tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31947916982550134022024-03-05T06:32:43.938+01:00Sports Imitates LifeRajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-38359683136447552922016-11-23T16:19:00.001+01:002016-11-23T16:19:17.592+01:00Why Nico Rosberg must be aggresive to win the title <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbCb0fJ3DoyMtOI4ujzN_rF0uBDiKMqL7pe0tYNFS7OPwxUXHuoSgNb721Koql4HNkuIke0xJyL3YE27RYWM4NnNLwdFlF5XnEUsuU4hZCob9IRMSDL3KjWooVc0pNFmLUBISjaxNIqVA/s1600/nico-rosberg-f1_3458946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbCb0fJ3DoyMtOI4ujzN_rF0uBDiKMqL7pe0tYNFS7OPwxUXHuoSgNb721Koql4HNkuIke0xJyL3YE27RYWM4NnNLwdFlF5XnEUsuU4hZCob9IRMSDL3KjWooVc0pNFmLUBISjaxNIqVA/s640/nico-rosberg-f1_3458946.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">There are no shortcuts to be a F1
world champion. In the final race of this year, it will be a showdown between
the two Mercedes drivers – Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The Brit remains the in-form
driver having won the last three races – yet, he trails Rosberg by twelve
points.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The difference illustrates what a
stunning season the German driver has had thus far. And, irrespective of what
Hamilton achieves, a place on the podium is enough for Rosberg to win his
maiden driver’s title.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.sportsimitateslife.com/2013/11/abu-dhabi-where-it-all-began-success.html" target="_blank">Let’s turn back to 2010, the final race at Abu Dhabi</a> had three contenders to win the driver’s title.
Fernando Alonso led Mark Webber by eight points. And, further seven points
away was Sebastian Vettel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We all know what happened,
neither the Spaniard nor the Aussie won. The underdog Vettel won the race purely
because he drove as though he had nothing to lose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The pressure of the title showed
on Alonso and on Webber and in the end Ferrari came out as the real losers, as
one of the two Red Bull drivers benefitted. It was the defensive strategy by Ferrari that
costed Alonso the driver’s title.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The way I look at it, Rosberg is
in a similar position to that of Alonso (from the 2010 season). If he must win,
then he needs to bring his controlled aggression on the track and not merely
look for the third place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The Red Bull duo of Max
Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo have shown their pace and they might challenge
the Mercedes for the podium places – clearly, they do not have anything to
lose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">In a way, Hamilton is in similar
position and although he has the driver’s championship to lose, he knows he can
only win the race and hope Rosberg finishes outside of top three. Beyond that,
the three-time champion cannot do much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I have been critical of Nico
Rosberg in the past. However, I have praised him this season for changing his
attitude and being ruthless on most occasions on the track. In fact, I am rooting for
him this season after having observed his drives throughout the year and not to forget, the 'luck' factor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">So, the final race of this season
will be defined by how Rosberg performs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Does he have the zeal to fight for the
title or will he scoot around to finish third?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">For that, we must wait on Sunday
for the season finale at Abu Dhabi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The points scenario - </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Lewis Hamilton (355 points) Nico Rosberg (367 points) </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="301"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If Hamilton finishes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="301"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then Rosberg needs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="301"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1<sup>st</sup> (380 points)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="301"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3<sup>rd</sup> (382 points)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="301"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2<sup>nd</sup> (373 points)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="301"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6<sup>th</sup> (375 points)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="301"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3<sup>rd</sup> (370 points)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="301"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8<sup>th</sup> (371 points)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="301"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> 4<sup>th</sup>
(367 points)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="301"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Rosberg
is the champion <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">P.S – Some interesting facts <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1. If Nico Rosberg were to win the 2016 driver’s title, he
will become the second of the father-son combo to have won the title after Damon Hill clinched it
in 1996. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">2. Interestingly, Graham Hill won his first driver’s title
in 1962 (he also won in 1968) and Keke Rosberg’s first title was in 1982. A
20-year gap in both cases of fathers and sons winning their first driver’s
title (if Rosberg were to win the title). </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-38959980003493284072016-01-27T08:46:00.001+01:002016-01-27T09:51:29.976+01:00SHOULD PLAYERS TALK WHILE BATTING - THE CASE OF STEVE SMITH <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0X2I0TAZLmuNjkG1FU9A6p7Wf4rnYlYFA6PfDx0H34dbyCkViY3CCJ3vmyI93ha4B3sKHgnGfdDaKz10ueEQNkO9jF4Rtcu-1nvKmqIYfnK3-eb5-_oj4YGjI1L4dubvzH_lezRb0XGpx/s1600/2016-01-27+%25285%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0X2I0TAZLmuNjkG1FU9A6p7Wf4rnYlYFA6PfDx0H34dbyCkViY3CCJ3vmyI93ha4B3sKHgnGfdDaKz10ueEQNkO9jF4Rtcu-1nvKmqIYfnK3-eb5-_oj4YGjI1L4dubvzH_lezRb0XGpx/s640/2016-01-27+%25285%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Australia in pursuit of 188 posted by India found themselves in a comfortable position at the end of 8 overs - 82/1. Captain Aaron Finch and Steve Smith were at the crease and then came a crucial moment of the game. In agreement with Channel Nine, Steve Smith was all miked up and was commentating the on-field happenings with the Wide World of Sports commentators - Mark Nicholas, Mike Hussey and Ian Healy. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"We're going alright. Hopefully we can kick in some boundaries here and there. We've got plenty of power in the shed. It is a nice wicket over here, it is coming on pretty well. We're all good at the minute." </i></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ravindra Jadeja comes in to bowl, Finch cuts it straight to the point fielder. No run. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Hussey - "Steve, what's the plan against Jadeja. Where you gonna try and hit him?" </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>" Wherever he bowls at. Watch the ball and see what happens."</i></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jadeja bowls an in-dipper, Finch makes room on the off-side and lifts it wide of long-off for a boundary. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mark Nicholas prompts Smith to be the on-field commentator. In the noise, the message gets lost, once, twice. Nicholas suggests again to Smith about narrating from the best viewing position. Smith talks about the long boundaries and the emphasis on running hard. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finch takes a single. As Smith is about to take the crease to face Jadeja, he jokingly answers "When do I pre-meditate?" </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Smith flicks it away on to the leg side for a single. Runs hard but in the end settles for one. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hussey wanted to probe further on pre-meditation. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"You will never know what's going through your mind. Just gotta watch the ball and see what happens." </i></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Smith back on strike to face the last ball of the ninth over. Jadeja darts it in, Smith tries to flick it to the on-side, gets a leading edge which went straight to Virat Kohli at extra cover. OUT! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DwiqyrWB8aHTq-8WLr7Aj8wfhKli3wgTqb8OFPNzg1liRPRIsTPui07j07fiLQlnUzalvwWKdWFtGZsi6mtCo5iimYH_mh8Qi5g2Y1x_IPu7i_MwyofBltMB-mSB6AHyHiKuGxtECs3D/s1600/2016-01-27+%25286%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DwiqyrWB8aHTq-8WLr7Aj8wfhKli3wgTqb8OFPNzg1liRPRIsTPui07j07fiLQlnUzalvwWKdWFtGZsi6mtCo5iimYH_mh8Qi5g2Y1x_IPu7i_MwyofBltMB-mSB6AHyHiKuGxtECs3D/s640/2016-01-27+%25286%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was silence! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mark Nicholas breaks the reticence - "Steve Smith is out. And he is unable to talk us through that. Understandably. What a disappointment, 21 for Steve Smith." </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Hussey takes over and explains why Smith got out. All that talking got over under two minutes. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Which begs the question? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Should batsmen be allowed to talk to the commentators, shouldn't they be focusing on the game even while at the non-striker's end? </i></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While Virat Kohli made gestures pointing to Smith's talking, while David Warner offered an opposite view and played down any hints of distraction. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"We've been doing that for the last couple of years and obviously it's not in the interests of Channel 9 to disturb us when we're out there and for us to be dismissed. It's upon us to be responsible and professional to actually understand what's happening when we're out there. It's about entertainment, we've seen it during the BBL and we've done it plenty of times on Channel 9. It's a great insight for people at home to understand how we deal with situations when we're out there."</i></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWL2koxUM4xhAEUafiCgrDBCVB4QbwZtibX15ww4KrSwTV2OGxWfH68MjA7A6yHvGryIVDs-xuKmPwlOJV9xYxO1EXz9xe3gCJTqWEC8BafJP6U0HUesJjSNLPyZ36fdteubt6kV0yCwdp/s1600/2016-01-27+%252811%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWL2koxUM4xhAEUafiCgrDBCVB4QbwZtibX15ww4KrSwTV2OGxWfH68MjA7A6yHvGryIVDs-xuKmPwlOJV9xYxO1EXz9xe3gCJTqWEC8BafJP6U0HUesJjSNLPyZ36fdteubt6kV0yCwdp/s640/2016-01-27+%252811%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">On another note, when Indian women faced the Australian counterpart earlier in the day, the Aussie duo of Alyssa Healy and Alex Blackwell were mic'ed up during the 18th over. They scored 19 runs in that over which included Healy's two sixes. I saw the match and they did a pretty good job of batting and talking. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are cricketers who can multi-task while many feel microphone is a distraction. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All in the name of audience interest and entertainment! </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-37177082631691169522015-11-25T10:32:00.000+01:002015-11-25T10:32:19.667+01:00SQUASH SUPREMO N. RAMACHANDRAN GETS A RELIEF THANKS TO SUPREME COURT ORDER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXlU6oxNT7PawCZLMex4-R5ebqouac-JhKqcQ_eit5ZJujgNWWMqHX891zWGo_7XD6GGgv_5IC_DHz4ZEyiVqlAmcS8qgGESTR2AdEnd0xGTeUCRIU7nBX2xZ45Q875EJhVblkrWVZ1W3/s1600/ramiho28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXlU6oxNT7PawCZLMex4-R5ebqouac-JhKqcQ_eit5ZJujgNWWMqHX891zWGo_7XD6GGgv_5IC_DHz4ZEyiVqlAmcS8qgGESTR2AdEnd0xGTeUCRIU7nBX2xZ45Q875EJhVblkrWVZ1W3/s400/ramiho28.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">N. Ramachandran with the award in 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Supreme Court has once again
intervened in a matter concerning sports. This time, the highest law body of
India has stayed the Delhi High Court's order which concerns the incumbent
president of World Squash Federation, N. Ramachandran and the Rashtriya Khel
Protsahan Puruskar, he was awarded in 2011.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://yas.nic.in/sites/default/files/Scheme%20for%20Rashtriya%20Khel%20Protsahan%20Puruskar%20%28amended%20as%20on%2012.2.2015%29_2_1.pdf">The
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar</a> was the latest addition to the list of
awards presented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Instituted in
2009, the objective of the award is to encourage and promote involvement of corporates,
voluntary organizations, sports control boards etc., in the promotion and
development of sports in the country.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"The conferment of the
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar is the highest award that the government can
bestow. It is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of the coaches and
trainees of the Indian Squash Academy," said the WSF President at the time
of being honoured in 2011. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, on 31<sup>st</sup>
August this year, based on the directive from the Delhi high court as a result
of a PIL filed by former squash players questioning the eligibility of N.
Ramachandran for the award, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had
to revoke the award. The order also directed the Sports Ministry to amend the existing
selection committee (changed on 12.2.2015) and to revert to the original composition,
which had the presence of eminent sports athletes in the selection panel. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This order came at a time when N.
Ramachandran was facing a lot of pressure both in India (involvement with IOA)
and abroad (World Squash). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Led by the Professional Squash
Association (PSA) along with some National Squash Federations, a 17-point
document prepared by the aforementioned parties strongly criticised the WSF at
the 45th World Squash Conference & Annual General Meeting (Nov 4-6) held at
Nice, France. They even asked the president of the world governing body, N.
Ramachandran to submit his resignation following the unsuccessful bid attempts
to include Squash in the Olympics. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">N. Ramachandran who has been at
the helm of the World Squash since 2008 and has one more year to go before his
current term ends. For now, the Supreme Court's intervention on November 16th
comes a respite against his critics - "Until further orders, there shall
be stay of the operation of the judgement, an order passed by the High Court of
Delhi in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 2989 of 2013, dated 31.08.2015.”</span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-69497507038938613572015-11-20T16:17:00.000+01:002015-11-20T16:17:15.036+01:00THE MOONBALLER - NIRUPAMA VAIDYANATHAN <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUoNkOO5Uz6OB-YdydxvIIuXlmwgA9Q2AnDMtOY5GjfaBPZEtixLZm-FSzxNq-BN7d9WOz9PqSo2puGDzo40xrXScCuROfkyG4wSntlWg1jxUFEA2RbEgBioQJVF_8kUNwuwl_jGvz_UF/s1600/1390713_10202376035908802_1397989456_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUoNkOO5Uz6OB-YdydxvIIuXlmwgA9Q2AnDMtOY5GjfaBPZEtixLZm-FSzxNq-BN7d9WOz9PqSo2puGDzo40xrXScCuROfkyG4wSntlWg1jxUFEA2RbEgBioQJVF_8kUNwuwl_jGvz_UF/s640/1390713_10202376035908802_1397989456_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - Nirupama Vaidyanathan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nirupama Vaidyanathan was born a
generation early. The kind of facilities and money that is now available to
Indian female tennis players cannot be compared to the time when Nirupama
started out playing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Her story comes as an interesting one. A
country like India which produces innumerable female graduates and business
professionals, still has to struggle when it comes to identifying and nurturing
the talent in sports. With globalisation, and digital media, one can self-coach
- however Nirupama took to tennis in the 1980's - at a time when India had not
yet opened its economic borders to the outside world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On a global scale, her achievements do not
speak much, but when spoken from an Indian context, it is safe to say, she set
very high standards and took many roads less travelled in her playing days. She
is the first to admit, a couple of choices if she had made (during her playing
days) could have helped to extend her career and also improve her singles
record. Hindsight is vision 20:20 - Nirupama is ensuring to pass on the lessons
she learnt from her playing days to the young tennis players through her
academy, her coaching assignments, her public appearances and through her
books.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I caught up with Nirupama over a chat in
which she recollected her playing days, her raise to number one in Indian women's
tennis, her life in Europe, becoming the first Indian woman to win a round at a
singles Grand slam event, her academy, motherhood and a comeback at the 2010
Commonwealth Games. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>The first Indian woman to
win a round at a Grand Slam in the modern era. Talk us through that match
against Gloria Pizzichini in 1998?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "Australian Open 1998 was one of the few occasions
where I actually had my coach David O Meara with me. We stayed at our uncle's
place in Melbourne to save costs. Before the match, David scouted the player
when she (Gloria Pizzichini) was practicing and gave me a game plan, he
definitely instilled confidence that I could pull that game off in my favour.
It wasn't an easy match, I remember it was a tough three setter, and I was down
1-4 in the second set. Then I came back from trailing to win the set 6-4. After
I won the match (6-7, 6-4, 6-2), I went to the press conference straightaway
and the whole experience was really new. I had won a challenger or two here and
there, but to be at a Grand Slam press conference was very unique, different
than what I was used to. At that point, I realised what I had achieved and
until then I had no idea about the records, and all I knew was that I was one
of the first women from India to be playing at that level."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>You were one of the first
few among Indian athletes to sign up with IMG. What was your experience and did
the association help you to become a better player?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "IMG came right after the Australian Open. The
problem was at that time, there were no events that IMG did in India as far as
tennis was concerned (barring the Chennai Open for men). The best part about
associating with IMG in United States is that they help you get wild cards in
tournaments, since they were not doing that particular thing in India, there
was little they could help me with. With regards to sponsoring, the concept was
still new in India, as IMG had just come to India and I was one of their first
clients. I was more like an experiment, which didn't really go well for them. I
got a couple of commentary assignments through IMG, but sponsorship wise, I
didn't get any from them."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nirupama went about talking what the tennis association could have
done. Tennis association in India could have been proactive and scout for
potential companies that expressed their willingness to sponsor. If association
doesn't have money, at least they could try for their athletes and this process
of trying itself builds a better relationship between the association and the
players. If you are number one in the country, you should get more support from
the association. At that time, I didn't get anything.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>Let us talk about the
season of 2001, wherein you played doubles exclusively and partnered with
Renata Kolbovic, Nana Miyagi, Rika Hiraki at the Grand Slams. How difficult was
it to find a suitable and a constant doubles partner?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "It was very difficult because I was not in the top
100, I was just in the borderline. And then the fact I was from India, finding
a base in United States, it was hard to find a partner who had the same goals
and have similar financial issues I had. European players wanted to play only
in Europe, and Americans - they played with partners who they knew from a young
age; also, I was one of the few to be doing this in India, it was very
challenging. I guess, when you are first person to do something, it is always a
learning process, nobody tells you what to do, I could have made a career just
out of doubles, but there wasn't any guidance for me to understand this is what
I need to do, this is how I need to approach, etc. Somehow this was never a
part of my plan either as I always wanted to play singles - so it didn't occur
to me that I could have played just doubles even though Leander and Mahesh were
in front of me."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>A lot of them take up
sport(s) during the childhood and they continue up until certain point in time.
And then when going gets tough, it is the passion for the game that stands out.
Can you cultivate passion to keep on playing the game (at the professional
level)?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "That's a tough question. Passion actually comes
later, passion doesn't come when you are a child. Passion comes when you are in
your teens and when you can see what you are capable of and good at a
particular field. Of course, there are people who have taken up sport at a
later stage and have been passionate - but overall I believe passion is
something that is cultivated in the teen years and to a lesser extent
inborn."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>The trend in tennis, at
least in Indian tennis is that.. you start out in singles and then becomes a
struggle to hold on your best play for longer duration (injuries/lack
of support), and then you switch over to doubles. What is lacking in
Indian tennis players to make it big in the singles circuit?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "I think the main problem with the younger crowd like
Rohan Bopanna or Sania Mirza, is that tennis today is more viewed as a science.
