Momentum and Sports

The spectacular and incredible implosion of the Indian cricket team in its Caribbean sojourn reiterates the importance of that coveted possession called ‘momentum’ in sports. The history of sports is replete with instances of mediocre teams that have ridden on the sheer strength of momentum to glorious heights. Momentum and rhythm had no mean role in French triumph in Soccer World Cup, 1998 against technically superior teams or the Greek Odyssey in Euro 2004.

Going back to the sport under microscope, cricket with its overwhelmingly large share of bilateral series, momentum acquires a larger than life character. One does not need to tax memory to recollect examples of how teams, beaten and bruised have lifted themselves to turn the tables and then gone on a winning streak of their own.

India’s comeback in the one-day series in 2006 owed a lot to the loosening of the screws by Pakistan who later found to their peril that they had let a genie out of the bottle, Pakistan’s stunning comeback in India in the previous year was also a product of sudden change in the equations.

Therefore, the signs from India’s lackluster effort in the second one-dayer therefore were not very encouraging and sure enough, India collapsed. However, I am sure that this young team would have learnt the harsh lesson that you are as good as your last appearance and would move on from here.

The Vacuity of Protests

While not going into the relative strengths (one should avoid the pitfalls of the merit-fetish ) and weaknesses of the arguments of the major actors in the highly emotive reservation debate, one feels compelled to take notice of the intellectual vacuity of the protests, both for and against reservation.

The symbols and idioms used by the anti-reservation protesters betray their inherently anti- dalit and anti-lower caste attitude. Students sweeping roads and the floors of their campuses suggest that absence of dignity of labour, a bane of our society still lingers menacingly.

Barca Win: A Boost for the Beautiful Game

Barcelona's Champions League victory is one of the most promising news for football lovers all over the world. Increasingly over the last half a decade or so, the most beautiful game had been held hostage to the soporific and tedious philosophy of putting ten men behind the ball in one's own half and sending hopeful long balls to one target man in front. The last three Champions League winners, Milan, Porto and Liverpool - all were masterful purveyors of this defensive style. Elsewhere, successes of Greece and Chelsea had convinced more and more fans that the road to footballing glory was paved with hard tackles, conservatism, and organisation in midfield. The self-annointed Special One, Jose Mourinho has been the quintessence of this new pragmatism in Football. He has turned some of the most artistic footballers into mere cogs of a well-oiled and successful machine.

While one cannot belittle the talent and ability of the likes of Damien Duff, Joe Cole or the spirit and passion of John Terry, Claude Makalele, and Gattuso, for a neutral, it must be said that watching a Chelsea or Greece play is as appealing a proposition as drinking milk in a pub.

The all-conquering feats of Barcelona thankfully is a telling reminder that while defensive steel and organisation is as much necessary as attacking flair, the two can unquestionably happy and more importantly, successful couple. One hopes that other coaches imbibe this lesson as willingly as Frank Rjikaard.

"This boy born in the West Indies maan,...You stole him away from us."


Mahendra Singh Dhoni has wasted no time in endearing himself to the windies cricket lovers with his buccaneering instincts.

Savour this from Cricinfo.

Okay in Military Pakistan, Okay in Despotic Nepal, But Not Okay in Democratic India!!

Few South Asia based civil society groups, along with their European partners, were working on organising a workshop on "Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination against Ethnic Minorities and Indigenous People" in New Delhi with the objective of examining the European initiative in the protection of religious, cultural and linguistic minorities and the relevance of lessons learnt in South Asia. The workshop would have been the final chapter of the project and would have followed earlier workshops, organized successfully in Lahore and Kathmandu.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has stepped in and has communicated to the organisers in a characteristically terse letter, its sincere regret over its inability to grant permission for the aforesaid workshop.

Curiously, the letter does not contain any reason or basis for the decision of the Home Ministry. Such unwarranted intrusion into academic freedom and the fundamental right to speech and expression betrays the Orwellian character of the Indian state and needs to be condemned in no uncertain manner.

