A Common Fan’s Sports Diary

Even the great Michael Phelps can't master all the swimming events - there are so many of them

One of the great sporting discussions of our times is to compare Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. This discussion inevitably spills over into a comparison of the sport of golf with tennis – so as to understand how the feats in one sport compare with another.

Someone who has a decent knowledge of both sports can make a reasonable comparison but most people don’t and that leads to some vague assessments

A lot of Federer supporters claim that the Swiss has now won majors on all surfaces whereas Tiger hasn’t won on all the golf courses that he’s played on.

Another often heard argument is that Fedex usually ends up in the top 4 or top 2 of any tournament that he plays but Tiger often ends up way down the leader board.

Anyone who knows both sports will tell you that comparisons between them are not so straightforward.

I have often tried to explain the same to people; reasoning that the two sports require vastly different levels of versatility. Mostly I have not managed to get my point across for lack of a good analogy.

Finally I think I have a decent one.

Golf is like the sport of swimming. There are four different styles and races involve different distances. There are races which even involve a combination of all the four styles. All combine to create more than 20 events with a different challenge for each race. Fundamentally you are doing the same thing (swimming) in each race but each one of them requires a different kind of physical conditioning, training, preparation and tactics. There is no one who has managed to master every kind of race over his or her lifetime.  The greatest of them all, Michael Phelps, has managed to win six individual events at one event. If we wanted to and gave it his all, he could master any race but thanks to the time and effort it will take, he won’t be able to master all of them in a single life.  It is impossible and that is how it will forever be.

Tiger Woods could also master any golf course if he wanted to – he could make alterations in his game and gain familiarity for the course through regular practise. But to master all of them, it will take more than one life.

Scherbo and Federer mastered every challenge that their sport had to offer

Tennis on the other hand is like gymnastics. There are six routines and then there is the all round event. Again the basic requirements for all are the same but each is different in terms of the preparation, practise and planning it takes achieve mastery over it. But the fact that there are only six of them ensures that a really talented gymnast can master all of them. Vitaly Scherbo won a world or an Olympic title in each of the six events and won the all round too. It’s not easy and it takes a special talent but it can be done.

Roger Federer has also done a Scherbo, winning major titles on every surface. But like the gymnast he too had a lesser challenge in terms of the number of variables he needed to master.

Vitaly Scherbo’s complete mastery over gymnastics doesn’t make him a greater champion than Michael Phelps, who hasn’t conquered everything in swimming.  And that is exactly what we need to understand whenever we are engaged in a Federer- Woods discussion.

Renu Gora has gone from winning a bronze at the World Championships to serving tea to govt lackeys

The Hindustan Times has done a ‘Tehelka’ on the officials of NIS Patiala.

They have brought to the country’s attention the shocking truth that women boxers, including former national champions and a bronze medallist at the World Championships, are being made to do the chores usually reserved for servants.

On second thoughts, it wasn’t really a ‘Tehelka after all; there was no sting operation and there isn’t anything covert about what is going in the National Institute of Sports. As reported by the national daily, it is blatant and its out in the open. And what is worse is that it’s hardly raised a furore and nobody’s even bothered to issue a statement to refute what has been reported or to condemn the actions of the officials at NIS Patiala.

Quite obviously, other than the Hindustan times and a few sports fans, nobody cares for the plight of these female boxers; atleast the people in authority are the least bit bothered.

Milkha Singh had set a benchmark for apathy towards women boxers when he refused to consider four times world champion MC Mary Kom for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award because he hadn’t heard about her or her exploits. The officials of the NIS Patiala just raised the bar.

This comes soon after Delhi was awarded a WSB franchise and the boxing community and boxing fans were looking forward to a bright future for the sport. I guess the future’s bright only for the men and that too as long as they keep winning medals.

It’s not that the women haven’t been winning medals. They topped the medals tally at the 2006 World Championships in Delhi and won 4 to finish in third place at the 2008 edition in Ningbo, China. And what’s more, women’s boxing is a strong contender to be included as a medal sport in the 2012 London Olympics. If that happens, our women boxers could win more Olympic medals than the rest of contingent combined.

