The nominations for the Indibloggies, the annual Indian blog awards, have been announced. Sportolysis - The World Sports Blog has been nominated as well in the sports category!

Do take part in the poll and submit your votes, regardless of whether you think you should vote for this blog or not..

Whom am I kidding? Vote for me!!

PS - Voting closes on the 20th of February (US time).

I have been critical of ESPN-Star in the past. I was gaining back my love for them because of excellent set of previews ahead of the English Premier League and the classy presenter John Dykes.

They disappoint me again. To a degree, it is understandable that you show cricket on ESPN, India being cricket mad. However, what is the logic of showing a delayed telecast of an ATP event over live premiership football (Sheffield Utd. vs Liverpool) on opening day of the season on Star Sports?

I just don’t get it.

This one was quite tough. Thank you for participating and congratulations to the top three finishers. Thank you to Nirav for hosting the quiz as well.

The results of Sports Quiz 4:

Top 3 (Prize Winners) (scores out of 9)

Srinath Sridharan 8
Ravi Gurnani 7
Vijay Jeedigunta 7

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If you haven’t heard already, Blogspot among various other sites have been mysteriously blocked by many Indian ISPs.

You can add one of the two icons in the sidebars of your blogs with a link to the Bloggers against censorship wiki.

Icons made by my brother, Abhinav.

For more latest info, keep a track of the Bloggers Collective Google Group.

Dhoomketu’s post here.

Update: The ban maybe lifted according to this report by Shivam Vij.

This month’s quiz is conducted by friend Nirav Mehta. Do e-mail the answers at pratyushkhaitan@gmail.com within the next 14 days even if you don’t know most answers as the fun is in the quizzing itself. Results to be announced on 1st August.

1. What is common to Abid Ali, Grant Flower, David Gower and Henry Olonga among many others?

2. What unique batting record does Rahul Dravid hold in ODIs and David Gower hold in Test matches? (Hint: Runners-up are Martin Crowe in ODIs and Richie Richardson in Tests)

3. The 1997 Barbados Test is remembered by most because of India’s inability to achieve a target of 120 runs. The match also holds significance in cricketing history for another reason. What reason?

4.

Who is the player in the picture, and what is his connection with Sachin Tendulkar?

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China’s Liu Xiang, the country’s first men’s track gold medalist has created the 110 metres world record. On another day, you would have gone deeper into the rivalry in 110 metres hurdles or pondered over Chinese sports or the great night in Lusanne.

Today, as the morning sun rises, you are still angry. The Mumbai blasts were no hang over which would go away the next day. The innocent lives lost barbarically murdered cannot be brought back.

The simple joys we enjoy each day - sports, movies, music seem insignificant as lives are lost. That was the aim of the terrorists as well. So don’t stop dear Indians and continue with your normal lives while doing as much as you can to help the victims even though it will seem difficult.

As the Mumbai train started again today morning, the people cheered. Like that train, we have to carry on, if only to stand tall against cowardly people who attack innocents.

The previous post contains accounts and views of people here.

If you haven’t heard yet, seven blasts have took place in Mumbai. This follows after grenade attacks in Srinagar.

The train network in Mumbai was attacked in the peak hours. Powerful explosives have been used as well as Amit Varma reports:

High-intensity explosives have been used for these attacks; some of the railway carriages have been ripped apart. This is clearly no amateur job, but a well-planned operation by a group with plenty of resources.

A successful attack would be one which causes the maximum shock and fear in the people’s minds with least possible deaths. This seems to have been achieved quite well here. Such attacks have become far too common around the world in the last 4-5 years but they never fail to anger me.

Do keep a track of Mumbai Help. If you aren’t able to get through to your friends or family who might have been travelling by the trains or at the railway station, leave the number and we will try and inform you about them.

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This match is like a hot cup of espresso. A lot of steam and froth but very little substance.

The commentator during the Ukraine-Switzerland match which saw the ball remain in the mid field for a large part of the game with very few chances.

A lot of correct answers! Thank you for participating and congratulations to the top three finishers. Thank you Arnab da as well for hosting this fine quiz (a sentiment expressed by many in the e-mails).

The results of Sports Quiz 3:

Top 3 (Prize Winners) (scores out of 12)

Vinesh Kumar 10
Minhaj Alam 9
Jeevan D 8.5

(more…)

Picture courtesy Wikipedia.

I am in mourning after the Brazil loss. That is not the reason for the lack of posting in the last few days. I am in beautiful Jammu on a business trip.

The connection here is not the best and blogging takes a back seat for the next 10 days or so while I am here. With most of my business work to remain in the smaller cities/towns of Indian in the coming months, blogging will be a lot less frequent from now - with regulars like Visitors and Sports Quiz featuring once a month.

I hope I can maintain the quality though the number posts is going to be lower.