By Shivani Gupta
Shivani Gupta
shivsports
Posts by Shivani Gupta
Why did it take so long?
Nov 14th
It has taken a long time to come, but finally it is happening.
After three months of highly heated debates and a back-and-forth atmosphere, finally eminent sports-persons have come out to support the Sports Development Bill unequivocally. But why did it take so long?
For so many weeks I wondered where the top sportspeople were and where did they stand on this issue. In this business you often hear sportspeople complain, legitimately, about all the problems they face because of the corruption-laden system. But the first time a minister – no less – worked to rid sports of some of the deep rooted malaise, he was doing it alone – literally. Chances are even in his ministry there would be some more than happy to see the bill fail owing to their complicity with the loot of sports.
Maybe Ajay Maken himself should have brought athletes together to support him in his endeavor right from the start. Maybe he underestimated the challenge.
But it has taken some weeks even after the first draft was rejected for India’s premier athletes to finally speak up. Is it too late? Imagine a more sustained campaign right from the inception of this bill. The pressure and public opinion built would have been hard to ignore by now.
Would the IOA and BCCI still pay heed to this strong but late out-pour of support? Or shud I ask – does the Minister and his athlete allies have a plan? Are they hoping they will make a revolutionary change with anything less than that?
The bill is being called sport’s ‘Janlok Pal’. The irony is even the original Janlok Pal hasn’t seen the light of day. Maybe a measure of half of the protest that went into pushing Janlok Pal into prominence is what the sports bill needs too. But where is its Anna?
Team Anna Vs Team India?
Aug 28th
All of us have been glued to the TV sets, keeping abreast, with bated breath, with the latest on Anna’s movement.
I’m doing the same, even though now I’m getting a little fatigued. But it’s also creating another problem.
As a sports journalist, no-one’s really paying attention to my work. In fact work has dried up. There’s no space for sports, something recreational and not as important, to be on air right now.
But then I thought, if we did have space what would I do. Talk about India being whitewashed in England again? I’m bored of that too. There’s nothing left to say. The series was so one-sided that the same is being said about India since day two.
This reminded me of this joke going around.
How Anna has taken the attention off the Indian team…. Funny. But true.
But this evil (Team Anna) is definitely better than the other (Team India).
At least the movement against corruption will lead us somewhere, if not immediately, then in time. At least give us a path for the future.
The movement against the corruption of the BCCI is more a losing battle.
Because the solutions for Team India are much simpler (no deliberations on what is constitutional or not, no ordinances, removing a bill, all-party meets or anything).
There are egos involved nonetheless and some losses to make. But you can’t expect the BCCI to come around on either of them.
AWAY FROM ALL THE CRICKET
Mar 3rd
While India and England were busy sharing the spoils on Sunday in their world cup match in Bangalore, some very important, significant changes were happening elsewhere in other sports.
Let’s start with tennis.
Novak Djokovic eyes the No.2 spot
Novak Djokovic, world number three and ‘heir-in-waiting’ (for long), has probably crossed an important milestone in his career. Continuing with this tremendous phase of his career (Second grand slam title at Melbourne, following the US open final in 2010), Djokovic won his second straight title in Dubai, extending his winning streak to 14 matches.
More importantly, he beat Roger Federer again, thrice in three matches now.
Not only is this victory testament to the fact that the ‘Djoker’ is a bigger, better player, it’s also a crucial step forward towards finally and actually being able to break the ‘Rafa-Roger’ stranglehold at the very top of tennis.
And who better to do it than Nova.
He has worked extremely hard to stay in the position of number three, that he has done for most part of the Rafa-Roger decade. He has consistently challenged the two men on all surfaces. And he has been the most consistent of all the other contenders.
Any other time in tennis and Djokovic would have stayed number one for a few long weeks.
While that is out of anyone’s control, Djokovic has done the one thing in his control right. Keep improving.
This time he’s done it with a new improved serve and it has made him a controller rather than just a challenger.