For instance, Kimiko Date, she made a comeback at the age of 38. If you look at
her support group, people like a masseur, and other external support staff to
help her compete at the highest level. For somebody like me, or our next
generation, this is something unheard of, and we lack this kind of support and
infrastructure especially in an individual sport like ours. Imagine with a
large support group, you have to think about an extra fare ticket, an extra
room and other costs, so it comes down to support, financial aspects. Only
after so many years in the professional circuit, Mahesh and Leander travelled
with a physio. In that aspect, players from Europe and in America, the idea of
support staff is more professional. We need more support, that's the
basic."</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmCEcSoUZLe47FGFPggGicIfV68AqkN-WbaRgHhZ1wzSNYMoX2_o3JqtzoaKzH1AX3qtYyneBahHMeu1GCwceViOJlPbcR1CmYskZP0Hwd6MBcM10OscsSZA14k4H09G7632lH3uiKG_m/s1600/62850_1631642597507_196474_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmCEcSoUZLe47FGFPggGicIfV68AqkN-WbaRgHhZ1wzSNYMoX2_o3JqtzoaKzH1AX3qtYyneBahHMeu1GCwceViOJlPbcR1CmYskZP0Hwd6MBcM10OscsSZA14k4H09G7632lH3uiKG_m/s400/62850_1631642597507_196474_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy: Nirupama Vaidyanathan </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>Tennis featured in
Commonwealth Games for the only time at the Delhi 2010. You were a mother at
that time. What was your motivation behind participating? I was in the
audience, you had teamed up with Poojashree and went on to face Sania Mirza and
Rushmi Chakravarthy for the bronze medal clash. How was your comeback like?</i> </span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "It was a dream come true. When I started teaching at
my academy (founded in 2004), somewhere along the line, a thought occurred -
these kids do not have the passion and the drive we had. I could not get them
to do few things and it was frustrating to find kids not having that interest
on the other side of the court. I decided to do something, so this was one of
the reasons for me to make a comeback.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Secondly, after my child birth, I was struggling to come back to
shape. I had gestational diabetes, issues with cholesterol and honestly it
hasn't completely gone away. If I have a goal in mind, I will work harder to go
and get it. My comeback was structured on these two aspects. When I
started playing, everything just happened and I was lucky to be selected into
the Indian team. To play after eight years of quitting the sport, you see
everything from a new perspective. It was like re-living my earlier days. I had
a blast and really hoped I could have got a medal at the end of it. But that's
the way life goes!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>You have played the game
and now run an academy. How do you spot talent? How intuitive is this decision,
to say, oh, there is a talent?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "Spotting talent is very easy. I am not being proud
or crazy about it. There's one gift I have is that I am able to analyse and
understand what a kid has or doesn't have just by looking at them play for an
hour. Spotting talent is the easy part. The long process after that is the
tough one. Kids these days have too many activities and everything is handed to
them on a plate. Even for my own daughter, it is a lot easier than what we had.
To get them motivated or passionate about something is a lot difficult in this
generation. And then, there is the stigma associated with sports with Indian
children with many believing sports is going to ruin studies. Unless we get
over this stigma, it is very difficult to produce champions."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>Coming to the diet part, I
know that you are a vegetarian. How much did nutrition play a role especially
when you were on the tour? How did you cope with it during your travels?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "You know, I actually regret sometimes that I was a
vegetarian especially when I lived in Europe. The vegetarian options at that
time when I used to play in Belgium or in Netherlands were so limited, it would
have been easier if I had consumed meat. It would have made my life a lot
simpler if I had eaten say, chicken. What ended up happening is that - I had
insufficient nutrition and I ended up loading on carbs. I was stuck in a
village, with no car and the village had just four restaurants with none
serving vegetarian food. The concept of vegetarian that time was 'boiled green
beans' or potatoes. Definitely, I didn't get the best nutrition when I was
playing, maybe because I was stubborn - but I do wish even today, when I was
playing I had eaten meat, any meat that would have given me sufficient
nutrition. With carbo loading, every three hours I was hungry again and many
times I ended up eating cheese or drinking milk, which had more fat than
protein. It is totally different now, I can go out and look for options, in
those days I had limited resources."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>Since last year,
there are two Indian tennis leagues (one by Vijay Amritraj and the other by
Mahesh Bhupathi) that has managed to bring in a lot of international stars. In
your view, how will that help mould the future of Indian tennis? </i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "It doesn't mould anybody. But what it does is, it
creates interest in people and following in tennis. Cricket in India just takes
over the entire space - so we do need these leagues to keep the interest levels
up. Are these leagues going to help the kids? No they are not. They are
completely business. I wouldn't say they are detrimental to kids, the leagues
create more of an interest as they get to see stars in action up-close. Will it
help at the grassroots level, no."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>The element of politics is
part of sport governance. Hypothetically, if you were to be the next head of
AITA for three years, what changes are you likely to bring out?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "If I tell you that, they will bring it in right now
and copy it. <i>Laughs.</i> No, they are not capable of copying.
Things are so far out of hand that to bring about a change, what it will do is
expose them about not doing anything. Even if they bring changes right now,
people will ask, why didn't you implement this ten years ago. Unfortunately,
they will not do anything right now. <i>Laughs again</i>. The answer to
this question is like an ocean and it is almost impossible to explain and
articulate it in one go. There are so many things we can do.. number one is to
have sufficient tennis courts for public to play in the cities. People should
be able to pick up a racquet, rent a tennis court and play. This concept
doesn't exist or a rarity in India right now. It is all about clubs and the
private members - so actually, the people who have talent may not even get an
opportunity to play the sport. Number two, it will be about structure. I wrote
an article last year in Hindustan Times and it created a lot of uproar in the
AITA. Conducting tournaments is the most important thing is what AITA believes
in and they have structured the association that way. My structure would be
very different to that of AITA - every level must have the coaching staff, and
a person must be held responsible just for the junior development. Sub-juniors,
juniors, seniors and tournaments, everything has to be under one roof. And,
there is nothing like that in India right now. There are too many things that
can be done. But, when there is no one who takes these responsibilities, then
little can be expected from the association."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXCg7JGTFNlshQQeL_ik6wkmug1Y3hpONHxqjZf2vkiFol9gZDrfp0ilL94ByjzKMonnMJot4ZMhZuqyTnocNNX39g0p90_UIFyLa5KGZwV9XrhIfeaoeciozcJ4zrolTelZYhZ8WBGQ0/s1600/12281678_10208324297691629_993669789_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXCg7JGTFNlshQQeL_ik6wkmug1Y3hpONHxqjZf2vkiFol9gZDrfp0ilL94ByjzKMonnMJot4ZMhZuqyTnocNNX39g0p90_UIFyLa5KGZwV9XrhIfeaoeciozcJ4zrolTelZYhZ8WBGQ0/s400/12281678_10208324297691629_993669789_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>Your book is titled 'The
Moonballer', it is an interesting choice. Does the name suggest the type of
player you are or the attitude you carry in your life?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "There are two reasons why the name 'Moonballer' was
chosen. It sounded good to a layman and it made people curious and moreover my
publisher wanted this name as well. The second reason, it is a metaphor. I
started out playing tennis as a <i>Moonballer**</i> and by the time I
finished my career, I was more comfortable playing close to the net, and
enjoyed my serve and volley game."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> ** Moonballers use the high
topspin balls to avoid risks in their shots and to prevent attacks from their
opponents.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>Talking about current set
of tennis players...which tennis player can you associate with? In other words,
if you were to be re-born and play in this era, who would Nirupama resemble?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "Hmmm.. international player right? Hmmm.. I would
like to think that I would like to play like Kvitová (Petra Kvitová) - but I
was never a left-handed, so that goes out of the window. With my physical
fitness, I would have to be an aggressive player otherwise I could not have
survived the tour as I do not have the legs for it."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>Pete Sampras recently wrote
a letter to his younger self. What would you write to your younger self?</i></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">NS</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"> - "Takes time...Hmmm.. laughs, Oh my God, you are
asking such a deep question. What would I write to my younger self? I would
have looked to move out of Coimbatore and find a better place in India to play
tennis. I would have definitely encouraged myself to play more doubles. I would
have thought about living in Europe more. I lived there for two years, but life
was very difficult. I would definitely have looked forward to hunt more
sponsors so that I remained in Europe and played tennis. And with regards to
aim, and goals, everything came down to support. As a person, I did whatever I
could with what I had. But if I had more money, I could have travelled with a
coach. In a nutshell, I would have played more doubles and moved out of
Coimbatore as I believe, the city was not ready for me."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">RT - <i>In one of your interviews
you mentioned about your impending second book about tennis parenting. My niece
(age 7) has started to learn tennis and few of our friend's children are
knocking the junior doors in Switzerland? How passionate should parents be and
to what extent?</i> </span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NS</span></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> - </span></span><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I believe in one thing. If we are
thinking about professional tennis, I mean if that's the goal at the back of
one's mind, on an average your child is going to be become a professional at
the age of twenty. That is peaking period. Now if you start to throw things at
her or him at a young age, the body needs to grow and so too mentally. I am
against that. I believe the best time they need to be pushed is between 14 and
18 years of age when they are physically and mentally ready. The part of my
book is dedicated to it. There is an advertisement I saw which read, learn
Nadal fitness regime. So all the parents ran to enroll their kids in
the course. This is where common sense must prevail. Nadal is an adult and
he is a professional tennis player. If your child who is nine is going to do
what Nadal does, do you think the kid's body will be able to take it? There
will be kids with back problems, knee problems and it could be end of someone's
career. In my tennis parenting book, I will focus on 'Eight Years to Glory' -
anything we do is going to take eight years to excel. So, if you do not have
the patience for it, then it is better to give up. In those eight years, the
learning has to be systematic and ensure the kid never gets injured, as injury
is the worst thing that can happen to a child. It is a slow process towards
excellence."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-15107794013663072692015-09-15T19:25:00.000+02:002015-09-15T19:25:07.156+02:00LILLEHAMMER AND ITS OLYMPIC LEGACY <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvGUwJ-pbsNenEe6_a4QjcKid1qn3cWuL0jU7IhUiNGFhbmjFpn_SxbQhcvzVTFp0Ltc_XEIc3vPvFklvcr5Pt1vhExN6V7sG0etjJaqPpdfpYg18EtmUZsm7aaEW31sXGSx1D92kMVPF/s1600/DSC_1032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvGUwJ-pbsNenEe6_a4QjcKid1qn3cWuL0jU7IhUiNGFhbmjFpn_SxbQhcvzVTFp0Ltc_XEIc3vPvFklvcr5Pt1vhExN6V7sG0etjJaqPpdfpYg18EtmUZsm7aaEW31sXGSx1D92kMVPF/s400/DSC_1032.JPG" width="390" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify;">The year 1988 was a turning point
in the Olympic movement - at the 91</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">st </sup><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">IOC session which was held in Lausanne in what
one might call a strategic marketing ploy, the suggestions for hosting Summer
Olympics and Winter Olympics on different years was put to vote. A landmark
decision was taken, the two Olympics were split and spaced two years in even
numbered years. The same Lausanne session also saw Barcelona, Spain and
Albertville, France being elected as the hosts for the 1992 Summer Olympics and
the 1992 Winter Olympics respectively.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lillehammer, the Norwegian town was
one of the bid cities (although theoretically it is a town) that showed
interest to host the 1992 Winter Olympics along with Anchorage (United States),
Sofia (Bulgaria) and Ostersund (Sweden), there was an opportunity to host the
Winter Olympics two years later. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On 15<sup>th</sup> September 1988,
during the 94<sup>th </sup> IOC session
at Seoul, South Korea, after the first round of voting, barring Sofia (which
was eliminated), each of the remaining three venues had a chance. At the end of
third round of voting, Lillehammer was chosen as the host and the selection
marked the dawn of a new era in the Olympic movement. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2S0ixaxEq-n5O1g-d_Wjvl0OryjiVikszIn29ok3dxucf7iwp2fnXMq3Ot_yq4AMRoBi9_6X5shFSEjN4wnrC4ZmcvkwMh1wTt1eCYZs5SYRX80V2FEh_jqt54XpVqNgpH4gl4qIH5MM/s1600/DSC_1029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2S0ixaxEq-n5O1g-d_Wjvl0OryjiVikszIn29ok3dxucf7iwp2fnXMq3Ot_yq4AMRoBi9_6X5shFSEjN4wnrC4ZmcvkwMh1wTt1eCYZs5SYRX80V2FEh_jqt54XpVqNgpH4gl4qIH5MM/s640/DSC_1029.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While working on a sports event in 2010, my
senior project manager narrated the experience of his first ever assignment and
that happened to be at the 1994 Winter Olympics. His stories inspired me to
visit this tiny town and in 2011, I did spend some time in Lillehammer. Looking
at the Lysgårdsbakken ski-area and its surroundings, one could not miss the
legacy the 1994 Olympics had left behind. Along with those pleasant memories, I
also picked up a stuffed toy - a pair of Norwegian children Håkon and Kristin,
dressed in Viking clothes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few months later in December
2011, the town won the hosting rights for the second Youth Winter Olympic
Games. In 150 days, this northernmost Olympic town will come alive and those
unforgettable tales of Norwegian culture will again be in display to all the
youth Olympians. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-8503197980080802042015-09-10T11:44:00.001+02:002015-09-18T09:33:46.471+02:00SAMPRAS AND HIS FULL CIRCLE IN TENNIS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroTvkbJ2qMnwJAhHdcl_oORNzltCTmjUaTctqnnK9JjK8mvqMsbDfHTMXLiQuTYq2UbfMOSA_r0Ujn0jtpiEGyphZxkDo-aRu4-HoYcCaGLwnRnP091Fx0sV7Tl8ZoHb_gXKJBJAw3OZ2/s1600/Sampras+1990+and+2002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroTvkbJ2qMnwJAhHdcl_oORNzltCTmjUaTctqnnK9JjK8mvqMsbDfHTMXLiQuTYq2UbfMOSA_r0Ujn0jtpiEGyphZxkDo-aRu4-HoYcCaGLwnRnP091Fx0sV7Tl8ZoHb_gXKJBJAw3OZ2/s640/Sampras+1990+and+2002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Separated by a year, Andre Agassi
and Pete Sampras knew about each other's game when they faced they reached the 1990 US Open finals. They were picked by many to lead the American tennis
in the 1990's along with Jim Courier and Michael Chang. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Agassi, the senior of the two had already impressed many with
some consistent performances and was playing in his second title clash coming
into the finals. Sampras, on the contrary had a career marked with ups and
downs - he had played his best tennis to reach his maiden grand slam finals by
overcoming the legends like Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe in the quarterfinals
and semi-finals respectively. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Two Americans facing each other
in New York had been a rarity in men's tennis - in fact since 1953, there had
been only one occasion when two American men played in the title clash (1979
finals between John McEnroe and Vitas Gerulaitis) before this finals. In 1990, this was a match
between the hopefuls of the American men's tennis and both these players had
never won a grand slam before. The winner would win the hearts of many and
irrespective of what the stats were. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE HARD WORK PAYS OFF <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Agassi was stylish - long hair, a headband and backed up with performances on the court, there was no denying Agassi
created quite a stir and had a lot of fan following by the time he faced
Sampras in the finals. He was an American youth icon; fashion,
glamour, fame and attitude, all these fitted well and it was an instant connect
with the masses and the media. Agassi was seen as the 'exciting' guy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the other hand, Sampras had
his ups and downs since the junior days; he resembled a shy guy who
went about his business discreetly. No drama, no overtly display of emotions and
surprised many with his presence at the finals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Growing up, it was pretty hard to
imagine, the weak link in Sampras game was his serve. That he was taught to
practice his serves day in and out helped him a lot to make the transition to the senior level. The use of the same toss
and his ability to disguise the serve all came to play on the day of the finals
as Agassi found it hard to return. In straight sets, Sampras finished off the
match to win his first title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is uncertain how he would have performed against an unknown opponent or another legend of the game. Probably, it was Agassi's presence, the known factor which might have helped to calm his nerves as Sampras knew the opponent and that played a huge role in the mental makeup of his preparations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"The better guy won the match.
When you can hit a serve 120 (miles/hour) on the line, there is not a lot you can do about
it" - with these words Agassi summed up the match, after having collected
the consolation prize of $175,000. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For Sampras, all those hours of watching the
16mm tapes of Rod Laver had paid off as he took his first step towards stardom.
No matter what he did, he knew, he would always remain a US Open champion as he collected the trophy as the youngest US Open champion from David Markin,
the then President of the United States Tennis Association. He couldn't believe
his eyes as he stared at the trophy, closely at his name inscribed alongside many champions... it had not sunk
in.. he went ahead and held his trophy aloft, probably posing for the first
time in front of so many cameramen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE THEATRICAL CLIMAX IN 2002<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By the time these two athletes
met at the 2002 US Open finals, they were at the far end of their careers and since
that final twelve years ago, both had went on to achieve great things in
tennis. Pete Sampras stood tall among all having won thirteen titles - a feat
no one had managed to achieve in the open era, while Agassi was a career
grand slam winner and had rejuvenated his tennis career yet again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While records stayed that way, the
personal form of Sampras was dipping rapidly while Agassi was more in control
of the game. After years of dominating men's tennis, it all came down to Sampras
and how motivated he was to go on playing. Sampras knew, he had it in him to
win one more title if not many, but his record stated otherwise. Slowly, the
media went after him, and since the triumph at 2000 Wimbledon, Sampras didn't
have much to show in spite of reaching the finals at the US Open in 2000 and
2001. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The champions suffer a lot when they
fail to live up to their standards; with each loss the glorious past appears to
fade away and all that remain are 'memories'. The future looks uncertain -
those memories remind us how great those years were, while media and a lot of
experts speak about the present and remind constantly, those days are gone, and
in some cases long gone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sampras at age 31, was branded
old, slow and since his marriage to the actress Bridgette Wilson, soft. He was
fed up after many people told him to retire, pointing to his game that had lost
its edge. The two years leading up to the 2002 US Open final was an emotional
ride for Sampras, whatever he did, it didn't work and unless he had his
hands on a grand slam trophy, critics wouldn't shut up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Like in the previous two years in 2000 and 2001,
once again Sampras overcame much younger opponents to reach his eighth US Open
finals and like in the years 1990 and in 1995, he faced Andre Agassi at
the Flushing Meadows. Seventeenth seeded Sampras against the sixth seed Agassi
- two American tennis legends competing for the trophy in front of the home
crowd. The form didn't matter, the seeds didn't matter as Sampras knew Agassi's
game and vice versa. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The crowd in anticipation of this
titanic clash came in large numbers, they knew it might be the last time they
would get to witness the two American tennis giants fighting it out on the
courts of New York; like the first time they met in the 1990 finals to win
the second oldest grand slam trophy in tennis. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Irrespective of what Sampras had
achieved (six more titles than Agassi at that point), the winner would take
away all the glory. This match was a decider as to who was better and all the
stats accumulated by those two players were put aside. It was the 'match'. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many who had followed the game
knew their preferences that night - but what about those newbies who were
planting their first steps into watching tennis? How would they remember such a
contest? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The great battles on the field
remain etched in the memory of the fans for a long time - as those moments alone makes that
significant impression when it comes down to determining favourites. As to words and
numbers, they convey the message unlike the images. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Four sets was all it took for the
game to go in favour of Sampras; it didn't matter who the crowd was rooting
for, as even the proudest of Agassi fans stood up acknowledging the 'true'
champion of the day! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Italian author and journalist
Oriana Fallici once quoted - "Glory is a heavy burden, a murdering poison,
and to bear it is an art. And to have that art is rare."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sampras didn't rush into things
and it took him over a year to come out in open and tell his fans and to
everybody that he was 100% retired. "I'm at peace with it. It's time to
call it a career." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When asked in an interview about how
he felt winning his 14<sup>th</sup> and final title, Sampras replied - "I
had the last word, and that feels great!</span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-81264721295892732652015-09-01T19:32:00.002+02:002015-09-18T09:34:03.304+02:00THE LEGACY OF WOLFGANG VON TRIPS <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXfdPVK0vgteHR7V52_EtF5403nrFXzc5mUZXojZUO5cQtBgSenPSU1aulJ3-vKTG02Yo7lwBwr08m-qthoxiNQiDAB2OgD8HGvzgurQ7K33mHQF-KaJN2Aj8T7ZWo_UEDVH0UsYY5SqO/s1600/trips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXfdPVK0vgteHR7V52_EtF5403nrFXzc5mUZXojZUO5cQtBgSenPSU1aulJ3-vKTG02Yo7lwBwr08m-qthoxiNQiDAB2OgD8HGvzgurQ7K33mHQF-KaJN2Aj8T7ZWo_UEDVH0UsYY5SqO/s400/trips.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolfgang von Trips, minutes before his demise </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I wanted to win, but not at
this price." - so remarked the 1961 Formula One champion Phil Hill. It was
a dream victory to have secured his maiden world title in Formula One driving
for Ferrari and to top it, in front of the several thousands of Tifosi at
Monza, Italy. Hill won the title by leapfrogging his teammate by one point.
