It was perhaps fitting that Ryan Giggs scored the goal that ensured the Premiership title would be staying at Old Trafford. Whether this is his last season or not remains to be seen, but the goal would cap a magnificent career that has seen him win, among other things, an incredible TEN league championships with Manchester United. The Welsh wing wizard might not have had the best of seasons, but along with Paul Scholes, has contributed significantly to the Red Devils’ incredible season.

Although their campaign got off to a relatively rocky start, United quickly established their place in the top two, along with the early pace-setters, Arsenal. They led the table on no less than 7 occasions during the season, overtaking Arsenal and holding off the threat of Chelsea – though it was a close run thing. Chelsea kept up with the points tally right until the very last game of the season – they drew, United won. In the words of Andy “I state the obvious and nothing more” Gray - “Game over, I guess”.

Ronaldo the diference:

Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed the sort of season most people could only dream of – 31 league goals. And what goals they were – long shots, tap-ins, beguiling back-heels, thunderous free kicks, and headers which center backs would dream of scoring. The success of this side has relied more than anything else on the efforts of one of the most phenomenal players on the planet. Goals against Arsenal and Liverpool should put to rest the ‘big game bottler’ tag he seems to have acquired, at least in the league, and the scary thing is that he is likely to get better. The mind boggles. In terms of influence on results, Rio Ferdinand’s superb marshalling of his defence came in a close second – 22 goals conceded in 38 games tells its own story.

Credit to Sir Alex and Carlos

Finally, credit must go to Alex Ferguson – aided by Carlos Queiroz, his tactical skills came to the fore. Solid in defence, sometimes playing with 2 holding midfielders, the team was set up to counter attack at lightning speed, leaving most defenses wondering what had hit them. Sir Alex has now won 10 (!) first division championships, taking United’s total up to 17, one behind Liverpool. Talk of retirement is misleading and, more than anything else, inaccurate – as long as blood flows through his veins, he’ll be taking his seat in the dug out at Old Trafford, waiting to unleash his “emerging” squad (or so he says) on their next victim.

The clear out has started at the Camp Nou and as expected it has started right at the top. After five years in charge of Barcelona, Frank Rijkaard has paid the price for not trophies for two consecutive years. Rijkaard will leave the club at the end of the season and will be replaced (for now) by club legend Pep Guardiola. Rijkaard had led Barcelona to back to back league triumphs in 2004 and 2005, the second league title capped by a famous triumph in Paris as the Catalans defeated Arsenal in the final of the Champions League.

It almost seems inevitable that the departure of Rijkaard will be the first step in a mass exodus at the club. Ronaldinho seems set to join AC Milan, Deco seems to have lost favour with the club. Henry seems listless and is looking for ways to get back to his daughter in England. There are rumours that Etoo is leaving too. The back four desperately needs a new spine and again there are rumours that Zambrotta and Marquez will be off soon.

What could have been:

Two years back it would have been hard to imagine the squad completely disintegrate like this. In May 2006, it seemed that the club truly ruled the world with the likes of Ronaldinho, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Deco and Etoo leading the side to European glory. Further, with the likes of Messi, Bojan and Dos Santos waiting in the wings, it seemed to many that this would truly be Rijkaard and the Catalan’s decade- another Cryuff’s dream team in the making. Now, of the lot on Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Bojan seem to have the drive to even turn up for some of the games.

An attacking legacy:

A return of 2 league titles and 1 European trophy is just an icing on the impressive attacking legacy that Rijkaard leaves behind in Barcelona. Yes, the squad was blessed with abundant talent but Rijkaard did put them together and encouraged them to attack. But the joy was short lived,over the past two seasons, clubs across Spain and Europe haven’t been as intimated by the superstars as they were before. Other factors also contributed to the decline- most notably Ronaldinho’s complete transformation from MVP to a prima donna. There were too many stories about backroom and training ground fights, of little cliques being formed and of players losing the drive to win. The biggest reason for Rijkaard’s failure could well be his inability to keep the team motivated after their 2005-2006 double.

