LETS SAY NO TO RASICM !!!!

The recent row of racist remarks over Symonds at Vadodara, Nagpur and Mumbai reignites the discussion over Racism in world of Sports.

However, I guess Australians have no right to take the matter too far. I read a report, entitled ‘What’s the Score,’ by The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Australia. They concluded Racism is still ‘prevalent’ in all Australia’s major sports, including among professionals, despite administrators’ best efforts to stamp it out, a hard-hitting report. One can easily remember Australian crowds’ racial abuse of touring South African cricketers in 2005-06. In 2006, former Australian Test cricketer Dean Jones was sacked as a TV commentator for calling Muslim South African player Hashim Amla a “terrorist” during a broadcast. Murali and the Sri Lankan team will have more than a story to tell about Australian, on and off field, racist attitude. One can only wonder what Indians will face this time when they tour Australia.

However, not withstanding all that. Let us put behind what the others do to us. After the much hyped Indian victory at the T20 World cup, there was a call for positive attitude and aggression. India, as a nation is also breaking through and there is a general aggressive attitude in the youth of our country. It is actually very nice and refreshing to see that. However, we have yet to understand the meaning of aggression. Aggression is not saying mean and harsh things to your opponents. Aggression is not saying “Watch out you asshole, I will kick your butt.” It is never about saying things. It is about doing things. Being persistent to achieve your goal. Never giving up. That’s being positive and aggressive. We Indians learnt to say those mean things, but what we have not learnt is the attitude. Lets face it, Australians have played their cricket aggressively and one needs to respect them for that . They are undisputed world champions of cricket and they played their hard cricket in India. No two opinions about it. So why disrespect someone like Symonds who was by far the best player on show in the two teams. That’s not fair. Just because these guys are racist, doesn’t mean we need to match them even in their evils. We Indians should embrace the good of the west and not its evils. We have our values and racism is something that is not acceptable at all in our country.

If you are black you know that racism is still alive, unless you live in a cave. Racism isn’t just a sports thing, it is a society thing. Blacks run into it or see it everyday in all walks of life. Sports are just a small part of society and racism in sports cannot be denied. I don’t know if this is a sign of racism, but how many times have you seen TV sports people refer to blacks as having a ‘good smile?” It bothers me, because I don’t hear those same statements about none black athletes having a good smile.

I remember Thierry Henry, take up the issue very strongly last year when he came up with the wrist bands and “Stand Up, Speak Up” Campaign. We all know racism is a major problem in Europe even now. Germany was one such place which waged a war on the basis of racism only to be completely shattered.

Lets say no to such social evil and play and live our lives positively and with “aggression”. Lets leave these smallness of being racist to the west.

Lets say NO TO RACISM!!!!! For the 1st time I will request you to forward mails on anti racism to your friends because this is something that unnecessarily divides the world, which already faces so many problems. We don’t want such problems in sports anyways

Chuk De India (CDI) : A Winner all the Way !!!!

When the film was about to release though I was very happy about the subject on which the film was made, but I was not sure how the film had shaped up.

Well all those apprehensions went out of the window no sooner India witnessed its first truely hollywood style movie. The shear brilliance of the film cannot be comprehended yet let me try it here. This movie was absolutely great and it had many dimensions to it and I shall put them across one by one

Choice of Subject: Actually story of the underdogs is a safe bet in all parts of the world. But both SRK and the director must be complimented to choose Hockey (a underprivileged Brother of Cricket) as a subject, And Women's Hockey!!!! Can any one name of one Women hockey player. I my self claim to be a sports fanatic but I simply have no answer to it. This was the subject these guys choose and hats off to them .... They Pulled it off

India: India was the most stressed word in the film. I wont go into why it is important to be proud to be an Indian because it has been dealt in the film.

Team Work: I have always urged to all the parents of young children to make their children play on the grounds rather than on Play Stations. Wasn’t the field Goal where the Haryana Girl, Chautala, passes the ball to Preeti Sabarwal a perfect example of how team comes first and then the individual glory. I have seen MNCs spending millions to teach the same by some or the other out bound programme. But nothing is as effective as sports. So please ….. please … play some sports and make the younger generation play too.