Wolfgang von Trips, his colleague and the points leader coming into the race
needed a third placed finish to secure the driver's title, a first for a
German driver. His race ended on lap two, and a little later, his life ended
too!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>DEATH AT THE TRACK</i><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Growing up as a racer, Von Trips
was not new to accidents. In fact, he survived so many accidents before <i>maturity </i>and <i>consistency</i> became an integral part of his driving. And these new
attributes were on display when he was part of Ferrari's dream team of 1961.
Phil Hill, Richie Ginther, Ricardo Rodriguez, Giancarlo Baghetti and Wolfgang
von Trips won five of the seven races Ferrari took part in and the team and its
drivers were clearly miles ahead from rest of the pack. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Coming into the penultimate race
at Monza, Von Trips was leading the championship by four points over his
American teammate Phil Hill. They were friends off the track, but on the race
day they were fierce competitors as both wanted to be the first from their
country to win a driver's title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Von Trips was in the best position to claim
the win as he qualified in the front row with the fastest time and all Hill
could manage was fourth. Thousands of fans had gathered with a prospect of
watching one of the Ferrari drivers winning the title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The race started - Von Trips had
the worst start and by the end of lap one he was placed sixth and ahead of him
were - Phil Hill who led the race, followed by his other team mates Ginther and
Rodriguez; then came Jim Clark, followed closely by Jack Brabham and Von Trips.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Von Trips relying on Ferrari's
superior speed got past Clark and was chasing down Brabham. Clark with a
lighter fuel load was not in a mood to give up that easy and his pace and car
handling kept him within few metres of the German. As they duo approached the Parabolica
curve, Von Trips slowed down a bit to position himself better to take the
tricky right hander. Sensing an opportunity, Clark tried to overtake Von Trips
from the left and at this instant, Von Trips moved slightly to the left to
cover his position and next moment - bang! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The left rear of Von Trips made a
severe high speed contact with Jim Clark's right front wheel and in the next
few seconds, it was a catastrophe. The Ferrari took the aerial route, found
itself inverted and with no seat belts, Von Trips was thrown off the car and he
fell down with a great impact. The car with a high momentum went on to strike
the fence where spectators were placed, hit some of them before flipping back
on the track. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Von Trips died on the spot and so
too eleven spectators. Three more died the next day and one after five days. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>THE AFTERMATH </i><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Trips was head of me,
driving on the centre of the track. Suddenly he slowed down. Since my Lotus was
faster than the Ferrari, I tried to overtake him. In the same instant the
Ferrari surprisingly pulled to the left, and a collision became
unavoidable..." - this was Jim Clark's take on that dreadful incident. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Recollecting the incident after
50 years, the second placed driver that day Dan Gurney gave an account on what
happened and what was the attitude back then in an interview with Daily Mail:
"'I had a very good seat for watching what happened. I was probably
running in about 10<sup>th</sup> place in my Porsche. There was a great group
of drivers, some of whom were braver and less experienced than they should have
been so the chance of something like that happening was pretty great." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Phil Hill knew there was a huge
accident, but the race continued. He completed the race in a little over two
hours before he enquired his manager about what had happened. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"And Trips? Is he
dead?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Come on,” said the manager.
"They want you for the awards ceremony."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In today's world, it is
unimaginable to think of such a response. But the times were different and as
Dan Gurney points out - "We were born at a different time and basically
were raised during the time of World War Two with many of us involved, or very
close to being involved in it. It seemed to be the general outlook, people
didn't complain about things and they had a World War Two attitude."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Robert Daley, who was a
journalist that day recalled - "The emotions are still right on the
surface. I was the same age as these guys and they were dying all around me."
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In his book 'The Limit', the
author Michael Cannell covers Phil Hill's triumph and the 1961 Formula One season
- " I always felt like this was a proxy war. The British, Italians,
Germans - they were still in some way fighting World War II. They were putting
their handsome young men in the most sophisticated machinery and sending them
out to their deaths." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>LEGACY</i><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wolfgang von Trips belonged to one of the
respected families in Germany. The Von Trips family lived in Castle Hemmerbach since
1751, and Von trips grew up in this grand building, with his ears attuned to the
sounds of the Silver Arrows at the Nürburgring, which was very close to the
castle grounds. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1961, a month prior to his
unexpected demise, a fan club was formed in his honour and continuing the name
of this great German post WW II, the members constructed a go kart facility in
Horrem. With time, the virus of karting spread across Germany and with constant
support from the Von Trips family, came a new facility in Kerpen-Mannheim. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Michael Schumacher's dad Rolf got
involved and leased the facility for some time and that is where the Schumacher
brothers first got the taste of racing. Other German drivers like Heinz-Harald
Frentzen, Nick Heidfeld and the four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel are
all the products of this facility. Michael Schumacher re-started the passion
and went on to complete the unfinished job of Von Trips in becoming the first
German driver champion of F1 and the trend continues......</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>ON AN END NOTE </i><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wolfgang Von Trips on the brink of becoming the first German
to win the championship was eager to get the 1961 Italian Grand Prix off his
back. He was visibly nervous and he disclosed his feeling to Robert Daley and
his wife over tea on the eve of the Grand Prix - "Every driver has a place
deep inside him where he's afraid of death." He went on to add -
"This could all end tomorrow, you never know." </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-71965978248251028612015-08-27T10:48:00.002+02:002015-08-27T10:54:33.633+02:00C'EST LA VIE - VETTEL & FERRARI AT THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdjjZboBzhSEP00gN0-kHoV-qZRAC8Flluc7MjcOCOFx3fyngXELvkNVNrpCi1qgoTJrgl4gThINeBkQ7-eo1EaxntbBfqtLQVnUYhrvH0WgPl1Si8c3UeUwJzLLFU6AzgazaWxYYM8jY/s1600/2365+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdjjZboBzhSEP00gN0-kHoV-qZRAC8Flluc7MjcOCOFx3fyngXELvkNVNrpCi1qgoTJrgl4gThINeBkQ7-eo1EaxntbBfqtLQVnUYhrvH0WgPl1Si8c3UeUwJzLLFU6AzgazaWxYYM8jY/s640/2365+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Source: The Guardian </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sebastian Vettel had to bow out of the Belgian Grand Prix
while he was fighting for the third place. Behind him was Romain Grosjean and
he looked good to overtake the Ferrari and steal the last place on the podium from
Vettel. With Mercedes not losing its might in the championships, one can
assume, a third place finish to be a winner. And Vettel was within this reach and
they were on a one-stop strategy with the hard tyres 27 laps old. And then, the
Ferrari fending off Grosjean's Lotus had to take some defensive lines and this
went on for about five laps and boom! - off it went Vettel's rear right tyre
and there was no option but to retire as he had a good 5 km or so to cover to
reach the pits. Whose fault was it? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME AND DEFINITELY NOT THE LAST TIME<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was not the first time a driver had to retire in Formula
One - there have been many occasions when F1 cars have retired when the car was
within kilometres from winning before hell broke loose. In the recent past, it
has happened to Mika Hakkinen at the Spanish Grand Prix 2001, the car ceased to
move because of engine related problems and he retired on the last lap, while
leading the race. Kimi Raikkonen was leading the 2005 European Grand Prix and for
the last twenty laps he went on with a flat spot on his front right tyre. He
raced on over the course of twenty laps (rules stated no tyre change unless
punctured) and this affected the suspension and the tyre came off on the last
lap. Kimi Raikkonen and McLaren took a gamble. The team and the driver
collectively took a decision to ride on their luck hoping it would pay off.
Fernando Alonso would have won the race as he had a better car behind Kimi or if
Kimi could have held him off, McLaren
would have celebrated the victory. You play the sport with high stakes at
times! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When it comes down to going for glory or nothing, you gotta
be prepared that - the other side of victory is defeat. To give one more
instance of riding on one's luck - Ferrari and Michael Schumacher at the 2006 Hungarian
Grand Prix decided not to pit for new tyres when it was clearly visible the car
lacked grip and losing time. Ferrari wanted to gain more points as Schumacher's
rival Fernando Alonso (yeah, again) had retired from the race. Ferrari relented
and ended up losing Michael Schumacher as he damaged his suspension trying to
defend from cars overtaking him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For Ferrari and Vettel, yes it was unfortunate that tyre gave
up the way it did. Twenty seven laps on a single set of hard tyres was not the
way other drivers chose. The car was handling fine and I was confident he could
have made it but for the pressure exerted by Romain Grosjean in the dying
stages of the race. Vettel up until then was happy to be placed third and chose
not to pit for new tyres - the script was perfect, just that the Grosjean
factor was not considered. The four-time champion could have let the faster car
go instead of defending - but a racer
that he is, it is not easy to let go someone without fight in that heat of racing. Vettel
pushed his luck, while Ferrari crew could only watch and hope the result to be in
their side and in the end it didn't pay off. Tough luck! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Post race, Vettel went aggressive on Pirelli and suggested
the tyres must never come off as long as drivers raced within the track limits. However,
this isn't an ideal world where things happen as we wish it has to, there will
be anomalies and Vettel's tyre burst was one such case. He was fighting for the
third place in a race where Ferrari looked out of sorts - Vettel took the
gamble and in the end it didn't go his way. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When reporters asked Pirelli head Paul Hembery about
Vettel's reaction - he brushed away and told drivers undergo a lot of things
after such intense battle before showing surprise about being unaware of Ferrari's single stop strategy compared to rest of the drivers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While Vettel has come to terms with the issue of tyres, the world of
motorsport mourned at the loss of a former F1 driver Justin Wilson. He drove in
the 2003 season in a specially customised cars designed by Minardi and Jaguar
as he was very tall for the normal design. He passed away after sustaining head
injuries in a IndyCar race. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Graham Nash once quoted - “Life is not perfect. It never
will be. You just have to make the very best of it, and you have to open your
heart to what the world can show you; and sometimes it's terrifying, and
sometimes it's incredibly beautiful, and I'll take both.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Formula One and motor racing is dangerous and yet people
have great ambitions to be part of it, safety marshals risk their lives in
doing their job by the track side and many others including fans who are in the
circuit - why?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hindsight is vision 20:20 and decisions are not made all the
time looking backwards, some decisions are made on the go looking at the
present - it works at times, and in other times it doesn't. If it pays off - life
is beautiful; when it doesn't - life can be cruel. C'est la vie, Voilà Formule
Un! </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-24075648784069581552015-08-24T12:43:00.000+02:002015-08-24T13:23:43.659+02:00SEVEN YEARS ON TOP - USAIN BOLT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTv9bEtc81gTfNIZvHPCV8MQZ-Ia0JzsIUrIALpPipRCGbadY2TqiWaFxOZ4EgBQ1FJ3DMamURaDmpxwDWh49fH6Q0sIGgj-ZcSYbc9k-otNlltpvWJpEv9qZJBvFOJqwfxznCNLVM12S/s1600/Bolt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTv9bEtc81gTfNIZvHPCV8MQZ-Ia0JzsIUrIALpPipRCGbadY2TqiWaFxOZ4EgBQ1FJ3DMamURaDmpxwDWh49fH6Q0sIGgj-ZcSYbc9k-otNlltpvWJpEv9qZJBvFOJqwfxznCNLVM12S/s640/Bolt.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Usain Bolt winning his third 100m world championships at Beijing </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Terry Pratchett in his book, A Hat full of Sky quoted -
"Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving". The
year 2008, the Summer Olympics came to China for the first time and like all
the previous editions, the athletics remained the hot favourite. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enter Usain Bolt, the tall Jamaican, who was five days shy of turning 22. He had the world record for the 100m dash - but running in a Olympic final is a different matter. As cool as ever, Bolt composed
himself, took his mark and when the shot was let go, he was off in a flash and by the time he
completed the 70m, there was none to either side of him, he opened his arms,
slapped his chest and crossed the line celebrating his achievement. 16<sup>th</sup>
August 2008, the race that catapulted him to the global audience. His unshyly
expressions made him a crowd's favourite and overnight he became a poster boy
with his trademark 'lightning bolt' pose. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8YZU8f4en-eVIUd-FoOZj_tCIyJ5I92JZh_BNPzs2VQ5vtUB25XoKnNPBreP1x4321eL2vNHfDckb8xeOKFxLqtdGuBakb2rF6vfZhQiLZZj3CzaS30Xq5ogrS80d2gd7XlZe9DtQK4X/s1600/bolt9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8YZU8f4en-eVIUd-FoOZj_tCIyJ5I92JZh_BNPzs2VQ5vtUB25XoKnNPBreP1x4321eL2vNHfDckb8xeOKFxLqtdGuBakb2rF6vfZhQiLZZj3CzaS30Xq5ogrS80d2gd7XlZe9DtQK4X/s640/bolt9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bolt winning his first 100m Olympic gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympics </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yesterday, at the Bird's Nest he took part in the clash that
was dubbed as 'Good vs. Evil' and like the cliche goes, the good won - but just by a
tiniest of margins to retain the title of 'world champion' in 100m. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From 2008 to 2015, a lot has changed in that period for Bolt - from being an apprentice with tons of talent and promise, he has taken giant strides and has conquered all his
opponents multiple times, overcame his occasional faults (Daegu 2011) and has become an all-time sprint great. He looks good to add a few more gold medals to his tally in Rio next year, to defend
the three gold medals which he won here in Bird's Nest in 2008 which were successfully
defended at the 2012 London Olympics - a feat that has never been achieved
before in sprinting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I watched his epic-duel with Justin Gatlin, my mind
went back to 2008 when he was hailed as the 'sprint king' by the members of
media and press after his triple gold feat. Seven years on, he has retained his personality, but has gone many levels up, standing tall on the track and off the track staying away from
doping. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is a rarity and at the same time a privilege to witness a sprint athlete achieve such
an extended peak performance and all I can say - athletes like Bolt have
carried the image of sports in the positive light and in the right way among
all the negativity that threatens to derail the sport consistently. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My first impression of Usain Bolt was formed during the 2008
Beijing Olympics and since then I have followed his career, met him a couple of
times and heard him speak about his journey before Beijing 2008 and his life after
that - quite remarkable and inspirational these seven years have been.</span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-74310651022148458942015-08-22T10:32:00.003+02:002015-08-22T10:32:11.932+02:00WHEN BRADMAN SAW DHYANCHAND PLAY <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48qU4FEUkYnO2uc6fTDYzB1I04nOj662qeJ2MZAORQG-mqkf-tPAZMj0jj3UGGJS-YlPnoXFSHAxtzqdaNjBJLGmeyeu7USDIio5Hoatb1y16NDx1vSOGOvJaSj0MoG6G46pBwQfWQeiX/s1600/Don+and+Dhyanchand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48qU4FEUkYnO2uc6fTDYzB1I04nOj662qeJ2MZAORQG-mqkf-tPAZMj0jj3UGGJS-YlPnoXFSHAxtzqdaNjBJLGmeyeu7USDIio5Hoatb1y16NDx1vSOGOvJaSj0MoG6G46pBwQfWQeiX/s640/Don+and+Dhyanchand.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just a week to go before India celebrates yet another National Sports Day. The day is in honour of the birth date of India's first superstar and one of field hockey's finest player. This was featured in SportsKeeda -</span><a href="http://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/dhyanchand-bradman-meet-indias-greatest-hockey-player-met-australia-greatest-batsman" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">http://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/dhyanchand-bradman-meet-indias-greatest-hockey-player-met-australia-greatest-batsman</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today, there is no sport that comes close to cricket in India, the sheer popularity, the fan following this game commands is unparalleled, something one can relate to football in Brazil. And this is a very recent phenomenon - one can say from the 1980's. Before that, for close to 50 years, field hockey was the sport that brought laurels consistently winning eight Olympic gold medals and a World Cup. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Major Dhyanchand is one such name that lives on through his performances on the hockey field across the world. And in cricket, in the same era as that of the hockey wizard, an Australian by the name of Don Bradman lives in everyone's mind as the greatest cricketer the sport has seen. And these two legends met once - way back in 1935 in Adelaide. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read - </span><a href="http://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/dhyanchand-bradman-meet-indias-greatest-hockey-player-met-australia-greatest-batsman" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">http://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/dhyanchand-bradman-meet-indias-greatest-hockey-player-met-australia-greatest-batsman</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
..................................................................................................................................................................</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-19609171041967687382015-08-21T18:49:00.003+02:002015-08-21T18:49:35.687+02:00THE KILLER YEARS OF SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsM9DeKNdVmysipMLPP-Ug0M2qWKHpzK5A0UYNp7447-E67HB270LdNpqTrHe6_EaEOK6ait_gcKCLNjNrWdEM2REk09fwzh7R2FV2iSMct9iYFtvkLAx2Ac2BC6Y_3jmjhJobuOofbrW/s1600/Hill-Stewart2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsM9DeKNdVmysipMLPP-Ug0M2qWKHpzK5A0UYNp7447-E67HB270LdNpqTrHe6_EaEOK6ait_gcKCLNjNrWdEM2REk09fwzh7R2FV2iSMct9iYFtvkLAx2Ac2BC6Y_3jmjhJobuOofbrW/s640/Hill-Stewart2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Source - http://bit.ly/1PDjTFE </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"</b>There is so
much more to racing when it is dangerous, because the exhilaration of success
is far higher" - Sir Stirling Moss summed up what was Belgian Grand Prix
like when it was twice the length as the current track distance. With an
average speed of over 255 km/h (in the 50's and 60's) on a 14.1 km circuit, it
was a daunting challenge for the drivers who lined up each year to race at this
Grand Prix. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOT SAFE ENOUGH <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What was considered as exhilaration in the 50's was looked
from a different perspective from the mid-1960's. Drivers got together, talked openly
about the safety standards about the track. The aspect of 'thrill' was there -
but a lot of the drivers didn't want to see one of their colleagues die on the
track. The word 'future' didn't exist in the vocabulary of many drivers as they
knew all can go wrong in a matter of one second of misjudgment. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The tickets during those days clearly inscribed the words -
"Motorsports is dangerous" and yet thousands of people flocked in
each year and stood close to the racing tracks, completely aware a slight
accident can claim their lives too. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It wasn't a test of who survived from the accidents -
instead motor racing was (and is) all about pushing a car to its limit and yet
come out alive and celebrate if victorious. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In case of the Belgian Grand Prix, the track comprised of
public roads, not an ideal environment for speeding cars - however those were
the norm during those days. Since the start of the championships in 1950, each
year the car went a touch quicker as competition for the top spot intensified.
