Take a bow Japan for Tokyo Olympics and way forward for India

As the glittering ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2021 came to an emotional end, one can’t move ahead to Paris 2024 before bowing to Japan and its courteous people. The nation known for its hard work, values and economic power was looking forward to the Olympics but for the COVID-19, the biggest epitome of sports concluded with empty stands.

World War- II or the war against COVID-19, Japan did exactly what it is known for. Moved ahead with poise and heads held high 🙇‍♀️

For Indians, its sportspersons stood tall and made us proud especially in the category of medals we won. 

Badminton having its roots in India (thanks to Pune, where it all began in the 1860s) brought bronze to India courtesy PV Sindhu.

Wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Ravi Kumar Dahiya proved to the world that they were still good enough for the rest of the world in their traditional game of ‘Kustee’.

Lovlina Borgohain punched hard for the bronze whereas Mirabai lifted the weight of expectations to get a silver lining at the end. 

Hockey brought the India Shining moment after almost four decades. It was a feeling to come back home after years of wilderness.

The golden Javelin boy Neeraj Chopra put India on the gold map after years of wait and misses. Pre Olympics hype was no hoax for this wonder boy.

Mythologically proven javelin finally found its rightful descendant in Neeraj 🙇‍♀️ 

Few other sports missed the medallion by a whisker. Hopefully, we will have new champions in Paris 2024.

China is known to put kids in sports according to their talent. The children after golden glory in the Olympics are found wanting to make both ends meet after their retirements. The western world has moved far ahead and let their children enjoy what they are good at and they can still make a career out of it. 

If we look at the winners from India, all of them belong to the small towns and it’s a proud moment for the nation. 

It’s also an introspection for people like us as we are heading towards work-life balance than living our lives. 

For India, it is a different story. Education takes a lead over sports as our means of survival comes through the books.

Whatsoever are the medals, except (maybe) badminton the next champions are bound to come from villages only.

Time to think, time to get awake, else we may just end up in an educated society that survives on commercial lives. 

The change may come, but for that to happen, the system, infrastructure and mindset need a change. 

With Olympics glory, the journey may have just begun.

Disclaimer: The article is a personal observation of the sports and does not intend to comment on any individual or authority.

Image courtesy: The Indian Express

RIP Maradona !

When football meant Mohan Bagan versus East Bengal and visibility of the game restricted to Doordarshan, if youngsters were playing football and keeping awake for FIFA World Cup(across India), then the enigma who made it possible was none other than one and only Diego Maradona.

As they say, short personalities make a towering impact and whatever they

touch turn into gold even if it was hand goal by Maradona.

The ‘Hand of God’ in 1986, (Maradona) took Argentina to victory against England in quarter finals and rest is history. The champion craftsman took his country to coveted championship and our generation got an answer to undisputed ‘Pele’.

Yes, the world of football now formally argues  who’s the best ever, Pele or Maradona? And the answer still remains under the wraps.

The man with golden foot, golden hand and golden heart, faltered immediately after retirement. The fat became obese, hero to fallen one and the king on the ground found peace in drugs and finally ended up in rehabilitation in Cuba.

The king returned but with diminished personna of himself. Out of sight is always, out of mind, but not Maradona! This time though, he has gone forever.

The world will miss Maradona and for many amongst us, he still remains the greatest forever.

RIP Maradona.

Image courtesy: CBS Sports

The invincibility of Tennis called Steffi Graf !

Not so long ago, if you had asked any youngster who was his/her favorite celebrity female personality? The answer might have differed between various divas of Bollywood or Hollywood but beyond those names, it had to have an identical answer and who else? It was none other than the legendary Tennis player Steffi Graf.

Steffi came, played and conquered the imagination of a generation of youngsters across the globe. Those were the days when Tennis repeatedly presented a clash between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and most of the times; it was Martina who took all the honors.

Tennis fans were eagerly looking forward for a new star, a kid of next-gen, a new style and youth icon who could break the monotony of age-old rivalry and breathe fresh air in the game of Tennis and boy! Steffi not only shattered the invincibility of Martina to rule the Tennis court but also made a place in history as one of the greatest ever to grace the game.

Media tried to recreate the Evert-Martina era between Steffi and Gabriela Sabatini but it could never match the aura of the earlier stalwarts. As Steffi ruled and demolished the dreams of her peers, came another lightening kid on the horizon, Yugoslav Monika Seles and the crown started crumbling for Steffi. An uneventful disguise to Tennis saw Monika being taken away from the game by an obsessed Steffi fan, Günter Parche who stabbed Monika during a Tennis match. It almost closed doors of Tennis stadium for Monika Seles for years and who knows we might have lost the greatest of them all due to an insane fan in a rush of blood.

Steffi went to win many hearts (with her game) but lost it to America’s youth icon Andre Agassi, a Casanova himself with many predicting a short fling. Both of them, however, proved the world wrong with their mixed double partnership still going strong as ever.

For the records and hall of fame, Steffi Graf is regarded as an all-time great and with her kitty full of 22 Grand Slam Singles titles, she is still sitting far ahead of her compatriots and next generation of players who follow and wish to imbibe her.

The teenage sensation is turning 50 today and the world is still waiting for a new Steffi Graf to rise. The fans will remain indebted to Steffi, for it was she who taught us professionalism of the game and also gave many memories to cherish with her superlative game of Tennis.

Disclaimer: The blog is an expression of a Steffi Graf fan and does not intend to comment on her peers and their combative Tennis during the same era as that of Steffi Graf.

Image courtesy: abc.net. au

Saina and Kashyap ! Pride of Nation come together in marital bliss !

Year 2018, many hearts crashed, many fans celebrated the season of marriages that saw celebrities and bigwigs loosing bachelor titles.

We saw Deepika getting hitched to Ranveer in Italy,  NickYanka proving Indian weddings are no less and then Ambanis had all stars and celebrities serving food to their guests.

With all gaga,headlines and marriage footage being sold in King of Currencies USD, there were two people who very quietly and without any hoopla getting married almost at the same time of these fat weddings.

Protégés of Pullela Gopichand, Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap entered marital bliss at a simple ceremony in Hyderabad.

Saina and Kashyap are no ordinary people. One was world numero uno with titles encompassing Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth and national honours whereas  the other gave glory to Men’s badminton at Commonwealth Games and proved Indian men are no less than women when it comes to Badminton.

Both come from a humble background and represent true India. The rise to top for both of them took years of rigorous training, hard work and family sacrifices. Most of the Indians would come from this strata of society and their success needs to be celebrated and marital journey blessed!

It has been more than a decade of going around for Saina and Kashyap and vigilant media could only fathom the depth of their badminton matches all these years. It shows to prove, one can keep personal and professional lives separate if one intends to do so.

Lets pray and wish that Saina and Kashyap keep national flag high and continue to bring glory in personal and professional lives and careers.

P.S. The blog is personal opinion and does not intend or wish to comment on how marriages need to be solemnized.

Feel free to share the blog.

- Jayawant