What is most difficult to fathom is whether the officials at NIS Patiala are irrevocably dumb and uninformed and do not realize the damage they are doing to the potential Olympic medallists and in turn causing harm to their own good as well – after all if the women boxers script a glorious chapter at the London Olympics, there will be media attention , official recognition and inflow of corporate money in the sport, and even the officials will stand to gain from that, through right means and wrong ones as well.

Or are they one of the most heartless, corrupt bastards to have been born in this country; people who have gotten into the sport but have absolutely no love for it. They aren’t the least bit interested in helping produce the next batch of champions and don’t get any joy in seeing an Indian win an Olympic medal.

I don’t know if anything is going to come out of the HT report. I don’t expect much in a country where someone who sold an India cap for 2 lakhs (with video evidence to boot), K Jothikumaran, has managed to win the corruption case against him in the Madras high court and could soon get back to running hockey affairs in India again.

But if given a chance to decide the punishment for these guys, I know just the thing for them. No committees and court cases for these rascals. They should be put in a ring with these women boxers in a bout with no rules and protective gear. I am fully confident that after these bouts no sports official will dare repeat what’s going on in Patiala!

Thanks to the Hindustan Times for breaking the news and to my friend Nimish for sending the link

Somdev Devvarman has brought us this far and he will have to carry us past South Africa

India take on South Africa in the Davis Cup World Group play-off from September 18-20. The tie will be played in the Ellis Park Indoor Arena on a hard greenest court, where the speed can be altered as required (I found this fascinating. The kind of things you can do these days)

Long overdue return to the World Group

For any Indian fan, this is the tennis event of the year, save for the grand slams. It’s a huge opportunity for India to get back to the World Group, where the big boys of world tennis play. We haven’t been there for 11 years now, and the wait has been so long that the pain of missing the action has almost numbed – the memories of past Davis Cup glory in the World group have almost started to feel like events from a past life now.

Davis Cup tennis was one of the major sporting attractions in the 80’s and early 90’s. It was easy to get hooked at a time when India’s presence in the World Group was a given and wins over higher ranked opponents a routine occurrence. But thanks to years of absentia, the competition seems to have lost some of its sheen for us. Therefore it’s imperative that we make the most of this opportunity to get back to the World Group – to refresh the old memories and create some more. There is so much riding on this tie.

So how do the teams stack up?

On paper the teams are well matched. India has the highest ranked player in the tie in Somdev Devvarman at 132. South Africa have Kevin Anderson at 156 and a trio of players in the 200’s. India’s next best singles player, Rohan Bopanna is only ranked 307. India’s doubles pairing of Leander and Bhupathi have to be considered the favourites, although South Africa have a fine doubles player in Wesley Moodie. South Africa are at home and have a very good record as hosts.

In terms of the playing surface, the two sides have very similar likes and dislikes so that shouldn’t be too much of a factor. But South Africa could gamble on a fast court which would suit the big serving game of the 6’8’’Anderson.

I am also counting on the Indian origin community in South Africa to turn up in large number to negate the massive crowd support that South Africa would have otherwise enjoyed.

The fate of the tie could come down to the clash between Somdev and Anderson and Rohan and South Africa’s second singles player. India need to win atleast one of these two matches to make the World Group.

And it is here that the absurd rule (an order from the Indian Government which bars non-natives from representing the country), which will probably keep Prakash Amritraj out of the tie, really rankles. The presence of the 159th ranked Prakash could have tilted the scales conclusively in India’s favour. But the team shouldn’t let his absence bother them. Somdev Devvarman has proven to be the true successor of Leander Paes; raising his game time and again to beat higher ranked opponents in the Davis Cup and we have full confidence that he will guide us back to the Promised Land.

The memories of 1974 of 1994

Any discussion involving India, South Africa and the Davis Cup cannot be complete without a mention of the 1974 final between these two nations which was won by the former Springboks after the Indians forfeited the tie in protest against apartheid. It was a righteous act but as a result South Africa are former Davis Cup champions and India are not. It was India’s best chance to win the Cup and save for the 1987 final, when we were blanked 5-0 by Sweden, we haven’t come that close again.