Naturally, the drivers too went at high speeds and what remained constant was
the track and its set up with a minimum focus on safety procedures. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1969, several of the drivers boycotted the scheduled Belgian
Grand Prix complaining the track was way too dangerous. They had their way in
the end and organisers installed the Armco barriers for the 1970 Grand Prix
with the previous edition being cancelled. In spite of this added protection,
the drivers still felt the circuit was very fast, dangerous and this resulted
in the cancelling of Spa-Francorchamps as the venue from 1971 for a period of
thirteen years. In 1983, the race distance was halved, a major chunk of the
circuit was removed - and with run-off areas, barriers, and other safety
measures, the Spa-Francorchamps returned and has been a regular feature since
the mid-1980's. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">JACKIE STEWART SURVIVES THE SCARE<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></i></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVWQlT8EwEFN0aFnNbtJU3TPya2246-WG2ksjyBbptrA9CUoCQS3J0Pxe7UpDRs7pUP26PevU7khbPnVLWGL-8cTJyWZAdsQolhQ80IDv1yG2KhpssTtbwuIhlkmT37SiW1rkcEwikjmM/s1600/Spa_1950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVWQlT8EwEFN0aFnNbtJU3TPya2246-WG2ksjyBbptrA9CUoCQS3J0Pxe7UpDRs7pUP26PevU7khbPnVLWGL-8cTJyWZAdsQolhQ80IDv1yG2KhpssTtbwuIhlkmT37SiW1rkcEwikjmM/s400/Spa_1950.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old circuit at Spa-Francorchamps - pacy and intimidating</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many drivers who raced in the 1950's and 60's have been open
in saying the roads of Burnenville, Masta Kink and Stavelot happened to be one
of the fastest and intimidating parts they had to encounter, even more
challenging than Eau Rouge. A long fast right hand corner in Burnenville
leading up to Malmédy was one such part which was challenging and marked the start
of the dangerous path in the old circuit. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then came the most frightening of all the corners - the
Masta Kink. Drivers had to be more brave than skilful to take this corner
without leaving the throttle. The Masta Kink was a tight left-right chicane and
cars approached it at the top speed well over 270 km/hr. The key element was
the speed as this chicane was sandwiched between two unbroken straights each
measuring 2.5 km. Hence the entry speed and exit speed was crucial to maintain
the overall lap time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCm3Q4_5s_o" target="_blank">Jackie Stewart in 1966</a> had his car severely damaged after
his BRM crashed a telephone pole at Masta Kink. With fuel dripping all over him
and coupled with broken ribs, he was
unable to get out and was stuck in his car. Fellow BRM drivers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oB1FBplQJI" target="_blank">Graham Hill and Bob Bondurant</a> had also gone off the circuit and the duo came to Stewart's
rescue. With no medical support unlike in the modern era, it took a spectator's
tool kit to separate Stewart from his car. Jackie Stewart admits, he was lucky
to survive as he was half-drenched with fuel and was stuck inside the car for
close to 25 minutes. The steering wheel had to be taken off to relieve Stewart
and this incident paved way for detachable steering wheels. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">AN ADVOCATE FOR SAFETY<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since that incident, Jackie Stewart always tapped a spanner
to his steering wheel and off the track became actively involved to improve the
safety standards in Formula One. With each year, his fame as a driver grew and
so did his voice and his several messages had profound effect on increasing the
track safety standards. It was him who led the driver's concerns and eventually
had Spa dropped from the F1 calendar till the time it was deemed safe. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There were other races such as the touring races, endurance
races that took place in the old circuit in the 70's and finally in 1979, the
circuit was modified and it took a further four years for Spa-Francorchamps to
make it back to the F1 calendar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGHxcATfs4FyN2h0A8Y1XhzwUyhqpchFIRxdfnpfFTr2PSEWoh5yEvOKhsr7TAMntitOCXrc8luf8xogS0H0ExuopeLs_z_RivuFuL9YprE96ZCgmLMrnZrdHjVKe8St51-N9VzEW60RW/s1600/Spa_2002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGHxcATfs4FyN2h0A8Y1XhzwUyhqpchFIRxdfnpfFTr2PSEWoh5yEvOKhsr7TAMntitOCXrc8luf8xogS0H0ExuopeLs_z_RivuFuL9YprE96ZCgmLMrnZrdHjVKe8St51-N9VzEW60RW/s400/Spa_2002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The modified circuit which helped Spa Francorchamps to make a comeback</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The beauty, the charm and the nostalgia associated with
Spa-Francorchamps is still there without those thrilling sections from the old
track. The track revisions has had a positive effect on the organisers and
thereby to Formula One - as this circuit's evolution links the several dots the
sport has joined over the years. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">END NOTE <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was lucky enough to drive on those roads that were deemed
dangerous. Burnenville and Masta Kink are now just a pale shadow of what it
represented. Since thirty five years, these have remained just another European
village roads where speed limits do not exceed more than 80 km/hr. Even today, drivers
are excited to go quicker and they get the same exhilaration when they win -
but they have also seen a generation growing up who sacrificed their lives to
make this sport safer and a lot more secure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love this sport because the talk is not about accidents,
deaths or safety alone - there is a lot more that's discussed and written
about. Formula One is no longer a threat to life as it once was (in spite of
Jules Bianchi's tragic incident) - it has evolved and values safety more than
few individual's exhilaration and kicks they derive by making sports dangerous.
A lot has changed from those killer years when a normal race seemed like a
death race. It is no longer a question of hope when a driver sets out to race,
he/she is now confident about safety. Yes, being very safe that takes the sheen
if one looks at it from excitement point of view alone - however, is it worth
rooting for a sport that swallows lives week after week and make money out of
it? </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-70336122692895605662015-08-20T12:45:00.000+02:002015-09-01T18:25:00.422+02:00THE CULT OF EAU ROUGE - BELGIAN GRAND PRIX <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKTFUilmzHWpxJfNhcBwIgKM8I9tUbtLvx8VfkGnEZyAjlNAwjpHz5ao87LK5u_KLKNXkbLyi2Z4iRlAfxKox9EVo1KvyV2S0tEsNuHWNmral325Z3AZ7x1e0Q1BdylslIyAYCUPnB0bW/s1600/11174518_10155841730105453_861789065688929147_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKTFUilmzHWpxJfNhcBwIgKM8I9tUbtLvx8VfkGnEZyAjlNAwjpHz5ao87LK5u_KLKNXkbLyi2Z4iRlAfxKox9EVo1KvyV2S0tEsNuHWNmral325Z3AZ7x1e0Q1BdylslIyAYCUPnB0bW/s640/11174518_10155841730105453_861789065688929147_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eau Rouge - the iconic corner in Formula One </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pouts of rain in the middle of
European summer is not an unusual sight and in spite of few days of 'harsh
heat', there are more cooler days and that was the case when I reached the town
Spa. It was more than a drizzle as a few people working around me have just put
on their rain jackets while few visitors took to </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">umbrellas and went on with their business as
usual. I parked my car, asked my mother, if she wanted to come outside? She was
comfortable being seated inside the car along with my sister and their newest
companion, Abhinav. Tripti, my wife, as usual was always game to my crazy habit
of visiting F1 tracks - be it 'contemporary 'or in ruins. We took our umbrellas
with us ( just in case) and both went about walking perpendicular to the race
track and entered the tunnel over which the cars at a great pace approach 'Eau
Rouge'.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE NAME<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Located in the Ardennes and in
the province of Liège, its famous municipality Spa is known worldwide for many
reasons. A popular place and a well-known site for healing cold springs, the
name itself has become eponymous with any place having a natural water source
with special health benefits is known as 'spa'. For the lovers of detective
fiction, it is worth noting the birth place of Agatha Christie's petit and the
central character Hercule Poirot was born in Spa. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since the mid-1920's, Spa and the
nearby towns of Stavelot, Masta and Malmédy all played its part in hosting the
Belgian Grand Prix - an annual motorsports event involving cars. After close to
90 years since its inception, there has been just two major revisions to this
track one in 1946 and the other in 1983. While the circuit in its totality is
one of the best we have in motorsports and specially in Formula One, a tiny
part of this track - Radillon Eau Rouge happens to be my favourite. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tripti and I had walked all the
way from the La Source hairpin through the parking garage and the storage areas
of the pit lanes towards the 'iconic section' of this track. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The name 'Eau Rouge' translates
to 'red water' (French to English), is a small stream that flows through this
part of the circuit and joins the river Amblève near Stavelot. Due to the
reddish oxide deposits, the stones and the riverbed appears red and hence the
name. The corner 'Eau Rouge' was so named as it is in that place, the track
crosses the stream for the first time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">DO YOU HAVE YOUR HELMET? <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I can let you inside the
track if you have your own sports car and a helmet." - a security official
told me. My basic French skills was enough to strike a ice-breaker conversation
and soon enough my inability to speak in the local language was evident and he
switched over to what he called 'broken English'. We spoke about this part of
the track and he explained to me what it was like to be there standing and
working when cars are zooming past him. I too shared my views on what I thought
about the track just as I saw few cars speed past me to encounter the
challenging corner in F1. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am not sure what worked in my
favour, the security official was kind enough to let me walk very close to Eau-Rouge.
Just as I was separated by just a few metres from my favourite corner, my mind
went blank and I am sure about it as I just recall staring at it - the
elevation, the width and imagined all those times when I saw multiple times F1 cars
going past it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So what is it that makes Eau
Rouge a cult figure in Formula One? Let me explain it in as few sentences as
possible. In the 1993 Belgian Grand Prix, Alex Zanardi (yes, the same guy who
injured and came back strongly to win Paralympics medals) had an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGksfqVC7tc" target="_blank">horrendous accident</a> at
Eau Rouge. Following this, there were speculations whether a chicane would
replace the existing design of 'Eau Rouge'. When asked, Ayrton Senna just
didn't respond, he made a statement - "If you take away Eau Rouge, you
take away the reason why I do this (race F1)". Thankfully, sense
prevailed, and those speculations remained just that. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">TRAVERSING THE OLD CIRCUIT <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While I was visibly disappointed
about not walking or driving on Eau Rouge (as there was a testing day for cars),
I was told the other farther parts of the circuit was open and can be accessed.
I asked him about Blanchimont, the Pouhon and Stavelot - he gave me a smile and
nodded a yes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was time for lunch as well and
I drove along the old-part of the circuit - Haut de la Cote, Burnenville before
heading to the centre of Malmédy for a pit stop. The lunch was quick as we
bought few sandwiches and off we went on to the road leading to Masta, Holowell
leading up to Stavelot where the current track re-joins. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I took a diversion which led me
to the smaller roads in the direction of Pouhon and from there a 5-minute drive
towards Blanchimont - the fastest corner in F1 (taken at 250 km/hr). I parked
my car in between the sections of Fagnes and Stavelot. My son had just woken up
from sleep and I took him out and showed him those few cars on the track from a
distance. I am not sure whether he would follow F1 in the future, if he does,
then he already has been at the 'Mecca of Formula One circuits'. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">WHY IS IT THAT POPULAR? <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I spent close to three hours
encircling the track and now it was time to head back home. Thanks Amma,
Tripti, my sister Rashmi and our little darling 'Abhinav' for having the
patience to be part of this 'crazy' road excursion. I had fun explaining why
this track remains so dear to me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjma1kB5zwTQU2mhJwGUxPVaXIcqqGU5Lny0NO5qO7c5lBGmjMEOeF7nc-Ijv_sPTXZPhQguhHJIGdbITNDZhR-KvWtslTl-UM_s2xcPlZq9WgswGzRmI9xsB48GU_uud_rxe6HDcOmYzN-/s1600/DSC_1107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjma1kB5zwTQU2mhJwGUxPVaXIcqqGU5Lny0NO5qO7c5lBGmjMEOeF7nc-Ijv_sPTXZPhQguhHJIGdbITNDZhR-KvWtslTl-UM_s2xcPlZq9WgswGzRmI9xsB48GU_uud_rxe6HDcOmYzN-/s640/DSC_1107.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The highlight of this Spa trip happened
right at the beginning while at Eau Rouge - While I still stood looking at Eau
Rouge, the kind security official came to me and pointed towards a building and
asked me to go on top of a pit block - to have a look at the same thing which I
was staring at. He told me I would enjoy it. And so, it was, the whole view of
cars speeding towards Eau Rouge. The sounds of the throttle, the minimal
adjustments and a tiny room, in fact no room for error as one takes the corner
head on with 100% commitment, flat out before finding yourself on the Kemmel
straight. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997
World champion spoke greatly about Eau Rouge and these were his words - " Eau
Rouge is probably the most exciting corner in modern F1. It has a little kink
to the left and then you start turning right as the track starts going up. You
pull a lot of 'G' force through there and the car scrapes the ground, so you
get a little bit sideways. At the same time you don't see the exit of the
corner so you're just turning right and then suddenly you're turning left and
at that point the car gets very light. All that - flat out! It's a really
exciting corner to do. Going flat-out there doesn't actually make your overall
lap faster, but it does make you feel proud. Pride is stupid, but it is
important!" and......</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I now understand what he meant by
that. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-44823268521336349502015-08-11T13:13:00.001+02:002015-08-11T13:22:29.639+02:00FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpVyg_kKQD9o-4qy2hgrtBqs15-ZTTuvXOviLQJfyXfZmnzuYS74ocrVeqO6XV_n32eaPixE8TORsu8F8sq6u3gkRxEeSi467kyapwmSjHYpdtEQAmLzuCzeXdi643JzPLxiHBrFTJwBh/s1600/mercedes-w04-formula-1-car-showcased-at-jerez-video_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpVyg_kKQD9o-4qy2hgrtBqs15-ZTTuvXOviLQJfyXfZmnzuYS74ocrVeqO6XV_n32eaPixE8TORsu8F8sq6u3gkRxEeSi467kyapwmSjHYpdtEQAmLzuCzeXdi643JzPLxiHBrFTJwBh/s640/mercedes-w04-formula-1-car-showcased-at-jerez-video_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The German team Mercedes do not have a home GP to show their prowess - </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The economy dictates the geography of business and for Formula
One, it is following this world norm. With the costs of hosting a Grand Prix increasing
with each year, there are countries that are prepared to shell out these
exorbitant amounts of money in order to be a part of this 'global machinery
circus'. And from next year, the number of races go beyond 20 for the first
time. With Azerbaijan slotted as 'European Grand Prix', Formula One has again
demonstrated that it is a sought after brand - but at what cost?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am all for globalisation of the sport and coming from
Asia, I am happy to see many of the races coming where the money is. However, I
am also of the opinion that, there must be a balance - preserving the tracks of
the yore with modern tracks in emerging countries. There is a German team
that's been dominant for the past two years and yet there is no clarity
regarding the future of German Grand Prix. In fact, this year, the scheduled
German GP was cancelled as authorities did not have enough funding to host the
event. Thankfully, there will be a German GP for next year, but who knows
whether it will see the light of the day! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The FIA is headquartered in Paris, France and has another
office in Geneva, Switzerland. A federal law prevents Switzerland from hosting
motor-racing events since the tragic incident of Le Mans 1955. What's stopping
France to be one of the annual hosts? France, a place where motorsports was
born, where Grand Prix was first coined - it is unfathomable to see France not
having a place in the calendar. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, we all get the thing - no money, no place - but is that
what the sport is all about? What is the point of hosting races where there is
no significant national interest or no clear automobile future? The investors
would love to get their returns for what they have contributed - but what is
the limit? and FIA, it is happy to be receiving all the money generated from the
sport and take interest only in making regulations - and even that they need
support from the commercial partners and the teams. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What do I propose? - You want twenty races, or even 21, feel
free to include it. However, for old time's sake - have races in Germany,
France, Britain, Belgium, Monaco and Italy. Out of these six places, only
Monaco and Italy have had no problems in hosting the races regularly. Look at
tennis, there are many new ATP and WTA venues - but they have preserved the
golden quadrilateral of the Grand Slam. Why can't we have a similar one in
Formula One? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you want people to appreciate Formula One in the long run, do not stop at
halfway mark of going just to new markets; do make an effort to remain in countries
that made this sport popular. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-52669489610152376702015-08-05T12:06:00.001+02:002015-08-05T12:06:34.825+02:00And.......England have won the Ashes - A Review <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL_zPzJPFrYnVB-vpR6WQyyNv9yZGRHz1J4GUD-K1SOiDKzzrSfTcdJR6RqOiKk92_2rOh0WWhUr5ujDl-R3nwjmMJdF7bEOctUBF5LAR1WGm3HpWS-fCVk2s6k0dEo-cnUmcSu9YiNhyphenhyphen/s1600/David+Clarke+Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL_zPzJPFrYnVB-vpR6WQyyNv9yZGRHz1J4GUD-K1SOiDKzzrSfTcdJR6RqOiKk92_2rOh0WWhUr5ujDl-R3nwjmMJdF7bEOctUBF5LAR1WGm3HpWS-fCVk2s6k0dEo-cnUmcSu9YiNhyphenhyphen/s640/David+Clarke+Book.jpg" width="412" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cricketers take to the field, and rest of the crowd who have
worked hard and seamlessly becomes irrelevant and so it should be. If the
viewers on the stadium, television and members of the press talk about these
'men in action', consider it a good job done! That's what the we toast,
celebrate and talk about at the end of each day of the match. At conclusion,
when the stadium is empty, we de-brief and talk about things that worked and
not worked. Each day, each match and each city provides a different set of
challenges. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">TWO IS A TEAM AND TWO IS A COMPANY<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Two is a team and it
worked beautifully in handling the pressures of ever-demanding environment of
Delhi. The challenges are multi-folded and when 'two' is also a company, it
helps a great deal. Last year, I was given the task to work under David Clarke
to prepare Delhi for the IPL. I previously had heard about him but never knew
him on personal terms. To me, it was a crucial aspect - I believe 'the
efficiency' of the duo is at its optimum best if we could talk and converse
besides work related stuff. And in David, I found a great mentor. He loved to
share his stories and was ears to hear my experiences. He asked me how I viewed
situations and then added his bit if he felt it would be a value addition. This
new team had just found a perfect start - and it was in the foundation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A GREAT STORY-TELLER<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since childhood, anything that was narrated to me stayed on
my mind longer and continues to. I enjoyed this aspect of knowing facts or
perspectives. David's out-going personality meant, I was privileged to hear
firsthand about his life, his love for basketball, his love for dogs, his
family whom he loves a lot, his bike, his work with England &
Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and coming to the business end, his expertise, prior
experience and about English cricket. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I call myself as one of the sports geeks and each tale he
shared with me was amazing. One such happened to be about the Ashes 2005. I was rooting for the underdogs 'England' as
it was time the Ashes shifted hands. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He didn't tell me what happened with cricket and how a
particular player played, instead I was privy to details what went on off the
field, the ego-clashes, the politics, the challenges to pull off a victory
campaign. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While players had their own set of challenges, David (who
was working with ECB at that time) and his team provided a great back-end
support. It cannot be measured or quantified as to how big a role it played to
help England win back the Ashes. As an audience, I saw the action unfold, read
the editorials and match reports - but this a refreshing take on what went when
everyone was busy watching cricket. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THESE STORIES ARE PART OF A BOOK<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">His book '<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/And-England-Have-Won-Ashes-ebook/dp/B012L6OTKW" target="_blank">and....England have won the Ashes</a>' doesn't capture
the emotions on-field. There were better writers who penned those moments. Any
event has its challenges and David touches upon what he and his team went
through to pull off a spectacle - events with MCC regarding the use of the
original urn for presentation, the aftermath of London bombing, motivational
hymn 'Jerusalem' which irked a couple of Aussie cricketers and it culminated
with the open bus parade at the Trafalgar Square.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wouldn't reveal further - and I would end it by saying, if
you want to know what are the challenges that are involved in hosting a big
series across different cities, this book definitely is worth reading to know
'what happened' behind the scenes and how it all came together in a fairy tale manner when England won the Ashes after sixteen years. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy reading..... </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-87023432681954490802015-07-14T15:10:00.000+02:002015-07-14T15:32:25.229+02:00A SMALL STEP FOR HINGIS, A GIANT LEAP FOR SANIA MIRZA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOK4cb_Y0OaN8T4WDSxJRQ15AuOvOzpWiMXFInv-9M5EIhHaPaezSkVcGbPNCRQk6CWTHP-J39Fhg_IY9k6zn53DZz-xgQtAiQq0j0kZH9o-e53KrfNVyxb2JHGBtRUI88z5nLObrcAbBd/s1600/150712151056-wimbledon-hingis-miza-large-169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOK4cb_Y0OaN8T4WDSxJRQ15AuOvOzpWiMXFInv-9M5EIhHaPaezSkVcGbPNCRQk6CWTHP-J39Fhg_IY9k6zn53DZz-xgQtAiQq0j0kZH9o-e53KrfNVyxb2JHGBtRUI88z5nLObrcAbBd/s640/150712151056-wimbledon-hingis-miza-large-169.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Indian to win a ladies Grand slam doubles title. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is an air of history and nostalgia when you talk about
Wimbledon. More than any other sporting place, this venue values tradition; remembers
its past champions and one way or the other welcomes them back into its serene
surroundings. Martina Hingis is a name for the tennis historians and
irrespective of her retirement at a young age, she was welcomed back to a place
where she started winning Grand slam titles. For Hingis, these seventeen years
has been a lifetime's wait.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Life has come a full circle for Hingis after the victory in
women's doubles. From being the youngest grand slam winner (Wimbledon doubles
1996), in which she flourished under the
guidance of the more experienced Helena Sukova; this time around she was the
one who called the shots, guided Sania Mirza and together they played their
best tennis in recent times. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis have been undoubtedly the
best lady players to represent their respective countries, India and Switzerland.
