to start writing there was this phone call or the mail that popped up from nowwhere.
Nonetheless here we go, thanks to an early start and to another good read on TOI sports page. [People who follow my blogs – no well, those are the only pages of a newspaper which keep my attention spans for than a few blinks]. Enough of the preface?? Ok :)
There have been 4 real! upsets in the past 12-48 hours in the football world. This is smashing news. Ofcos I have always been a die-hard supporter of the wannabes and underdogs [and call them whatever else] in all sports alll over the world. But the glee factor today is also becos, I feel sporting success is a either a preccusor or an outcome of social positions and as a corrolary changes in sporting fiefdom amongst countries are a reflection of changing entrenched positions in inequitable power and position equation amongst countries.
We heard Real! spanking Galaxy – that was neither a upset nor a surprise. Neither would it have given me any ‘glee’ had it happened. Somehow I have my bias against Beckham – politically incorrect to state it here. But then – so be it. The four fun wins being – India beating Qatar 2-1 at Doha. Note this is only the second time India is ever beating an Arab country in Arab land. Most difficult to believe – because India was semi-finalist on 2 Olympics in the 60’s [I know it must be a surprise and shock to all how Indian football hurtled down since then – precded, with losing spine post emergency days thanks to the worst Indian PM – this is supposed to tickle. Worst, becos she killed integrity in institutions and took India about 50 years behind. Case of 2 steps forward and 12 steps backward1].
The other wins or upsets. Brazil loses to Paraguay. Boy they missed 4 penalties. I love Brazil football, not have a twinge to sympathy. But then happy for the overall story like. Next big one – actually bigger one – Venezuala beats Chile. Venezuala – have been a no show in world football for many decades now. Happy that have moved one step forward. Any churn in this bipolar sporting world is a happy news.
And the biggest of them all. Tsunami wrecked Japan thunders! past [sorry for the dramatization – actually it was a fairly close match, from what I made out from TOI] USA to lift the world women’s football crown. Japan had lost to USA twice before in the warm up games of the cup. But they came pretty strongly afterwards. Beat hosts Germany in semis, swamped strong Sweden in quarters and upstaged defending champs USA in the finals. I was following the Japanese marauders over the week. As keenly as I was following the Indian football team.
Indian Football is a non-entity in India, sadly. But for die-hard sporting afficionados – India has risen few rungs in world football. From total abyss between 1980 to 2000, to managing to qualify for the forthcoming Asian Championship. In that light beating a top 10 Asian country is worth sitting up and taking note.
Have a lovely day!!
July 19, 2011
Bhubaneshwar
Well there were a few topics which I wanted to write upon [interestingly all triggered post reading a contemporary sports story], but somehow when I was about to start writing there was this phone call or the mail that popped up from nowwhere.
Nonetheless here we go, thanks to an early start and to another good read on TOI sports page. [People who follow my blogs – no well, those are the only pages of a newspaper which keep my attention spans for than a few blinks]. Enough of the preface?? Ok :)
There have been 4 real! upsets in the past 12-48 hours in the football world. This is smashing news. Ofcos I have always been a die-hard supporter of the wannabes and underdogs [and call them whatever else] in all sports alll over the world. But the glee factor today is also becos, I feel sporting success is a either a preccusor or an outcome of social positions and as a corrolary changes in sporting fiefdom amongst countries are a reflection of changing entrenched positions in inequitable power and position equation amongst countries.
We heard Real! spanking Galaxy – that was neither a upset nor a surprise. Neither would it have given me any ‘glee’ had it happened. Somehow I have my bias against Beckham – politically incorrect to state it here. But then – so be it. The four fun wins being – India beating Qatar 2-1 at Doha. Note this is only the second time India is ever beating an Arab country in Arab land. Most difficult to believe – because India was semi-finalist on 2 Olympics in the 60’s [I know it must be a surprise and shock to all how Indian football hurtled down since then – precded, with losing spine post emergency days thanks to the worst Indian PM – this is supposed to tickle. Worst, becos she killed integrity in institutions and took India about 50 years behind. Case of 2 steps forward and 12 steps backward1].
The other wins or upsets. Brazil loses to Paraguay. Boy they missed 4 penalties. I love Brazil football, not have a twinge to sympathy. But then happy for the overall story like. Next big one – actually bigger one – Venezuala beats Chile. Venezuala – have been a no show in world football for many decades now. Happy that have moved one step forward. Any churn in this bipolar sporting world is a happy news.
And the biggest of them all. Tsunami wrecked Japan thunders! past [sorry for the dramatization – actually it was a fairly close match, from what I made out from TOI] USA to lift the world women’s football crown. Japan had lost to USA twice before in the warm up games of the cup. But they came pretty strongly afterwards. Beat hosts Germany in semis, swamped strong Sweden in quarters and upstaged defending champs USA in the finals. I was following the Japanese marauders over the week. As keenly as I was following the Indian football team.
Indian Football is a non-entity in India, sadly. But for die-hard sporting afficionados – India has risen few rungs in world football. From total abyss between 1980 to 2000, to managing to qualify for the forthcoming Asian Championship. In that light beating a top 10 Asian country is worth sitting up and taking note.
Have a lovely day!!
July 19, 2011
Bhubaneshwar
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