BinayWorld

Here we go..!!

2006-06-10T02:32:00.000-07:00

The party has begun at last. A truly different opening ceremony with a memorable assembly of previous world cup winners led by Pele heralded the onset of the greatest spectacle on the earth,i.e. the FIFA WORLD CUP'2006. And if the opening match is anything to go by, the world is in for a sumptuous treat of 'Joga Bonita' ( The Beautiful Game).

A thrilling encounter at the glittering Allianza Arena in Munich kicked off a month-long soccer feast and the 4-2 scoreline certainly wasn't flattering for the hosts, playing without their talismanic skipper Michael Ballack.Buoyed by their cheerful fans, Germany swamped Costa Rica with vibrant, attacking play and the stunners from Phillip Lahm and Torston Frings certainly bore testimony to that. Paolo Wanchope's twin strikes provided some consolation for the Costaricans though. All said and done, Jurgen Klinsmann will surely have to beef up his backline if his team are to go far in their quest for a fourth world title.

The other match on the night saw high-altitude Ecquadorians give Poland a rude shock with an efficient display. The Polish will have lot to ponder over this surprise 2-0 defeat.

El Barca.. kings of Europe..!!

2006-05-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

Soccer never ceases to suprise and that's why it's 'the beautiful game'.

Well, last night in Paris added to the legend of the biggest stage of them all at club level, the UEFA Champions League.

After the classic in Istanbul last year, many expected an encore this time, with Henry and Ronaldinho vying for the big prize. It didn't exactly turn out that way, though. Still, this one had its moments.

Reduced to 10 men, midway through the first half, after Jens lehmann brought down a rampaging Eto'o, Arsenal showed a lot of grit and guts. And suprise, surprise, they took the lead, thanks to a Sol Campbell header.

So it was now for Barcelona to do all the chasing and take the game to the gunners. And they did so, dominating possession and trying to make their one-man advantage count.Finally, the gunners' wall cracked, with that deadly finisher, Samuel Eto'o equalising for Barca with 14 minutes left on the clock.

Wenger's men were crestfallen. Barca had tasted blood and now, it's time to go for the kill and they delivered the final blow, when the Brazilian winger Beletti wrote himself into Barca's history books with a thumping finish, 9 minutes from time.

The tide had turned and Arsenal didn't simply have enough in the tank now to make that one final attempt.

So it was Carlos Puyol and company who went on stage to get their hands on that glittering trophy, the ultimate prize in club football.

The pride of Catalonia are now the champions of Europe..!!

Finale in Paris!!

2006-05-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

5 days to go for the Champions League FINAL & one can't simply wait!!

Seville's emphatic mid-week win against Middlesbrough in the UEFA Cup final has already set the stage for Barca to add more glory to Spanish dominance in Europe.

While Ronaldinho and company are overwhelming favorites to lift club football's greatest prize in Paris's magnificent Stade de France, Henry and his fellow gunners might just upset the applecart.

Whatever the end result, fans across the world are in for a sumptuous treat, if both Rijkard and Wenger's teams play the kind of football one's accustomed to watching from Barca and Arsenal.

May the best team win!

Lahore..4 days to go..!!

2006-01-09T02:20:00.000-08:00

India's tour of Pakistan couldn't have asked for a more controversial start,following Raj Singh Dungarpur's summersault with regards to comments he reportedly made against Saurav Ganguly.A distraction the Indian team could easily have avoided,especially at the start of such a high-pressure tour.

Leave aside the verasity of those statements by Raj Singh, the sheer timing of these things coming out in the media was an aboslute disaster.If this is what the most senior admindistrator of Indian cricket offers managerially,then the overwhelming cry for reforms and accountability in the BCCI is surely not an empty one.

Coming back to the on-field action though,the good showing of the Indian top order in the practice match makes the return of the bengal southpaw to the starting line-up on Friday in Lahore all that more difficult.On the other side of the fence,it's a revitalised Pakistani team gearing up to avenge the home-defeat of last year's series against their arch-rivals.

Finally,as has now become a routine,another court case filed by Ten Sports against the government's decision to allow the DD to have shared feed of all matches of 'national importance' played by India.For all those millions of cricket fans not having access to Ten sports ,it's time for another round of suspense drama.From a neutral point though, the decision of the Indian government is baffling to say the least,considering the fact that it has given DD a virtual freedom to decide for itself what sporting events it wants feed for,leaving the private broadcaster high and dry. But then this happens only in India.!!

