Sports, Games, Yoga & So On & So Forth!

[Capt M Kumar]

<!--emo&:thumbdown--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' /><!--endemo--> India’s star rowers train on stinking drain
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.as...umentid=1288941
New Delhi: India won two silvers and a bronze in rowing at the 2006 Doha Asian Games and there is hope that the sport will be a major medal grosser in the years ahead.

But if you happen to drop in to watch some of India’s present and future train at the Chhawla drain (commonly known as the Najafgarh naala), it not only isn’t inspiring, it will probably make you want to throw up. Literally.

On Thursday, 30-odd rowers, most national level, from the Rajputana Rifles, did what they do for six to eight months of the year: Braving a constant, terrible stench, they trained surrounded by floating sludge and rubbish — lots of it potentially toxic given that effluents from across the Capital flows into this naala — to prepare for the National and Inter-Services championships.

“We used to feel very sick earlier… even wear masks at times, but now we have got used to it,” one of the rowers told HT, asking not to be named. “During summers though, it’s hellish with all the decomposing sewage, so while we have to train in some part of the summer, we try and do most of the training during the rainy season when the drain fills up.”

Doctors were horrified when asked about the health risks of training in a naala. “The rowers will be susceptible to countless bacterial and viral infections,” said Dr. Sushum Sharma, Senior Consultant Internal Medicine and HoD, the Preventive Health Programme at Max Healthcare.

“The water will be full of toxins, possibly some industrial waste too as we really don’t have any foolproof preventive mechanisms in place in India. There could be lead toxicity, arsenic poisoning… even if the men aren’t in the water itself, they could be splashed from the oars. You would have skin infections, inhale toxins, if something goes into the eye, nose or mouth, it could lead to anything from eye infections to intestinal infections.”

[Guest]

Who deleted my post?

[Guest]

Hi Harsh, I've set it to invisible - not deleted it since it's not relevant to subject/topic, let's move forward.
We used to have a thread for non-Cricketing sports in India, so let this thread stay.

The post by Capt Kumar highlights an important aspect pertaining to the neglect of non-cricketing sports. It's a disgrace that other sports are so badly neglected that we have sprinters who practise without shoes and now rowing team training in some drain!! This when country's raking in billions on cricket!!

And here's another blot: in Hockey India's failed to qualify for Olympics - first time in 80 years!!
That 'secular fundamentalist' sports minister Mani Iyer ought to get the boot.

[Guest]

But i dont see the purpose of posting that article from msn which does not mention that there are other training facilities in India which are far better than the one mentioned above. Have they ever mentioned the Bangalore facility which came up during the national games or the Hyderabad facility which are comparable to world standards.

Their main purpose seems to be shame the country rather than any detailed write-up. IMHO Such articles are best suited for the Psy-Ops thread rather than for any serious discussion thread.

And Indian Hockey is not suffering because of money or lack of facilities. The IHF goofed up by trying to make Indian players play in the European style of hockey rather than Asian style in which Indians are experts. It is more due to lack of foresight and not due to other reasons. And interesting development today is that a former hockey player is collecting MP's signature on a petition to 'reform' indian hockey. Reform may mean anything, throwing out KPS Gill or throwing out the whole hockey administration.

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The post by Capt Kumar highlights an important aspect pertaining to the neglect of non-cricketing sports. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That is definitely a problem but that is not just on the part of the gov't but among the people whose only idea of a sport is cricket, they play nothing else so what can we expect, not even general things which all humans tend to do like swimming or track are practiced.

Compare that to Argentina:

1) Soccer
2) Rugby Union (ranked 3rd)
3) Tennis
4) Basketball (they actually beat the US in Olympics)

Australia:
1) Cricket
2) Rugby League (9 out of 12 WC's winners)
3) Rugby Union (2 time WC winners out of 5)
4) Australian rules football
5) Soccer

These are only the more well known sports, Australia of course is also a top Olympic performer.

