Sports magnifies every thing. Every moment inside the sporting arena is looked at and talked about with far greater importance than necessary. The magnifying process also means that terms are used far more charitably than they should. Great is one such over used term. Even the most miserly will agree that Hicham El Guerrouj was a great. I use was because he has announced his retirement. I will not go over the records and accomplishments as they can be found easily on the internet.
“For 16 years, I’ve done sports. Now I want to start a new life. I will return to another world whose horizons I do not know.”
The human aspect of El Guerrouj struck you more than his athletic accomplishments. This is why it was poignant that he cried when he announced his retirement. All sports men and women face this predicament at some point of their careers. For all their lives, they have strived hard to increase effectiveness that extra bit to ride over the rest of the competition. Once sponsors come to back you, the only worry is how I am going to improve performances to leave a mark over contemporaries and in the process, even leave an imprint on history.
Brian Priddy joins us from France for part 21 of the series. Brian was born in the States but has been living in France for 15 years, and his life as a football supporter starts from a couple of years after that. What was at first just a replacement for baseball or gridiron has now become his great sports passion. Nothing can compare with “the beautiful game”, Brian says. And he is right!
I thank Brian for agreeing to the interview.
Tell us a bit about the French football history and the football culture which exists.
France is a much greater sporting country than their record might indicate. The modern olympics, the champions league and the world cup were all dreamed up and instituted by the French! This great love of sports is spread over several disciplines: rugby, basketball, cycling, even fencing, sailing and judo get big sports page coverage, but except for the rugby-loving southwest, football is king.
Quality Indian Sportswear company Black Panther will be sponsoring prizes for quizes twice a month at Sportolysis. The prizes can only be sent across India but that should not stop you from getting agitated over some awesome quiz questions and finally blowing up your brains with a pistol.
I kid you not. The questions are going to be that good. ;)
The write up of Black Panther reads:
A prime player in the field of Sports, Fitness & Leisure apparel, BLACK PANTHER has a formidable track record in striving to offer the best value–for–money products. In terms of look and feel, each garment is specifically designed in line with our brand theme of “Seriously Sporty”. Living upto which involves the customizing of the finest fabrics globally used for active wear with styling that is both inventive and functional.
BLACK PANTHER stands committed to providing ‘Total Sportswear Solutions’. As such, in addition to an extensive range of apparels, we also manufacture a wide range sports accessories, covering the entire spectrum, from sports socks, football stockings, athletic supporters, wristbands, headbands, knee-caps, anklets, etc. Each article is designed, keeping in mind the need to fuse a form & feel that reflects an active lifestyle with the kind of pure performance one would expect from a leading sportswear brand.
I told you it is a high quality brand! I thank Saakshi for taking the effort for striking the deal. Now get ready for some questions in a few days time!
The Laureus Sports Awards, commonly acknowledged as the sports oscars have been announced. Federer wins the award for a second consecutive time. Croatian skier Janica Kostelic is the women’s winner after a fourth Winter Olympic gold. Tennis dominates the awards list as Hingis takes the comeback of the year while Nadal takes the newcomer of the year.
For Federer to challenge for the title next year, I suspect he has to stride over some one whom he has never beaten on clay - and he says that he is ready.
LeBron Jones has been superb in his first play offs. Yes, it is his first play offs if you have forgotten that in all the craziness. I understand it caught every one’s fancy as James took the Cavaliers to almost eliminating the Pistons. What I don’t understand are the reactions over James.
First, people tried to compare him to Jordan and took that expectation level to the highest level possible in NBA terms. Let’s get this clear - no one comes close to Jordan. At least not any one I have seen. Actually, it is unfair on James when people even compare him with Jordan. I guess it is also the biggest compliment and he cannot help people raising their bar of expectation that high.
Now, people are ruing that he couldn’t crush the Pistons. LeBron James is just 21 years old. He isn’t yet the best player in the league for what it’s worth. People will take a Bryant or a Wayde or some one else. I don’t get why such aspects like LeBron is a king without a kingdom should be even pondered over at this stage of his career.
He has MANY more years ahead of him - and that, should be the end of that.
For part 20 of the series, Mihajlo V joins us. Mihajlo is 20 years old and lives in Canada, but was born in Serbia, and follows the team closely. I thank him for agreeing to the interview.
Tell us a bit about the Serbia and Montenegro football history and the football culture which exists.
Serbia and Montenegro is one of 5 teams to emerge from the break up of Yugoslavia, which was a nation with great football pedigree. Serbia and MOntenegro competed in the 1998 World Cup, as well as the EURO2000, although under the name of Yugoslavia. Each time, they were eliminated in teh second round. The Serbo-Montenegrin players are known as great technicians and dribblers. Some of the best players to ever come out of Serbia and Montenegro are: Dragan Dzajic, Dragoslav Sekularac, Dragan Stojkovic, Dejan Savicevic, Predrag Mijatovic, Vladimir Jugovic, Vladimir Petrovic, and Velibor Vasovic.
Martina Hingis has won her first WTA title since her come back and it has been well deserved. It takes a brave person make a come back like Martina Hingis has done. Failure to win big titles will mean people questioning Hingis. For victories, battles have to be fought versus younger, faster legs.
Hingis has had a tough time in her come back. She was won matches but not titles. All the while though, she has kept up the tempo and kept on improving - the keenness she showed when she rose to the top has been ever present. Added to that is a positive attitude. For Hingis, this is a fairy tale as she probably never expected to play again. So she plays with lesser pressure, smiles more and thus plays much more freely while delivering her charecteristic strategic shot selection.