Its going to be very interesting to see where Rijkaard ends up next. A good option seems to be Chelsea; Roman Abrahamovich seems to crave attacking football and Rijkaard could just be the man who can deliver it to him. Plus, the money or getting the right players is not going to be an issue. AC Milan could well be another option but it remains to be seen if he would like to reunite with Ronaldinho at the San Siro.

The words of the International Hockey Federation (HIF) President Els van Breda Vriesman added further sting to the Indian hockey team that had lost to Great Britain in the sudden-death qualifying match, and with the loss, the team failed to make it to the Olympics for the first time in 80 years. For a nation that has won the Olympic gold a record 8 times, Indian hockey’s decline was complete after years of staggering on with little direction.

It was an inevitable disaster waiting to happen considering the way hockey was being run by the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). When the experienced Ric Charlesworth was appointed as technical director of Indian hockey, it was expected that he would turn out to be the catalyst for change. He is just into his fifth month of his tenure, but he has already been sidelined by IHF President K.P.S. Gill to the extent that the revered Aussie has not been paid a salary or reimbursed expenses of nearly $20,000.

The warning signs were all there. In 2005, The FIH termed IHF as the worst run hockey association in the world, and in 2006, India failed to make it to the semi-finals of the Asian Games.  It is even more suprising that in 2001, a talented group players that had actually gone on to win the junior World Cup has been completely wasted and left to rot.

The problems that plague the state of the sport in India include the decline in the talent pool throughout the country, lack of proper management of resources, and autocratic rule by Gill, who continues to head the IHF despite overseeing the worst years of Indian Hockey, ever since he became IHF President in 1994.

While the Indian government remains a mute spectator because it cannot dismiss the IHF on the grounds of autonomy (damn the Olympic charter!), Indian hockey gets further caught up in the quagmire of bureaucratic red tape. That lesser hockeying nations such as China and Great Britain have overtaken us is a damning indictment on the pathetic state of our national sport.

Indian Hockey in Numbers

0 - the number of Olympic medals India has won since winning the Gold in 1980 at Moscow.

3 - the number of years since the last IHF general body meeting was held after vice-President Narendra Batra filed a writ against Gill in 2005 with regard to length of tenure and financial irregularities.

5 - the number of national hockey championships during Gill’s tenure.

6 - the number of the senior-most players sacked, along with the coach after India won its first Asian Games gold medal after 32 years in 1998 in Bangkok.

18 - the number of coaches changed since 1994.

40 - the number of astro turfs in India compared to 5 in South Korea and 3 in China, countries that will be playing in the Beijing Olympics.

2

Runs made by Adam Gilchrist in his final innings before he edged Praveen Kumar and decided to walk. It brought to an end one of the most successful careers over the past decade, which has included three world cups, over 70 test victories and a world record for test dismissals for wicket keepers. But sometimes stats do not tell the entire story, because Adam Gilchrist has been one of the best entertainers the game has ever seen, and also as one of the best all rounders of all time. One can safely say that he will be the third name put down in an all time test XI (after the Don and Sobers). Gilchrist was also a fantastic ambassador for Australia and needless to say, international cricket will miss him.

5

Number of matches won by India on the tour out of a possible 8 (two were washed out). 2 against the Lankans and 3 against the Aussies.

8

The number of batsmen who finished with an average of more than 35 and yet it was one of the most fun tournaments in living memory! Who said we need flat decks and 300 runs every 50 to have exciting one-day internationals?

10

Number of wickets taken by Praveen Kumar in three matches, including 4 in the second final at the Gabba. Watching Praveen Kumar bamboozle the Australian top order with his prodigious swing, it was hard to imagine that the guy is just 21 and would have almost thrown away his international career by joining the ICL. His performances again proved what a shrewd cricketing brain Dhoni has. Few captains would have backed Praveen Kumar because of his obvious lack of pace, but Dhoni rightly spotted that he would cause problems with his swing. Another one for the future.

14

Number of wickets taken by Ishant Sharma. No doubt the find of the tour and one to watch out for. Hopefully, the selectors and the team management will groom him and not let him go the way of countless other promising youngsters before him.

