TIMES OF INDIA
Friday 29 august 2008‘Indian athletes cannot respect most officials’
TOI’s Guest Editor and Olympic champ Abhinav Bindra says most sportspersons can’t speak up because their careers are at stake. And officials couldn’t care less
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Today, you have a sports page story about a soap company sending a legal notice to M S Dhoni. Who cares? We love controversy. But we need to change that. I’m sure some other sport was going on in this part of the world. You could have written about that.’’
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra was warming up to his new assignment on Thursday — Guest Editor of The Times of India. He’s evidently a man of sharp views — just as sharp as his shooting. During the 60-minute news meeting, the champion showed what it takes to be a world beater — clear vision, unwavering focus and an ability to execute brilliantly under pressure.
We wanted to know what it would take to make India a sporting power. Bindra didn’t have pat answers. ‘‘I have no magic solution,’’ he said. But he certainly knew that the current system was rotten and it would not create the transformation.
‘‘Indian athletes have no respect for most officials,’’ he said. ‘‘They have to be on good terms because one needs to survive. But most officials, and many of the so-called coaches who travel with the shooting team, know nothing about the sport. The athletes don’t talk about this because their careers are at stake. And the officials unfortunately don’t care.’’
He gave another insight into why Indian sports was in a mess, letting slip in the middle of a discussion that he flew to Beijing from Germany, where he had gone for training, on his own expense! ‘‘Though part of the expense of my training in Germany was funded by the government, the IOA refused to give me a ticket from Germany to China. They said I had to first come back to India and I could get a ticket from here.’’ ‘IOA needs to do more for athletes’
The stunning disclosure by Abhinav Bindra that he paid for his own ticket to Beijing, unfortunately doesn’t really come as a surprise. Although he did not say it in as many words, the revelation told an eloquent story of the usual uncaring, bureaucratic sports officialdom. He did, however, say the current official set-up should be replaced with a professional body for each sport, headed by a CEO, who would be given targets. In other words, accountability could ensure brighter results.
Can India hope to enter double digits in the medals tally at London 2012? ‘‘No,’’ said Bindra bluntly. ‘‘If we want to get to double digits, we need to target 2016 and start working from today. But the respective federations have no vision and I don’t see that changing. I wish I had a magic solution but unfortunately, I don’t. IOA has to play a role in building athletes. It does nothing.’’
Would he like to change that? ‘‘I can’t get entrenched into the system. I’d only be wasting my time. I’d rather help the athletes with training and improving their performance.’’ Did the attitude of Indian sports officials change after his win? ‘‘I suddenly have many more coaches now,’’ he quipped, exhibiting a wholly unsuspected dry wit.
The media’s obsession with cricket clearly touches a raw nerve with Bindra. ‘‘Why not just rename the sports pages ‘cricket pages’? In Australia, other sports like rugby are given as much importance as cricket, and Australia is a great cricketing nation. Now that we have done well in them, we should not forget the Olympic sports. The media has a responsibility to write about them.’’
But cricket is a year-round spectator game; Olympics comes once in four years, we said. ‘‘You don’t need to fill the papers, but you could do more stories on the athletes and their competitions. It will serve to motivate them.”
GIVING IT HIS BEST SHOT: Abhinav Bindra in the TOI newsroom on Thursday
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TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi/Patna: The Centre on Thursday declared Kosi floods a ‘‘national calamity’’ and pledged an immediate assistance of Rs 1,000 crore and 1.25 lakh tonnes of foodgrain while moving to partner the Bihar government in tackling the catastrophe, recognizing the severity of the crisis wreaking havoc on millions.
The tag of ‘‘national calamity’’ — announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Patna — means the Bihar government has been exempted from providing ‘‘utilization certificate’’ of the funds it will get now in order to receive fresh instalments of Central assistance in the future.
With Kosi rampaging through thousands of villages and forcing the displacement of over a million, meeting the conditionality would have meant the difference between life and death in the marooned region where eking out a living is difficult even in normal circumstances.
The resource-strained Bihar government added hundreds of boats to the evacuation exercise, but the task was looking increasingly daunting with a growing population asking to be taken to safety.