The Indian side would also seek to take revenge for the only other tie between the two sides, which was played in 1994 when the South Africans led by former top-ten player Wayne Ferreira won 3-2 in Jaipur. Leander Paes was a heart-broken member of that team and he would be itching to get some sort of revenge.

35 years on from the 1974 final that never happened, the two nations square up again with something substantial on offer – both teams trying to get back to the World group for the first time since 1998. And this round, the Indians cannot let anything come between them and victory.

Disclaimer: I am a diehard fan of Indian Hockey. For proof, you can check the articles related to Indian Hockey on this website. I have nothing against it and I am all for it. So, I request you to take an objective look at the argument made in the article and not start brandishing me as a hater of Indian Hockey.

Hockey has given us a lot but was it the right 'national game' in the first place

One of our (the kind of people who passionately follow Indian sports) favourite past times is to cringe and whine at the decline of our ‘National game’. We chronicle the official apathy towards hockey, debate ways to revive the sport and keep going back into history to unearth reasons for the sports’ fall from grace. That cricket is now the quasi national game is a reality we have more or less come to terms with. Our national game might go the way of the national bird of Mauritius- the Dodo has long been extinct but continues to enjoy posthumous recognition. Wait, I am getting into the rut again. Enough said. Rather than waste a lazy Saturday morning commiserating some more, I have decided to take a different approach. Let’s see how some other ‘national games’ are faring in their respective countries.

Before we begin, let’s clarify some things. Many countries don’t have an official national game or sport. But most of them, like the US for example have had a de facto ‘national sport’ all along. The sport getting this unofficial recognition has been one which has had a long history of extreme popularity in the country and has been widely followed and played all over.

We’ll start with our neighbours Pakistan where Hockey is the official national sport and Polo is the secondary national sport on a state –level. In terms of international success, however, Squash has been most rewarding with a slew of British Open and World champions. Today, all three have been pushed into the background by Cricket. Hockey and Squash have suffered with international successes completely drying up. Not that the increased patronage of Cricket has borne any fruit. 60 years after the split, we still continue to behave in similar ways. Maybe the two countries should stop bothering about nuclear missiles and cross border terrorism and set a joint action committee to improve the state of hockey and cricket. Will do more than anything else to diffuse the tension and win a few Nobel peace prizes for the likes of Sharad ‘I can’t find a cricket coach’ Pawar.

Next we move to the US of A. Being a country obsessed with itself, it’s not surprising that their popular sports are hardly international and domestic sports are far bigger than international events. There is great diversity when it comes to support with each sport having pockets of fanatical following. As mentioned earlier, they do not have an official national sport. Baseball has always been referred to as America’s ‘National Pastime’ and the sport has deep roots in America’s history and culture. Today American Football enjoys the highest popularity followed by Baseball and Basketball. Internationally, the Americans get beaten by the likes of Greece and Argentina at Basketball and Puerto Rico and Venezuela at Baseball. Not that it takes anything away from their popularity. The three sports are ingrained in the sporting DNA of the nation and there is no worthy challenger in sight. Even somebody like Andre Agassi at the height of his fame played second fiddle to the likes of Michael Jordan (basketball), Deion Saunders (American Football) and Ken Griffey Jr (Basketball).

The sport which rules Australia. But hasn't been accorded national game or national sport status

If there is one country, I truly admire as a nation of great sportsmen, it has to be Australia. Take any sport and you’ll find an Aussie competing for top honours. Unlike the Americans, they excel in truly international sports. Hockey, Cricket, Swimming, Athletics, Tennis, Squash, Rugby, Basketball, Motorsports, Shooting, Golf, Cue sports, Football, the list is endless. Their penchant for brawn stops them from recognizing cerebral activities like Chess as a sport. But wait till they discover Kabaddi – they’ll start whipping us in no time. They do not have an official national sport but Cricket has always been treated as one – owing largely to its traditional popularity and Australian history being intertwined with that of England. In terms of revenue and attendance though, the home-grown sport of ‘Australian Rules Football’ is marginally ahead. Another example of a sport being part of the nation’s DNA.