24

Average age of the Indian team. Who said you don’t win anything with kids? The average of the Australian team? 33. India had one player above the age of 30 (Tendulkar) whereas the Australians had just three players under 30. As I pointed out before, this was a shot in the arm for not just the selection committee but also for Dhoni’s captaincy. Moving forward, the introduction of youth at the expense of the experienced warhorses will probably take place with less drama.

67

Runs made by Ricky Ponting in 9 innings if one removes the 124 he made against India. Thats an average of 7 runs per innings.

208

Runs made by Sachin Tendulkar in the two finals of the tournament. He had had a largely forgettable tournament till that point with just 191 runs from 8 innings leading fans and former players to wonder whether the time had come for Tendulkar to go the way of both Dravid and Ganguly. But in two fantastic innings, Tendulkar turned it all around taking India to victory. It wasn’t as glamorous as the two knocks in Sharjah over a decade back but it was memorable to watch the way Sachin use his strengths to the maximum and guide youngsters such as Uthappa and Rohit Sharma. Needless to say, I fully expect the little master to carry on till 2011.

440

Total runs scored by Gautam Gambhir in the tournament. To be very honest, I have never been a big fan of the Delhi youngster, always had the feeling that he would struggle against the top teams in tough conditions but did he prove me wrong! Gambhir had a fantastic series and topped the runs charts scoring two centuries in the process. His 113 against Australia was a innings of the highest quality and proved that he has the maturity to play at the top level. Pity that he didn’t do well in the final, but then its a good thing that a certain Mr. Tendulkar stepped up.

100000000

Amount in Rupees that the BCCI has decided is a suitable award for the Indian team for winning the tournament. If you think 10 crores is a big amount, consider this- MS Dhoni will get Rs 6 crores for turning out for Chennai Kings for the IPL.

In a brilliant display of teamwork, commitment, and maturity, the Indian cricket team beat Australia 2-0 in the best of three finals to lift the Commonwealth Bank triseries in Australia. The second final in particular was an absolute humdinger and the manner in which youngsters responded in the pressure cooker situation was nothing short of remarkable. This is definitely the Indian team’s most notable achievement in the 50 over format in years and should prove to be a fantastic springboard for more success over the next couple of years.

All round performance gives India vital victory:

It is true that the Indian victory at the SCG and at the Gabba was set up by the little champion Sachin Tendulkar, but it is heartening to see that several individuals contributed over the two matches. From Rohit Sharma’s patient 50 that helped India chase down 240 in the final to Harbhajan’s crucial blows in the middle overs to Praveen Kumar’s spectacular 4 for 46 in the second final, both the finals had enough instances of Indian players stepping up during crucial moments. What was so remarkable about the matches is the fact that not one Australian player barring James Hopes was able to lift their game in either of the games.

Vindication of selection policy:

India’s success in the triseries is not just a vindication of MS Dhoni’s captaincy skills but is also a shot in the arm for the selection committee that has been trumpeting the need to promote rookies at the expense of experienced warhorses. There has been a lot of criticism of the policy that has led to the introduction of several youngsters at one time rather than in phases. But, to the credit of the selection committee it has to be said that they gave the captain the team he wanted.

Fantastic climax to a long tour:

With this victory, an eventful Australian tour that will go down in history not for the runs scored but for the insults traded finally come to an end in a moment of triumph for Indian cricket. This victory will also hopefully give the Indian and Australian medias enough things to write about without having to resort to articles about the childish behaviour of the two sides. But mostly, I am hoping that this is not another false dawn for Indian cricket, and that this team can start putting together good performances consistently and is more than just a mere collection of several stars as has been the case for many years.

But, tomorrow another series is going to commence, an event that should be of equal importance to the sports fraternity in the country. However, unlike the event on the other side of the planet, this is going to get very little coverage unless the team in question fails in its quest. For tomorrow, the Indian men’s hockey team is going to embark on a one week battle to ensure it qualifies for the Beijing Olympics. And if it doesn’t, the complete fall from the top of the hockey world in 1975 to the third tier of international hockey will be complete.