India vs Pakistan

2006-01-04T02:17:00.000-08:00

9 days still to go before Lahore,but the subcontinent and indeed,the entire cricketing world is buzzing..!!

That's India-Pakistan cricketing rivalry for you..!!

No wonder mind games are thick in the air with current players and ex-players from both sides trying to psyche the their rivals..!!

Setting aside these things though, if one looks at this as a purely cricekting contest, then we are in for a cracker!!

An ever-improving Pakistan side led by their inspirational captain Inzamam and pace spearhead Shoaib Akhthar against an Indian side,on the upswing in the new Dravid-Chappell era!!

One can't simply wait!!

Two close for comfort!!!

2005-08-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

What an incredible game of cricket!!

The closest ever finish in an Ashes test match!!

Games like these indeed make the game of cricket,especially test cricket what it is..the ups and downs,the rapid swings in fortunes entail an examination not only of physical ability and talent,but most importantly mental toughness and character!!

And all of that was on vivid display in Edgbaston, as the game witnessed one of the greatest ever nail-biting cricketing contests..ending in ecstasy for England and agony for the Aussies!!!

A 2-run win for the pommies,giving them their first win in a "live" ashes test match since the 86-87 series down under...!!!

If Andrew Flintoff finally arrived on the big stage with a virtuoso all-round Botham-esque performance and gave England a fighting chance, then the gritty Aussie tail enders in Warne,Lee n' Kaspowicz all but did it, rising from the ashes like phoneix!!!

Finally,couple of factors from now on are going to be huge in deciding the outcome of the series!!!

Without the pigeon in their ranks, the aussie pace attack has looked hardly the part,lacking in control and consistency..except for couple of hostile spells from Lee..!!

Gillespie n' Kasprowicz's pedestrian efforts thus far don't inspire much confidence from the Aussies' point of view, notwithstanding Warne's brilliant form!!!

So aussies's pace attack needs some urgent fine-tuning !!

Secondly,the aussie batting has hardly been consistent thus far,with Martyn,Hayden n' Gilchrist being hardly among runs!!!

As far as England go, Mcgrath's injury couln't have come a better time for them and with him likely to miss out the third test as well, this might well be the best chance for Vaughan's men to take control in this series!!!

We'r in for some fun,rest assured!!!

Hollywood n' Pigeon conquer Lord's..!!!

2005-07-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

"Ashes to ashes..dust to dust..
If Warnie can't get u,then McGrath must!!!"

The above modified version of the famous Lillee-Thommo chant in the 70's by the Aussie fans has come to define the past cricketing decade of Aussie supremacy,not just against England but everyone..!!!

Two champion bowlers of great class and character..and it was all on display at Lord's, in the first Ashes test over the weekend..!!!

If the pigeon made the English top order tap in the first innings with one of the great spells of seam bowling, then the show-stopper 'Hollywood' brushed aside his personal strife to put in a remarkable spell of wrist-spin in the second innings!!

England have been firmly brought back to ground realities after the heady first session on day one and it's going to take some effort to stop the Aussie juggernaut now!!!

It's time..!!!

2005-07-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

Finally,it's time!!!!

It's time for 'The Ashes' to begin!!

The media frenzy for this clash of old enemies has been unparalled in recent memory..with former players and commentators throwing their weights around as well!!
(Steve Waugh , Mark Nicholas to name a few)

But enough of the mind games now on parts of England and Australia,both talking up their chances!!!

It's now time for real action!!

The venue couldn't have been more appropriate to kick-off what's arguably the most hyped-up Ashes series in almost two decades..Lord's,the home of cricket!!!!

Will England finally attain their holy grail,i.e. to win back the Ashes, or will it be nine-in-a-row for the men from down under?

We'll find out over the course of the next three months..with many heated one-on-one contests on the anvil and raging controversies likely to rear up, as in the past!!!!

May the best team win!!

Finally,'The Compton-Miller medal' has been instituted to award the player of the Ashes series ..!!

What a fitting tribute to two of the golden greats of the game!!!

Movers n' Shakers..!!!

2005-07-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

It's the off-season in European football and usually time for clubs to stregthen their squads along with the usual high-profile moves !!!

This year has been no different either !!

While Barca have acquired Van Bommel from PSV,Man U have prised away another PSV star,Park ji sung.

Big spending Chelsea have acquired Del horno,SWP..two very good acuisitions,adding flair and variety to an already star-studded squad ..and Mourinho has recalled Crespo back from Milan to end his famine of strikers..