The English take credit for giving the World, Cricket, Football, Rugby, Badminton and Tennis. They dominated these sports early on but were soon caught up by the rest of the world. But surprisingly they do not have an official national game. Surprising, because I suspected we picked up this concept from them. They probably had a hard time choosing from the long list. They finally resolved this issue by having different sports earmarked for different seasons with Cricket being the national summer sport. Football is by far the most popular sport and cricket has been revived from the dead by Twenty-20. The national teams are generally no good but the domestic structure for Cricket, Football and Rugby is probably the best in the world with the domestic sides producing great fare. The English fans cheer for both national and domestic sides – which is a blessing for each sport and helps keep the interest alive.

This truly Japanese sport means more to the Japanese than football and baseball

Time now for some oriental flavour with the Japanese. They do not have an official national sport but have traditionally viewed Judo, Karate and Sumo Wrestling as national sports. The origins of these sports are pretty ancient and they are an important ingredient of Japanese culture. For a few years now, Japan’s stranglehold on Judo and Karate medals in international events has loosened considerably and the western influence has made Baseball and Football fairly popular. In spite of all this, Sumo Wrestling remains the nation’s number one national past-time followed closely by the two martial arts

Some other useful information

• Even the football-crazy nations of Brazil, Argentina and Italy have not accorded the sport any official status
• Many nations continue to have very ancient sports (which are totally unknown outside their country) as their national sport. Ireland has Hurling, Afghanistan has Buzkashi and Thailand has Muay Thai

So what have we learnt from all these countries – most of whom have a far more active sporting culture than ours

What was the need to have an ‘official’ national sport – Now come on. Before you call me ludicrous, remember that even the English don’t have one and we learnt all our good things from them- right from the way we eat to the way we sit in the toilet. It would have saved a lot of heart ache. Which gentleman came up with this brilliant idea when there were so many other issues to deal with in a newly-independent nation? I am sure we have inspired other nations to share our ‘official’ obsession. This deserves a place in the all-time top-5 foolish decisions taken by those in power, and considering the way governments are run in this country that is an outstanding feat.

Did Hockey really deserve to become the national game – This might also sound preposterous but think about it. We learnt the game from the British just like many others. There is no historical justification for this decision. Hockey was not by any stretch of imagination a part of our ancient culture. The Australians adopted cricket as they had no history or culture to speak of. We had no such issues. The committee which peered into history to pick out the National Emblem failed to do the same for the National Sport. If medal-winning potential was the right criterion back in the day, then what is wrong in using the same measure to identify a new National Sport?

The Mauritians were still justified in selecting a land-faring, defenceless, Dodo as their National Bird. At least it was unique to their island and part of their history. We would have selected the Siberian Cranes just because they can fly the furthest.

This article was originally published on iSport.in in October 2007.

A player like Wesley Sneijder could really improve the United squad

Dale Johnson of ESPN Soccernet reckoned that Man United need the trio of Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema and Antonio Valencia to compensate for the creativity and goal-scoring that was earlier single-handedly provided by Cristiano Ronaldo. The 80 million pounds that United got from the Ronaldo sale wouldn’t have been enough to get all three, though. And, now with Benzema gone to Real and Bayern refusing to budge on Ribery, Johnson’s hypothesis is irrelevant.

So what should Man United do?

Man United should not lose sight of their other squad requirements in trying to find a suitable replacement for the Portuguese. There will definitely be a downgrade at his position – something which will adversely affect the over-all composition of the side and its performance on the pitch. After all we are talking of the most expensive player in the world here. But his loss can be compensated handsomely by upgrading a number of other positions which need attention. United need to upgrade at the right-back position where Rafael da Silva is promising but not fully equipped for the big games; atleast not yet. They also need to find suitable replacements for Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, who made huge contributions last season but might not able to deliver at the same level for too long.

Man United are quite capable of attracting top talent having both the money and the pedigree to do so. Real Madrid are mostly done with their signings and save for Man City, which few players want to join, nobody has the cash to dole out.

There is a fire sale happening at Real Madrid with a truckload of Dutch internationals being made available by the club which happens to have 10 squad players too many.