So the fault lies not just with the gov't but also with the public in general, how can we expect to win anything if the general public doesn't even want to play anything else.

The attitude of 24 hour studies has to change if we are ever going to do well in other sports and people actually have to get involved with their kids sports on weekends not just tell them that it's all a waste of time and that they will end up begging if they don't study.

[Husky]

<!--QuoteBegin-Bharatvarsh+Mar 16 2008, 12:54 AM-->QUOTE(Bharatvarsh @ Mar 16 2008, 12:54 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->The attitude of 24 hour studies has to change if we are ever going to do well in other sports[right][snapback]79677[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Also, sports are good for mental happiness and health. Study-obsessed individus or families may also be thrilled to learn that sports promote better concentration and are good for your neurons. A natural anti-depressant (expels toxins while producing hormones that make people feel happy and positive), it also gives people confidence, a good sense of balance and is a positive outlet for over-energetic ('hyper-active') or aggressive kids.
(Disclaimer: Contrary to the amount of over-enthusing in the above, I did not in fact get paid for this 'commercial'.)

I think families should encourage children to play volleyball, basketball, swimming, tennis and other fun stuff in India. Oh, and more hockey. And definitely the Natural Religions' martial arts: if not Kalari, then at least Karate, Taikwando or Gong Fu. (And of course Tai chi for all ages; similarly tennis and badminton are good for all ages including the very elderly as well).
Personally, I'm ambivalent toward professional soccer and rugby because pros tend to lose sight of sportsmanship and go into boring agressive behaviour more often (leastways, that's the feeling I get watching Touch and soccer worldcup - so many people yelling and kicking each other rather than the ball <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo--> ). Playing soccer at school or with friends is fun, though.

Also sports makes people very happy. I remember my aunt telling me how the thing she most missed from her younger life was playing sports in school; that running and sports were her favourite pastimes. She found that once the kids came and everything, there was no time or no one else to actually play with. But her face always brightened up when she talked about it. Spectator sports wasn't for her.
Cricket is okay for watching, more watchable than some. (Maybe the reason I find it watchable is because it doesn't irk me - like other sports do - that I'm not playing it myself... I tend to just get bored watching others play most sports.) But I'm guessing that playing cricket would be like playing baseball: not much activity, long periods of standing in one place and waiting around for the ball to come your way. People would definitely have to pay me for that. No wonder Indian cricket's getting billions.

Indian schools can't be relied on for making the necessary changes to encourage more sports in kids' lives though. Schools in India are so colonial-minded they only like what the stationary Victorian christo-british approved of, even if the British have moved on since. Indians before used to be interested in sports and general athletics (until the medieval period at least, certainly the royalty). Whenever a country is healthy and at the forefront of progressing, you find an interest in active participation in sport amongst the population. Indians today don't lack it, they've just brainwashed themselves out of considering it as an option, worried that success in finding employment implacably equates to spending every second of every waking moment studying.
Since schools are hopeless in sufficiently encouraging sports, families need to promote more of it amongst their youngsters - it will only lead to their kids having more energy and better success all-round.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->These are only the more well known sports, Australia of course is also a top Olympic performer.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Bear in mind that Australia and even NZ used to be very sports-oriented until recent times. That is, their measure of success or failure was in terms of sports and you weren't anybody unless you were an apt sportsman (a bit earlier on, the requirement was for an outdoorsy person). A number of good films, dramas and the like made on this period.
Ultimately, it's the same problem as modern-day India: too much focus on 'achieving' in one area - be it studies or sports - and your life goes out of whack. Guess it's time for a cheesy reminder of 'moderation' or something (actually, it ain't cheesy, The Middle Path is from the Tao-Te-Ching!) And in India's case this means more games, more running, more playing.