Inter,the eternal under-achievers of Italian football have tried to bid for a trophy-ladden future by bringing in Solari and Pizzaro, two brilliant midfielders from Real and Udinese respectively..

Another notable move has been that of Christian Vieri from the blue n' blackhalf of Milan to their red n' black arch-rivals,AC Milan...

But the two biggest blockbuster moves of the summer have been undoubtedly Vieira to Juventus and Gilardino to AC Milan...!!!

While Arsenal might be left ruing their decision to let go their inspirationl captain across to one of their direct European rivals, it could be Vieira's biggest challenge yet..to prove himself in Serie-A..!!!

Finally, AC Milan have declared their intentions to the rest of Europe...

They want to bury the ghost of Istanbul by winning back the Champions League on 17 May,2006 in Paris!!!

And with one of the brightest young strikers in Gilardino at thier disposal now, only a brave punter would bet against that!!! :)

Salvation for Williams..Greatness for Federer..

2005-07-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

The weekend gone-by brought to an end two weeks of riveting tennis in Wimbledon, and also with it two champions, in contrasting styles..

After having been written off by the media,critics and even her peers,Venus Williams staged one of the most remarkable comebacks in WTA history as she held on her nerves to beat Lindsay Davenport in a memorable final...

Some athletes merely make history, champions create it.

And so it was on Sunday with Roger Federer, who became the eighth man to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles with a brilliant display that demonstrated why his name sits comfortably with the other greats who have achieved an All England Club hat-trick.

Federer is only 23..one shudders to think what he's going to end up with if he carries on this manner!!!

The fans are not complaining!!

No Messi-ing around with Argentina!!!

2005-07-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Argenitna have done it again!!
They have the World Youth Championships,for a record fifth time,defeating the 'Super Eagles' Nigeria 2-1 in the final..thanks to an inspired display from Lionel Messi,the 17-yr whizkid of Barcelona..!!

While talks of future greatness might be premature at this stage,the little bundle of talent messmerized his opponents with bewitching guile and performed on the world stage with aplomb..

Sky is the limit for Lionel Messi !!!

It's a TIE..at Lord's!!!

2005-07-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

It all happened at Lord's on Saturday..!!!

What a fantastic nerve-wrangling game of cricket at the home of cricket!!!

Australia and England played out of the best ever one-day contests!!

In a game of sharp twists and turns, it all went down to the last ball of the match to find out where indeed the Natwest Trophy would go..but in the end, it was Giles' and Gough's heroics which gave the Pommies a share of the spoils, leaving a feeling of hollow emptiness in 'punter' Ponting's mind,after an outstaning opening spell by Lee and McGrath set it up nicely for Australia!!!

Now all to play for in the three game tie-breaker beggining on Thursday,with the new ODI rules in effect!!!

This match heralded the true start of summer and, if it continues in similar, heated vein we are in for a scorcher.

Brazil's cup of joy!!!!

2005-06-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

Brazil have won the Confederations Cup,the curtain raiser to next year's world cup, in grand style with a dazzling display of attacking football, defeating their arch-rivals Argentina 4-1 in the FINAL..

While any silverware for the Selecao is sweet in that soccer-crazy nation, the joy is even more profound if it comes with a victory over Argentina!!!

The thundershowers in Frankfurt last night paled in comparision to the lightening samba magic on the pitch as the magical foursome of Ronaldinho-Adriano-Kaka-Robinho gave their bitter opponents a footballing masterclass...

No wonder,Brazil continue to be the benchmark in world football for the sheer delight they bring to fans all over the world with their free-flowing play!!!!

Tim Duncan..The Lord of the Rings!!!

2005-06-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

San Antonio Spurs are the NBA champions !!

For the third time in seven years,the fanchise won its third ring, defeating the defending champions,Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the best of seven series to clinch the world title 4-3...!!

This finals series was a memorable one,with both sides giving it their all in all the seven games..

First it was the turn of Spurs to take a 2-0 lead,winning both thier home games in San Antonio..

Then Larry Brown's men came back in true Champions' style to square the series 2-2 defeating Popovich's men in back to back games in Detroit!!

Not even the die-hard Spurs fan expected the tide to turn in their favour in Game 5 in Detroit..but it did,thanks to Robert Horry, that ex-Lakers guard,pinching the game winning shot with 5.7secs to go..!!!