The teams:

Austria, Chile, Great Britain, Mexico and Russia are the teams which will be looking to get that last qualification spot for the Hockey event in Beijing. The fact is that barring Great Britain the other teams are all expected to be easy pickings for the Indian team. But, the big problem is that the final spot is going to be decided by a grand final next Sunday. And Great Britain has been doing extremely well of late, it could just happen that India has a great tournament but is knocked out of the Olympics because of a disastrous seventy minutes in the final. ( India’s draw with Poland in the Sydney 2000 Olympics effectively ruled them out of the semifinals and Poland were a team we were expected to beat).

The positive signs:

One of the most positive aspects has to be how young this team is, which means few of them have known failure on the international stage. Obviously the fantastic Asian Cup victory in Chennai in 2007 has helped boost the confidence of the team (pity the event was completely overshadowed by the 20-20 victory). Players such as Diwakar Ram (India’s great drag flicker hope) and Prabjhot Singh have made rapid strides over the past year. Plus, experienced players like Dilip Tirkey, Bimal Lakra and Ignace Tirkey will add steel to the side. The team has a good coach in Joaquim Carvalho who is committed to playing fast and attacking hockey. Further, having a man such as Ric Charlesworth providing his inputs should help.

The negatives:

None of the other teams in the event has the pedigree or the history of the Indian team and this intensifies the pressure on the Indian team. If they fail, references to the glorious run between 1928 and 1960 when we won the gold medal at every Olympic games will come thick and fast. Difficulties in qualifying for the Olympics is not new for the Indian team but never has it come down to making one final spot. Further, there has already been an instance of not everything in the preparation going the right way- as premier striker Rajpal Singh withdrew from the team claiming poor treatment only to retract the statement 24 hours later.

The next one week will officially kickstart India’s interest in the 2008 Olympics. One just hopes the Indian Hockey team is at the opening ceremony on the 8th of July 2008 in Beijing.

India’s fixtures:

March 1: vs Russia

March 2: vs Austria

March 4: vs Mexico

March 6: vs Britain

March 8: vs Chile.

In the latest episode, Australian opener Matthew Hayden referred to Indian spinner as an obnoxious weed further adding fuel to the fire that has raged through the summer. To be fair to Hayden, it is easy to understand where all the frustration was coming from- the fact that Andrew Symonds and him are state mates and best friends. But for a man who is 37 (thats right 37!) and who is not exactly known for good on-field behaviour to make such a remark is simply astounding. And why was it necessary to make this comment in such a turbulent time just speaks volumes of Hayden’s maturity. He would do well to learn from his opening partner- Adam Gilchrist.

Further, in the same radio interview, Matthew Hayden went on to wind up Ishant Sharma (a 19 year old to put things in context) by challenging him to a boxing match. Pure mental disintegration if you ask me and I am just hoping that Ishant doesn’t catch the bait and turn up in the one-day finals, emotionally wound up. And you can be certain that if either Harbhajan or Ishant react to this on the field, Hayden and Ponting will run up to the umpires and complain.

Petty behavior showing both teams in poor light:

There is not much that can be done about the influence of BCCI on world cricket, but both teams can behave better. Over the past decade, the Australian team’s performances on the field have probably made it the best in the history of the game but in their behaviour, they have more resembled the classroom bully (and I am not exaggerating here) than world champions. Their behavior is purely shaped to provoke the opposition (and Hayden’s remark has taken it off the field as well) but their response to criticism is standard- “we play the game hard but play it fair”.

India’s bunch of tyros (Sreesanth, Harbhajan and the likes) needlessly get into verbal spars with the Australian team and continuously go to the media making needless remarks. They would do well to learn from men like Dhoni and Kumble who continue to perform without mouthing off at every given opportunity. Again, I am all for aggressive cricketers who wear their hearts on their sleeve but again their behaviour has frankly been over the top.