[Pandyan]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Personally, I'm ambivalent toward professional soccer and rugby because pros tend to lose sight of sportsmanship and go into boring agressive behaviour more often (leastways, that's the feeling I get watching Touch and soccer worldcup - so many people yelling and kicking each other rather than the ball blink.gif ). Playing soccer at school or with friends is fun, though.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Husky, with regards to Association Football, it's actually quite opposite of what you described. The sport is now plagued with issue of players diving and faking injuries to draw fouls/penalties. I mean, there is no real aggression involved. This was witnessed in the last World Cup's final match that featured France and Italy. It was the worst game of soccer I have ever seen. All this drama and playacting persuaded me to follow Rugby which I find more exciting to watch and play than any sport I've known so far.

With regards to unsportsmanlike activities in these games, well sometimes these aggressive outbreaks are triggered by unsportsmanlike gestures like illegal tackles etc, so it tends to be sorted out by the use of jungle-justice. Things like this are pretty rare even in an rough sport like Rugby. I still prefer it to the "sport" I've come to despise aka cricket.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Indian schools can't be relied on for making the necessary changes to encourage more sports in kids' lives though. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You're right on that one. When I did my schooling in India, my school allowed us a grant total of 30 minutes for PT (Physical Training - sports etc) <i>weekly</i>. In the US however, we had about 90 minutes of sports every single day and the activities were rigorous. Not crap like cricket or some stupid childish game.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->families need to promote more of it amongst their youngsters - it will only lead to their kids having more energy and better success all-round.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah. Also, like BV said somewhere else, this is a truly global phenomenon for Indians. Even among NRI's there is no active encouragement on the part of parents to make their kids pursue sports.

Personally, I would like to see a massive resurgence of traditional games and activities like mallakhamb, kabbadi, Hindu wrestling, and the use of our traditional weights for bodybuilding. Success in Olympic events will naturally follow when crap like cricket is disbanded.

[Husky]

<!--QuoteBegin-Pandyan+Mar 17 2008, 04:40 PM-->QUOTE(Pandyan @ Mar 17 2008, 04:40 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Husky, with regards to Association Football, it's actually quite opposite of what you described. The sport is now plagued with issue of players diving and faking injuries to draw fouls/penalties. I mean, there is no real aggression involved. This was witnessed in the last World Cup's final match that featured France and Italy. It was the worst game of soccer I have ever seen.[right][snapback]79720[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->It's been over a decade since I followed the world cup. But I heard about that France-Italy fiasco. Hard to miss it, in fact.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Rugby which I find more exciting to watch and play than any sport I've known so far.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->That is brilliant. Just convince more of your family and friends to join you - cousins, people you hang out with. Letting your enthusiasm rub off on them is one way to make a change.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I still prefer it to the "sport" I've come to despise aka cricket.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> The only sports I despise are hunting (including fox-hunting - another christo British 'sport') and Bull-fighting. Yeah, it shows how one is a real sportsman when people on horseback all chase down a defenseless fox, using dogs to track it. Meanwhile, the bull is never allowed to survive at the end anyway, even if it made it past the matador goading it into attacking him and then punishing it for taking the bait/for trying to get its own back. (Both these sports say something revealing about the christo psyche.)

At least cricket gets Indian kids to run around and toss the ball, fall down and get muddy. If they're smiling, it can't be too bad. But I do wish they'd vary their interests more. If they try playing other sports, they will get at least as much entertainment. Tennis is something one can play with a sibling or three others. And Volleyball and Basketball can get the whole neighbourhood going with just a single ball. Fun is guaranteed.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->a grant total of 30 minutes for PT (Physical Training - sports etc) <i>weekly</i>.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->For a measly 30 minutes weekly, they might as well cancel the show altogether! What is that? Do teachers not get paid when kids are having fun or something?