So it was all for the Spurs' taking in Game 6 in theor own court yard... but did the Pistons come back!!

They came back and humiliated the hosts in Game 6 thanks to a virtuoso performance from Rashid Wallace,the maverick but brilliant point-guard..

Now it was three games apiece and it all went down to the wire in Game 7 as well...but in the end, it was Tim Duncan,who was the difference..!!

Big players for big matches,they say and Duncan certainly proved that once again,leading the way for the Spurs to an amazing win and winning his 3rd MVP Finals' honour..!!!

Hail the champions..!!!

Australia..back to winning ways!!!

2005-06-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Aussies are back and back in style!!!

Gough's heroics with the bat only delayed the inevitable..a comprehensive English defeat.

The writing on the wall was clear,once the pommies' top order had been taken care of,thanks to an outstanding spell of fast bowling from Brett Lee n' McGrath...but clearly,it was the pace n' swing of Lee which provided the catalyst to revive the Oz's fortunes..

Dennis Lilee n' Jeff Thomson would have been delighted to see the current Asutralian pace prodigy cast a spell on their old rivals in the manner he did ..

Earlier in the day,Andrew Symonds once again outlined his value to the side with a well-complied 73..

It was not a typical Symonds innings,one we r accustomed to ..in fact far from that.. controlled aggression and a lot of character were the hallmarks of Symonds's stay at the crease as he and Damien Martyn provided thier bowlers a competitive score to bowl at.

Lots of chinks in the English armoury were exposed last night, their vulnerability against quality fast bowling not being the least of them..

So finally, Ponting and his men put an eminently forgettable week behind them and put their Ashes tour back on track!!!
The fun has just begun..!!!!

Wimbledon begins today!!!

2005-06-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

For all the charms of Ronald Garros, the flashy flamboyance of New York and the aristocracy of Melbourne,the hallowed grass of the center court stands out as the ultimate prize in tennis!!!

There is always something unique about Wimbledon..the aura, the history, the centre-court crowd, that eternal Rolex scoreboard... and lots n' lots of trivia..!!!

The golden history of 'THE CHAMPIONSHIPS' has been enriched with sublime preformances from the greats of the game down the years.. Laver,Bjorg,Mcneroe,Sampras,Billie-Jean King,Graf,Navratilova and many many more..!!!

May this summer add one more glorious chapter in the proud annals of the greatest tennis event on the earth!!!

BAT MAN BEGINS...Aussies Pietersened..!!!

2005-06-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

The party is in full flow,not least the flow of beers in the land of the Queen, as England defeat Australia at Bristol ODI and plant one more seed of doubt in the Aussies' minds!!!

And the kangarooes are shocked...wth no idea whatsoever as to what has hit them..(4 defeats in a row,including one to Bangladesh... U must be kidding..!!!!)

Many including yours' truly had their doubts abour Kevin Pietersen..

Just a one-series wonder..the real test would come against McGrath n' co..that's the word of the mouth..!!!

Well,the 65-ball-91 run blitz from Pietersen last evening at Bristol laid to rest all those claims..!!

Boy,it was mayhem and plain butchering as world cricket's new star simply got underneath the Aussies' skin and treated every bowler on the park with sheer contempt!!!"( 8 fours and 4 sixes...!!)

No wonder calls for his inclusion in England's test squad for the Ashes are now at their peak!!

Ponting's men had better pull up their socks..!!!

May be the pace n' fire of Brett Lee is what they need!!!

But is it going to be enough? At least Richie Benaud ,the legendary ex-Aussie captain and the numero-uno commentator doesn't think so....

18 June,2005..Judgement Day at RELIANCE...!!!

2005-06-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

It was a historic day in Indian corporate hisory and more so in Reliance's,on Saturday, as the 8-month running bitter feud finally settled...

This is merely the beginning of the end as the nitty-gritties of the separation get worked out, but really, one could feel a whole range of emotions while watching the turn of events unfolding on television..

After all,this is Reliance,the company which under the vision of DhiruBhai made millions of Indians dream and dream big!!!

(Every one in four Indian investors is a Relaince share-holder, 33 million stakeholders to be precise..!!)

Finally,one sincerely hopes that this will be indeed 'a new beginning'(to quote Anil) in every sense of the word and the two inheritors of DhiruBhai's legacy will take Reliance to further dizzy heights!!

Amen...!!

1965..Indo-Pak faceoff!!!