The PM announced the relief after an aerial survey of the vast swathe reeling under the fury of Kosi. Just one look at the huge area submerged under water — with only rooftops and trees visible at many places — was enough to convince the PM about the scale of the tragedy.
Since it suddenly changed its course after breaching its embankment in Nepal on August 18, Kosi has moved 120km eastward, inundating huge tracts of low land. The river continues to engulf more and more villages every day. In Madhepura district alone, 378 villages have been badly affected while the corresponding number in Supaul is 243. Other affected districts are Araria, Saharsa, Purnia, Katihar and Khagaria.
While the Rs 1,000 crore assistance is significant, it does not address the issue of how to plug the widening breach in the Kosi embankment which led to the calamity. A conservative estimate prepared by the Bihar government puts the money required for the job at Rs 950 crore. While this is a huge amount, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had candidly told the PM that a tight-fisted approach carried the risk of putting a bigger population in the way of the swollen Kosi.
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TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Singur: The stage is set for a showdown in Singur with Mamata Banerjee followers who have laid siege around the Nano plant announcing they won’t allow any employee to enter the factory from Friday.
The announcement came from Naxalite leader Purnendu Bose, now one of the partners of the Krishi Jami Raksha Committee. Bose is among the several leaders of Trinamool allies who have pitched in their lot with her campaign against the Tata plants. He was one of the leaders nominated by Mamata to sit for talks with the government on August 20.
The armtwisting tactic is aimed at forcing the state government to accept Trinamool demand of returning 400 acres of land, which the party claims was forcibly taken from farmers. But it is likely to heighten fears about security, which Ratan Tata has said, could force him to pull out the Rs 1,500 crore investment from West Bengal. However, a Tata spokesman said the company was hopeful the agitators would review their decision. Biman appeals to Mamata for talks to end stir
Singur: The heightening of tension by protesters at Singur, who had so far blocked the highway leading to the plant, also indicated that Trinamool may have lost control of the movement in Singur and ceded ground to more hardline groups like SUCI which won’t compromise on land return and don’t care about industry.
Left Front chairman and CPM state secretary Biman Bose accused the agitators of reneging on their promise of a ‘peaceful satyagraha’. He once again appealed to the Trinamool chief to come to the negotiating table.
Buoyed by the presence of student members of her party at the Nano plant site, Mamata on Thursday blasted chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and a section of the media and hinted at a total shutdown on Friday.
Taking the cue, the agitators hurled abuses at Tata employees inside the compound. When a convoy of six buses carrying engineers drove out of Vendor-4 Gate at 4 pm, the protesters blocked the road. Three of the buses managed to get away, but the remaining three were pushed back inside the plant. The engineers were stuck inside the factory for hours. No work was done during the evening shift at the plant.
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PM gives Bihar Rs 1,000cr aid to tackle Kosi
‘Calamity’ Tag Frees Up Funds
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi/Patna: The Centre on Thursday declared Kosi floods a ‘‘national calamity’’ and pledged an immediate assistance of Rs 1,000 crore and 1.25 lakh tonnes of foodgrain while moving to partner the Bihar government in tackling the catastrophe, recognizing the severity of the crisis wreaking havoc on millions.
The tag of ‘‘national calamity’’ — announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Patna — means the Bihar government has been exempted from providing ‘‘utilization certificate’’ of the funds it will get now in order to receive fresh instalments of Central assistance in the future.
With Kosi rampaging through thousands of villages and forcing the displacement of over a million, meeting the conditionality would have meant the difference between life and death in the marooned region where eking out a living is difficult even in normal circumstances.
The resource-strained Bihar government added hundreds of boats to the evacuation exercise, but the task was looking increasingly daunting with a growing population asking to be taken to safety.
The PM announced the relief after an aerial survey of the vast swathe reeling under the fury of Kosi. Just one look at the huge area submerged under water — with only rooftops and trees visible at many places — was enough to convince the PM about the scale of the tragedy.