The cruel irony is that while the supposedly totalitarian Governments of Nepal and Pakistan had no qualms having the workshop in Kathmandu and Lahore respectively, the largest 'democracy' in the world feels the need to clamp down on such constructive engagments within the civil society.

Zannetti's Exclusion from Argentina Final Squad for FIFA World Cup Announced Creates Flutter

Argentina Coach, Jose Pekerman named the final squad for the World Cup Campaign and the rumours of exclusion of former skipper, Zavier Zannetti have proved to be true. Other notable exclusions are Inter defender Walter Samuel and Bayern Munich medio, Martin Demechelis. It seems that Pekerman, a two time Youth World Cup winner as a coach, has opted to rely on most of his wards from the Youth team.

While the albiceleste squad has a lethal frontline, the exclusion of Inter skipper, arguably among the finest right backs of the modern game, leaves a big hole in the defence. The ire of Zannetti fans is accentuated by the non-too impressive recent form of his replacements, Fabricio Coloccini and Lionel Scaloni. A perfect team player and a well-respected person, Zannetti's assured presence, his surging runs through the wing and his dignified demeanour will be sorely missed by football fans in Germany.

The only footballing reason for his omission could be that an attacking wing back does not fit into Pekerman's preferred style of 3-3-1-3 wherein the emphasis is on slicing the opposition through the centre instead of wing play. One hopes that Pekerman has made his decision on pure football logic for it would be a shame if such a quality player has been left out for his alleged proximity to the out-of-favour Veron.

Another facet is that Walter Samuel's absence means that the defence will be vulnerable against aerial balls and physically strong attackers. Further, the team will be excessively dependent on Ayala for exploiting the setpieces it earns.

For all the defensive frailties and lack of height in both attack and defence, the team is still a good one and when the team find its rythm, even the mercurial Brazilians cannot parallel their fluid passing. Most defences will dread facing Messi-Tevez-Crespo-Aimar-Riquelme on song. I wish Pekerman all the best and hope that the team reaches at least the last four, for otherwise he will be crucified in Buenos Aires.

Human Rights Council: A Momentous Step

The global struggle towards protection of human rights and respect for basic human freedom received an impetus with the formation of the United Nations Human Rights Council to replace the Commission on Human Rights.

The Human Rights Council was established by the General Assembly in its resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006. The resolution stated that the Council would consist of forty-seven Member States, to be elected directly by secret ballot. The Council is lent an inclusive character by the fact that seats shall be distributed on the basis of equitable geographical distribution among regional groups. The members of the Council shall serve for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.

The mandate of the body, as postulated by the Resolution, is to “Undertake a universal periodic review, based on objective and reliable information, of the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments in a manner which ensures universality of coverage and equal treatment with respect to all States; the review shall be a cooperative mechanism, based on an interactive dialogue, with the full involvement of the country concerned and with consideration given to its capacity-building needs.”

The elections for the Council were conducted on May 9, 2006 and the first Council was constituted. Many experts are of the opinion that the new Human Rights Council by the United Nations General Assembly represent a substantial improvement over the recent membership of the former Commission on Human Rights.

Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch opined that the new membership standards and election procedures discourage states with some of the worst records of human rights abuses like Sudan, Zimbabwe, Libya, Syria, Vietnam and Nepal from even running for election.

Mr. Jorge M. Taiana, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Argentina believes that since the this new body will be permanent and directly subsidiary to the General Assembly, it will be able to deeply analyse human rights violations in any and all countries.

The legal and structural intricacies aside, it is clear that the Council is a historic opportunity for International Human Rights Law to move forward and transcend the limits set by absence of coercive powers.

India: A Dry State???

It may be a definite, though rather unpleasant and staid, possibility if their Lordships , oops, Honour have their way. Read this report.

This judgment deserves to be ranked as one of the most creative use of Section 58 of the Indian Evidence Act.

Disappearance and State Privilege

The Gauhati High Court has appointed an amicus curiae to assist the court in adjudicating on the Central Government's privilege claim against producing the list of names of all the ULFA insurgents who were handed over to the Indian Army by the Bhutanese authorities in the aftermath of Operation All Clear.

