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India to boycott the London Olympics over Dow Chemicals’ ‘fabric’?
While Indian newspapers’ front pages and TV channels feed off Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption, the sports sections are chockfull of analysis, recriminations and reactions to Team India’s pitiful surrender of their No.1 Test ranking to England.
The headliners above have buried another burning issue: The unpalatable association of Dow Chemicals with the London Olympics.
Dow’s Performance Plastics Division will deliver a “fabric wrap” for the main stadium made of “sustainable” resins.
London Olympics chief,Sir Sebastian Coe, described the “wrap” provided by Dow Chemicals as “the icing on the cake”.
He said:
“"The stadium will look spectacular at Games time and having the wrap is the icing on the cake. I’m delighted that Dow as one of the newer worldwide partners of the Olympic movement will be providing it and importantly doing it in a sustainable way."
The announcement provoked outrage in India.
Michael Holding: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“We wanted to beat everyone and whether they were white, black, green, pink, Australian, English, Pakistani – we just wanted to beat them.”
Former West Indian fast bowling great, Michael Holding, does not agree with the portrayal of the West Indian side of the 70s and 80s in the documentary, “Fire in Babylon”.
Holding said:
“It is very powerful, very political.I can’t say I’m 100 per cent with the final product to be honest, because I think the race thing was overplayed a little bit.”
He added:
“Some of the interviews they did with some of the Caribbean personalities didn’t really reflect how we as cricketers thought, but perhaps we are the sidelines.”
“At no time that I played in that team did I ever get the impression from anybody that we were playing against these people because they were former colonisers, I didn’t get that impression.”
“We were just playing cricket.”
What he really meant:
“We just wanted to be the best side in the world and play our best cricket. If we had to knock heads over, so be it.Race, colour and creed mattered little. We were secular—in that respect.”
What he definitely didn’t say:
“We loved having opposing batsmen turn all shades while facing us. Green (sick), white (fear) and red or purple(bruised).”
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“In principle, I’m okay with the brain mapping, but not if needles are poked everywhere.”
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is fine with IIM, Ranchi, mapping his cricketing brain to decipher the ‘reasons’ behind Team India’s World Cup triumph.
What he really meant:
“The mapping should be painless. What if they poke the wrong nerve?”
What he definitely didn’t:
“After succumbing to pressure (India lost it’s World No.1 ranking) and suffering a fractured ego, do you really think I want to submit myself to acupressure or acupuncture, in whatever guise?”
Caroline Wozniacki : What she said, really meant and definitely did not
What she said:
"I’m not going to forget how to play tennis in a few days."
Women’s No.1 , Caroline Woznicaki, dismisses suggestions that her US Open performance will be affected by her split from her current coach and father, Piotr Wozniacki.
What she really meant:
“I cannot play worse—without one. Can I?”
What she definitely didn’t say:
Mike Brearley: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“Now look at Sreesanth, he’s much more disciplined, much balanced but looks less like getting anyone out.”
Former English captain,Mike Brearley, is convinced that the Indian team’s focus on individual tasks has drawn their attention away from what the team has to accomplish.
He said:
“One quality is to be able to build relationships in the team and get them to play the best they can. Get everyone thinking about the team’s task and not just individual tasks.”
What he really meant:
“Sreesanth is less volatile and so are the opposition’s wickets.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“I love the new balanced Sreesanth. He’d make a great gymnast or trapeze artist.”
Q & A with Novak Djokovic (Humour)
MakeTimeForSports spoke to the men’s No.1 seed before the US Open.
1) The retirement in the final at Cincinnati to Andy Murray was…
Unfortunate. I had shoulder pain. He didn’t.
2) Are you going to be donning a blonde wig again, anytime soon?
You enjoyed that? He he he.
3) Maria Sharapova said she’d prefer it if you were wearing a skirt while mimicking her…
It’s about performance meeting style. My performance, her style. He he he.
4) Maria says she’ll be scripting a commercial too, to get her own back…
The more the merrier…
5) 57-2. Thoughts on that?
64-2 soon. I hope. I’m no machine and certainly not mechanic.
Disclaimer: The interview is fictional but the character(s) are real.
England whitewash India 4-0: Dénouement complete
The rout is complete.
The English Lions, in their own den, knocked the Indians from their perch of the No.1 Test team in the world.
The mighty have fallen—hard.
Team India nestle at No.3 behind South Africa.
For one brief session on the fifth day of the last Test, Sachin Tendulkar and Amit Mishra showed what could have been. Had the Indian batsmen applied themselves similarly in the first three matches, the series result could have been quite different.This was the only batting session—in the entire series—that the Indians did not lose a wicket.
The English bowlers, for the first time in the series, showed signs of frustration. Graeme Swann kicked the turf, repeatedly.
Allan Lamb: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“I will always have Dravid in my side.”
Former English cricketer, Allan Lamb, says that although Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman in the world–on paper, he cannot omit Rahul Dravid from his side.
What he really meant:
“For sheer technique, class and style, there’s no one better than Dravid.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“I will always have Dravid in my side—my rugby XI.”
Dilip Vengsarkar: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“I feel it is unethical to be a part of any committee of MCA.”
Dilip Vengsarkar feels he has no place in the Mumbai Cricket Association’s scheme of things after being rejected by its members in its recently concluded elections. The former chief national selector refused chairmanship of MCA’s Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC).
What he really meant:
“I’m a proud man. I refuse to legitimise the CIC. ”
What he definitely didn’t:
“Can we have a recall (election), please?”
Rahul Dravid: What he said, really meant and definitely did not
What he said:
“This might take half an hour.”
Rahul Dravid knows there are more than a few reasons for Team India’s debacle in the Test series against England.
What he really meant:
“It needs to be a report submitted to the BCCI which will then be put away in dust-covered file cabinets.”
What he definitely didn’t:
“It’ll take just 5 ODIs and a decent result to resolve the underlying issues.”
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