Under Current of Religion Bias: Mohd. Azharuddin was once called a “Perfect Modern Muslim” when he and India were doing well under him by “Hindu Samrat” Shri Balasaheb Thackrey. Post Cronje revelations…. He is a traitor… “Inki Toh Jaat Hi aaisi hai”, These guys should have been thrown off the country during partition itself. You know I feel ashamed. I feel ashamed of the fact that we “Hindus” have still not accepted Muslims as our countrymen after 60 years of Independence. Come on. There are good and bad people every where. Wasn’t Ajay Jadeja also named with Azhar. So why target his religion. We claim many times of equality when it is bought to our notice that we had Muslim Presidents, SRK and many other famous personalities are Muslims and we have given them equal treatment. Yes all this is true. But when it gets down to crunch situations, we target them first. As I said I am ashamed and I apologize to all my Muslim friends jinko aaj tak yeh maa apna beta nahi maan saki.

The point was subtly raised in the film. But the best part is no melodrama involved.

Film Making: The director of the film Shimit Amin might even not know what he has pulled off. I have seen a lot of Indian Films and I must say that only Ram Gopal Verma came close with Company and Sarkar to the Hollywood standard of films. But here Shimit has not only touched those standards but at places he has gone beyond any typical Hollywood sports movie. The best part to me of the film was not what he showed but the fact that he didn’t show many things. Many things that would have turned this feast into a nightmare. He didn’t show Kabir Khan’s 7 year struggle. He didn’t show the frustration of a Muslim in India, he didn’t actually show the man giving speeches when India won the World Cup. Any Indian film would not have missed the opportunity to show that. But Shimit did miss it and thankfully so. He knows, that a man does not necessarily cry when he is sad. Those emotions can come by showing a rock hard face. He did that!!!!

Performances : All the gals were brilliant but to be honest I cant take off “Preeti Sabarwal” of my head.

But one man…. Who carried the film …. All Alone…. Was …. Kabir Khan …. Or was it SRK…. Well if he was SRK, he never looked like one. I guess I have said it and u understood it. I guess I took a leaf of Shamit’s book. Lesser is better. But anyways hats off to SRK. Performance of a life time.

SRK: People usually compare SRK and Amitabh. Well I need to illustrate my experience here. Of Late I have been traveling to Europe and when I tell people I am from India. The next question they ask me is are u from the land of SRK. Well I wont comment on who is better but SRK is a Perfect Modern “INDIAN”. Aggressive, extremely hard working, talented, religious, one who has those Indian values and a family man. He has it all. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he emerges as a Brand Ambassador of India

Well all in all the movie was a experience of a life time. I hope people take something of it.

Jai Hind

Vikas Gupta

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CDI : Jagoo India : Its Hi time

An interesting thing about 15th August and 26th January these days is releases of some interesting films in India.Swades and Rang De jump to your mind instantly.

This time again Yash Raj banner put their head together with SRK to tell us a story. A story that almost everyone of us have heard before..... but unfortunately very few have lived. I know a very few people who can claim that at any point of time of the lived their sport........ even for a month. Only a previllaged few amongst us can boast of understanding the real dynamics of a team and what real winning is all about. Yes I am talking about the not so well hyped release Chuk De India (CDI).

Its a story of an underdog who wants to win the ultimate prize.... the Women's Hockey World Cup!!!! .... After all as they say Winning is the only thing that matters.

Anyways why am I putting this across? Nopes I havent joined the Yash Raj Marketing and promotion team.

Well actually for someone who has spent his time more on Cricket and Football grounds than in the class rooms, for some one who learn manmanagement by sweating it out and not inside AC class rooms of MBA, for some one who learnt team dynamics, trust, sacrifices by falling and then getting up on the "maidans", this film makes people like me extremely excited and happy.

Any effort, to promote sports culture in India always is always a welcome and hence I don't even care how good/ bad the film is. As long as it makes people talk and do something about sports in India.... The film would have done its job. Indian and Indian Companies needs to realise that instead of spending thousands of Crores of Rupees in Team Building exercises and out bound programme, if we in India play our Sports while growing up, you wont require those bull shit things. Its only on a Football/ hockey groundthat u learn to pass the ball at the last moment to your team mate because he is in a better position to put in the ball into the net. What else can teach you not to worry about personal glory ahead of team glory.

I sincerely hope that this movie isn't a disaster and it serves it purpose of awaking the dead of the country.

SRK says "I hope after the film is released there are five-six people who say 'oh, I haven't played hockey for a long time man!' Or a father or a mother picks up a hockey stick and tells their children go play the game. So, if people in India start doing that then it is good enough for me. "

I guess that will be good enough for me too!!!

Jai Hind !!!