Friday, September 28, 2007

Has the 'Gaint' woken up?

We had all heard of 'new Indian left pace bowler yorking the opposition like Wasim Akram' but not 'an Indian Gerrard'. By the way, let me explain to all readers that Gerrard is Steven Gerrard, football player, Liverpool & England, and a player who plays with heart, guts, like a champion who on a day turns the outcome on his own, a glimpse of one of the great sportsmen. Coming back to Indian connection, remember the terms, first one "Indian Gerrard".

There are different parameters of rating a sport in a country. Crowd attending an event in, it could be anything, sporting arena, stadium, court, course, road side, rink and made of any turf or any size. But what counts is how filled that arena is and in most cases how noisy the crowd is. How much involved they are, how much fun they are having, how happy they are. We have seen and heard filled Eden Gardens. And, we have many a times ignored 130,000 strong crowd and passionate devotees in Salt Lake stadium. But how many times have we heard filled Ambedkar Stadium, a stadium that now boast of a green grassy football pitch in National capital city Delhi? With many more waiting and hearing the proceedings outside the gates and trying to catch a glimpse from any opening.

Second, would be how many people watching the action live on TV with reactions captured with moving eyes, tense & swearing faces, beer glasses or cans in front or in the bin and number of heads watching the action through the idiot box? We have seen it through cricket matches, football matches, people even getting cardiac arrested while watching the action. But how many times have we seen an Indian Football action, that too an Indian National Team, making inroads into homes around the country? Or, how much have we heard about Indian Football Team in something known as Sports News.

We have all read articles about people thronging the Tube stations in London to catch latest action of Arsenal or Chelsea? Or fathers taking their sons hand in hand to the White Heart Lane or Old Trafford, getting out of those buses or trains stations and walking down that path where they have seen or would see enthrallers like George Best, Wayne Rooney, Theirre Henry, Solksjaer and all put themselves on display. Articles describe the talks or rather exact match analysis happening after the match on return back home, in those buses, trains or tubes. Have you ever read article describing some Delhites analysing football match?

Have you seen that crowd dancing and shouting passionately on August 29th & seen those 'unusual' news items under Sports News or you read those articles talking about Indian Footballers, the coach, the win, the story, then something has changed, or is about to change. Yes, after much deliberation I name it, its indeed the India's win over Syria to win the ONGC Nehru Cup at Ambedkar Stadium. Agreed, it is not the best opposition in world, it is not the World Cup nor even World Cup Qualification, it is not even the Olympics. There was no Ronalidinho skip the heart trick, no Beckham curling free kick, no Ronaldo brisk run and goal, no Zidane-sque display, agreed. But what surely was there would have heart, guts, enthusiasm and foremost belief and a light, that rekindles hope. Hope for new chapter in annals of football of not just India, but World Football. Its an announcement that Indian Football is alive, taking new baby steps through its team and more importantly through its people, through the media that might have been looking for new story but hungry for this phenomenon called 'The Beautiful Game', through crowd that waited or saw the action live or for all those football loving people who have waited too long and turned their remotes to EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga or CL. Now there is new belief rising, which augurs for I League, national Professional Football League, and most crucially a belief for the Indian Football. Wake up Football in India, wake up Sports in India!!

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