They reached the peak very early in their lives, then hit a plateau............
- and now together they are on an adventure to climb yet another peak. There is
a lot that's in common between these two; though they have different playing
styles. They complete each other's weakness on the court and in tandem, they
have been refreshing on the doubles circuit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In Martina Hingis, Sania Mirza has finally found a doubles
partner with whom she can complement her partner's finesse and thought process.
When they got together to play doubles, I felt there was something right about
this combination and I am more so convinced now after looking at the way they fought
back in those final two sets. They are enjoying their tennis. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPboJQjC2-CapzgkFeVfbllN7mTIZI-Du2fWFlV27KLp2S3AZs4S5IAt8jKkL6OpHJz4ksYsVEElnPVuka1PeGZt7mFRB9ijX2yITjwcV4hs8j63JqzFDFyqQOCG9rlzq854DRp-AjvnNl/s1600/05422311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPboJQjC2-CapzgkFeVfbllN7mTIZI-Du2fWFlV27KLp2S3AZs4S5IAt8jKkL6OpHJz4ksYsVEElnPVuka1PeGZt7mFRB9ijX2yITjwcV4hs8j63JqzFDFyqQOCG9rlzq854DRp-AjvnNl/s640/05422311.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pair destined for many more victories </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">INDIA'S LONG WAIT FOR FAME<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Twelve years ago, Sania, a child prodigy won the girls doubles
event at Wimbledon. Since the time she turned professional, she has been living
a life burdened with expectations. India is a country where people have a lot of
hopes, where expectations come from all corners of the land and we all saw a dream,
the dream of Sania lifting a Grand slam title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Playing singles proved to be a tough battle ground; her
power play and return was good to finish off few opponents - but her lack of
pace to move around the court and her inability to pick the right spots to
place the ball did not help her cause when she faced the top ranked players. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In spite of these weaknesses, she did progress consistently
beyond first round and her best singles display at a major slam came a decade
ago in New York. A fourth round appearance at the US Open facing Maria
Sharapova. At that point, she had achieved enough (including a WTA singles
title) to rest on her laurels as no other Indian female tennis player had come
this far. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In fact, in the open era, there has never been a lady from
Indian tennis who has won this consistently in singles - barring Nirupama
Sanjeev (previously Vaidyanathan) who was the first Indian woman to win a round
in a grand slam event (1998 Australian Open) and Shikha Uberoi who emulated
that feat later at the 2004 US Open. The days of celebrating 'round' wins were long
gone ever since Sania Mirza turned professional. Within a short span of time,
she took the nation's expectations to another level - a place never seen before
among Indian women tennis. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SINGLES TO DOUBLES<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Being among the top 30 ranked women happens to be the
highlight of Sania's singles career (with highest ranking of 27). However, her success was not just limited
to singles; steadily she took part in many of the doubles tournament with some
success. After 2007, her play was more consistent on the doubles circuit than
on the singles. An athlete is never far away from getting injured and Sania's tryst
with injuries started to dictate her choices and since 2008 she withdrew from
many tournaments owing to discomfort in her back and right wrist. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Playing singles became more challenging, exasperating and
after a string of poor performances, focussing solely on the doubles game
seemed practical. Having a partner in a game was less stressful physically and with
only half-a-court to cover, it suited her style of play. Since 2011, her
success rate in many of the WTA competitions was on the upward trend. In these
four years, she took part in 29 finals and won 18 of them - all of this
contributed in her being ranked number one doubles player earlier this year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">INDIANS PLAY DOUBLES BETTER<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why do Indians play better doubles game than singles? Looking
at the history of Indian tennis, there has been a strong 'tennis doubles'
culture barring few sporadic, spirited individual displays. In the last sixty
years, there has been junior players winning the Grand Slam title, but no one
went a step further and win the seniors. The best singles performance in the
recent past happens to be the bronze medal win of Paes at the 1996 Atlanta
Olympics. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFWw-2a5MGNQ3hkMhSv_w-GVDxf7x2i1E4-tnvE7aFrdnzxWG0tIWTiZ07CNysC9XII9ueEMztUKk5LvfZ3VLmYjg0YTuqoFZte0y6LLWzbO4ZoSE8BG3d_Hkzpb49QrZv_X-jz_lJVdL/s1600/leander_paes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFWw-2a5MGNQ3hkMhSv_w-GVDxf7x2i1E4-tnvE7aFrdnzxWG0tIWTiZ07CNysC9XII9ueEMztUKk5LvfZ3VLmYjg0YTuqoFZte0y6LLWzbO4ZoSE8BG3d_Hkzpb49QrZv_X-jz_lJVdL/s400/leander_paes.jpg" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bronze Medal in singles at 1996 Atlanta Olympics </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first Grand slam title of any kind for India came in
1997 and it was Mahesh Bhupathi-Rika Hiraki pair who won the mixed doubles at
the French Open. Since then, there has been a series of Grand Slam titles in
doubles category - men's and mixed. Now, with the recent Wimbledon victory, Sania
Mirza completed this 'doubles set' by winning the ladies doubles. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfuibHsMcal2n-trX7r8M-h6D1j5xDzPtyRHd7EVYpAWxaMCaNlT3Cve79tDqAN9JyekoIxGG6ZrykHutvwLxFi0eBep-p6d6h_GIYN3DH_hMwhvgVZ-OKWAlgIo3sSLvAy4jUuUcZoy9/s1600/bhu-1-1420889762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfuibHsMcal2n-trX7r8M-h6D1j5xDzPtyRHd7EVYpAWxaMCaNlT3Cve79tDqAN9JyekoIxGG6ZrykHutvwLxFi0eBep-p6d6h_GIYN3DH_hMwhvgVZ-OKWAlgIo3sSLvAy4jUuUcZoy9/s640/bhu-1-1420889762.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mahesh Bhupathi started the trend of winning Grand Slam titles for India in doubles - French Open 1997 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE TRENDSETTER<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a country which is obsessed with end results, Sania Mirza
has had to endure a lot of unwanted attention at times to get to a position she
is right now. Forget the facilities, forget the funding and forget the support
for a moment, what Sania has achieved speaks volumes about her innate qualities;
her determination; her grit; motivation and the will of a world-class athlete. To
these, add family support, facilities, funding and opportunities; results will
definitely follow. This is how winning is done.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5f6weVJaSrUxUN_BNHP3BwExvcQzTbBaUWjeR6P5NKtuQqLJP6LdqEDdHgETYp0vyjsc2_TQ29RZFv81Mj5jVyBpv0b3O0ZDbyRxDzVuefPMTFHKfnrauMibBHIVuvVDHm9sDjdq6AU4/s1600/sania2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5f6weVJaSrUxUN_BNHP3BwExvcQzTbBaUWjeR6P5NKtuQqLJP6LdqEDdHgETYp0vyjsc2_TQ29RZFv81Mj5jVyBpv0b3O0ZDbyRxDzVuefPMTFHKfnrauMibBHIVuvVDHm9sDjdq6AU4/s640/sania2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Indian woman to achieve number one ranking in doubles </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What does this victory mean to Sania Mirza and to Indian
tennis? Firstly, she is the top-ranked doubles player in the world and if you
ain't winning, then you can forget being at the top. Sania, quite rightly
expects to win every tournament she takes part in and sadly it isn't the same
for other ladies in Indian tennis. While there are talented girls who sweat it
out each day, it would help a great deal if they asked a question each day
- why am I sweating it out? In this era
of intense connectivity, one can always find a way to secure sponsors, train at
better facilities - but why? If that 'why' and 'what' is clear, then 'how' will
become clear. Sania Mirza's ascent to the top in spite of the adversities she
faced with injuries and personal scrutiny is an example, a template for an
Indian female athlete who wishes to achieve big and not just stop at dreaming. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1998, the top seeded pair of Martina Hingis and Jana
Novotna won the ladies doubles title and seventeen years later, the top seeded
pair of Hingis and Mirza won the honours on the same court. In between, Martina
Hingis has had a roller coaster ride when it comes to her tennis career and
personal life. While it can be said, it is just another step forward in what
has been an illustrious career for the Swiss Miss, this Wimbledon victory with Sania Mirza (first for an Indian woman in ladies doubles) is a giant leap for Indian tennis. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-75879197353908098482015-07-09T21:04:00.000+02:002015-07-09T23:20:29.117+02:00YOUNGEST GRAND SLAM WINNER - MARTINA HINGIS <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1J7znKPEdXfwXwWoqMZQhRAtJbN3iHlQyyPCriddgkFOFhCAOnP_LvSksHeAwVHD3K8UV9SGzEfPakWwRPwba-F_Rz1qCsgc6NgKT3OwTeTuTl03QQdev3N1y7nAFAQjhXLixihF4XcH/s1600/96HingisSukovaWimbledon_GI1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1J7znKPEdXfwXwWoqMZQhRAtJbN3iHlQyyPCriddgkFOFhCAOnP_LvSksHeAwVHD3K8UV9SGzEfPakWwRPwba-F_Rz1qCsgc6NgKT3OwTeTuTl03QQdev3N1y7nAFAQjhXLixihF4XcH/s640/96HingisSukovaWimbledon_GI1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Youngest Grand Slam Winner in the history of tennis, Martina Hingis at 15 years 282 days</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Growing up, just like many, I spent most of
my time after school hours playing with my friends. Be it cricket, hand tennis,
badminton or just about any game - everyday this ordeal was followed without fail. I thank my parents for not getting me the video games or any of the gadgets! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Coming back from play, I used to switch on the television and straight away select the sports channel and watch many of the sporting contests that were being streamed live or recorded on the two sports channels available on cable network. Life was simple and one
didn't need any aid of remote controls to switch channels as I </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">did my homework during the commercial breaks. I just </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">had to ensure my sister was was not around and I was relieved when she was still out
playing or talking to her friends. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This routine was easy in the months of June and July as there were no unit tests, assignments or the pressure to study. Wimbledon was a tournament that coincided with the beginning
of a new term at school. While we were adapting to new subjects, teachers,
uniforms and lot of other things, Wimbledon remained a very popular topic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Life
got even better in the year 1996, when a certain teenager won the hearts of many like
me - it was the beginning of an era, the era which saw Martina Hingis take giant strides towards stardom. As I watched that year's Wimbledon coverage, she was on the verge of becoming the youngest grand slam winner at the
Wimbledon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">CZECH REPUBLIC AND SLOVAKIA COMING TOGETHER<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the singles, the progress of Hingis was smooth until the
fourth round, where she had to face Steffi Graf, which the German had no difficulty and won
comfortably in two sets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In tandem with Helena Suková (Czech Republic), Hingis (born in Slovakia) found an able
partner - this mixture of raw talent and experience proved to be a lethal
combo. The first three rounds went by with ease and the first fierce challenge of their campaign came in the quarter-finals when the eighth seeded duo faced
Jana Novotná and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario - the top seeds. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Novotná and Sánchez true to their billing started off very well, won the first set 6-3 and seemed like they had the match under control. Things began to get close in the second set as the determined Hingis and Suková matched their opponents evenly - the set was to be decided by a tie-breaker. Unlike
other games in a set, the tie-breakers require optimum concentration. A slight
opening gave Hingis and Suková to make a comeback in the match. They won the
second set. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Two crucial breaks in favour of Hingis and Suková and they
had beaten the top pair of the tournament. Winning against a top team provided them
the much needed impetus as they won both semi-finals and finals in closely fought three sets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">History
was re-created as Martina Hingis claimed her maiden Grand Slam title - the youngest
to hold a Grand slam trophy across the eras. She was just 15 years and 282 days - and narrowly nudged the previous record holder, Lottie Dod (</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">singles title at Wimbledon in 1887) </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">by just three days. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-62529645535866888332015-07-07T16:29:00.000+02:002015-07-07T16:59:18.131+02:00GEORGE BASTL AND THE LAST OF SAMPRAS - 2002 WIMBLEDON <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEcSvGQFt1XMgEV_azXdriaCvQPqtuq8dpkkmquyv2PUW3xL1Vfpb8n9l7ne2sZeUGFOinerCYQV3bki733iRgawmYWMRCI5bv8YBYs_P2RooX5ipS7EorhHFnQDpVxRt8mJO8zcwkEvK/s1600/Sampras+Wimbledon+2002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEcSvGQFt1XMgEV_azXdriaCvQPqtuq8dpkkmquyv2PUW3xL1Vfpb8n9l7ne2sZeUGFOinerCYQV3bki733iRgawmYWMRCI5bv8YBYs_P2RooX5ipS7EorhHFnQDpVxRt8mJO8zcwkEvK/s640/Sampras+Wimbledon+2002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end of an era - Pete Sampras just played his final Wimbledon game</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Injuries, the single impediment for any athlete's progress comes
unexpectedly - disrupting the plans, goals and in some cases one's career. Even
with the latest technological aids and medical facilities available, the coping
and recovery mechanisms are not formulated to suit everybody. While one
recovers and continues to play their sport, others might have to look for
alternatives beside sport. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This has been the case with George Bastl, the tall Swiss who
emulated the feat of his fellow country man Roger Federer in 2002. Perhaps, the
only common thing Federer and Bastl share in tennis happens to be 'Sampras' and
defeating the champion on a territory which the American had made his own. If
Roger Federer won a closely fought encounter in 2001 (4th round), George
Bastl's triumph had the shades comparable to David overcoming Goliath. On a
Wednesday, what people thought about being another opponent for Sampras
progress - it came as a shock to see him ousted in a second round match to a
lucky loser ranked 145 in the world. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">GRAVEYARD OF CHAMPIONS <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh yes, the superstitious and the infamous patterns keep
coming no matter what. Not very often you find big names play outside of Court
No. 1 or the centre court. The second round encounter between the seven-time
Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras and the unknown George Bastl was scheduled at
Court No.2 - also known as the 'graveyard of the champions'. As it turned out,
the second round match was the last time Sampras played at the All England
Club. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">HOW IT UNFOLDED<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The crowd could not believe what was happening as Bastl
raced to a two-set lead. It appeared as though Sampras was not in his best
frame of mind. He was seen reading notes between the games written by his wife
Bridgette Wilson - "Remember, you're the greatest player who has ever held
a racket in the hand". It did fire him up and the next two sets, he showed
his aggressive game as Bastl found it difficult to break his serve or put any
pressure on it. The American won 6-4, 6-3 to make it two sets all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjfVoMLlXe4QpeboyYcO_KGbgpHDSKA4KzFLxs3Wm9AG0zlSGDptAjQLdFNslRaSRlp6vgIWCyFYPpOAGebPAE3BKbViVs45-5cKXalLZDDmPBwg1rkdidSwKJz85D8YolZVhLqLz6G0u/s1600/Pete+Sampras+Letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjfVoMLlXe4QpeboyYcO_KGbgpHDSKA4KzFLxs3Wm9AG0zlSGDptAjQLdFNslRaSRlp6vgIWCyFYPpOAGebPAE3BKbViVs45-5cKXalLZDDmPBwg1rkdidSwKJz85D8YolZVhLqLz6G0u/s640/Pete+Sampras+Letter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those words from his wife kept Sampras going - only to a point</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enter fifth set and this is where the mental game of the
players came into play as bodies started to worn out. Sampras had seen it all before
and importantly he knew how to win from such situations - whereas Bastl had never won a five-setter
before after turning professional. He had nothing to lose and unless he won
this encounter, he knew this would be just another match.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The games raced, one by one with each player holding his
serve. In the eighth game with Bastl serving, Sampras had two break points
while leading 4-3. From 15-40 down, Bastl served his way to level the scores
and then remarkably broke the American's serve in the next game. Just when
Sampras seemed like getting back to his ominous rhythm, Bastl played four
perfect points to break his serve. The match was turned all of a sudden and so
did the fortunes. Sampras, unless he had something else to showcase was staring
at his worst exit at Wimbledon since 1991. He sat motionless, looked out of
sorts and it took time to face the fact - he's out of the tournament. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">LAST TIME AT WIMBLEDON<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">No matter what one's past records are, it is a challenge to
remain at the top of the game consistently with time. If Sampras was outdone by
one Swiss in 2001, the next year another Swiss knocked him out. "I have
not lost the game, Bastl won it. At the end, he was mentally much stronger than
I, and that you have to recognise". The drama, the disappointment and the
pain of such a defeat only showed what a great champion Sampras was throughout
his career, especially in Wimbledon. At the press conference after the defeat -
"I plan on being back. I'm not going to end my time here with that loss. I
really felt I could do it here and I feel really bummed out. I feel like I can
win one major - I will continue to play." It wasn't that Sampras played badly or was in
poor form. Those 'two words' can be a dampener to give credit where it is due. Bastl
played the game of his life and after all, Sampras did went on to win the US
Open a few months later. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPx-gPQSjQ01L6_C0WMIJkFvdsNrKBN5FPgfYwhZgAsAT6Mgi3TA619_FF3qwnQ-mIWyFi34_sDM9tfpWePfDThHmw7hlbiFw4r4_rh6FOHs23gruqyKOpsdQcxekndMvsD77VF5njZHYi/s1600/George+Bastl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPx-gPQSjQ01L6_C0WMIJkFvdsNrKBN5FPgfYwhZgAsAT6Mgi3TA619_FF3qwnQ-mIWyFi34_sDM9tfpWePfDThHmw7hlbiFw4r4_rh6FOHs23gruqyKOpsdQcxekndMvsD77VF5njZHYi/s640/George+Bastl.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Bastl played the game of his life to oust the seven-time champion </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A DECADE LATER<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unlike Roger Federer, George Bastl didn't even make it to
the top 70 in his entire life. The win over Pete Sampras remained his only
shining glory of his career. Ask any of the tennis fans, they remember Bastl
for that reason - and for that alone. His life post that match changed and he
was recognised by quite a few people on the circuit. While tennis career never
took off, he had to focus on other avenue to sustain his livelihood. He earned
a finance degree from a university in California and now works in the same industry.