Amongst the lot, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Klas Jan Huntelaar make a lot of sense for United. Sneijder is the goal scoring, powerful driving midfielder that Paul Scholes was and Michael Carrick will never be. Robben is injury prone but has proven to be devastatingly effective in the premiership with Chelsea. Huntelaar has been coveted by United previously and will be a long term solution.

And then there are others. Brazilian Maicon is a world class right-back whose overlapping forays will seamlessly blend into the United attack. He is looking out but doesn’t seem to have a lot of suitors.

Even if United fail to get these players, there are others who Fergie can go after and who will still be a substantial improvement over the current lot.

The argument is simple.

The downgrade at one key position is inevitable but if that happens in tandem with improvements in other areas of the pitch, than it should ensure that the sum of United’s squad will continue to be as whole as before.

Baseball umpires wear protection on their face and chest. The close-in fielders including the wicketkeeper wear protection on their head and legs. Its time the umpires wore some protection as well.

This article was written immediately after the tragic death of young Spanish defender Antonio Puerta. But it as relevant today as it was then.

We have been recently shaken by the sudden demise of Sevilla and Spain defender Antonio Puerta. The young man was a regular feature in the glorious Sevilla side and a recent inclusion in the national team – his death at the young age of 22, leaves dreams unrealized and promises unfulfilled. His young family will miss a father, a son and a husband. For the rest of sporting world, the loss will be of a wonderfully gifted athlete- still coming into his best. They will forever marvel at how good he could have been – a torturing exercise for every sports fan who truly appreciates a wonderful talent. May his soul rest in peace and may god give strength to his near and dear ones.

Talented sportspersons are such a rare breed. They bring great pleasure to a large audience and hence, their loss is also felt by the masses. The pain is even greater when the flower is plucked away at a tender age, as in the case of Puerta. A peek into history and I’ am intrigued by god’s ways. He bestows individuals with so much talent but gives them so little time to use them.

I think the world of music has easily been the worst hit in this regard – with a long list of suicides, drug-related deaths and murders. The world of Sports also, has had its own fair share. Individuals, who could have laid a claim to being the best in their chosen sport, have been taken away before the world could be fully illuminated by their brilliance. Almost in every case the impact of their departure was huge. They left behind a major void, which took a while to fill. In a few cases, their teams have yet to recover from their loss.

Let’s spend some time remembering these wonderful individuals, who, while dear to us were dearer to god.

I will start off with the Munich air crash of 1958, which is probably unmatched in terms of sheer collective loss. The wonderfully gifted Manchester United side- known as the ‘Busby Babes’ for their collection of precociously talented youngsters lost 8 of their very best. The youngsters lived the ‘attack is the best form of defence’ ideology of their manager- Matt Busby and knew no fear- meeting death with similar fearlessness. The team was expected to be the main rivals for Real Madrid in the newly-started European Cup. Instead, they spent the next decade overcoming their sorrows and re-building. Redemption came in the form of European Cup glory in 1968. The likes of George Best and Dennis Law starred in ‘Busby Babes’ part II.

We will never know what he could have become

I will make special mention of the biggest loss in the crash- Duncan Edwards (who was heroic even in death fighting on for 3 weeks before finally succumbing). To quote the great Bobby Charlton himself, “The only player who made me feel inferior was Duncan Edwards. If I had to play for my life and could take one man with me, it would be him.” Terry Venables and Tommy Docherty called him the greatest player they had ever seen – above the likes of Best, Pele and Maradona. A complete player with no weaknesses, he made his international debut at 16 and if not for the tragedy, he would have held aloft the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1966.

The Superga air crash of 1949 (which killed the entire AC Torino side) and the 1993 Gabon air crash (which killed the entire Zambian national side) fall into the same category. Torino were the toast of Italy – winners of 5 consecutive Scudettos and contributing ten members to the Italian national side. Similarly, Zambia had a high-flying side well on their way to a first appearance in the World Cup. The accidents completely derailed the two sides and they are yet to achieve even a semblance of their former glory. Torino are an also-ran in Italy and Zambia’s World Cup aspirations got buried with their deceased players.