Since it suddenly changed its course after breaching its embankment in Nepal on August 18, Kosi has moved 120km eastward, inundating huge tracts of low land. The river continues to engulf more and more villages every day. In Madhepura district alone, 378 villages have been badly affected while the corresponding number in Supaul is 243. Other affected districts are Araria, Saharsa, Purnia, Katihar and Khagaria.
While the Rs 1,000 crore assistance is significant, it does not address the issue of how to plug the widening breach in the Kosi embankment which led to the calamity. A conservative estimate prepared by the Bihar government puts the money required for the job at Rs 950 crore. While this is a huge amount, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had candidly told the PM that a tight-fisted approach carried the risk of putting a bigger population in the way of the swollen Kosi.
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Won’t let Nano staff into Singur plant: Protesters
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Singur: The stage is set for a showdown in Singur with Mamata Banerjee followers who have laid siege around the Nano plant announcing they won’t allow any employee to enter the factory from Friday.
The announcement came from Naxalite leader Purnendu Bose, now one of the partners of the Krishi Jami Raksha Committee. Bose is among the several leaders of Trinamool allies who have pitched in their lot with her campaign against the Tata plants. He was one of the leaders nominated by Mamata to sit for talks with the government on August 20.
The armtwisting tactic is aimed at forcing the state government to accept Trinamool demand of returning 400 acres of land, which the party claims was forcibly taken from farmers. But it is likely to heighten fears about security, which Ratan Tata has said, could force him to pull out the Rs 1,500 crore investment from West Bengal. However, a Tata spokesman said the company was hopeful the agitators would review their decision. Biman appeals to Mamata for talks to end stir
Singur: The heightening of tension by protesters at Singur, who had so far blocked the highway leading to the plant, also indicated that Trinamool may have lost control of the movement in Singur and ceded ground to more hardline groups like SUCI which won’t compromise on land return and don’t care about industry.
Left Front chairman and CPM state secretary Biman Bose accused the agitators of reneging on their promise of a ‘peaceful satyagraha’. He once again appealed to the Trinamool chief to come to the negotiating table.
Buoyed by the presence of student members of her party at the Nano plant site, Mamata on Thursday blasted chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and a section of the media and hinted at a total shutdown on Friday.
Taking the cue, the agitators hurled abuses at Tata employees inside the compound. When a convoy of six buses carrying engineers drove out of Vendor-4 Gate at 4 pm, the protesters blocked the road. Three of the buses managed to get away, but the remaining three were pushed back inside the plant. The engineers were stuck inside the factory for hours. No work was done during the evening shift at the plant.
COLLISION COURSE: Mamata Banerjee at a rally on Thursday
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Faizan Ahmad | TNN
Purnia: At the end of the dingy Tatma Toli lane stands a ramshackle straw and mud hut. It’s the home of Meera Kumari, who has won three gold medals besides a silver and a bronze in the national shooting championships.
Meera’s profile is in sharp contrast to images of shooting champions fashioned by Olympic winners Abhinav Bindra and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. She sits in the dark hut where rainwater seeps through the tin shade and spreads all over the place. But her hardships notwithstanding, Meera still dreams big.
The 18-year-old has been taking part in 50-metre rifle shooting tournaments as an NCC cadet since 2002. She has treasured her medals in a plastic box. They include a gold and a bronze won at NCC’s Inter-Directorate G V Mavalankar Championship, 2007, in Agra. At the same place same year, she won a gold at the All India G V Mavalankar Shooting Championship. She also won a gold at the 51st National Shooting Championship conducted by the Ahmedabad Military Rifle Training Association in 2007 and a silver at a National Rifle Association of India event. She was the only candidate among the 14 boys and girls selected from Bihar and Jharkhand who finally made it to these tournaments.
Meera is currently attending trials for the Youth Commonwealth Games at Indore. If selected, she will be taking part in the Games at Pune in October. This champ doesn’t get to practise
Patna: She’s won three gold medals besides a silver and a bronze in the national shooting championships. But unlike Olympic medalists Abhinav Bindra and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, 18-year-old Meera Kumari can’t prepare for the events. ‘‘I have not practised at all this year as I don’t have access to a .22 German rifle,’’ she says.
