A evening out at the Chennai Open (tennis) a few days ago watching Cilic and Marcel was quite a lot of fun. This is my second trip in the past few years and am I pleasantly surprised. The price of three tickets was less that what I would pay for one ticket for an IPL match -- yeah!
There is no fencing, so one gets to experience the match much more than in a caged in atmosphere at a cricket match.
The weather was pleasant (dare I say cool)? Parking, food etc. was much better organized that at Chepauk (though I guess, the number of people attending a tennis match is much lesser than a cricket match) and it looked like there were no mosquitoes in Nungambakkam!
However there were no tickets to be had for the weekend and tickets cannot be bought online, nor can daily tickets be bought a day in advance, making it tough to buy the tickets and requires detailed planning to watch a day of tennis!
A couple of years ago when Nadal came to the tournament, I foolishly assumed that one could walk in and get tickets for the weekend but none were to be had. But looking at the coverage this year, the stadium was not full though there were no tickets to be had for the weekend. So if the same had happened a few years ago, I would be very, very mad of being deprived of watching a player of Nadal's calibre, only because people had tickets but failed to attend!
There are lots of kids outside the court wanting tickets, so I wish the sponsors would give free tickets to schools nearby. With a general lack of interest in sports, I wonder why we spend crores on hosting CWG?
PS: Even DD sports did not cover this event during the week!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Friday, October 16, 2009
The mess
The commonwealth games that is.
It was reported even a year back that things were behind schedule. No media person, no organizing member is able to defend the progress (only give assurances that it will be pulled togehter somehow...). Instead of taking the responsibility Kalmadi (who has been with the Indian Olympic committee for thirteen years or more, comes out in attack against another CWG member who has been there for two).
I think the media should ask him what has been done for the Indian Olympics during his tenure and why are the facilities so much behind schedule? Shouldn't we have taken remedial measures a while back? I also think tenures of IOC presidents etc. must be curtailed to a single term, to get new ideas in, to give new energy to sports in the country.
I actually don't think we should even be hosting these games, until our sporting infrastructure is improved across the country and until our infrastructure is ready.
I had also seen an article on F1 in Delhi. Isn't there some conflict of interest here? Isn't there a oversight committee? Given that F1 is not an Olympic sport, why is the IOA even involved?
Perhaps India will pull through and host the games successfully, but I am not sure I will feel any great pride.
It was reported even a year back that things were behind schedule. No media person, no organizing member is able to defend the progress (only give assurances that it will be pulled togehter somehow...). Instead of taking the responsibility Kalmadi (who has been with the Indian Olympic committee for thirteen years or more, comes out in attack against another CWG member who has been there for two).
I think the media should ask him what has been done for the Indian Olympics during his tenure and why are the facilities so much behind schedule? Shouldn't we have taken remedial measures a while back? I also think tenures of IOC presidents etc. must be curtailed to a single term, to get new ideas in, to give new energy to sports in the country.
I actually don't think we should even be hosting these games, until our sporting infrastructure is improved across the country and until our infrastructure is ready.
I had also seen an article on F1 in Delhi. Isn't there some conflict of interest here? Isn't there a oversight committee? Given that F1 is not an Olympic sport, why is the IOA even involved?
Perhaps India will pull through and host the games successfully, but I am not sure I will feel any great pride.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
mirror mirror on the wall
Not to single out bhajji for yesterday's performance (as the blame can be shared liberally), but came across an interview which taken out of context, resonates with the performance in the match yesterday.
"Main sochta nahin hoon" - :)
"How many bowlers send down six different deliveries in each over?"
duh, the object is not to bowl as many different deliveries, the object is to take as many wickets as possible. Heck, I think I can bowl six different deliveries an over, just not near the stumps.
"It’s sad that I hardly get to see spinners who can turn the ball on any surface." Sadly, neither do we...
"They’re happy just rolling their arm over... They should, instead, express themselves and bowl the deliveries they can really be good at... "
talking about someone else....?
Read the rest of the interview, for a chuckle or two...
"Main sochta nahin hoon" - :)
"How many bowlers send down six different deliveries in each over?"
duh, the object is not to bowl as many different deliveries, the object is to take as many wickets as possible. Heck, I think I can bowl six different deliveries an over, just not near the stumps.
"It’s sad that I hardly get to see spinners who can turn the ball on any surface." Sadly, neither do we...
"They’re happy just rolling their arm over... They should, instead, express themselves and bowl the deliveries they can really be good at... "
talking about someone else....?
Read the rest of the interview, for a chuckle or two...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
media frenzy in cricket
My TV time has reduced significantly as work deadlines have overtaken me. But in the limited time I have watched the news, I have been unable to bypass the media circus surrounding the Indian cricket team. The television media (in a quest for ratings) have lost the ability to give a balanced, mature view of events. Rather hysterical reports are the norm, with decibel levels of reporters consistently at an unpleasant pitch (always shouting).
Several years ago, I used to be shocked by news items with words like lashes, blasts, snubs. Now I always believe that it is a mild statement to which some spice has been added. In fact I am tempted to get a collection of reporters and have a demonstration of lashing.
To the media, I ask to look around you in your office -- don't you have disagreements with your colleagues and bosses, or is always one happy family? Even assuming that there was a tiff , until it impacts the performance of the team, why should it become issue of this magnitude? There is almost a sadistic wish to find problems in a successful team.
Until the media starts self-policing, I will rely more on print media to get balanced reports.
Several years ago, I used to be shocked by news items with words like lashes, blasts, snubs. Now I always believe that it is a mild statement to which some spice has been added. In fact I am tempted to get a collection of reporters and have a demonstration of lashing.
To the media, I ask to look around you in your office -- don't you have disagreements with your colleagues and bosses, or is always one happy family? Even assuming that there was a tiff , until it impacts the performance of the team, why should it become issue of this magnitude? There is almost a sadistic wish to find problems in a successful team.
Until the media starts self-policing, I will rely more on print media to get balanced reports.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Astro tips
There is one team that needs the most help this year - KKR (what with the allegations of racism, match-fixing investigation, multiple captain-coach theory for a solitary D/L win etc.) So pooling my knowledge (albeit non-existent) of numerology, palmistry (predicting by reading my palm for KKR -- a novel concept that should go well with the team with many theories), factoring in saturn in the horoscope, I have some recommendations for KKR.
Switch the gold and black around, so that it is predominantly gold with black on one shoulder and one sleeve (black for "nazar" effect). This will tend to blind opponents as well.
Douse out the fire on the helmet? Bat on fire I can perhaps understand, but helmet on fire? Can't be good feng-shui. seriously what does it mean?
Change the brooding SRK image on the website with the helmet on fire (just because...)
Instead of covering up the numbers on the back of jerseys with ugly tape, go to the reebok store and buy some plain ones. Note that even if you cover it up, the number is still there close to your back working its evil magic.
KKR has too few words to leverage the 'K' concept of Balaji telefilms. So add a few words. Kyunki KKR be ...
Switch the gold and black around, so that it is predominantly gold with black on one shoulder and one sleeve (black for "nazar" effect). This will tend to blind opponents as well.
Douse out the fire on the helmet? Bat on fire I can perhaps understand, but helmet on fire? Can't be good feng-shui. seriously what does it mean?
Change the brooding SRK image on the website with the helmet on fire (just because...)
Instead of covering up the numbers on the back of jerseys with ugly tape, go to the reebok store and buy some plain ones. Note that even if you cover it up, the number is still there close to your back working its evil magic.
KKR has too few words to leverage the 'K' concept of Balaji telefilms. So add a few words. Kyunki KKR be ...
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