Archie Jackson

‘The best batsman of all time’. This is probably one of the few undebated topics in sport. Donald Bradman towers above everybody. Well, at least everybody who has had a full playing career. There was little to choose between the Don and Archie Jackson, while the latter was alive – which was for a very short time. He died at 23 (the second youngest cricketer to die), giving only glimpses of what might have been. All articles on great batsmen have a mandatory mention of ‘had Archie Jackson lived’ and there are knowledgeable people, who still think he would have matched Bradman as the greatest batsman of all time, had he lived longer. I think god had pity on the hapless English and summoned Jackson to play for his side against the devil’s eleven instead.

Pride of the Yankees

I now move onto the American equivalent of cricket – baseball. Even though Lou Gehrig had a long legendary career in Major League Baseball, he deserves a mention here for three reasons. The class manner in which he lived and died as well, the fact that he was still ripe for many more successful seasons and for his enduring impact on the sport and popularity among the masses. A physical specimen known as the ‘Iron Horse’ for his durability, he was ravaged by a disease so rare (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) that it is now named after him. He was given a tearful farewell in Yankee stadium (even the conceited Babe Ruth was in tears that day). Had he lived, he would have sealed his place as the greatest player of all time. The league bent its rules to include him in the Hall of Fame as its youngest ever inductee. The nice ones seem to be taken early.

Len was supposed to carry the Celtic dynasty forward. Without him the dynasty collapsed

My next player also comes from the US. Basketballer Len Bias joins this list without ever having stepped on court as a professional. He represents the greatest ‘what-if’ in the history of the sport. He drew comparisons with all the great ones (including Michael Jordan) while still in college and his unbridled potential had the fans and players licking their chops in anticipation. He died of cocaine overdose two days after the legendry Boston Celtics selected him in the 1986 draft (a selection process through which new players enter the NBA). His death seems to have cursed the team and they have gone from best to worst; suffering further tragedy in 1993. (Their best player, Reggie Lewis collapsed and died on court). Len’s younger brother Jay, a promising player himself, was shot to death in 1990. The Bias family is surely the sporting equivalent of the Kennedys.

There will never be another driver like Senna

Ayrton Senna makes a case similar to that of Lou Gehrig. Three drivers’ championships and still an incomplete feeling. Michael Schumacher’s achievements dwarf those of Senna, but the Brazilian remains the most-loved and revered of all. Having struggled with an inferior car in 1993 (still good enough to finish second), his move to Team Williams was supposed to herald a period of absolute dominance. Sadly, the car became his pall bearer to heaven.

Snooker is a sport where you mature with age like fine wine. Unfortunately, Paul Hunter was not destined to become fine wine. Ranked in the top-5 by his early-twenties, he had all the makings of a future World Champion. Called the ‘Beckham of the Baize’, he brought glamour to the staid game he played. He had everything – talent, money, good looks, fame, and a wonderful family – but little time to enjoy any of it. He lost a two year struggle with cancer in 2006, leaving for his heavenly abode at 27.

My last name is not a human but an animal – Barbaro the racehorse. He has to be included because few human beings have evoked the kind of emotional following as this colt. He won the first leg of the biggest racing event in America (on debut) and was a heavy favourite to win all three. Sadly, he broke his leg in the second race leading to serious medical complications. He fought on grimly, aided by his army of well-wishers. Sadly, their prayers were not enough and the horse was euthanized after a long battle with his injuries.

As a last thought – In death, we realize the importance of life. So, let’s have greater appreciation for the wonderful sporting feats we get to witness but take for granted.

The article was originally published on Isport.in in September 2007

Commonfan recently got a chance to talk about Indian Basketball with renowned American coach, JD Walsh. Walsh has conducted more than 75 clinics in the country over the last three years. Here the excerpts of the discussion.

ACF: What are the good things about basketball in India?
JD Walsh: The best thing about basketball in India is the people who play the game. The basketball community in India has great passion and energy. I am constantly amazed by how routine it is that coaches and players traveled train for over 24 hours to come to my training sessions.