2005-06-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

Recent 'revelations' by Gohar Ayub Khan,former foreign minister of Pakistan and son of Field Marshal Ayub Khan pertaining to 1965 war made headlines all over the sub-continental media..

In this age of sensationalism where every bit of non-news is 'news' as long as the moolahs keep coming in, one was not surprised to find so much attention being given to a ridiculous claim by a has-been in the pak establishment.

But have we bothered to look at the facts or even apply some common-sense before getting carried away with the trash of Gohar?

Well,M.J.Akbar, the outstanding journalist has given glimpses of that battle in 1965 in a classic piece and more importantly illustrated the sheer hallowness of the claims made by Gohar!!!

Kudos to M.J. !!!!

Worth reading!!!

Chappell's Indian sojourn

2005-06-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

The Chappell era has begun!!!

And a new chapter unfolds in the glittering career of Greg Chappell !!!

The message is clear-"Commitment to Excellence" will be the cornerstone of this journey,the destination being to make India the no.1 cricket nation..!!

The detailed contours of this theme will be unravelled in due course of time,as Greg duly gets about the task of working with the team.

Finally,one shouldn't look over the fact as to why the Chappell chose Bangalore as his base here in India..not that he's bowled over by the hip-pub-culture of the garden city!! :)

The future 'Team India' is moulded and developed in the National Cricket Academy in B'lore and what better way for the coach than to have a first-hand look at the 'bench-strength'/'talent pool' and build the quality backup,competent enough to challenge and usurp any complacent first-teamers..!!!

One sincerely hopes the BCCI will provide Greg with all the support !!!

Amazing Adam...!!!

2005-06-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

Graeme Pollock,the legendary South African batsman once famously said...
"See the ball,hit the ball..."

Well,nobody in the modern era has lived upto those words more than Adam Gilchrist,the swash-buckling Aussie wicketkeeper-batsman!!!

Ever since Ian Healy went into his cricketing sunset,the journey of this exciting strokemaker has been one to savour for cricket fans all around the world!!!

Forget the numbers,the averages and the whole lot of statistical baggage that cricket sometimes finds itself pre-occupied with!!!

For sheer pleasure,excitement and entertainment,there has been none like Gilchrist, since Viv Richards called it a day!!

And this fact has been once more ascertained by the latest feather in Gilchrist's cap!!!
He has been voted the most destructive and intimidating batsman in One-Day International cricket.

Way to go Gils!!!

Catch me if you can....!!!

2005-06-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

Wonder,what's this banner headline all about?

Well,simple...Asafa Powell is the fastest man on the planet...!!!

The Jamaican broke the 100 metres world record on Tuesday in the GrandPrix in Athens,running 9.77 seconds. The 22-year-old's mark eclipses the old time of 9.78sec set by Tim Montgomery in Paris in September 2002.

Just goes to show once again that records are meant to be broken!!!

'Bench Strength'...Indian Cricket's Achilles Heel!!!!

2005-06-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

A new era in Indian cricket begins today with Greg Chappell taking over as the Indian coach in NCA,Bangalore!!

One wishes Greg all the best!!!

Now,since NCA is going to be the base for Greg,it's relevant at this jucture to have a lookback at the 5-year history of the National Cricket Academy,since it was founded in 2000, on the lines of ACA,Adelaide, the benchmark for cricketing schools all around the world.

We shall also debate the falling standard of club-cricket,once a rich source of cricketing talent, in the Indian metros later.

Now it's common knowledge that for any side to become a real world-class side in any sport, it needs quality 'bench strength' or 'FRINGE' players...players who one can fall back upon, when the regulars in the side are found wanting..

Furthermore,such a pool of top-class players keeps the first-teamers on their toes...

And in deed,that's one of the main reasons for the NCA's birth..to nurture budding cricketing talent in India under the tutelage of some of the finest thinkers of the game..and ensure that these young talents mature over time to become players capable of making it to the next grade.

Has the NCA been able to do that?

Well, five years is a relatively short period to pass a judgement on.. but some pointers are nevertheless an indication of areas of concern!!!

TRDW(Talent Resource Development Wing),the 3-yr old scouting system of the BCCI has been able to spot talent and credit to all those in charge, but alas,the lack of co-ordination between TRDW and NCA has ensured that the potential of these young players has not been developed to the maximum..

Moreover, lack of proper follow-up and monitoring system has ensured that the blokes pasing out of NCA fizzle out in the crazy world of zonal cricket..!!!