Over the years, any interview with Bastl is incomplete without being asked
about 'that' match. Those wonderful memories remain just that - memories. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-79383124133416712782015-07-05T23:35:00.003+02:002015-07-06T09:15:22.292+02:00NO GRAF, NO NAVRATILOVA - THE 1994 WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIPS <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3JqpR7vRYookfEG9CbAypSTFez0LNSGn60G1hyphenhyphenNCuykEkBPBVze09qDEwAZtHtIyFcU7dmpbqrd6e0B2PS0eHL0tfSW9_-mmRdcfOLNtzdhEpiFJrq90ccvBKaTQRjCbUcrWzl3FPh8e/s1600/Martinez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3JqpR7vRYookfEG9CbAypSTFez0LNSGn60G1hyphenhyphenNCuykEkBPBVze09qDEwAZtHtIyFcU7dmpbqrd6e0B2PS0eHL0tfSW9_-mmRdcfOLNtzdhEpiFJrq90ccvBKaTQRjCbUcrWzl3FPh8e/s640/Martinez.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conchita Martinez won the 1994 Wimbledon title defeating nine-time winner Martina Navratilova</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The 1994 Wimbledon championships is remembered for a lot of
reasons. Who can forget Conchita Martinez and her fairy tale win. Her triumph was against the veteran Martina Navratilova - who
previously had won the coveted Wimbledon singles title nine times. If this made
a 'headline to remember ' for Conchita Martinez; at the start of the tournament, Steffi Graf
made headlines which she would like to forget. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">UPSETTING THE TOP<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Consider this for a record - before the start of the 1994
Wimbledon, Steffi Graf had entered quarter-finals in all of the Grand Slams
since 1985. The German who was the defending champion, had won this title five
times and since 1982, no other player apart from the German ace and Martina
Navratilova had won the singles title. Then came the unlikely upset - the
defending champion Graf knocked out by an unseeded player in the opening round.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-msjFvkkD_kjDbIAXI1T91hR6TCZfWoXr_ug4SWz8xI-kVEoercy8j-oVFLzvZxQfxmWZ4PgRC4W0hgODhOyZ8PYq76IVlV51x1SSSili3lavapIlcLsbXe70uOoHptzzkPybOEGG3BzG/s1600/hi-res-1231363_crop_north.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-msjFvkkD_kjDbIAXI1T91hR6TCZfWoXr_ug4SWz8xI-kVEoercy8j-oVFLzvZxQfxmWZ4PgRC4W0hgODhOyZ8PYq76IVlV51x1SSSili3lavapIlcLsbXe70uOoHptzzkPybOEGG3BzG/s640/hi-res-1231363_crop_north.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lori McNeill knocked the defending champion Graf in the first round - a feat never witnessed before</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1992, Lori McNeill playing at the Virginia Slims Tournament (WTA sanctioned event) had achieved a similar
feat against Graf. It was rare for a player like Graf to suffer a loss in the
opening match of any tournament. Playing in New York at
the Madison Square Garden, McNeill on that day played a better game to overhaul
the German. If that was at the indoor carpet surface, a year and a half later, on
the lush grass courts of Wimbledon, Lori McNeill did it again. Graf's loss to McNeill marked a defending champion
lose an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/22/sports/tennis-mcneil-ousts-graf-in-an-upset-for-the-ages.html" target="_blank">opening round match for the first time</a>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NO GRAF, NO NAVRATILOVA<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lori McNeill continued her impressive start and went all the
way till the final four. She lost a close semi-final clash against Conchita
Martinez, with third set decided at 10-8 in favour of the Spaniard. The American
emulated her best performance at the grand slams (semi-finalist at the US Open
1987) and Martinez went on to win her first and only title of her career. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a wait of more than ten years, there was a new name
etched on the ladies single's title. Navratilova, as it turned out, played her last singles game
at the grand slams (she continued playing doubles) while Steffi Graf won the next
two Wimbledon editions before bowing out of the game for good in 1999 after losing to Lindsay
Davenport in the title clash at Wimbledon. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-86813878270044182082015-07-02T12:36:00.000+02:002015-07-02T12:42:48.382+02:00MITA, WHO? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsuU4-ippNDGUGJlfoM04k0yFzboFXKxXDHKv7msW0Ng45uh1miHJDhniKhG0uL3jyylrxuUMF-1wqqr8XREaSsBSRyAWmb8ln5ofSom5x3olsXNMfWmQjvge6hjGpeQNmEJP9YNkEAkq/s1600/Wannsee+Golf+Club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsuU4-ippNDGUGJlfoM04k0yFzboFXKxXDHKv7msW0Ng45uh1miHJDhniKhG0uL3jyylrxuUMF-1wqqr8XREaSsBSRyAWmb8ln5ofSom5x3olsXNMfWmQjvge6hjGpeQNmEJP9YNkEAkq/s640/Wannsee+Golf+Club.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golf and Land Club, Wannsee, Berlin - place where Mita Kribben lost her life during World War II</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mita Kribben (aka Mita Klima) was born in Austria while the
country was still a coalition under the Hungarian-Austrian empire. The exact
year of birth is not known and sources, a couple of them point to the years
between 1892-1894. Apart from this conundrum, there is no doubt that she took
part in the 1907 Wimbledon ladies singles championships along with her elder
sister Willy Klima.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Prior to the creation of ATP ranking system in 1973, the
tennis world relied on the opinions of the famous British sports journalist and
historian, Lance Tingay. His annual World Rankings formed the reference point
in identifying the top ten players of the world. In one of his books, <i>'The Guinness Book of Tennis Facts and Feats'</i>
published in 1983, he has few words on the Klima sisters. According to his
research, Mita Klima was 13 years of age when she took part in the 1907
Wimbledon championships. He also mentioned Willy, Mita's elder sister to be
older by an year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Going by this reference, Mita Klima holds the record till
date to be the youngest ever player to take part in the singles championships
at Wimbledon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">YOUNGEST EVER<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mita Klima played her first round match against Madeline
O'Neill and she lost in straight sets 1-6, 2-6. There is nothing more to add to
her Grand Slam tally. Mita Klima's record has stood the test of time and only
one player came close to emulating her record, Jennifer Capriati. Capriati was
three months past 14 years when she made her Wimbledon appearance. Unlike Mita,
she reached the fourth round of the championships, continuing her splendid form
she displayed at the French Open (semi-finalist) few weeks earlier. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The lack of evidence of the life of Mita Klima apart from
Lance Tingay's reference makes a good case for a debate on Mita's exact age at
the time of her Wimbledon appearance. Apart from appearing in occasional trivia
columns during Wimbledon, there isn't much that's documented on the tennis life
of Mita Klima. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MITA, WHO? <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eight years after her Wimbledon appearance, she married a
German tennis player Otto Curt Kribben, who also owned a factory. Her life post
marriage is not well documented up until 1930's. She worked as the club secretary at the Golf and Land
club at Wannsee district, Berlin. Even when Berlin and entire Germany was at
war, the Golf club entertained few celebrity golfers as this remained one of the
few golf courses that was open during the war. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the war intensified, little by little, the golf course
started to look more like a military playground. Two airstrikes on the place caused
no damage. It is documented that a golf match took place on April 20, 1945 at Wannsee. Towards the end of World War II,
the Red Army had their trenches placed and their artillery grenades destroyed
building and the cellars underneath the towers of the clubhouse. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Amidst this carnage, Mita Kribben lost her life. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-58911759764542164352015-06-20T09:41:00.002+02:002015-06-20T09:41:54.131+02:00IT HAPPENED IN AUSTRIA - THE UNPOPULAR TEAM ORDER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EUqAJyORJhlS6jUeoYCWEFPJbZ91f2YgtBxO5ArDXQLsy4Es0LGffGFItFJmJSAAYq3sCtwEF4bRDshi2IhgcUZtXdy5gmtl_HD0gz8Nkmx_ZG-gso1OiBgavXUzmTMYoHK7Pu-d1fKj/s1600/2002-austrian-grand-prix-podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EUqAJyORJhlS6jUeoYCWEFPJbZ91f2YgtBxO5ArDXQLsy4Es0LGffGFItFJmJSAAYq3sCtwEF4bRDshi2IhgcUZtXdy5gmtl_HD0gz8Nkmx_ZG-gso1OiBgavXUzmTMYoHK7Pu-d1fKj/s640/2002-austrian-grand-prix-podium.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Far from tears of joy! Image Courtesy - ESPNF1 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It might be a super-hero movie cliché
but there is a lot of merit to this line - 'you always have a choice'. Looking
back, if Michael Schumacher felt Rubens Barrichello deserved the win (at the
2002 Austrian Grand Prix), he would not have crossed the finish line ahead of
his Brazilian teammate. The two Ferraris might have been stranded few metres
before the chequered flag, egging each other to cross the line first. Nothing
of that sort happened - in a matter of few seconds, Michael Schumacher benefitted
from the team orders. Team orders are fine, but personally I felt, this was one
occasion where the Ferrari think tank went a bit overboard. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Having said that, Formula One is a team sport, it is a
business with all the commercial jargons packed in and served to us twenty
times a year. It is the ultimate prize in motor-racing and it is also an
expensive affair. Teams invest a lot and everybody strives to win. Yes, it is
all about winning - but at what cost? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">PERILS OF A NUMBER TWO DRIVER<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am a Ferrari fan and an ardent admirer of Michael
Schumacher. But on the Sunday of 12 May 2002, I didn't enjoy that particular
victory a lot. Yes, it was 1-2 Ferrari, but there was more to it. Even in
business, some situations are not crystal clear unlike the well-penned points
in a contract and yes, Rubens Barrichello deserved the win irrespective of the
championship situation. It wasn't the first time such a fate has met a driver.
Team orders have been issued by all the big teams and in fact even Michael
Schumacher was driver number two, helping Eddie Irvine during the 1999 season.
Coulthard was the regular man Friday to Hakkinen on numerous occasions in 1998
and 1999 and not to forget, Damon Hill helped Alain Prost win his fourth world
title in 1993. The examples can go on... but i hope you get the gist of what I
am trying to say here. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">IT HAPPENED A YEAR AGO<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the 2001 Austrian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher was
behind the race leader Juan Pablo Montoya trailing by 1.6s. The fight was
getting intense and on lap 16, Michael
tried to pass into the right-hander at turn two; Montoya did well to block the racing
line but went wide and didn't leave any racing line to Michael Schumacher, which
forced both cars to go off-track. No damage done, however a line of cars -
Barrichello, Verstappen, Coulthard, Raikkonen and Olivier Panis went past them.
Schumacher summed up the incident - "The fight had been fair until the
incident, then he tried to take me out at the corner, and I had to go on the
grass because I couldn't turn in on him. He wasn't looking where he was going,
he was looking where I was going'. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkSgG40unvq404oeRERyXG04s1reRlfF2bBhxbyihyphenhyphenVRRmm6DgufOJpBq1Y4SJneeTbdliDF6gEhGYyjZuW8HM_R9HQu8gTYpgs-Bi_LFng6-ESFGzMxQ1ZXsDZUFHtki1pHMlMfpL1qO/s1600/2001+Austrian+Grand+Prix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkSgG40unvq404oeRERyXG04s1reRlfF2bBhxbyihyphenhyphenVRRmm6DgufOJpBq1Y4SJneeTbdliDF6gEhGYyjZuW8HM_R9HQu8gTYpgs-Bi_LFng6-ESFGzMxQ1ZXsDZUFHtki1pHMlMfpL1qO/s640/2001+Austrian+Grand+Prix.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montoya tries hard to stop a quicker Schumacher at the 2001 Austrian Grand Prix</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Schumacher upped his pace and was in third position by lap
28. Coulthard in second position and the other Ferrari driver Barrichello, led
the race. Schumacher soon joined this duo and 0.9s separated the top three
places as Michael Schumacher was first to pit on lap 46 and two corners later
ran wide losing few tenths of a second on his out-lap. A lap later, Rubens
Barrichello pits and comes ahead of Michael Schumacher. The race was now in the
hands of Coulthard and his team of mechanics. Coulthard stayed on track for two
more laps before coming in to the pits on lap 50. Eight seconds stationary (it
was the era of refuelling!!!) and emerged out of the pits as the race leader. Twenty
one laps remaining, the championship contender from McLaren was in the lead
with the Ferraris behind him. With Mika Hakkinen's woes continued, it was
already established that, it was the Scotsman who would lead the championship
battle from McLaren. The win for Coulthard would narrow Schumacher's lead in
the title race. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The race order remained this way - Coulthard, Barrichello
and Michael Schumacher. With less than three laps to go, Jean Todt called on
Barrichello to inform him to give way for Schumacher to have those extra two
points. Rubens waited...the cars were at the fading stages of the penultimate lap,
the race order remained the same... all eyes were on Jean Todt as he discussed
with Ross Brawn and called on Barrichello once again as the cars crossed the
finish line for one last lap - "Rubens, it's the last lap, let Michael
pass for the championship, let Michael pass for the championship Rubens, please".
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rubens did let Michael pass in the final corner and thereby
picking up those additional two points. Yes, it was disappointing for Rubens
but one has to remember, Formula One at that point was (and still is) a team
sport and Ferrari were not the first ones to employ such tactics to help a
driver win the championship. With Coulthard's unexpected victory, the points
table was a lot closer. Michael Schumacher led the championships by four points
to David Coulthard's 38 points and Rubens Barrichello had only mustered
eighteen points. 'If I hadn't been close to Rubens the team would not have
asked. Ferrari might have a different philosophy to McLaren, who have also used
this strategy in the past. Imagine, how it would be if we got to the end of the
season and lost the World Championship by two points'. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is a lot of merit
to this argument (Eddie Irvine lost to Hakkinen in 1999 by two points) - but
what happened next year at the same venue was nowhere close to this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NEXT YEAR WAS NOT THE SAME<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Strictly, there are no comparisons from these two races. In
2001, Michael Schumacher was dominant in most parts of the race and one might
argue, barring for few racing incidents, he did deserve to win the race. Besides,
the championship battle was tighter in 2001. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 2002, it wasn't the case. First and foremost, Rubens
Barrichello did an excellent job of being the fastest driver in the warm-up,
took the pole position and led the race for all laps but for the final corner
when he had to yield to Michael Schumacher and this time, it was for the
victory and no, there was no championship at stake. Yes, team orders has
influenced results to benefit a team and a driver, but on that day, Schumacher
coming in second place would not have mattered. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcT6abosd6HrJ-NKPnndv9Bm0QdKQJLAbH0ypwgMS75L6M7XtLEzZZXyXt5NlOXaBk56YGWT789pyeOFKYagm_KnSNL_1ovW-EmrIgL9CS_Hmftlr_zcyxH8FW0x3CY8QT_fsWFrRJHEdY/s1600/2002+Austrian+Grand+Prix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcT6abosd6HrJ-NKPnndv9Bm0QdKQJLAbH0ypwgMS75L6M7XtLEzZZXyXt5NlOXaBk56YGWT789pyeOFKYagm_KnSNL_1ovW-EmrIgL9CS_Hmftlr_zcyxH8FW0x3CY8QT_fsWFrRJHEdY/s640/2002+Austrian+Grand+Prix.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rubens did everything right...which deserved him to win the race... Team orders went bonkers! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Moments later, both drivers make a mockery of the ceremony protocol,
Michael refused to stand on the top step and instead asked Rubens to stand.
German national anthem was heard loud and clear across the track, while it was
a Brazilian standing on the top step. When it was the time for Italian national
anthem, both Ferrari drivers stood on the podium and there were no signs of joy
or the excitement in spite of winning the race 1-2. And to end it, the trophy
was presented to Michael Schumacher which he quickly passed on to Rubens
Barrichello, who happily accepted it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE REPERCURSSIONS <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the end of the day, it was a bad call by the team.