Last year, she had a practice session arranged by NCC in Muzaffarpur and before that in Barauni.
Her mettle and medals notwithstanding, Meera has not had any sponsorship. ‘‘Till now, NCC sent me to various events but now I have completed the NCC tenure,’’ says she.
A BA student at a local Mahila College, Meera knows her hobby is highly expensive. But she is hopeful she will overcome the odds and become an Army officer one day. ‘‘I love the Army uniform,’’ she adds.
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Delhi Times
PIYALI DASGUPTA Times News Network
When former Miss India and actress Sayali Bhagat and Pakistani cricketer and Delhi Daredevils player Shoaib Malik were seen together at a Mumbai hotel, it was bound to make news. Reports said that the two are in love, that they met at a store launch in Delhi about a year ago, and have kept in touch since then, with Shoaib making “special trips” to India and showering her with attention.
However, when DT contacted her to know more about the Delhi event where it all began, Sayali had this to say – “The truth is that we’re just friends. Right now, we’re not dating, but are thinking about it. It’s too early to say that I’m ‘dating’ him. We’ve been in and out of touch since IPL, we’ve been meeting on and off and that’s how he’s been taking out time to meet me. But it’s not true that he’s been coming to India to meet me.”
So is it an affair, or is it not? “It’s not an affair,” she clarifies. “It’s true that we have gone out on a couple of quiet dinners. But the point is that I don’t yet know him that closely, and it’s too early to say we’re dating. An ‘I like you’ has come, but there’s no ‘I love you’ situation so far between us.”
In fact, she says that Shoaib called her yesterday morning after he came to know of the news. “He asked me about the whole thing. I told him clearly that we’re friends and let’s be honest about it. He told me very categorically to say that we’re only friends. If there’s anything, we’ll let you know. He has his career and I have mine. Above all, both our families shouldn’t be bothered over this,” she says.
Has she visited Pakistan to meet him? “I must’ve met him only eight or 10 times, and I’ve never visited Pakistan. The last time I met him was during IPL, about two-three months ago. We’re fond of each other but it’s too early to talk about it. In fact, after the news came out, the media in Pakistan has been harassing Shoaib,” she fumes. “I’m clear about the whole thing. I don’t want to send the wrong signal by saying it’s official. I like him, I haven’t said I love him. Right now, I really want to focus on my career. Yes, I did meet him last year at a store opening in Delhi, but we hardly spoke at the time. We only started talking when he came to India during IPL,” she says. (With inputs from Afsana Ahmed)
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From a hut in Bihar, Meera shoots gold
Faizan Ahmad | TNN
Purnia: At the end of the dingy Tatma Toli lane stands a ramshackle straw and mud hut. It’s the home of Meera Kumari, who has won three gold medals besides a silver and a bronze in the national shooting championships.
Meera’s profile is in sharp contrast to images of shooting champions fashioned by Olympic winners Abhinav Bindra and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. She sits in the dark hut where rainwater seeps through the tin shade and spreads all over the place. But her hardships notwithstanding, Meera still dreams big.
The 18-year-old has been taking part in 50-metre rifle shooting tournaments as an NCC cadet since 2002. She has treasured her medals in a plastic box. They include a gold and a bronze won at NCC’s Inter-Directorate G V Mavalankar Championship, 2007, in Agra. At the same place same year, she won a gold at the All India G V Mavalankar Shooting Championship. She also won a gold at the 51st National Shooting Championship conducted by the Ahmedabad Military Rifle Training Association in 2007 and a silver at a National Rifle Association of India event. She was the only candidate among the 14 boys and girls selected from Bihar and Jharkhand who finally made it to these tournaments.
Meera is currently attending trials for the Youth Commonwealth Games at Indore. If selected, she will be taking part in the Games at Pune in October. This champ doesn’t get to practise
Patna: She’s won three gold medals besides a silver and a bronze in the national shooting championships. But unlike Olympic medalists Abhinav Bindra and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, 18-year-old Meera Kumari can’t prepare for the events. ‘‘I have not practised at all this year as I don’t have access to a .22 German rifle,’’ she says.