Finally, club-cricket,especially in the big metros, once used to be a priceless source of top-notch talent in India.

Just like Australia,where many of its greats have cut their teeth in the grade /club cricket of the big cities...(Glenn McGrath instantly comes to mind,being picked up from a Sydney sub-urb club, by the legendary Dougie Walters !!)

But not to be in India any more..!!!

If India is really serious about challenging the Kangaroos for the top slot in world cricket, these twin ailments have got to be addressed properly,with utmost sincerity !!!

Apple gets Intel inside

2005-06-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dropped a bombshell in his keynote speech opening this week's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. "Yes, it's true," said Jobs, confirming the rumours. "We are transitioning from PowerPC to Intel processors."

Jobs said Apple will start shipping Intel-based Macs next year, and will complete the transition by the end of 2007. This represents a significant U-turn for Apple, which has attacked Intel in its advertising.

Jobs has even run side-by-side demos to show that Macs with IBM PowerPC chips were faster than PCs with Intel processors.

For more,visit http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__business/&articleid=242759

Five qualify for Germany'06

2005-06-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

Japan, Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Argentina became the first teams to qualify for the World Cup finals on Wednesday -- a year and a day before they kick off in Munich next summer.

Joining the Asian four and Germany, automatically qualified as the host nation, were Argentina, after they beat Brazil 3-1 in their top-of-the-table South American qualifier in Buenos Aires.

The victory guaranteed them a top four finish in the 10-team group and a place in the last 32. Despite the defeat, Brazil appear certain to reach the finals.

Argentina stunned their opponents by rushing to a 3-0 halftime lead with two goals from striker Hernan Crespo, who took his tally in the tournament to seven, and a world-class strike from Juan Roman Riquelme.

http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=66283&idSez=136

Brazil recovered to dominate the second half, pulling one back with a trademark Roberto Carlos free kick and hitting the post through Adriano in the 84th minute.

For more,visit http://in.rediff.com/sports/2005/jun/09wcup.htm

Comment-

It comes as no surprise to see the 'Big Four' make it to the finals next year..!!!

Hopefully, South Korea's dream run three years back will inspire the Asian contingent to make a good impression on the global arena!!

It is vital for the future growth of the game in Asia that the momentum of the last world cup is carried foward!!!

Elsewhere,Holland,Portugal,Czech Republic continue making giant strides towards achieving qualification!!!

But undoubtedly,the attention of the whole soccer fraternity was firmly on Buenos Aries,where the two giants of South Amereican soccer,Brazil and Argentina faced off...

And on this occasion,it was the Argentine flair overpowering the samba magic !!!!

Just makes you wonder how come Argentina haven't been able to get their act together in recent world cups,in spite of having perhaps the most complete array of soccer talents on the planet!!!!

Last but not the least, a word for Ukraine!!

With Ukraine now ever so closer to qualifying for the world cup, if indeed this materialises, then people all over the world will be privileged to see one of the most feared strikers of the modern era ply his talents on the biggest stage of them all...

Wonder who'r we talking about!!! Andryi Shevchenko, who else...the European Footballer of the year!!

Non-IITians...it's the time to disco?

2005-06-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Well,the headline might sound a bit bizarre,but it is nonetheless exciting to note that in not-so-distant future, we may actually have a scenario where non-IITians,like their IIT counterparts will also find it easy to get recognition abroad in terms of better job opportunities and higher education prospects..

Wondering how..!!

Well,if things go right,then AICTE,the apex Indian body in charge of technical education in this country is slated to become a part of the 'Washington Accord', which accredits all undergraduate engineering programmes in member countries and is recognised equally by all members.

Once a programme is accredited, students of that course can enroll for higher studies or take up jobs in any one of the member countries and to any other country that recognises the accord.

For more,visit http://infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1134908.cms

Non-IITians,keep u'r fingers crossed..!!!

'D'

2005-06-08T11:35:00.001-07:00

With mediocrity being the order of the day as far as current hindi cinema goes,it's indeed a welcome break to find a film like 'D' on the horizon..

Simply one word.. stunning..that's what one can describe this mafia flick from the factory of RGV..the avant-garde film-maker...!!!

Setting aside the speculation of the film being a take-off on infamous gangster Dawood Ibrahim's life and just taking it as a body of work, one can't but appreciate and marvel at the way the various characters in the movie have been sketched so maturely by the debutante director,Vishram Sawant,supported by an equally gripping background score.