Ferrari was winning virtually every race they took part and media houses had to
find something to pinch the Italian team. Crowd booed Michael Schumacher and he
admitted in the press conference 'it was not a right choice' and 'he derived no
joy from this victory and it was not the way he had envisioned to win in
Austria for the first time'. It was a wrong choice though Rubens was aware what
his role with Ferrari was when he had signed a fresh contract few days earlier.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wkCoH7kcwuq2l84dow2RXzg7oTIkxpYqcMZxn2a2LgrHOVO36LWKT-WynD51rxq4ZPgGhyHrMWiwzzFQF9RqrwQ1aob_U2S_RNBoqPfZf_L3fAK5Mub2OiroRcqhDBcA77ryjrATmPwH/s1600/2002austria-podium1-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wkCoH7kcwuq2l84dow2RXzg7oTIkxpYqcMZxn2a2LgrHOVO36LWKT-WynD51rxq4ZPgGhyHrMWiwzzFQF9RqrwQ1aob_U2S_RNBoqPfZf_L3fAK5Mub2OiroRcqhDBcA77ryjrATmPwH/s640/2002austria-podium1-lg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barrichello takes home the trophy while Schumacher gets 10 points... Image Courtesy: Grand Prix Magazine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Michael Schumacher in his position within the team could
have argued against the top management's decision to let him pass, perhaps he
didn't push it hard as he still had to focus on driving. FIA summoned the team
and drivers were questioned in a disciplinary hearing while many writers wrote
the race being one of the sad days in Formula One. No, it was a far cry from
being sad. If you want to term a sad day in Formula One, then look at the
drivers who died racing. That is sad and cruel - and what happened to Rubens
was just bad luck and a glimpse at the competitive and human side of Formula
One. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-76262653032348805712015-06-02T23:44:00.001+02:002015-06-02T23:44:44.221+02:00ALMOST A PERFECT GRAND SLAM YEAR - MARTINA HINGIS IN 1997<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbW2nmHnsGrtq0FDVJAoBav56AjpTnXN2JOfOTV_-muzIhIoYZS-08CUOusaL41IRgz9JKfbT5p0p7CXSqmF8gkMlq_9HJj8z9BokZq2ey3ajEUrn0jN2yYq9UIINI6iNGJLU1enBpmEhj/s1600/1997+French+Open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbW2nmHnsGrtq0FDVJAoBav56AjpTnXN2JOfOTV_-muzIhIoYZS-08CUOusaL41IRgz9JKfbT5p0p7CXSqmF8gkMlq_9HJj8z9BokZq2ey3ajEUrn0jN2yYq9UIINI6iNGJLU1enBpmEhj/s640/1997+French+Open.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1997 French Open was the first Grand Slam tournament Hingis
took part ranked as number-one women's tennis player. She was the youngest and
only the seventh tennis player to achieve numero uno, since the computer system
was introduced in the 1970's. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She was on a winning streak of 31 matches and had not lost a
single match in 1997. And then, freak! She got injured: cruciate rupture of the
left knee and was advised a break in excess of a month. This happened in the
third week of April and with five weeks to go for the French Open, she found
herself unable to straighten her left leg. She underwent arthroscopy, and
during this frustrating time, her fighting mode comforted her and as soon she
felt good, her first words to herself were: "I am Martina Hingis, and I
will be back". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">HER PASSION FOR HORSES</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCE7M8eWOYj7u5MhY3ltyh0_GC4JlwUTxvDWnZylhDe5z6pJgLap9s66GkxGJDpKcSrTuEkalfuNbjjijqM1JPE09z8hGia9CsStZG9da2hWxcM-1PEVT9BkPxzNCFbD6XDgchreH_IKT/s1600/Hingis+Horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCE7M8eWOYj7u5MhY3ltyh0_GC4JlwUTxvDWnZylhDe5z6pJgLap9s66GkxGJDpKcSrTuEkalfuNbjjijqM1JPE09z8hGia9CsStZG9da2hWxcM-1PEVT9BkPxzNCFbD6XDgchreH_IKT/s640/Hingis+Horse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Martina Hingis took to horse riding at age eleven. With
time, it became her greatest passion, more than tennis at times. Riding was
convenient, as there were horse stables close to her former residence at
Trübbach. Though riding on horses isn't exactly safe for a tennis player,
Hingis was quick to saddle up on those horses, found at ease and off-she went! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Her mother cum coach Melanie always encouraged horse riding
as she felt it would be a welcome change for Hingis from the rigours of
training and playing tennis. This was Hingis's unique way to relax and round
off a training session. Accidents were not new while she was on the horse, but
it never was serious. In fact, during the 1997 Australian Open, which she won,
in the second week of the tournament, she had a fall from a horse and that
never came in the way of winning her maiden Grand Slam singles title. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But few weeks later, it was a different story. While she was
riding high and winning every match she took part in, the horse fall came at
the most unexpected time. "It was not my own horse and we went for a few
jumps towards the end. I was tired and for the first time I felt something like
fear". Fear does creep in when you are no longer the 'underdog'. Martina
was number one favourite and people expected this sixteen-year old to perform
'miracles' each time she went out on the court. The clay court season was about
to begin - Hamburg, Berlin and Rome leading up to the premier clay event at
Roland Garros. She was number one now and she must not get injured, those
thoughts came to her mind while she was on the horse one day and next moment,
she experienced the ill-fate Humpty-Dumpty did in the nursery rhyme (had a
great fall). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1997 FRENCH OPEN<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">35 days was all it took for Hingis to be back on the tennis
court. Without any practice, she enters the clay courts of Roland Garros and wins
her first match. In her second game after the comeback, she was under pressure.
The Italian Gloria Pizzichini, after taking the first set was five points away
from winning the match. The bounce-back ability of Hingis kicked in, she broke
Gloria's game, took the second set and then breezed her way through to the next
round, which was a walk in the park against her future doubles partner Anna
Kournikova. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I knew that if I made it to the second round I would
become dangerous". Barbara Paulus, the sixteenth seeded Austrian showed
some fight - but was not able to sustain the pressure to cause an upset. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE LAST WEEK<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is the business end of any Grand Slam. The last three
matches and much tougher opponents. How will Hingis and her body hold up? Was
age on her side, which normally helps to heal and recover much quickly? Arantxa
Sanchez Vicario, winner of two French Open titles leading up to this match (in
total she was won three, the last of which was in 1998) found no rhythm and not
once was she in the game. 6-2, 6-2 in favour of Hingis and next up was the
third seeded Monica Seles at the semi-finals. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The three-time winner at the Roland Garros was good, but
nowhere as frightening as she was before the stabbing incident in 1993. The
match went close, really close into the third set. Both players moved around
the court in search of that pivotal 'break' in the opponent's serve - it was
Hingis, who managed to hold on and win 6-4 in the third set. Her wins for 1997
had now stretched to '37' and looked set to win her second consecutive Grand
Slam title.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">YOU JUST KILLED ME TODAY<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Iva Majoli, the nineteen-year old Croatian was in her first
Grand Slam final. Though she had come through a string of wins against good
opponents, the pundits gave her no 'chance' against the world number one. Bulk
of the crowd, the experts, hoped she would give a good fight to the
child-prodigy Hingis, who was the clear favourite. Few minutes into the game,
it was anti-climax. Majoli, the ninth seed was in total control and the
'underdog' tag helped her to play more freely. Hingis was unable to contend
Majoli as the Croatian took the first set 6-4. In second set, the top game of
Majoli continued and forced Hingis to make errors one-after the other, and soon
she delivered the upset by taking the set 6-3
to become the first Croatian to win a Grand Slam. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I don't know why, but something wasn't going the right
way, the way I wanted it on the court. If something didn't work before, I
always had another weapon to get out of the pressure, but today, I didn't have
anything, and she was just better". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Holding the runner-up platter, Hingis was shocked about her
own inability to have answers to this onslaught by Majoli. "I won 37
matches this year and you're the only one who beat me". With no past
champions in the finals since a decade, the crowd saw a newly crowned women's
champion and against the odds, Majoli was the one who prevailed in the finals of
two teenagers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I was feeling like an underdog, but that helped. I knew
she was confident, but I knew she's not unbeatable. My plan was just to attack
her serve, put more pressure on her forehand, just be aggressive. Luckily,
today everything worked", the joyous Majoli after she became the
lowest-seeded woman to win a Grand Slam in the Open era. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The French Open finals was one such occasion which tested
Hingis, the mental aspect of a high pressure match coupled with her physical
ailment - a raw occasion of how Hingis would react when things didn't seem to
go her way. Mind you, Hingis was the number one player and with it came
different expectations. Did these expectations weighed heavily under crunch
situations, just like she found herself against Iva Majoli? Hingis took a
strategic bathroom break, the break did no good. On the last game of the match,
Hingis took an injury timeout and treated herself to a massage and did few extension
exercises to her left leg (the one she had surgery five weeks ago), but to no
avail. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Maybe I didn't play my best tennis in this tournament,
and my serve will always be a little problem, especially if I'm getting tired.
In a Grand Slam, you just don't feel every day in your best shape" -
conceded Hingis after her first loss of the year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">ALMOST A PERFECT YEAR</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6BtPH0f5X-33F08M2wOD6IFN2f_8uVJMYGbGFQOx1kANth3V311RMLYV_8s0_larpq4Np3nytR8XrutGxmW0JSMFJsHsWl-YwbidvPNpuefIF1Ba_xQGsroOFYFi9iQrR2Flp50kvG8M/s1600/Martina+Hingis+1997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6BtPH0f5X-33F08M2wOD6IFN2f_8uVJMYGbGFQOx1kANth3V311RMLYV_8s0_larpq4Np3nytR8XrutGxmW0JSMFJsHsWl-YwbidvPNpuefIF1Ba_xQGsroOFYFi9iQrR2Flp50kvG8M/s640/Martina+Hingis+1997.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Post Roland Garros, all eyes were on Hingis to see if she
could live up to the initial promise and hype. In a month's time, she claimed
the most sought after trophy in tennis, the 'Wimbledon' defeating Jana Novotna
and few months later, she faced Venus Williams at the Flushing Meadows and won
it comfortably 6-0 6-4 to cap off a almost perfect Grand Slam year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The year 1997, more than any other time in her career, she
displayed her repertoire, be it the variations in height and length, the
chess-like plays, those use of drops and lobs. With each victory, her fame grew
and the Swiss teenager became the talk of the tennis town. Praises and
superlatives were common and why not; Hingis was in a zone of almost
perfection, a state which most tennis players aspire to reach and only few have
attained that state of 'nirvana'. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hailing from a country which is obsessed with patterns,
formula etc, Hingis and her tennis always had a surprise element or two. Her
opponents, and even spectators had a tough time adjusting to her unpredictable
play. Defeats came rare as though it didn't exist in her playbook for most
parts of the year. Hingis of 1997 was simply a level better than her opponents.
With 75 wins in 80 games, twelve victories in 13 finals, she played one of the
best seasons in the history of tennis. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1997, very few could refute the fact that, she played as
though she was one of the most complete tennis players of all time.</span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-13213721377290597742015-05-31T00:52:00.000+02:002015-05-31T00:52:01.447+02:00THE RACE THAT GAVE US THE NAME 'WALL OF THE CHAMPIONS"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTWvrhSSld0dEesfd_jSQY5k57dzlRBykeuKVhu-aKBzHOdMqsJ2y58X27zLUwT1O78aRh8jLB1GwcK26HgRqYc80qA52chbeZzxB2neWCrYrn-4BU9xxqcgViyi689ni3LrezfdMYmQU/s1600/Michael-Schumacher-in-1999--Montreal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTWvrhSSld0dEesfd_jSQY5k57dzlRBykeuKVhu-aKBzHOdMqsJ2y58X27zLUwT1O78aRh8jLB1GwcK26HgRqYc80qA52chbeZzxB2neWCrYrn-4BU9xxqcgViyi689ni3LrezfdMYmQU/s640/Michael-Schumacher-in-1999--Montreal.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Schumacher was one of the three world champions to crash the wall, thereby got its name "Wall of the champions"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hitting the wall! There is a huge difference using that term
in running and motor racing. While it is a case of mental block in running and
have all the time to get out of it, which is contrary to what happens in motor
racing. In recent times, Formula One has done away with heavy banked roads, and
thereby there is a decline in number of cars hitting the wall. However, there
are tracks like the one in Montreal, where the 'wall' at the end of turn 13 has
gained reputation for being a 'breaker' if a car hits it. Since 1978, a lot of
cars have hit the wall, cars were removed or safely parked and race moved on. However,
in 1999, 'the wall' got all the attention. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On that day, the wall which had 'Bievenue au Québec'
(Welcome to Quebec) written on it had four hits, three of them driven by the
world champions and gave birth to the term 'Wall of the champions'. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">WALL OF THE CHAMPIONS<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">13 June 1999, sixth round of F1, Canadian Grand Prix.
Michael Schumacher took his first pole position of the 1999 season. That race
had four world champions - Mika Hakkinen (1999), Damon Hill (1996), Jacques
Villeneuve (1997) and two-time world champion Michael Schumacher (1994
&1995). It will go down as one of the unique races in the history of
Canadian Grand Prix as all four drivers made headlines though only one of them
ended up finishing the race. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Prior to the 1999 race, the wall at the end of the final
chicane and located opposite to the entry of the pit-lane was just another part
of the track. Each year, one saw many drivers shaving their cars to the wall,
just enough to avoid a crash. However, many drivers in a bid to make up time or
extend a lead have crashed owing to imbalance of the car after exiting the
final chicane. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">FOUR HITS TO THE WALL <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The race was an attrition and at the end of it, it had more
number of retirements (12) than the finishers (10). On the very first lap,
there were three casualties - Alexander Wurz retired due to transmission
problems while Jean Alesi and Jarno Trulli collided with each other and took
each other out of the race. Safety car! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lap three, the first of the wall hitters, Ricardo Zonta, got
his BAR-Supertec sideways in an awkward position which caused him to hit the
wall. Zonta's car was parked next to the wall and this made the stewards to
call the safety car back on the track. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The race resumed its normalcy on lap seven and there was no
drama up until lap fourteen when the first of the three world champions, Damon
Hill spun-off the track and hit the wall. He was not having a good season with
Jordan and his woes continued as he had his third retirement out of six races. When
asked about it, Hill replied - "Basically, I lost the control of the car
and I hit it. There is nothing more to it, really!". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then came the surprise, Michael Schumacher having led the
race was beginning to up his pace in order to build a suitable gap as he was nearing
his pit stop window. Each lap, from lap 25 was three-tenths faster than
Hakkinen and with each lap, he was pushing his Ferrari really hard. On lap 29,
just few metres away from starting the next lap, bang!. Schumacher lost control
of his car coming out of the chicane and he was off the racing line, thereby
the car was on the dirty part of the circuit, which is always slippery. The car
slewed and before he could react, the car had hit the wall which wiped out his
front and rear suspension. He shook his fists in frustration as he knew, he had
thrown away this race! - "I lost control of the car because I went off the
racing line and got on the dirt and ended up in the wall. This was clearly my
mistake. I usually make one mistake a year. I hope that this incident was the
last for the season". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now that Schumacher was out of the race, this was now
Hakkinen's race to lose. The first round of pit stops was not far away. While
the teams and few drivers were getting ready for their fresh tyres and fuel,
Jacques Villeneuve on lap 35 became the third world champion to hit the wall. Safety
car for the third time on the track. "It was my mistake - I was simply
going a little bit too fast. There was a lot dirt down on the track at that
point, it was easy to make a mistake".</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">CHEQUERED FLAG UNDER SAFETY CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While the safety car was about to be called on-track, a lot
of teams executed their pit stop and the cars were back on track without any
significant changes. Lap 40, the safety car came in and within seconds, David Coulthard
and Ferrari's Eddie Irvine both push each other out of the track, no damage
done, and rejoin the track. All this meant, Mika Hakkinen was on his own now
with no one to challenge him from the top runners. Heinz-Harald Frentzen was
the last casualty of this race. He was running in second position before brakes
failed and his car crashed a barrier. This incident put Giancarlo Fisichella to
second place and Eddie Irvine third. With just three laps to go, safety car was
called on to the track for the fourth time! In the penultimate lap, just before
the final chicane, all cars had lined up behind one other. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If safety car went
in, that would have made a spectacular last lap, especially with the proximity
of cars at the first and second turns and at the hair pin! Sense prevailed and
safety car was not called in and race culminated with all cars finishing behind
the safety car - making this the first instance of a race in Formula One
completing under safety car regulations. Irony! as it was at the Canadian Grand
Prix (1973), the safety car was first deployed in a F1 race. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sixteen years hence, the circuit remains one of the most
demanding for the cars and drivers. 'Wall of champions' still continues to play
a significant role and it remains to be seen, if it has any impact on the
outcome of this year's Canadian Grand Prix. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-79117697251664477642015-05-27T10:35:00.000+02:002015-05-27T10:35:33.321+02:00CRICKET IN SWITZERLAND GOES PINK - A CRICKET BALL FOR MODERN TIMES <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLU-XUdb_hJ7oFWfJsihYH01wvbjqZ9SPXuW3r7i0UG6TTJVV-xtvTVEH6z-Cx0g0YZ41V-b6q_DEOX8z0YpRayQdTEgTBjIiiQSTaHxdtq2bkNMERTUejzvWMDjw2jA-zhGh4N5oFFjY/s1600/20150418_134643-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLU-XUdb_hJ7oFWfJsihYH01wvbjqZ9SPXuW3r7i0UG6TTJVV-xtvTVEH6z-Cx0g0YZ41V-b6q_DEOX8z0YpRayQdTEgTBjIiiQSTaHxdtq2bkNMERTUejzvWMDjw2jA-zhGh4N5oFFjY/s640/20150418_134643-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From 2015 season, Cricket Switzerland is using Dukes pink balls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cricket in its traditional form was and is played primarily
with red leather balls. Cricket balls through the ages were red because the
ball-manufacturers in the 18th century England preferred 'red' dyes. This
tradition carried on for generations until the time cricket got immersed in the
world of commercialisation. Though, there has been one-day internationals with
coloured clothing, night games and T20's - cricket at its core is played with
red balls as it happens to be one of the few surviving cricketing traditions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A GAME OF COLOURS - RED, WHITE, TO........PINK<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The thought of coloured clothing disturbed this
'traditional' aspect of the sport. 'Red' ball, no longer fitted in with
coloured clothing. The colour of the ball was changed to 'white', which meant -
coloured clothing and night games were a reality and deemed practical for
growth of the sport. In recent years, the governing body of cricket along with
many cricket associations have pushed for day-night test matches (it has always
been a day affair) with white clothing and thereby the ball required a new
colour, something more conducive for the on-field personnel, spectators and to
the broadcasters. Red, not suitable under lights and white ball with white
clothing would be a disastrous combination - 'pink' became the unanimous colour.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The word 'pink' has a long history. In the 14<sup>th</sup>
century, anything that meant "to decorate with a perforated or punched
pattern" was called 'to pink'. Of course, the decorations were of the
flower 'Dianthus' which in Greek meant 'flower of Zeus', as named by
Theophrastus, a Greek botanist. The colour of these flowers gave rise to the
word 'pink' which we commonly use. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the new millennium, an international cricket series
included five-day affair 'tests' and coloured clothing 'one-day
internationals'. With the advent of T20 cricket, the game shrunk - and the
three hour cricket became an instant hit. Various leagues most notably, the
Indian Premier League created ripples and cricket unleashed its newest and the
bravest commercial avatar. This fast food formula made money and thus rocked
the wooden chairs of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) - the governing body, the
custodian who has the ultimate say on the laws of the game! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">CHANGING WITH TIMES IS SMARTNESS<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since that landmark MCC's decision in 2009, when the
committee waved a green flag to experiment with 'pink' balls, there has been
several matches that were played (on a trial basis) with these new coloured
balls. A women's international match between England and Australia as a part of
Pink Sunday programme to support Breast Cancer Campaign happened to one of the
first instances in international cricket to experiment with the pink balls. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the last six years, there has been a first-class match
between Durham and MCC played under lights at Abu Dhabi, a first-class match in
the Caribbean and recently Cricket Australia has been at the forefront in
having the combination of 'pink balls', 'white clothing' and 'day-night' first-class
cricket work. It even created trials with the broadcaster last year and there
is very likely, later this year, cricket would witness another revolution - the
first day-night test match. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SWITZERLAND AMONG THE FEW TO USE PINK BALLS</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For Cricket Switzerland and its cricket playing fraternity,
the decision to switch to pink balls starting from 2015 season was simple and
logical. Led by the President and ably supported by clubs and other committee
members, the idea of pink balls and its experimentation was met with little
resistance. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Switzerland doesn’t have the luxury or benefit of cricket only
grounds & stadiums with sight-screens, and the background can often be
white concrete sports buildings or apartment buildings, red brick housing, dark
red & brown mountains, trees & forests (green in the summer, brown/red
in the Spring and particularly in the Autumn).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4u7HuLTQGXsEYUD_eSt8LnhFQQDeeM57ek228aFV9j0wwVpdEEzBNGD3lv1JfGo4rl26MNgfko5qhi2NYdIwd4Ucndxgrkqtpu4xvHjSKqpcRn_-3InybmIWdogkTeQcqGmKeMhjbg74/s1600/20140504NA0589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4u7HuLTQGXsEYUD_eSt8LnhFQQDeeM57ek228aFV9j0wwVpdEEzBNGD3lv1JfGo4rl26MNgfko5qhi2NYdIwd4Ucndxgrkqtpu4xvHjSKqpcRn_-3InybmIWdogkTeQcqGmKeMhjbg74/s640/20140504NA0589.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Visibility' is key when you play in the pastures of Swiss Alps in three different seasons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The above factors can make the traditional red ball
difficult to see as a batsman, even more difficult as a fielder. The white
alternative is better, but still not ideal as the facilities at public school
and sports authorities are often white or grey. So the white ball gets lost in
these too. Additionally the white ball tends to be of inferior quality compared
to the red and thereby quickly loses its shine and colour on the rough
artificial surfaces we have at most grounds, turning grey!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But mountains, buildings, stadiums, forests are not pink! Once
we got over the array of jokes about using pink balls, the trials (for over a
year) showed there are technical advantages of using the pink ball. They swing
much like the red ball, and the one used (Duke's) retains its shine longer than
the white and importantly its shape. Batsman see it better, spectators also find
it easier to follow and the aging umpires also find it easier to judge. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uEvFwI07fbsmPVE7cA-iU01skNeAc26GOw1XCmC_lDHFb3IrfMFZrWblgHHaz8c2DwfOZmp5EyQssQ0gAQDTOhkuvEHYXTaKafss-u_P3UeStUQM73hqmZ6lJNupKXfpm09Nmn0_mUbm/s1600/20140504NA0260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uEvFwI07fbsmPVE7cA-iU01skNeAc26GOw1XCmC_lDHFb3IrfMFZrWblgHHaz8c2DwfOZmp5EyQssQ0gAQDTOhkuvEHYXTaKafss-u_P3UeStUQM73hqmZ6lJNupKXfpm09Nmn0_mUbm/s640/20140504NA0260.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink balls are easy to spot and it helps umpires and the spectators </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cricket Switzerland believes in maintaining the traditional
aspects of the sport (playing in whites); however, for practical purposes -
like in this case turning to 'pink balls', it is simply a case of discovering a
'winning formula'. </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0Schweiz46.818188 8.227511999999933344.0360805 3.0639379999999337 49.6002955 13.391085999999934tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-48276822665640526222015-05-23T16:40:00.000+02:002015-05-23T16:51:45.841+02:00F1 AFTER SENNA - 1994 MONACO GRAND PRIX <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLK6pEB3nGoYygHpXyHmHHgvwWXwuvqwCWMi37-4OmpM8UTB5mFtpmFcC9Bi01G7-lgb4Ee_gNma6PIBWQcGw3WczjZd2ou7ixvNaLc4g-r7jC_eKK9s2tIaDBArx4vuIjhD386b9jx92/s1600/94+Monaco+GP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLK6pEB3nGoYygHpXyHmHHgvwWXwuvqwCWMi37-4OmpM8UTB5mFtpmFcC9Bi01G7-lgb4Ee_gNma6PIBWQcGw3WczjZd2ou7ixvNaLc4g-r7jC_eKK9s2tIaDBArx4vuIjhD386b9jx92/s640/94+Monaco+GP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In memory of Ayrton Senna at the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1988 Monaco GP, the McLaren team and their turbo engines in
peak form; Senna drove around the narrowed streets of Monte-Carlo as if it were
a series of qualifying laps. Ayrton Senna in his legendary MP4/4 dominated the
Monaco GP weekend right from the time he stepped on to the track. At one point
in the race, he had a lead in excess of fifty seconds. That's right, he had
lead close to a minute over his teammate Alain Prost. There was no stopping
him, until the time, owing to a lapse in concentration, Senna spun off the
track, hit the barrier and his race was over with just over twelve laps remaining.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As Ron Dennis (team principal of McLaren-Honda at that time put
it - "We were trying to slow him down, but when you back off in a racing
car, you lose concentration; so there was just a lapse, nothing else. He was so
angry – he didn’t come back to the pits, he walked away from the circuit and
sat in his flat. He didn’t reappear until later that evening, and was massively
angry with himself…" </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After that incident, the next five races at Monaco saw all
of it won by the legendary Brazilian. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE MOURNING CONTINUES</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If not for his 'fault' at the 1988 Monaco GP, he would have
had seven wins in a row at the Principality, having won his first in 1987 while
driving for Lotus-Honda. Two weeks before the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix, Senna as
we all know died from a race casualty at the San Marino GP. This news came as a
shock and many questions regarding the safety of the sport were raised. Life
had to move on and to those involved with F1, each day stretched and was
painful to see a star driver become a victim of the sport. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The very next race at Monaco, the post-Senna era had begun,
whether people wanted to believe it or not. And the racing weekend, at
Thursday's free-practice, ill-fate struck again. Karl Wendlinger, driving for
Sauber crashed at the harbour after exiting the tunnel. The Sauber hit the
barrier sideways with a lot of force and Wendlinger's head struck the barriers.