Last year, she had a practice session arranged by NCC in Muzaffarpur and before that in Barauni.
Her mettle and medals notwithstanding, Meera has not had any sponsorship. ‘‘Till now, NCC sent me to various events but now I have completed the NCC tenure,’’ says she.
A BA student at a local Mahila College, Meera knows her hobby is highly expensive. But she is hopeful she will overcome the odds and become an Army officer one day. ‘‘I love the Army uniform,’’ she adds.
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Delhi Times
Too early to talk of ‘dating’?
After actress Sayali Bhagat and Pakistani cricketer, Delhi Daredevils player Shoaib Malik were seen together in Mumbai, Sayali says they’re not ‘dating’, but are friends. Shoaib, however, is having to answer some questions back home
PIYALI DASGUPTA Times News Network
When former Miss India and actress Sayali Bhagat and Pakistani cricketer and Delhi Daredevils player Shoaib Malik were seen together at a Mumbai hotel, it was bound to make news. Reports said that the two are in love, that they met at a store launch in Delhi about a year ago, and have kept in touch since then, with Shoaib making “special trips” to India and showering her with attention.
However, when DT contacted her to know more about the Delhi event where it all began, Sayali had this to say – “The truth is that we’re just friends. Right now, we’re not dating, but are thinking about it. It’s too early to say that I’m ‘dating’ him. We’ve been in and out of touch since IPL, we’ve been meeting on and off and that’s how he’s been taking out time to meet me. But it’s not true that he’s been coming to India to meet me.”
So is it an affair, or is it not? “It’s not an affair,” she clarifies. “It’s true that we have gone out on a couple of quiet dinners. But the point is that I don’t yet know him that closely, and it’s too early to say we’re dating. An ‘I like you’ has come, but there’s no ‘I love you’ situation so far between us.”
In fact, she says that Shoaib called her yesterday morning after he came to know of the news. “He asked me about the whole thing. I told him clearly that we’re friends and let’s be honest about it. He told me very categorically to say that we’re only friends. If there’s anything, we’ll let you know. He has his career and I have mine. Above all, both our families shouldn’t be bothered over this,” she says.
Has she visited Pakistan to meet him? “I must’ve met him only eight or 10 times, and I’ve never visited Pakistan. The last time I met him was during IPL, about two-three months ago. We’re fond of each other but it’s too early to talk about it. In fact, after the news came out, the media in Pakistan has been harassing Shoaib,” she fumes. “I’m clear about the whole thing. I don’t want to send the wrong signal by saying it’s official. I like him, I haven’t said I love him. Right now, I really want to focus on my career. Yes, I did meet him last year at a store opening in Delhi, but we hardly spoke at the time. We only started talking when he came to India during IPL,” she says. (With inputs from Afsana Ahmed)
CROSS BORDER CONNECTION: Sayali Bhagat. For more pics of Sayali & Shoaib, visit http://photogallery. indiatimes.com
JAB THEY MET: These are pictures of the Delhi event where Sayali and Shoaib first met in Nov 2007, but, as Sayali says, they hardly talked then
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Times News Network
It’s purported to be a laugh riot with a message – C Kkompany from Balaji Motion Pictures, which releases today, nationwide. And Tusshar Kapoor and Raima Sen, plus veterans like Anupam Kher and Mithun Chakraborty, not to mention that scream, Rajpal Yadav, are waiting to see how audiences react to their message.
The rather touching, entertaining and encouraging story lauds the common man. And the comedy is not of the slapstick variety but is rather realistic. It’s the script that is very moving, say the stars. Kher explains, “There’s plenty of the ‘feel good’ factor. This is not a movie about unreal heroes, it’s about the common man turning into a real life hero.” To which Raima nods and says with a million dollar smile, “Yes, it’s a comedy film which has a message to convey.”