Family members of ULFA insurgents who disappeared after the operations have filed a petition before the Gauhati High Court. The fact that the Court has appointed an amicus is a significant move as such matters are traditionally brushed under the carpet on the ubiquitous ground of 'national security'.

That the instant petition has extra-territorial implications makes it critical and may become a landmark in the field of laws regulating extra-territorial operations of Indian army and other agencies and their (non)-observance of human rights.

Further, the expansive notion of privilege frequently asserted by the state authorities under Section 124 of Indian Evidence Act is an anathema in this age of transparency and right to information.

Pind Baluch: A True Punjabi Experience: My Eating Out Guide -1


Imitation and Inspiration, they say, is the best form of flattery. I have been a great fan of Rahul Verma who writes for the 'Eating Out' column in the Delhi City Supplement of that titan among newspapers, The Hindu. His delightful accounts of street eating in Delhi and his very perceptive analysis of the eating culture of Delhi have regaled many a thousand readers.

But reading his nuggets has been a troubling exercise too. For everytime after reading him, I have been haunted by the guilt that while I talk and have written a lot about sports, I have never indulged my other favourite indulgence - eating, an endeavour no less enriching than sports - the same way. The feeling of void has been further accentuated ever since I have begun to more vividly appreciate the wonder and joy in cooking.

So, hereby I start a new venture of putting down in fine print, my opinion of every eating joint that has had or will have the honour of serving my esteemed self. While at one level, this is going to be a vehicle of self-expression, it is primarily a tribute to the man who has made reading Hindu so much more enjoyable. You can also rely on my considered opinion for satisfying your hunger in the most sumptous way.

I start of this series with a review of a joint called Pind Baluch (Lajpat Nagar, Ring Road). Conveniently located (right on the Ring Road), it is an absolute treat for the connoisseurs of Punjabi food. Mutton Keema Paranthas are simply unbelievable. Those who are gastronomically concerned have the choice of having them with yoghurt or tomato gravy, which is adequately appetizing. The whole experience is enhanced by the fine service that bears the mark of traditional Punjabi hospitality. Wastrels like myself can take comfort from the fact that the effect on the wallet is relatively minimal. The ambience resplendent with traditional punjabi (not the cacophony called bhangra pop) music and sherwani clad staff can make a believer out of even the fiercest of critic of punjabi food.

Football as a Cultural Expression

Tim Vickery, BBC South American Football Reporter provides this fascinating socio-cultural insight into the 'kick and run' style of English football:

"In England it seems to me that the values of the game reflect those of the industrial society that gave birth to it; a low technology, labour intensive economy produced an interpretation of football that instinctively trusted physical strength and reliability. These qualities were needed on the factory floor or down the mine-shafts, and were highly prized on the football field.

The crisis years of English football, the 1980s, coincided with the end of the old industrial model but now, as the country looks more and more like some post-industrial theme park, football is more popular than ever – because in such bewildering times it allows people to maintain some kind of reassuring contact with the collective values of the past."

Closest to the Heart

To begin with, I offer my not so sincere apologies to all those romantically inclined who got attracted to this piece by its rather misleading title. However, moving on to the crux of the matter, as we are left with only 38 days before the commencement of the greatest sporting spectacle of the world, (for all the competitive and yet sporting spirit and global harmony that Olympics evoke, the primal passion of soccer world cups is simply matchless), I join the glorious league of many a million football fans who are presently using their time and grey cells in putting down dream/fantasy/world elevens.

Any essay in selecting the world eleven or an all time great team is fraught with peril as one is forced to compare between different eras and footballing cultures. While football is a universal game, like a language it is and has been spoken with different accents in different places and eras. Equally importantly, the task of choosing just eleven out of the array of stars requires the insensitive heart of a dentist which most fans of this beautiful game do not possess. Further, the author of any such dream team risks the opprobrium of greats, not included in the eleven.

