Parthiv's passion

Parthiv Patel Only a little over 17, Parthiv Patel, barely 5ft 3 in his cricket boots, looked even younger when he first walked into a Test match ground in 2002 as a bachcha member of Sourav Ganguly's India team. The story goes that Nasir Hussain's English fast bowlers were left wondering if it would be fair on their part to go full steam against a boy too tender to be seen in such hardened company.
But a Test match is no place for mercies. Before the baby of Ganguly's team could open his account, Parthiv was caught by Andrew Flintoff off Steve Harmison. Batting at number eight, he was not out 18 in the second innings of that drawn Nottingham Test. which ended in a draw. Those who had thought that in the Ahmedabad boy they had discovered a new wicket-keeper for the Indian team found little to write home about. An opportunity which had come so early in Parthiv's life had gone to waste. Perhaps it had come too early in life.
Rather than brood over lost opportunities, Parthiv determinedly went about improving his cricketing skills while every now then he kept himself in the public mind with handy scores with the bat. He is now a more mature person, an experienced senior professional under whose captaincy Gujarat made history by winning the Ranji Trophy, a piece of silver which is the prestigious emblem of national cricket supremacy, a feat which the Gujarat Cricket Association celebrated by awarding Parhiv's team a handsome cash award Rs.3 crore. .
If a Yuvraj Singh can make a comeback at 35, then why not Parthiv Patel. He is only 31.

Welcome step

The recent decision of FIFA to increase the number of countries to figure in the final rounds of the world cup to 48 from 32 has been generally welcomed by football fans across the globe as a move in the right direction. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa, looks forward to the day when Asia's quota will go up from the existing four to eight.

Figuring in the world cup finals, world cup proper as the world calls it, is a different experience. For a month or so every four years nothing else matters when football's world cup proper finals are on. More countries can now dream to find their teams playing there. South American and European have dominated the world cup.

As things now stand, for India to figure in the final rounds remains a distant dream. It doesn't even figure in the top dozen teams in the continent,and bridging the gap will be no easy matter for it by the time the 48-team format becomes applicable ten years from now, though the news that the country had improved its world standing to129 from 135 had brought some cheer in the New Year.

Unique gift

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese Antonio Costa Various are the kinds of gifts dignitaries bring along with them on their official visits.. But the one gifted by prime minister Antonio Costa of Portugal to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi was unique. It was a red No.7 Portugal shirt of Cristiano Ronaldo. For choice and timing it was immaculate. For only a few days earlier the Portuguese soccer star had made world headlines by winning FIFA's Ballon d'Or award. The shirt was duly signed by Ronaldo, who had won the title of the world's best footballer for the fourth time.
While the formal ceremonies were gone through at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, Ronaldo was celebrating his achievement at St Bernabeau Stadium before Real Madrid's La Liga clash against Granada, with several former Real Madrid veterans joining in, not to mention the thousands of fans at the stadium.
Meanwhile, tongues have already wagging about what Mr Modi will do with the red Portugal shirt – a priceless collector's item. Will he, or can he, auction it and donate the proceeds to charity, the way he had done earlier with some other gifts.? The signed Ronaldo shirt may be deemed as state property

Swachh sports

Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala While all seems back to normal for the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), with the government revoking its suspension following a u-turn by the national Olympic committee (NOC) that the proposal to grant life presidency to Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala was never approved, the Lodha panel claimed that business in the cricket board (BCCI) was running as usual after 20- odd administrators were shown the door for wilfully ignoring the recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed committee.
It is reasonable to assume that all other sports bodies will take the hint and get their business in order before facing similar action.



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Before the baby of Ganguly's team could open his account, Parthiv was caught by Andrew Flintoff off Steve Harmison. Batting at number eight, he was not out 18 in the second innings of that drawn Nottingham Test. which ended in a draw. Those who had thought that in the Ahmedabad boy they had discovered a new wicket-keeper for the Indian team found little to write home about. An opportunity which had come so early in Parthiv's life had gone to waste. Perhaps it had come too early in life. Rather than brood over lost opportunities, Parthiv determinedly went about improving his cricketing skills while every now then he kept himself in the public mind with handy scores with the bat. He is now a more mature person, an experienced senior professional under whose captaincy Gujarat made history by winning the Ranji Trophy, a piece of silver which is the prestigious emblem of national cricket supremacy, a feat which the Gujarat Cricket Association celebrated by awarding Parhiv's team a handsome cash award Rs.3 crore. . If a Yuvraj Singh can make a comeback at 35, then why not Parthiv Patel. He is only 31. Welcome step The recent decision of FIFA to increase the number of countries to figure in the final rounds of the world cup to 48 from 32 has been generally welcomed by football fans across the globe as a move in the right direction. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa, looks forward to the day when Asia's quota will go up from the existing four to eight. Figuring in the world cup finals, world cup proper as the world calls it, is a different experience. For a month or so every four years nothing else matters when football's world cup proper finals are on. More countries can now dream to find their teams playing there. South American and European have dominated the world cup. As things now stand, for India to figure in the final rounds remains a distant dream. It doesn't even figure in the top dozen teams in the continent,and bridging the gap will be no easy matter for it by the time the 48-team format becomes applicable ten years from now, though the news that the country had improved its world standing to129 from 135 had brought some cheer in the New Year. Unique gift Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese Antonio Costa Various are the kinds of gifts dignitaries bring along with them on their official visits.. But the one gifted by prime minister Antonio Costa of Portugal to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi was unique. It was a red No.7 Portugal shirt of Cristiano Ronaldo. For choice and timing it was immaculate. For only a few days earlier the Portuguese soccer star had made world headlines by winning FIFA's Ballon d'Or award. The shirt was duly signed by Ronaldo, who had won the title of the world's best footballer for the fourth time. While the formal ceremonies were gone through at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, Ronaldo was celebrating his achievement at St Bernabeau Stadium before Real Madrid's La Liga clash against Granada, with several former Real Madrid veterans joining in, not to mention the thousands of fans at the stadium. Meanwhile, tongues have already wagging about what Mr Modi will do with the red Portugal shirt – a priceless collector's item. Will he, or can he, auction it and donate the proceeds to charity, the way he had done earlier with some other gifts.? The signed Ronaldo shirt may be deemed as state property Swachh sports Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala While all seems back to normal for the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), with the government revoking its suspension following a u-turn by the national Olympic committee (NOC) that the proposal to grant life presidency to Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala was never approved, the Lodha panel claimed that business in the cricket board (BCCI) was running as usual after 20- odd administrators were shown the door for wilfully ignoring the recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed committee. It is reasonable to assume that all other sports bodies will take the hint and get their business in order before facing similar action.