But the standout performer is 'D',bole to ..Deshu..a.k.a Randeep Hooda.

The sheer conviction of Deshu and his cold-blooded ruthlessness to make it to the top of the heap is striking to say the least.

And kudos to Hooda,playing his first mainstream lead role, for portraying the pshyche and emotions so well in such a subdued but effective manner.

'Vieni,Vedi,Vincis '....‘I came, I saw,I conquered’ ..these were the immortal words of Cesar!!

Quite apt to describe Randeep Hooda's performance in 'D'..!!

Quite simply, 'D' is one not be missed..!!!

Enjoy..!!

Jinnah...Back to haunt the sub-continent!!!

2005-06-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

The saga of partition,soaked in bloods of millions of Indians/Pakistanis, is a chapter of sub-continental history which few of us have still been able to come to terms with.

Even after more than half-a-century since the most gruelsome and brutal genocide ever witnessed in human history, two countries and their people still have nothing but xenophobic views on the matter,which is tragic to say the least.

And the simmering volcano has erupted again, the latest ignite this time being L.K.Advani's comments eulogizing Mohammad Ali Jinnah as a "secular" leader.!!

As with any other human being,Mohammad Ali Jinnah had his good qualities as well as not so noble ones. While revered as 'Quaid-E-Azam'(Father of the Nation) in Pakistan, he is known to Indians as the architect of Partition,the man, who at the behest of the British,orchestrated the horrendrous act of dividing the sub-continent on communal lines, the very antidote of a secular India, to realise his own political ambitions.

At the same time,he had the vision of Pakistan to be a modern, progresive state,based on the basic tenets of Islam ,but never ever a theocracy..!!

That this vision of Jinnah was destroyed to pieces by the successive administations in Islamabad is another matter!!!

But criticism of any historical figure must be fair, as much as possible,even though it's difficult in such cases,where subjectivity is involved, and passions and emotions run high!!!

What Advani's comments have done is to remind us again that Indian,and in deed, sub-continental history is not a simple black and white story of heroes and villains that it is often made out to be.

As much as Indians will discuss now threadbare the role of Jinnah, the same yardstick will be applied to Pakistanis as well, to reflect on whether they have really followed on the principles of their 'Quaid-E-Azam'...!!!!

And one should thank Advani for that!!!

For more on this raging debate, visit

http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/jun/07speech.htm (Jinnah's sppech on 11th Aug,1947)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1391755,0008.htm (Vir Sanghvi)

http://www.asianage.com/main.asp?layout=2&cat1=1&cat2=139&newsid=163105&RF=DefaultMain (M.J.Akbar)

http://www.asianage.com/main.asp?layout=2&cat1=1&cat2=139&newsid=164386&RF=DefaultMain (M.J.Akbar)

http://www.asianage.com/main.asp?layout=2&cat1=6&cat2=42&newsid=165285&RF=DefaultMain (Ram Jethmalani)

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=50115 (R.V.Pandit)

Nadal-king of clay on debut

2005-06-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal was crowned the undisputed king of clay on Sunday after beating unseeded Argentine Mariano Puerta 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 in a rousing French Open final.

The 19-year-old Spaniard hit back from losing a lung-busting opening set, rattled through the next two and then held off a brave Puerta fight-back to claim his first Grand Slam title.

In doing so he also became the first debutant since Swede Mats Wilander in 1982 to win the men’s singles at Roland Garros and the youngest Grand Slam winner since Michael Chang here in 1989.

Puerta played inspired tennis early on and looked capable of emulating countryman Gaston Gaudio’s triumph here 12 months ago.

But Nadal, who beat world No. 1 Roger Federer in the semi-finals, would not be denied.
Soaking up everything Puerta could muster, he eventually ground the gallant Argentine into the dust, saving three set points in a gripping fourth set before Puerta sent a forehand wide on his first match point after three hours 24 minutes.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s a dream come true. Mariano played amazing tennis during the two weeks and again today,” said Nadal who was congratulated by the watching King Juan Carlos of Spain.

“It’s always been my dream to win a Grand Slam, and Roland Garros in particular. All Spanish players dream of that.”

Comment-

Whether it's a mere flash in the pan or a sign of things to come in future, only time will tell!!!!

But looking at the way in which this 19-yr old prodigy dominated Ronald Garros , especially his mastery over Roger Federrer in the semifinals was breathtaking to say the least.