It was a violent incident, he was taken to a hospital and was in a coma. His
condition didn't improve for several weeks, and he didn't race for the rest of
the year. Next year, Wendlinger was unable to regain his pre-accident form and
never raced again in Formula One after the 1995 season. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE KING OF MONACO...... IS NOT TO BE SEEN<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></i></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIfHK3VveJ6ayoOqhzk5i_on9LSm9MJV_7JYkj1bRXvjoA-c9_j3CymkloP_LriAdo20-TSrOhw2S6D19r_gEGTnUkovGU1Ws_qHSSYLeJpv3cBiTz0_TH64lkB85nxj3pn7iqGoUvV_O/s1600/Senna_1989_Monaco_podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIfHK3VveJ6ayoOqhzk5i_on9LSm9MJV_7JYkj1bRXvjoA-c9_j3CymkloP_LriAdo20-TSrOhw2S6D19r_gEGTnUkovGU1Ws_qHSSYLeJpv3cBiTz0_TH64lkB85nxj3pn7iqGoUvV_O/s640/Senna_1989_Monaco_podium.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Senna's six victories at the Monaco Grand Prix</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Formula One found itself in a strange, unparalleled
situation. Since the 1982 San Marino GP, there was no World Champion present. The
sport needed a new face to move on. FIA announced sweeping changes with regards
to safety, which included the reduction of pit lane speed. It happened in 1960's
when Jim Clark became one of the victims and many thought sport would cease to
exist. There was an air of déjà-vu, the feelings were of the same when Senna
became the Formula One's latest casualty. One person who had seen it all and was
calling shots at that time and he still does - Bernie Ecclestone. "No one
is bigger than the sport. We've all got to pick ourselves up and go on. The
sport moves on and it must do so now." It all seemed logical, those words
from Bernie - but if only humans were alienated from what we call 'emotions'. In
spite of knowing what needs to be done, there are moments in life, unexpectedly
things come to a standstill, where thoughts get blurred, life seems pointless
and it makes us understand about existence and how it is not permanent. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix, all knew life had to move on,
but at what pace? and how? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NEW HOPE IN MICHAEL SCHUMACHER<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cBiX_e227WraRRtzXGrVAshEraoYhdv6YK-7jY-ds1f6MBOAIjMXDY7FoWxT0nxziI6F2R3QWfV1tuZFQ3DTAd8ZHTJ2Qm4CRWSFLY1pR6g2lMv3jgJs3ivqwET2Swh7koItzZWNmQMq/s1600/michaelschumacher_benetton-ford_1994_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cBiX_e227WraRRtzXGrVAshEraoYhdv6YK-7jY-ds1f6MBOAIjMXDY7FoWxT0nxziI6F2R3QWfV1tuZFQ3DTAd8ZHTJ2Qm4CRWSFLY1pR6g2lMv3jgJs3ivqwET2Swh7koItzZWNmQMq/s640/michaelschumacher_benetton-ford_1994_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">No driver other than Prost or Senna had won this prestigious
GP from 1983. Now, it was time for a change. Michael Schumacher, in his third
full season took the first pole position of his career. Williams and Simtek,
both teams started the race with just one driver. And Sauber, after
Wendlinger's crash decided to withdraw from the race.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Overnight, Damon Hill was given the huge task of filling in
Senna's boots for Williams-Renault. Not just Williams-Renault, the entire
decision-makers in F1 had a huge task. The season, so far was dominated by
Michael Schumacher and naturally, he was seen as the 'next' poster boy of
Formula One. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, was that tag, justified? At the start of the Monaco
Grand Prix, he had raced only in 41 races, same number as Senna's wins in
Formula One. Would he be able to make an impact, the way Senna did? There were
more questions that were asked, though no one could give any satisfying
answers.. However, for all these questions, one answer seemed logical... time!
Like the age-old adage goes, 'Time heals everything'. With three wins from
three races, Michael Schumacher was the clear favourite to start a new chapter
at Monaco. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE MARK OF RESPECT</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6xtBYaXk1SdXnF5aMdf64n-G7PSclc1QL9p-CjU1VFVJSUiErsyk6p_ewT4gn03571zomtesTtNAame7pFvRkGXIlAmPvY6ZiPP8Yi9sCp747BqI2n42fNZpm0cU7nwN165oTJLOa6Bk/s1600/1994_monaco_start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6xtBYaXk1SdXnF5aMdf64n-G7PSclc1QL9p-CjU1VFVJSUiErsyk6p_ewT4gn03571zomtesTtNAame7pFvRkGXIlAmPvY6ZiPP8Yi9sCp747BqI2n42fNZpm0cU7nwN165oTJLOa6Bk/s640/1994_monaco_start.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First row empty start - 1994 Monaco Grand Prix</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Michael Schumacher alongside Mika Hakkinen started from row
two. The first row was left empty as a mark of respect for the departed drivers
- Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How do you remember 1994 Monaco GP? Will that be remembered
as a race where Michael Schumacher secured his first pole position? Will that
be recalled by many as first of five wins at Monaco for Schumacher? Will people
remember this race where Schumacher achieved his first Grand Slam (pole
position, fastest lap and leading every lap from start to finish)? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Though, I am a huge Schumacher fan, I would remember the
1994 Monaco GP as the first race after Senna. I have walked on the very streets
where Senna went about his business at Monaco. I have stood for minutes
starring at the first row - a place which Senna made his own. And it was a magnanimous
gesture to leave that front row vacant, reminding the fans on track and to
millions of viewers, what a void he had left! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The race in itself was a recovery from that huge hangover
and whatever Schumacher and rest of the drivers did on track, didn't matter. Martin
Brundle, the British racing driver and now a commentator never won a race. He
was a teammate of Senna's while at McLaren. He finished second behind Schumacher
in the race - "This is a great day
for me and I am so glad to achieve this for my loyal and patient fans. Today
was one of the best days in my racing career. I made a perfect start and had a
faultless race. It has been a very difficult time. When your five-year-old daughter
asks you if it's true [Ayrton] Senna is dead it is difficult to reconcile
things." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">TWO DECADES LATER........... <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The business of Formula One is such, there is no room for
emotional decisions. The best way to recover from a sporting incident is to
continue racing, ensuring one never repeats the same mistakes. The sport has
become a lot safer and since Senna's demise, there has been no such casualties
during the race. There have been accidents - but none claimed any lives. As Ecclestone
pointed out, the sport has moved on, people have moved on and memories have
faded. But when you are in Monaco and discuss Formula One, people who have been
in the sport for a long time will always have a story or two about Senna and his
heroics on those narrow streets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since that victory on May 15, 1994, Michael Schumacher went from
strength to strength and stands tall at the top of Formula One with his
achievements. However, he now finds himself in a state of transition, where
each day, one cannot say what is going to happen. His family, his fans and a
lot more people will move on..... but again at what pace? </span></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3194791698255013402.post-83448308100579940152015-05-10T00:06:00.000+02:002015-05-10T00:06:08.291+02:00MIRACLE ON THE LAST LAP - 2001 SPANISH GRAND PRIX<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrh1bS-M59XjXkBLMhEWdzUQVFdB7lU-LH2Fl10Ds1Suc3rRVjtayLTI-kMuWluiJiDNLAC8Oycqs2vCuyAsC_Olpfn2hKW5RiR6djK3undhjkHvL7lH8FnPy7lgBGpdufrv3q9GUkK00/s1600/01esp26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrh1bS-M59XjXkBLMhEWdzUQVFdB7lU-LH2Fl10Ds1Suc3rRVjtayLTI-kMuWluiJiDNLAC8Oycqs2vCuyAsC_Olpfn2hKW5RiR6djK3undhjkHvL7lH8FnPy7lgBGpdufrv3q9GUkK00/s640/01esp26.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Just the other way around" - Michael says to Hakkinen </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The rushes of smoke billowing from the back of
McLaren-Mercedes is still fresh. Mika Hakkinen, the driver in it was cruising
as he prepared to drive the last lap with a lead over 40 seconds. "This is
not the way I like to win" - these words from Michael Schumacher summed up
the lap, race and the eventual victor of 2001 Spanish Grand Prix.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This was Michael Schumacher's 150<sup>th</sup> start of his career and being on pole
position seemed like the best place to start the race in the Circuit de
Catalunya. Unlike the previous year, Mika Hakkinen was having a horrid time
behind the wheels and coming into that race he had scored only four points in
as many races. David Coulthard, his teammate was in top form and was tied with
Michael for the top place. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE GET-AWAY AS USUAL<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The race was held towards the end of April and so the
temperatures were pleasant, hovering around 20°C. Michael Schumacher made his usual get-away
without any drama as he eased his way to the first turn, and second turn and
went about his regular business. From McLaren's perspective, it was Mika and
only him to challenge Michael that afternoon. David Coulthard had to start from
the back as his car stalled at the start of the parade lap and soon in opening
lap of the race, he had a minor collision, as a result of which he had to pit
to nurse his damaged front wing. It was catching up all the way through to the
chequered flag for the Scotsman. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The battle for the front was between the maestros -
Schumacher keeping Hakkinen behind him as they duelled closely through to the
first round of pit stops. Schumacher first to pit on lap 23 and four laps
later, the Finn came in for his fuel and fresh set of tyres. 'The strategy' of
delaying the tyre stop didn't work for the McLaren team as the race order
remain unchanged, though Mika Hakkinen had now set the fastest lap which was soon
beaten by Michael Schumacher. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The gap between these two veterans constantly hovered around
3 seconds as Hakkinen tracked Schumacher and never let Michael get out of his
sight. This was the case until Michael Schumacher came in for his second pit
stop. 9.3 seconds stationary and out he went, lap 44, game on and from the
looks of it, advantage Ferrari. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">LOSING THE LEAD AND THE BACKING OFF <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If one can make conclusions based on the events till that
point, it was certain Michael Schumacher would go on to win the race. Hakkinen,
until that point was trailing and never had any significant opportunities to
overtake the #1 Ferrari on track. 'The Tactic' of staying on track a bit longer
would ensure less downtime while refilling the tank. The plan worked for the
Finn and the McLaren team, as he managed to stay six laps longer. Those six laps
were enough to build a lead in excess of 26 seconds as he came in to his final
tyre and fuel stop. My mind went back to that historic Japanese GP of 2000 when
the roles were reversed as Hakkinen maintained his lead with only 15 laps left.
In the meantime, Michael Schumacher was losing a second to Hakkinen on each
sector. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A FINAL LAP TO REMEMBER<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ten laps to go and Michael Schumacher was already in cruise
mode. A slight problem with the balance on his tyres was preventing him to go
faster. With a large gap to the third placed Montoya, there was no threat and a
drive at that pace (nearly four seconds off his personal best) would ensure the
second place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> The pace went down
even further in the last four laps and he was driving to the chequered flag to
secure those 6 points. Coming into the last lap, Hakkinen had a lead close to
40 seconds over Michael Schumacher and had lapped everyone but the second
placed driver. The fourth consecutive Spanish GP victory looked set for Mika
and it was just a matter of him driving the car for another 75 seconds. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then
came the rattle, Montoya unlaps himself as he zooms past the slowing McLaren. It
was time to win at ease as there was no hurry! Oh wait, Mika shakes his head as
he turned into a corner, Hakkinen is slowing down and I was like - "Where
is Schumacher?". Soon those were the words of the commentators as well as
the TV producer got busy ordering his crew to shift cameras between the dramatic
slowdown of McLaren to the slightly off-pace Ferrari. Faced with clutch
problems, Hakkinen made few adjustments and a couple of moments later he realised
he was unable to reduce the problems he was facing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HPrcqU1h33kvEO8-a6hYYctrFZ390VV7lXmsyPCAew2CpnWh4caMyKIayL_xheHGWY-G5Jkj-cE0ImAYku6DFOqsaWZUhHHqvhYZJ_y4mjLiitDWst_K-qg4QKka34k3K-JEP1BW4tkE/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HPrcqU1h33kvEO8-a6hYYctrFZ390VV7lXmsyPCAew2CpnWh4caMyKIayL_xheHGWY-G5Jkj-cE0ImAYku6DFOqsaWZUhHHqvhYZJ_y4mjLiitDWst_K-qg4QKka34k3K-JEP1BW4tkE/s400/hqdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holy smoke!! on the last lap </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sparks ignited and then came the smoke, a thick one and the
car was going nowhere. He slows it down, turns left to park his car and a rose from
his seat with a shake of disbelief. Just as Hakkinen was stepping out of the
car, Schumacher gets past him to become the new race leader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">POST RACE <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A couple of corners to go, Schumacher and Ferrari and rest
of us were all in a puzzled state as to what had just transpired. The dejected
faces on McLaren pit said it all, what could you say to convince yourself that
it didn't happen??? This is what viewers expect out of a F1 race, if possible
each race. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Schumacher waved at his fans as he came around to complete
his race, chequered flag and yet another victory. A shocked but relieved at
this result, he went on to say - "I just saw Mika. Poor guy, I feel sorry
for him. We had a huge problem with the third set, I had huge vibrations and
that's why I slowed down because I was afraid, I have a tyre which is
delaminating or something or going quite wrong - but anyway guys, it seems to
be our day, we have been bloody lucky, nevertheless we have got a good car with
all the changes (traction control and other electronic aids), we have to finish
and we did it. Good job". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkat0_QPzqAhMujJ8J4ue2Ucti6X1bhEuydnX3hpHS3avTSTK6jJirBohy2mLDFJqguFN8Dv7EkWZJNoF5g9_oCUSOc9GeRDWT2VAQXubsRJW6OViy1lENrs6gNPUGAIxngiKk-MilVkEm/s1600/03-728x466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkat0_QPzqAhMujJ8J4ue2Ucti6X1bhEuydnX3hpHS3avTSTK6jJirBohy2mLDFJqguFN8Dv7EkWZJNoF5g9_oCUSOc9GeRDWT2VAQXubsRJW6OViy1lENrs6gNPUGAIxngiKk-MilVkEm/s640/03-728x466.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hakkinen's His Man Friday Coulthard - but this time it was after the race </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hakkinen took a ride back to the pits from his teammate and along
the way, he waved at all those track marshals and few of the fans, who kept on
cheering "Mika, Mika". Schumacher at the Parc Ferme, saw Hakkinen and
ran to him in spite of FIA officials wanting him to finish the pre-podium formalities.
They embraced a warm hug, few smiles and few words were spoken in a hurry about
luck in F1 racing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I'm super-disappointed - goddamm it, you know, Jesus"
Those came from Hakkinen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Schumacher later admitted he was shocked to see Mika retire
and said "This is not the way I like to win, but it has happened in the
past and these things happen in racing". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A driver like Schumacher would have loved a fight, however, equally
he was philosophical about these elements like luck in racing. On that Sunday,
29th April 2001, the luck went his way and like he said, you lose some, you win
some! </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Rajan Thambehallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473322184845547717noreply@blogger.com0