In the history of world sport, the start of year 2008 will go down as a phase where youth, aggression, controversy, confidence, power, money and raw talent took center-stage as age-old champions were dethroned, gentlemanliness was thrown out of the dictionary, sledging became an 'art', heroes emerged from the most unlikely corners, and experience was bid farewell. And all the action seemed to be happening in the sport-loving country of Australia...
India's Cricket Tour Down Under will probably go down as one of the most talked and written about events in sporting history. For youngsters and next-generation champions like Ishant Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma and Robin Uthappa- it was a coming-of-age series. They will go back as battle-hardy men, having come as untested boys. But, unfortunately, the series is one that the cricket world will want to set aside as a dark memory that is best forgotten- despite there having been some truly memorable and riveting cricket that was played. Because what happened before and after got more attention than when a batsman took guard. The lines between agression and ugliness blurred considerably, as players hurled abuses at each other faster than Lee's most stinging deliveries. As a result, the cricketing world and the two countries were divided over twenty-two men, as the insults got even uglier and more personal. I run out of adjectives trying to explain just how disappointing it is to see seemingly mature men using phrases like 'monkey'(arguably!), and 'obnoxious little weed' for each other. Are these the same men we have grown to god-worship?! At the end of the day, it was the so-called 'gentlemen's game' that lost. Rather poorly.
On the other hand, Sourav Ganguly was bid an unceremonious farewell from the ODI team- after enjoying one of the best form-runs of his life. Dhoni's insistance for youth makes sense, but does a senior who has served the country so long and well not deserve even a warning before being dropped like a hot potato?
On the tennis front too, there were no dearth of controversies. Sania Mirza whipped up a storm when she opted out of the Bangalore Open- rather ironically, "to stay out of controversies", while Leander Paes' captaincy of the Davis Cup team wasn't taken too well by the youngsters- and turned into an ugly, immature public spat- lapped up with relish by the gossip-loving media. The Australian Open saw eventual-champion Maria Sharapova's infamous father, Yuri, making a throat-cutting gesture after his daughter's convincing upset win over world no. 1, Justin Henin. And one wondered where the profesionalism was gone...
But there were the truly memorable and feel-good moments as well...
The rise of the young Ishant 'Lambu' Sharma from a first-chance rookie to the lynchpin of the new-face Indian pace attack.
Indian getting the better of Australia in their own home fort- Perth- beating them at their own game on a bouncy, pacey wicket with a bowling attack that was younger than their youngest bowler- and that was without their two spearheads- Zaheer Khan and R.P. Singh.
The rise of Jo-Wilfred Tsonga- the unseeded Frenchman who notched up several upsets to reach the finals of the Australian Open- leap-frogging over everyone else on the popularity charts with his Mohammad Ali-looks, infectiously ready smile, calm temerament and booming serves.
The little master- Sachin Tendulkar- getting a standing ovation from Aussie crowds wherever he went, everytime he walked on or off the ground- whether he was on a duck or a century- a heartwarming display of affection and respect for a true gentleman who has enthralled the entire world with his willow for 18 long years- and who still steps onto the field with the enthusiasm of a sixteen-year-old.
The emergence of the Serbian tennis players- Ivanovic, Jankovic, Djokovic, and Tipsarvic- from politially turbulant childhoods with scanty resources, to come out to challenge and be some of the best and most loved players the game has known.
The farewell to Adam Gilchrist- a man who will be missed by cricketers the world over for being a truly delightful batsman and wicket-keeper, but- more importantly- for being one of the few who was left in the dying breed of perfect gentlemen.
The fact that the Australian Open finals this year had neither a Nadal or a Federer- for the first time in a record ten major fianls! Yet another story of the champions' throne being threatened by determined, fearless young blood.
When Novak Djokovic got up on the podium to give his 'thank you' speech though, the 21-year-old spoke with the kind of maturity, grace and sense of humor you thought all sportsmen had lost in this era of aggressiveness. "Even if Tsonga was standing up here, it wouldn't be undeserved. He was amazing all though the tournament" He said, mincing no words in praising his opponent, "I know you guys (the crowd) wanted him to win. No, no, its okay. I still love you all!" He added with his charming smile- winning over all the hearts he hadn't already. And restoring hope that there still was high value placed on 'nice'ness :)
But undoubtedly, the most radical event in the recent scheme of world sport was the forming of the Indian Premier League. The auctioning of the international players was given phenomenal media coverage, and it threw up more surprises than one could digest. To think that an Uthappa or a Raina or even a Yusuf Pathan would fetch way more that a Hayden, McGrath, or a Ponting tells a story of a hug turn-around. As cricket is moving into the big-money league with soccer, and American basketball, one wonders if the average Indian fan will be able to digest the concept of supporting a team, and not individual players. Will we be able to pray for a Symonds to hit a Bhajji out of the park? Or for a Lee to rattle Tendulkar's stumps first up? For an Indian cricket fan to whom cricket is more of a religion, and cricketers more of demi-Gods, how hard will it be to look beyond the names and enjoy the game? It will certainly take a while. But one hopes that the big money and the fame are by-products of some good, solid cricket, instead of the other way round.
After all, at the end of the day- as cliched as it sounds- we want the sport to win, don't we? :)
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Taare Shining In Vain?
Recently, as I finished watching a movie, I experienced a somewhat unfamiliar situation: everyone was quiet- almost an eerie, uncomfortable silence- as if reflecting on something deeper, more profound. Something that went beyond a mere movie. Now, the last time I probably witnessed a similar reaction by the audience was while on my way out after watching ‘Rang De Basanti’. But this went a step beyond- each of the parents or elders had a protective, loving hand over the unusual number of young ones ranging from toddlers to teenagers- almost as if they had rediscovered them after a lifetime, as if that gap between them just got a lot smaller. Probably because it had.