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Even among NRI's there is no active encouragement on the part of parents to make their kids pursue sports.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->NRIs might have brought over more of that "self-denial is the route to success" delusion. So kids lose out on sports. This is just unacceptable and has to be changed.
But I can't say that I've experienced such cases myself. Even after high school I know quite a few active Hindus hereabouts - rowing, cycling, several play tennis. And two girls - a Jaina and a Hindu from Karnataka - are very good at martial arts. Another is into running marathons.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Personally, I would like to see a massive resurgence of traditional games and activities like mallakhamb, kabbadi, Hindu wrestling, and the use of our traditional weights for bodybuilding.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Sounds very good indeed. Indian population's mindset has to change again. The christo-brits had a disastrously profound impact on India, from their banning of Kalari and BharataNatyam dancing, to their enforcing their weird christo-Victorian sanctimoniousness on Hindus.


<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Success in Olympic events<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Success in international sports events, certainly. But am not an especial fan of Olympics any more, only because the Hellenic Greeks at YSEE say they find it offensive that their religious celebration is misused by "the monotheists".
http://www.ysee.gr/index-eng.php?type=en...ovestories
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->393
The Pythian, Aktia and Olympic Games are outlawed as part of the Hellenic "idolatry". Christians sack the Temples of Olympia.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> http://www.ysee.gr/index-eng.php?type=english&f=faq#33
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>What is your view of the modern Olympic Games?</b>
We are opposed to such games, because they are falsely named and have no relationship with the authentic and living spirit of our ancestors, the true Hellenes. They are also quite a world apart from the initial romanticism that justified their creation and revival by non-Greeks, about a century ago. The majority of them were monotheists, ignorant of the real essence of the Games (i.e., their religious nature). Today they are a vulgar commercialization that profoundly insults the symbols and beliefs of our ancestors, who honored with their theology the Sublime, the True and the Beautiful.
Even the name of our religion (Olympic, Olympian) has been turned into a trademark and the local representatives of this blasphemy have made pathetic caricatures of our Gods, Apollo and Athena.

The real Olympic Games, as the pre-eminent symbol-institution of our inherited Cosmotheasis, were abolished by the Byzantine invaders 16 centuries ago. If they are ever re-established, it will be in all their grandeur along with the revival of the culturally enslaved, for 22 centuries, Hellenic Ethnos. All other 'resurrections' have been, are and will be comical or profane.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->(Imagine if the christos got the Kumbha Mela banned and then centuries later 'resurrected' it as a commercial woodstock type event where everyone all over the world came over to do things unrelated to the actual Kumbha Mela and totally ignored that the original had anything to do with Hinduism?)
Predictably, the other monotheists - the communists of China - are hosting it this year. Apparently they still have time for all this in between massacring the Tibetan Buddhists and laying claims on Arunachal Pradesh. With any luck, the international turnout for the impending faux-olympics will be negligible and the TV ratings outside China a blip.

[Pandyan]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Meanwhile, the bull is never allowed to survive at the end anyway, even if it made it past the matador goading it into attacking him and then punishing it for taking the bait/for trying to get its own back. (Both these sports say something revealing about the christo psyche.)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

On that note I would like to bring up the topic of Jallikattu. It was recently in the limelight during this Pongal season because her highness, Maneka Gandhi managed to get it banned using her political clout. I think the ban was overturned and it was disregarded by the village folk anyway. Jallikattu happens to be very different from bull fighting sports of Europe in that, the bull is considered to be holy and is never grievously injured (the story is different for human participants of the sport however). The bull is also not killed in the end like in Spanish bullfighting where its done in with a sword.

[Capt M Kumar]

<!--emo&:ind--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/india.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='india.gif' /><!--endemo--> Himachal Pradesh govt to honour Khali
7 May 2008, 0418 hrs IST,PTI

Khali (TOI Photo)
SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to honour World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler Daleep Singh Rana alias Khali.

“The state will honour Khali, a native of Sirmaur district..,” chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s office said here on Tuesday. Since Dhumal is busy campaigning for the May 22 Hamirpur Lok Sabha bypoll, “we are making efforts to find a suitable date for the function,” they added.

The decision to honour Khali was taken as he has acted as a kind of international brand ambassador for the state, sources said.