ACF: We know that there are lots of bad things but what according to you are the three most detrimental ones?
JD Walsh: A lack of infrastructure most importantly. Basketball globally is an indoor game, but they play it on outdoor cement courts in India. Also a much smaller percentage of the population is interested in basketball as compared to other major Indian sports such as cricket and field hockey. There is very little corporate interest in the game due to which there is no money to spend.

ACF: What about the natural ability of Indian players?
JD Walsh: The level now is quite low on a world standard. But basketball is not just about natural ability. There are Indians who are athletic and with a billion plus folks, there is enough size to grow a team. They just need better coaching and more incentive.

The Indian basketball talent will improve when they have more incentive. This could happen if a professional league comes or if colleges start giving sports scholarships. Then you will see more kids playing and there will be larger talent pool.

In addition, if the national team starts to perform and the games are shown on TV, kids will watch and aspire to emulate them. They will start working harder at an early age and again the overall ability level will go up.

ACF: Traditionally, Indians do well in sports where skill plays an equal or more important role than athleticism and fitness and physical conditioning. In a sport like cricket, quite often they can get away with natural talent alone but basketball calls for a high level of physical prowess. So isn’t our proven lack of athleticism and stamina a huge barrier to success in the sport.
JD Walsh: I disagree with the lack of athletic ability, and I strongly believe that physical conditioning can be developed with proper training.

Indians are no different than any other cultural groups that I know and if the others can play basketball at a good level, then so can the Indians. I strongly believe that they can do that.

ACF: Ok but American players in general have great athleticism. The Europeans are skill full ball handlers and natural shooters. The Orientals have great quickness and speed. What weapon does an Indian basketball player have? In tennis, Indians are known for their touch play and our hockey players are great dribblers.

JD Walsh: All of these groups which you mentioned just have a more developed sports culture than India. If the India govt decides to invest to improve the level of athletics and sports, I believe India can conquer. But there is no question that for basketball to take a step forward the training needs to improve.

ACF: Is there enough talent and passion for the sport in India to atleast become a regional force?
JD Walsh: I think it will take some time. Basketball in a lot of Asia is a business. In India it is still just a fun game, which in some ways might be a better thing, and I think it may stay that way for awhile. The only X-factor being if the NBA does decide to build a league.

ACF: How good is the level of coaching?
JD Walsh: I have seen some good some bad. From a strategy point, from watching the recent national championships, there needs to be a lot of improvement. Many of the coaches know the fundamental drills to teach the skills, which is a crucial thing. All are passionate and want to improve. This is a callenge and why I (with George Mason Universtiy and Craig Eshrick, former Georgetown coach) have applied for a US Department of state grant which would allow us to do just that. We should find out if we win mid-July.

ACF: Basketball has gone through a revolutionary change in China. How do we compare with the Chinese?
JD Walsh: I spent 5 yars going back and forth to China . In basketball China is far ahead of India. Although it’s tough to compare the two – China is a communist country where sports schools are set up in each region. They are blessed with a long basketball history and tradition, of competing internationally and having a professional league. I don’t have FIBA statistics but I have noticed a lot more people play basketball in China and the game is marketed there much more. They are playing in every park.

ACF: What could increase the popularity of the sport in India? A rise in the TV coverage of premiership football has made it hugely popular in India. Could an increase in the almost insignificant level of NBA coverage do the same for basketball in India?
JD Walsh: The exposure to the NBA is good to popularize the game. It’s great. But before that people need to understand and learn to love the game of basketball. They need to learn how to play it. It’s not just about putting the ball through the hoop. Indians will have to familiarize themselves with the rules and basic tactics of the game. Only then will they start to appreciate the NBA games.

ACF: Is there the possibility of the Yao Ming effect happening in India
JD Walsh: It can if I (or anyone else) can find and develop the next Yao. But I don’t think he’s born yet.

ACF: Could someone atleast make it to the NBA as a bench warmer?
JD Walsh: An NBA team could just grab someone as they did with a Japanese player a few years back for marketing purposes, but according to most national team insiders – and what I saw at the national championships, I am not sure if that’s going to happen anytime soon.