You guessed it. The movie was Aamir Khan’s brilliant directorial debut Taare Zameen Par. I, very predictably, fell in love with the movie. Not just because of the amazing work by the little Darsheel Safrey, or the touchingly sensitive directorial treatment, or even the absolutely loveable and equally hummable music tracks. But also because somehow, sometime while watching it, I felt redeemed. I felt like someone finally understood. I might not be suffering from a learning disorder like young Ishaan, but like him, I too am a victim of this education system. And perhaps, you are too.
The drawing teacher who reckons real ‘art’ lies in copying inanimate objects lying on the table to the T, the hindi teacher who won’t accept an answer to a question other than the one he’s dictated, the English teacher who puts higher value on knowing the parts of speech than creating a grammatically correct sentence, those raps on the knuckles, those punishments to stand outside the classroom, the intolerance for a curiousness for things beyond the classroom- these certainly aren’t caricatures formulated in the mind of the scriptwriter. They are an everyday reality for- let’s admit- most of us who are still in school. Aren’t we all, in one way or the other, casualties of the narrow-mindedness of the system?
And so, when a film like this comes along once in a lifetime, it is bound to create a stir. But, unfortunately, we seem to have this uncanny ability to let it all run off our backs. It was a movie, and this is life after all! Well, sometimes, just sometimes, you need a wake-up call from life- an opportunity to re-examine all that’s being done, to ask questions about why some things are being done certain ways- and just how right or wrong they are. TZP is our wake-up call.
Why are math and science made compulsory until class tenth but not art and music? Why does a child have to narrow down his options to either Science, Humanities or Commerce at the mere age of 15? How can a child’s learning and knowledge accumulated over 12 years be judged in the matter of three hours- that can make or break the rest of his career? How can we ever account for the amount of innocent lives our attitudes have claimed? Or how many talents have been buried in this shameless quest for academic achievement? When will we have classrooms that become the centers of sharing the joy of learning, rather than machines that train you for a test? When will we be able to produce responsible citizens that are ready for life- rather than IIT? In a system where learning by rote has its proven advantages, when will we ever produce free-thinking individuals- people with opinions of their own, who have the courage to voice them? When will students need to stop going to ‘tuitions’ to substitute their school education? When will life stop being one vicious cycle of school, studies, tutions, homework, and tests?
These, and many more, are questions that will have to be asked over and over if we really want to see a change. It is up to us to wake up and get on with the new day that has dawned, to shake off our past- and to face the new times with a fresh perspective, a renewed vigor. Or we can choose to just hit the snooze button, like we’ve been doing for a while- and stay in our own little dreamland, oblivious to the rest of the world.
I only wonder how long it is going to be before our redemption comes not from a movie, but from real life…
You guessed it. The movie was Aamir Khan’s brilliant directorial debut Taare Zameen Par. I, very predictably, fell in love with the movie. Not just because of the amazing work by the little Darsheel Safrey, or the touchingly sensitive directorial treatment, or even the absolutely loveable and equally hummable music tracks. But also because somehow, sometime while watching it, I felt redeemed. I felt like someone finally understood. I might not be suffering from a learning disorder like young Ishaan, but like him, I too am a victim of this education system. And perhaps, you are too.The drawing teacher who reckons real ‘art’ lies in copying inanimate objects lying on the table to the T, the hindi teacher who won’t accept an answer to a question other than the one he’s dictated, the English teacher who puts higher value on knowing the parts of speech than creating a grammatically correct sentence, those raps on the knuckles, those punishments to stand outside the classroom, the intolerance for a curiousness for things beyond the classroom- these certainly aren’t caricatures formulated in the mind of the scriptwriter. They are an everyday reality for- let’s admit- most of us who are still in school. Aren’t we all, in one way or the other, casualties of the narrow-mindedness of the system?
And so, when a film like this comes along once in a lifetime, it is bound to create a stir. But, unfortunately, we seem to have this uncanny ability to let it all run off our backs. It was a movie, and this is life after all! Well, sometimes, just sometimes, you need a wake-up call from life- an opportunity to re-examine all that’s being done, to ask questions about why some things are being done certain ways- and just how right or wrong they are. TZP is our wake-up call.
Why are math and science made compulsory until class tenth but not art and music? Why does a child have to narrow down his options to either Science, Humanities or Commerce at the mere age of 15? How can a child’s learning and knowledge accumulated over 12 years be judged in the matter of three hours- that can make or break the rest of his career? How can we ever account for the amount of innocent lives our attitudes have claimed? Or how many talents have been buried in this shameless quest for academic achievement? When will we have classrooms that become the centers of sharing the joy of learning, rather than machines that train you for a test? When will we be able to produce responsible citizens that are ready for life- rather than IIT? In a system where learning by rote has its proven advantages, when will we ever produce free-thinking individuals- people with opinions of their own, who have the courage to voice them? When will students need to stop going to ‘tuitions’ to substitute their school education? When will life stop being one vicious cycle of school, studies, tutions, homework, and tests?
These, and many more, are questions that will have to be asked over and over if we really want to see a change. It is up to us to wake up and get on with the new day that has dawned, to shake off our past- and to face the new times with a fresh perspective, a renewed vigor. Or we can choose to just hit the snooze button, like we’ve been doing for a while- and stay in our own little dreamland, oblivious to the rest of the world.
I only wonder how long it is going to be before our redemption comes not from a movie, but from real life…
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