An official of the state government had presented a bouquet to Khali on behalf of the chief minister on his arrival in Delhi from US recently. <!--emo&:ind--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/india.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='india.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Capt M Kumar]

<!--emo&:thumbsup--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbup.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbup.gif' /><!--endemo--> He jokes, "The old saying 'doodh dahi ka khana, ehi mera Haryana' (It's a diet of milk and curd, that's my Haryana) still holds good in our part of the state."

Local boxing centres in Bhiwani enroll the boys between 10 and 14 years of age
Local boxing centres in Bhiwani enroll the boys between 10 and 14 years of age
An over-riding motivation for boxers are job opportunities that come with sporting success. In the last decade, it is believed more than 500 boxers from Bhiwani have landed jobs with the army, para-military forces, the railways and the police.

"A job is the first motivation for anyone taking up the gloves," adds Akhil. Already employed with the Indian Railways, Akhil, Vijender and Jitender have now been offered jobs as inspectors in the Haryana Police.

"Experience is the biggest guru in boxing," says the feisty Akhil, who will delay joining the Haryana police in order to keep his mind on his training.
http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/index.ph...=1&limitstart=1

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Against the Odds: Vijender Kumar

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7482661.stm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Capt M Kumar]

<!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> What is the relation between cricket and bhajan? Mahendra Singh Dhoni! Tired of trying to net the cricketer himself, young girls in Bihar are now praying to Lord Shiva to grant husbands like him.

Temples are echoing with the Bhojpuri song, Set kara di life he Baba Dhoni sangh hamaar ho . (Lord Shiva, please set our lives with Dhoni or men like him). With the Hindi month of Shrawan on, the recently-released album, Baba ke nagariya bada pawan lage la , (Lord Shiva's abode is sacred to us) has become a favourite for girls in Bihar. Unmarried girls throng Shiva temples during the month to seek suitable husbands.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/D...how/3282001.cms

[Capt M Kumar]

<!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> Various naked yoga clubs have reportedly popped up across USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Russia, Australia, etc.

However, acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has urged celebrities and others to take yoga seriously as, being one of the six systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy, it is highly revered in Hinduism.

It is actually a mental and physical discipline by means of which the human-soul unites with universal-soul. (ANI)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ENTERTA...how/4951243.cms

[Capt M Kumar]

<img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/angry.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':angry:' /> 1st it was Hockey which fortunately resolved to the satisfaction of players.

[size="4"][color="#FF0000"]And now it's shooting, 1 and only olympic gold winner which India has ever produced is being debarred from participation in the next 2 shooting world cups.[/color][/size] When these officials will ever learn?

Official says that he is following sports ministry guideline whereas sports ministry says that it will not object if Abhinav Bindra does the training the way he wants it.

Right now sports ministry has no choice but to disband the red tape and take the responsibility of sending the best team for forthcoming competitions.

[Capt M Kumar]

Currie Tuesday said the prospects of the Games being cancelled were now very real. "That's not a decision that we'll make (alone) but there are some realities. If the village is not ready and athletes can't come, obviously the implications of that are that it's not going to happen," he was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.

"I think they (Commonwealth Games Federation) are in severe difficulties. In the time frame that is left, unless there is tremendous effort and energy and problem-solving ability to get it done, I think it's going to be extremely hard to get across the line. "They've got a little bit of time but it's kind of two seconds to midnight rally." http://sports.in.msn.com/othersports/art...id=4408618

[Bharatvarsh2]

What a joke.



So much time to prepare but still can't get ready to host the games.



Delhi is ruled by the senile old Sheila Dixit.



Future "superpower" indeed.

[Bharatvarsh2]

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cwg-shocker-s...ml?from=tn



If they even have an iota of shame Dixit and Co would committ suicide.

[sai_k]

shame!

[Bharatvarsh2]

http://www.ndtv.com/article/commonwealth...ames-53859



http://sify.com/sports/now-pakistan-send...ajjic.html



Some people really have no shame.