Not looking forward to the October tour:

In case you didn’t know, the Australian team is touring Indian this October playing four tests in all. Somehow, the events of the past three months have made me realize that I am just not looking forward to the tour. The cricket is going to be exciting but the whole tour is just going to be full of insults, accusations and counter accusations. Further, I am dead sure that the BCCI will instruct the curators to create complete spinning wickets to ensure that the Indian team wins (news flash: our best performance in Australia was on a wicket that offered swing). I am all for spin and turn but not on the first day!

A sledging ban in the offing:

There is no other sport in the world where teams from such diverse cultures play each other with so much regularity while representing their national teams (you cant say Football cause International Football takes place for about 30 days every calendar year). What continues to amaze me is that neither the Australian team or the Indian team tries and understands the way of life of the other. What is perceived as personal banter in one culture is an insult in the other. Call it mental disintegration or sledging, personal attacks should not be a part of the game- be it on or off the field and this must go. And considering the clout of the BCCI and the subcontinent teams, chances are that it will be banned sooner rather than later.

If the ICC continues to shove things under the carpet, sooner rather than later this whole thing is going to explode just like the Harbhajan controversy a month back. Till then, Cricket Australia and the BCCI will do well to instruct their players to keep their lips sealed.

“The Premier League has proposed an international round of league games to be played in five cities across the globe from 2011 to cater for the worldwide demand for English football.”

When Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore announced his ambitious plan to exploit English football’s popularity and expand outside England, there were mixed reactions to this plan. While a few managers such as Arsene Wenger and Roy Keane gave their backing to the plan, most fans were unanimous in their opposition to the proposed 39th league game abroad.

There are certainly pros and cons to this highly controversial plan, and there are some questions that still need to be addressed before a final decision is taken.

Pros

The precedent was set by NFL, which was taken from the United States to London and it was appreciated by the fans. Premier League is a major attraction throughout the world and is a cash-cow waiting to be milked.

Fans around the world will have the chance to watch wonderfully talented players from the world’s strongest league playing competitive football.

With more revenues, the sport can witness a tremendous improvement in the not just the quality of players but also in that of the stadiums and other related facilities.

As is the case with any other sport, football needs to keep evolving and innovating if the sport needs to expand globally and dominate other sports in terms of viewership.

Cons

The idea is seen as solely motivated by money and with utter disregard for the fans.

It is a worrying trend that local fans are often marginalized by clubs as the clubs seek to establish a global fan base. Fans often feel that the game is beginning to forget its roots and the tradition of local club support. This might force fans to be up in arms against their clubs, and ultimately turn their back on the Premier League.

There is already talk of too much football and no winter-break. There is talk of accommodating the 39th game in January, a time when clubs play for the league, the league Cup, and the FA Cup.

Other national associations will want to protect their own leagues and clubs and furthermore, they will not be happy about the Premier League coming to their domain and taking sponsors, and advertising revenue.

Questions

What will happen to season-ticket holders who support their club every game in the home stadium but cannot afford to travel overseas?

Will the money made from these matches be put back into youth and grassroots football? Will clubs lower ticket prices?

If this becomes a huge success, what is the guarantee that the Premier League will not eventually play more games abroad?

Will fans abroad be as interested in a Derby-Boro match as they would be in a ManUtd-Newcastle game?

Will kick-off times be arranged to suit both the spectators in the stadiums abroad and the local supporters watching their clubs on television in England?

As much a fan I am of the Premier League who would love to watch EPL clubs playing competitive games in India, I am averse to the idea of the proposed 39th game abroad. Football clubs, throughout the world, have been established on a strong supporter base, built and passed over generations. I have personally witnessed the passion of local club supporters who have struck with their respective clubs through decades of triumphs and losses, and I believe that if the Premier League, whose enormous success was possible only due to the support of the local fan base, antagonizes the local fans by sticking to its plan of holding overseas games, the game will eventually lose its soul.

Do you think EPL games should be played abroad in cities around the world?

Over the past three years, the list of the number of controversies Sania has found herself in has grown at a very fast rate. The controversies include

1. Criticism by Mullahs of her short skirt. (Attire contradicts Islam and is supposedly a corrupting influence on the youth)

2. Her partnership with Israeli player Shahar Peer- again kicked off a controversy cause the same old Mullah’s didn’t recognize the state of Israel.