Now he’s served up the perfect platform to leave Federer behind and finally take over the number two position in world tennis. Just 80 points behind. I don’t think Fedex can hold-on any more.
Will Rafa be next?
Over to golf now where the shifts have been equally telling.
Another change in the No.1 spot
Martin Kaymer lost at the WGC Match Play in Arizona, but he is the new world number one.
In one sense, these are turbulent times in golf after such a long time, what with the number one position changing hands twice in three months.
But don’t we just love it? Actually it depends. You decide.
The thing is that as much as the PGA tour hates it, Europe has now taken over most of the attention and headline-capturing players.
Kaymer is No.1, Lee Westwood is down to second and Graeme McDowell is fourth… Luke Donald with his win in Arizona has climbed to number three.
So Europe now holds the top four spots in the world rankings for the first time since 1992, when Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Jose Maria Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros were at the top.
And would you believe it - Tiger Woods is down to fifth for the first time since 1994.
In this constant push between the PGA and European tour, the balance has firmly tilted in favour of the eastern side. So maybe we should expect more squirmishes between top European players and the PGA (Often the PGA has tried to control where and when European players play). Or will the PGA be ready to accept that they are not ruling the roost anymore?
But back to the question of whether we like it.
I’m not sure if I do. But I do know it’s not because I’m on one side of the divide. It’s just that there’s no longer a man to catch up with. I don’t like this constant shifting. I like to have a level that everyone is trying to achieve. Tiger provided that for many years. While a bunch of equally potent players is also good to have, but isn’t it nice to have a ‘Ruler’ looking down upon the schemes and battles below to overthrow him with glee.
Sigh.
NADAL THE GOAT?
Sep 14th
Many have already called him the best, the toughest man to play against.
His competitors swear by his prowess… and critics have slowly been titling towards him…
So is Nadal ready to make a run for the title of the GOAT…. the greatest of all time?
His closest rival for this mantle remains his contemporary rival Roger Federer…. but he is quickly catching up…
Many would say he has already. Like Brad Gilbert who tweeted right after the US open final – “There’s your GOAT [Greatest of All Time]“.
And it is becoming harder to deny it.
If Federer was the King of Grass, Nadal’s the king of Clay…. And now Nadal has even created his own dominance at Wimbledon… while Federer has failed to do so in Paris.
Nadal won on grass before Federer could take the French title…
And he was also faster than Federer at holding both the French and Wimbledon trophies together, the first since Bjorn Borg.
And now Nadal has completed the full circle with all four grand slams – also faster than Fedex. Much faster. He infact is the youngest in Open Era.
But then, some of Federer’s records are unparalleled – like his 10 straight Grand Slam finals, 23 straight Grand Slam semi-finals, and of course the biggest of them all… a record 16 Grand Slam titles, more than anyone else ever…
But we all realize this is not about the number of titles.
Federer was never competing with Pete Sampras to take on the mantle of the greatest. He was always compared with Rod Laver.
Similarly, Nadal need not worry about being 7 grand slams behind Federer.
Infact, what takes Nadal slightly ahead is the fact that he has consistently dominated Federer. He’s beaten him everywhere: Wimbledon, in that final of a lifetime, Paris and Australian open.
Federer only managed to win two slam finals against Nadal at Wimbledon, at a time when the spaniard was nowhere close to his full potential.
And Nadal leads Fedex 14-7 in all time head-to-head record.
In other words, if you beat the greatest and everyone else consistently, aren’t you the greatest then?
But still I have to say that history (for now) is on Federer’s side… Nadal needs to stand the test of time a little longer to rest the case. And I have no doubt he will.
The best part is that it’s the fans who have been the most lucky. Afterall, we are watching two true legends play in the same era…. creating memories and battles to cherish for posterity.
WATCH RAFA-ROGER LAUGH THEIR GUTS OUT
Sep 11th
Roger-Rafa have fun promoting a good cause
Check this one out! So funny…
They might be heading for a mouth-watering showdown at the US open final again, but Roger-Rafa keep it light.
What people are saying