Tusshar strikes a note of mystery by saying, “Call us the Robin Hoods of society. C Kkompany portrays the realistic journey of three middle-class men who unintentionally work their way straight to the Parliament, and finally become heroes in the eyes of the common man.” He’s naturally proud to work in this film because sister Ekta’s put her heart and soul in this production, directed by Sachin Yardi. The fringe benefits are that Ekta, just for Tusshar’s sake, makes a guest appearance in the film. And so do Mahesh Bhatt and Karan Johar. It’s paisa vasool all the way!
delhitimes@timesgroup.com
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When Ekta ‘acted’ in Tusshar’s film
A new ‘feel good’ comedy with Tusshar Kapoor and Raima Sen has many pleasant surprises in store
Times News Network
It’s purported to be a laugh riot with a message – C Kkompany from Balaji Motion Pictures, which releases today, nationwide. And Tusshar Kapoor and Raima Sen, plus veterans like Anupam Kher and Mithun Chakraborty, not to mention that scream, Rajpal Yadav, are waiting to see how audiences react to their message.
The rather touching, entertaining and encouraging story lauds the common man. And the comedy is not of the slapstick variety but is rather realistic. It’s the script that is very moving, say the stars. Kher explains, “There’s plenty of the ‘feel good’ factor. This is not a movie about unreal heroes, it’s about the common man turning into a real life hero.” To which Raima nods and says with a million dollar smile, “Yes, it’s a comedy film which has a message to convey.”
Tusshar strikes a note of mystery by saying, “Call us the Robin Hoods of society. C Kkompany portrays the realistic journey of three middle-class men who unintentionally work their way straight to the Parliament, and finally become heroes in the eyes of the common man.” He’s naturally proud to work in this film because sister Ekta’s put her heart and soul in this production, directed by Sachin Yardi. The fringe benefits are that Ekta, just for Tusshar’s sake, makes a guest appearance in the film. And so do Mahesh Bhatt and Karan Johar. It’s paisa vasool all the way!
delhitimes@timesgroup.com
BY GANESHA'S GOOD GRACE: Tusshar Kapoor and Raima Sen seek Lord Ganesha's blessings for their film C Kkompany
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VISHWAS GAUTAM Times News Network
Shah Rukh Khan’s Temptations tour is ready for its next stop. According to sources, the venues are yet to be finalised, but the dates are October 17, 18, 19 and 20 in Europe, and October 23 and 24 in the Gulf.
Putting to rest the recent speculation and controversy, Katrina Kaif will, finally, be part of the tour. The infamous spat at her birthday party between
boyfriend Salman
and SRK hasn’t affected their schedule, and it’s business
as usual as far as Kat and SRK are concerned.
Apart from King Khan, Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Rampal, Anusha Dandekar and Ganesh Hegde will feature on stage in the Europe leg of the tour. In the Gulf, the tour will feature Katrina, Rani Mukerji, Arjun, Anusha and Ganesh. It isn’t confirmed if, at all, the tour will go to the US, where Amitabh Bachchan’s Unforgettables was staged. If it does, though, the comparisons will be inevitable. Keep watching this space for more.
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Even more tempting
Katrina is very much a part of SRK’s Temptations tour as it goes to the Gulf in October
VISHWAS GAUTAM Times News Network
Shah Rukh Khan’s Temptations tour is ready for its next stop. According to sources, the venues are yet to be finalised, but the dates are October 17, 18, 19 and 20 in Europe, and October 23 and 24 in the Gulf.
Putting to rest the recent speculation and controversy, Katrina Kaif will, finally, be part of the tour. The infamous spat at her birthday party between
boyfriend Salman
and SRK hasn’t affected their schedule, and it’s business
as usual as far as Kat and SRK are concerned.
Apart from King Khan, Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Rampal, Anusha Dandekar and Ganesh Hegde will feature on stage in the Europe leg of the tour. In the Gulf, the tour will feature Katrina, Rani Mukerji, Arjun, Anusha and Ganesh. It isn’t confirmed if, at all, the tour will go to the US, where Amitabh Bachchan’s Unforgettables was staged. If it does, though, the comparisons will be inevitable. Keep watching this space for more.
Shah Rukh Khan performs in the
Temptations
tour in Amsterdam
Temptations
tour in Amsterdam
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