Not equipped with the heart of a dentist or a warrior who can face up to the criticisms of enraged fans, I intend to steer clear of such danger and am hereby modestly putting down an eleven of my favourite players from the last decade. As I have already mentioned earlier, it has been quite painful to omit players I hero worship due to the constraint of numbers and had to spend a whole sleepless Delhi summer night, to make my final team. Several of the players who have made it to the final list failed to realise their initial promise and gifted skills and would definitely be contenders for any all time ‘Underachievers XI’. May be it takes one underachiever to understand the pathos of pondering over what might have been.

Goalkeeper:

Iker Casillas: Have been an ardent admirer since that remarkable game at Old Trafford in 2000 when he proved to be a veritable Gibraltar before the goal to record a memorable away win for Real Madrid on route to Champion’s League glory. Even as the Real has recorded new depths in its star-struck fall to nadir from those heady days, Casillas has not tired of performing the fighting boy on the sinking deck act with aplomb day in and out.

Central Defence – John Terry and Fernando Hierro – Both of them epitomize the ‘never say die’ spirit and sheer passion. Loyal (both of them have been critical in the success of their clubs) and wearing their heart on their sleeves and ever reliable, you cannot ask for better men to guard the heart of your territory. I will not hesitate for once in putting my meager but important savings with these two. In addition to their vaunted defensive qualities, they can give many a headache to opposing defences with their ability to strike in set pieces.

Left Back: Paolo Maldini – He made defending an aesthetic and fashionable art. Precise in his movements and positioning, he showed that one could be elegant and not overtly physical and yet safe in defence. The greatest player not to have won any major international trophy (USA 1994 and Euro 2000 were heartbreaking), I will miss him sorely every time the Azzuris come out on the pitch in Germany next month.

Right Back: Zavier Zannetti – A powerful player, capable of brushing aside opposition with his strength as well as rapid incisive surges on the wing, he will be a deserving winner this time. He could have been a superstar had he chased six-figure offers made by big clubs, this gentle footballer choose to be loyal to Inter and has been a constant inspiration to the otherwise inconsistent and at times mediocre club. He also runs a school for the homeless in his native Buenos Aires.

Midfielders:

Claude Makelele – The underrated genius of this man can be deduced from the fact that the position of the ball-winning midfielder has become eponymous with him. A critical figure in Real Madrid and Chelsea’s impressive wins, his value to a eam was evident when Real disintegrated after the club president, Perez infamously sold him to Chelsea in 2003 for David Beckham.

Redondo Fernando - He would have been among my favourites just for the fact that he belongs to that noble and honourable class of people called lawyers. But his soccer was sheer magic. He displayed a rare mix of sublime ball skill, vision, precise passing, impressive work rate and clean tackling that made him a key figure of the Real Madrid of late nineties that won two Champion’s League without any of the galacticos. Not for nothing did the Bernabeu give him a standing ovation when he returned to the arena with AC Milan. But for a bedeviling series of injuries and a rigid coach who was more concerned about his hairdo than soccer, he would have been a true great of all time.

Juan Roman Riquelme – The Roman Emperor is the unlikeliest of the stars. A frail physique, slow gait, a reluctance to track back to assist in defense, nothing can shroud his effervescent skills. His ability to create space out of nothing, to bisect defences with unimaginable passes, to drop deep to evade a marker and his dead ball skills make him peerless and destined for greatness.

Joe Cole: An impish footballer capable of dazzling trickery and speedy runs can trouble any defence in the world. His improvement under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho and his fighting displays against Barcelona last year are stuff of legends. He is going to be a star in this Cup if the prosaic Eriksson provides him the freedom to express himself.

Karel Poborsky: A fighter to the core, he has all the gifts and qualities of a supreme winger. Blessed with pace, willingness to run down the blank as well as cut inside and the courage to do the most improbable, soccer world cup would be poorer if he fails to sign his engraving on it. The world (or at least I am) eagerly waiting for him to do an encore of Euro 1996 and 2004.

Striker

Gabriel Batistuta: His instincts of a hunter and the sixth sense of a natural goal scorer made Batigoal the ultimate predator. A constant menace prowling around the opposition penalty box, his exploits with the lowly Fiorentina where they erected a statue in his honour, and his two hat tricks in two successive world cups ensure that he will be remembered as one of the greatest strikers ever.