ACF: OK forget Yao. Can, we atleast produce someone who can make it to the NCAA
JD Walsh: That would be a start. It’s actually my goal to help some Indian athletes make it to the NCAA. I think I can do this in a farily short time span.

I think eventually, one Indian player will definitely emerge who will inspire Indian basketball. I never doubt the indomitable Indian spirit and that’s what makes me a believer.

ACF: The US Collegiate system has helped a lot of Indian golfers and tennis players. Basketball players could enjoy the same benefits. Have you seen someone who wouldn’t look out of place in the NCAA?
JD Walsh: I have seen a few guys with NCAA division 3 level talent. The problem is Division 3 does not offer athletic scholarships. I do know Jugan from Chennai TNBA had played at Division 2 Chico State.

ACF: The NBA is pipe dream now. But couldn’t one of the American Universities take a chance with an Indian player – Someone who is raw but has potential. Recently a couple of Indians won a baseball reality show and showed enough potential to be offered a minor league contract by the Pittsburgh Pirates. They happen to be coming along nicely. If that can happen in baseball, then why not in basketball, which is far more popular?
JD Walsh: Oh that’s great news. I really think the NCAA thing can happen.

ACF: But how is that going to happen. As in how will US colleges come to know of Indian players? Is something happening on that front? I don’t think they scout in India.
JD Walsh: I am planning to open a training academy to help foster Indian talent and then use my relationship with American coaches to give this talent the exposure. It’s a long way to go but it should be doable.

ACF: What brings you to India so often? Why are you so excited about India?
JD Walsh: I fell in love with India on my first trip. I think it is the most amazing and interesting civilizations on the planet. Politically, socially and cuturally it really wakens me up, I think I have an Indian sould (laughing) . I was one of the early western pioneers in China basketball and I came to India originally to see how the country was in terms of basketball. I found that India is no China but the challenge to make it happen in India drives me, and now I feel as if it is my second home.

ACF: That’s really wonderful. I am sure basketball fans in India will really appreciate all that you are doing to put our country on the global basketball map. We sincerely and quite selfishly wish you the very best and hope all your dreams for Indian basketball come true.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         JD Walsh: Thanks. I just hope more people start to share my dream.

About JD Walsh – John David Walsh is world famous basketball coach and the founder the JD Basketball coaching program. JD Basketball has been conducting basketball camps and clinics for the better of children and organizations worldwide. They are on a mission to develop basketball infrastructure and use the sport as tool for the social upliftment of children. JD’s current mission is to grow the game in India. Find out more about the coach and the JD Basketball program on www.jdbasketball.com or read his blog on http://indiabasketball.wordpress.com/

Indian Boxing has been on a dream run at international events off late. And now there is an exciting development that will ensure that this dream run doesn’t come to a grinding halt. India has been awarded a franchisee for the World Series of Boxing (WSB) scheduled to start in September next year. This league for amateurs which is based on professional lines will do a world of good for the sport in India. While the boxing aficionados can look forward to a feast of world class boxing, simple fans like me can get ready to cheer ourselves hoarse.

India’s new hockey coach, Jose Brasa, keeps shouting ‘Upar Dekho’ or ‘look up’ at the top of his lungs as he watches the Indian players go about their dribbling practise.

The Spaniard’s logic is simple and yet it could go a long way in curing a chronic ailment, not just for Indian Hockey but for Indian sport as general – that of players in team sports being selfish and more inclined to show boat rather than being satisfied as a simple cog in the wheel.

Brasa rightly believes that a player who is not looking up will never know where his team mates are and therefore can never make a good pass – as a result he will either over-dribble or make a bad pass. We have seen Indian player do both on a regular basis and concede possession. Now Jose Brasa has identified the root of the problem and has a simple and effective cure.

If the Indian players end up embracing ‘Upar Dekho’ whole-heartedly, it could well change the fortunes of Indian hockey . It will set a new precedent in Indian sport and ‘Upar Dekho’ could gain cult status as a rallying cry whenever an Indian player or team starts to act selfish.

Here’s a toast to the Spaniard who coaches in Hindi

Upar Dekho, Upar Dekho, Upar Dekho,