Not since the days of Muster and Bruguera has the clay in paris seen an artist make it tap like the way Nadal did over the last 2 weeks.

Take a bow....Hail the CHAMPION!!!

A new dawn in Kashmir?

2005-06-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

"Gar Firdaus bar ruhe zamin ast,
Hamin ast, hamin ast, hamin ast"

"If there is heaven on Earth,
It is here, it is here, it is here."'

Alas!! Jammu &Kashmir has been anything but heavens in the last decade and half, when the first flames of insurgency inflamed the valley in 1989.

A tragic tale of suffering,blood shed and above all a human tragedy beyond words!!!

But hopefullly, things are changing and before the pragmatic realism of the recent events is overshadowed by the usual skepticism and cynicism,all parties involved in this process must realise that this is their big chance!!

In deed,watching Yaseen Mallick last night on NDTV,talking to that intrepid jounralist,Barkha Dutt,one couldn't miss the stark irony of how things have changed !!!

Here was a man,who had been at the forefront of the insurgency movement in Kashmir as chief of JKLF and who in the past, in his own words, had crossed the LoC illegally 8 times earlier!!

And today he's crossing the LoC legally through the Srinagar-Muzzafarabad bus(the new apostle of the peace-process), with a peaceful solution to the problem being the main agenda !!!

This in deed signifies the changing mood among the 'awam'(population) that violence as a means can't deliver the goods and lasting,meaningful talks are the only option!!!

One sincerely hopes that this golden opportunity is not lost in the maze of Indo-Pak posturing as in the past!!!

Amen..!!!

European Soccer Season'04-'05-In Retrospect

2005-06-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well folks,
The hectic but thrilling season in major european leagues has come to an end !!!!
But boy,what a fantastic feast of football it served up all through out!!
While it was the return of "The eternal old bride of Italy", Juventus to claim its 28th "Scudetto" in its glorious history, "FC Hollywood",i.e. Bayern Munich were the cut above the rest in Germany, doing a league-cup double.

Barcelona,inspired by that magical wonder-boy,Ronaldinho, finally came out of six years of wilderness , as they won the La Liga title in style.

While it was ecstasy in Catalonia, the misery continues into a second straight season for the galacticos of madrid!!!

Chelsea are firmly now among the 'BIG BOYS' after claiming their first english title in 50 years..!!

And finally,one can not forget the epic, classic Champions League FINAL between Liverpool n' AC Milan in Istanbul..on May 25 !!!

Led by their inspirational captain Stevie Gerrard, the reds overcame a seemingly unassailable challenge of the red-devils of Milan...

But one really feels for Milan..!! Football can in deed be sometimes a cruel game...!!!

But the show goes on..!! and it's now time for off-the field action with transfers being the prime focus!!!

Watch out for this space..!!

Hello!!

2005-06-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hi Blog-alcoholics,

A hearty welcome to all of you !!!

An exciting journey ahead for all of us in this enthralling adventure !!!

So here we go..!!

To start off with, WATERGATE is back.... and how..!!

'Deep Throat' comes out in the open -->>

One of America's and the journalism world's best kept secrets is out - former Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, number two man W. Mark Felt is deep throat. The cigarette smoking silhouette of the mysterious "Deep Throat," crytallised in a movie starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, and is part of journalism folklore.
Deep Throat named after a popular pornographic magazine of the time, was a key source for Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
The Washington Post report helped bring down then US president Richard Nixon in 1974 - the only president to resign in US history.
Nixon had resigned after it became clear the US house of representatives would impeach him for a string of transgressions named after the famous break-in at the Watergate office complex in Washington.
Lawyer, John o'Connor, who wrote the article in Vanity Fair, said the 91-year-old Mark Felt went public, after his family urged him to come forward.
John o'Conner told newswires, "They convinced me that Deep Throat was a great man who had to break a smaller rule to prevent greater harm from occurring to our country."
Felt has been a primary suspect on the shortlist of potential candidates thought to be Deep Throat. Pat Buchanan, a former speech writer during the Nixon administration, characterised Felt's actions as disgraceful. He said, "He did it for malicious motives because he had been passed over. Now I dont think Deep Throat is a hero, I think Deep Throat is a snake."
Bob Woodward, his co-author Carl Bernstein and their editor, Ben Bradlee initially stood by their decades-long refusal to discuss Deep Throat's identity.
But the Washington Post on Tuesday, finally confirmed Mark Felt as the source. The Post had concealed his identity from the world for a full 33 years.