3. Her support of a South Indian actress over the latter’s comments on pre-marital sex. (which led to two days of protests by the Rahul-Priyanka Youth Brigade)

4. The shooting of an advertisement featuring her in a mosque in Hyderabad; a commission filed a lawsuit against her and the ad agency for illegally trespassing the mosque.

And now..

The insane flag controversy:

Somehow, the above image led to some attention seeker filing a law suit against her under the ‘Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act’. Under the terms of the act, a person can be thrown into prison for three years for insulting the country. Looking at the image it is clearly obvious that her feet are some distance away from the flag!

Ironically, the “disrespect to the national flag” issue cropped up when Sania was representing India at the Hopman Cup along with Rohan Bopanna. The thought that Sania choose to play for the country rather than play at the Sydney International and gain valuable WTA points seems to have missed the idiot who has filed this lawsuit. Whats worse, the Indian media, continues to oversell the story.

Needless comments by Paes

Indian tennis legend Leander Paes stated that there is nothing above playing for one’s own country in front of home fans and that Sania should not have skipped the Bangalore event. Couldn’t Leander apply the same “reasoning” for himself and played the Chennai Open? Tennis is an individual sport and that is the way it has been. While representing one’s country is something all players in general savor, putting unnecessary expectations on them is completely unwarranted. The pressure Sania has to deal with in India is much more than even what Tim Henman had to endure in England.

While her decision to skip the tournament has surprised and shocked many, it has come at the right time. She has been subjected to enough harassment and it is high time she stops being a publicity-generating machine for activists and news channels across the country. Her withdrawal from the Bangalore Open and tournaments in India has drawn a lot of attention from the global tennis community and it certainly has not done anything constructive for Indian tennis!

The Future:

Right now, after attaining the status of Asia’s top player, Sania has to work diligently toward her goal of entering the top 20. To do that she has to compete hard against super-talented youngsters like Agnes Szavay, Agnieszka Radwanska, Victoria Azarenka, and Alona Bondarenko. Sania has the game to do it and its just a question of staying fit and being able to get consistent results over the season. Whether the media, the fans and the mullahs let her be remains to be seen.

February 6, 1958 - On that fateful winter’s day exactly 50 years ago, the plane carrying Manchester United players back from a victorious European match at Belgrade, crashed after a failed attempt to take off after a refueling stop in Munich. The club lost 8 players in that tragedy and this became a moment of profound significance not just in ManUtd’s history but also in English football’s.

Sir Matt Busby, the ManUtd manager, had envisioned a golden age for ManUtd after being crowned English champions in 1956 and 1957, with a team of young starlets including Duncan Edwards, the then golden boy of football and the youngest international in England’s history. Busby had dreams of European domination, but those dreams lay in tatters while he lay critically injured in a hospital, but more painful was the excruciating news that he had lost most of his squad.

Apart from Duncan Edwards, ManUtd lost their captain Roger Byrne, David Pegg, Eddie Colman, Tommy Taylor, Billy Whelan, Mark Jones and Geoff Bent. Eight journalists, 3 United staff, one crew member, the co-pilot, and two other passengers lost their lives.

Busby recovered from his injuries and so did a few other players including Bobby Charlton, Dennis Viollet, and Bill Foulkes, among others. Amazingly, ManUtd made it to the FA Cup final, where they lost to Bolton Wanderers. But then, the club stumbled into the wilderness for a few years but who would have thought that Sir Matt Busby would build another great ManUtd side, a team that played some of the finest football in Europe.

At a time when football was moving towards conservatism and tactical organization, Busby’s refusal not to compromise on the club’s attacking style of football led to the club winning its first European title in 1968, the first English club to do so.

It is not the Munich tragedy that propelled United into a club with a worldwide fan base but it is the way they regrouped under their manager Sir Matt Busby, deriving strength from adversity, building a great side that consisted of Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, and George Best, and winning the European Cup on the 10th anniversary of the Munich tragedy.