the olympic saga continues

well..this is an update of my thoughts on the most happening event of the time..

 

Firstly, I have blown away by the level of organization done in the city of London by the organizers. Don't recall if Beijing had such a lot of volunteers. They had more engineering and decorations if I am not wrong.

Triathlon-one of my favorite events

Second, some events were really awesome. And I mean it. Be it Federer's marathon fight in the Quarters, the Skeet shooting finals dominated by Vincent or all the great performances by hundreds of athletes whose names I don't know, but surely made my day with the die hard competitive attitudes. Special mention to cycling, hurdles, fencing and badminton.

Vincent Hancock

Feisty finals china v/s china

I am happy that women's boxing was included this time. All their bouts were really good to watch. The women were proud, happy and ferocious at the same time . They seemed to want to prove a point to the world.


The Indian performances were largely satisfactory except maybe hockey. All the shooters did well and even if they didn't all share the podiums, the job was well done. The shuttlers especially Jwala and Ashwini looked very promising but unfortunately lost out. We even figured in 20km walking and such new events which people didn't look forward to. It even brought a Malayali to the limelight. OK no regional matters.. anyway it is a definite sign of better things to happen for the Olympics in this nation obsessed with just a handful of the usual stuff.



Proud of the medal winners Gagan,Saina and Vijay. Boxing was the single most event I would have followed all throughout the competition. Indian boxers did quite well indeed. Now only Devendhro and Kom survive. In that, Kom's fight was something I am glad I watched. R.E.S.P.E.C.T in all respects.

There were even a few things I did not like about this Olympics:-
a) The Madhura honey episode - but I loved the creative photoshop works that followed

LOL

b) Indian tennis hullah bullah
c) Some very questionable judgements and reversals by officials. Not just involving Indians
d) Changes in rules and point systems. It might have made some events more flexible, but elsewhere it spoiled the competition
e) The foul play incident in badminton. Threw lots of questions about the manipulators and dominators
f) And of course the late timings :P

Will she be the golden girl this time?

Anyway at this point I eagerly look forward to Kom's semi final bout against local favourite Nicola who looks defiant and confident. One thing to note is that in spite of Mary's legendary status in Women's International Boxing, she has only performed in the light weight category. She would find it difficult against the opponents of larger build and reach. Only experience, tactics and her speed can help her carve the victory required.The other contenders as per my observation are real champs too.
Mary has experience and speed to her side. But the weight category would be her Achilles heel. Ren Cancan from China is a super cool, super fast boxer with lots of tricks up her sleeve. Nicola and Espereza of US and Britain respectively are young and ferocious boxers. So there is lots of action yet to come..

If Mary does achieve the topmost spot, then it would a great moment for Indian Olympics, women's boxing, the sport as such in India and of course the media and feminist idealists in India would have a field day on TV and social media. I personally am gear up for a great finish to one of the grandest sporting events of the modern world.

Its not all over yet..

PS: Once the events come to a close I would try keeping away from Indian news channels who are currently lying in wait with their analysis and accusations.

oh.. did I miss a certain Jamaican and American? .. nope I don't think so..

Olympics again

hey everyone

it is time for yet another season of Olympics..
a tradition of the world community for many years, this event has been always a prestige matter for all countries involved. Especially so for the host nation.

Considering the symbolic strength of such an event, all nations take it with high priority in their foreign policy as well.

Well for us common men, it is one of the other sport events out there. But well the truth is, it is quite a spectacle if you consider that it brings together stars of most of the sports you like, some that you don't and even some that you didn't even know to exist.

Beijing was a sight to behold

 I haven't seen many olympics events myself. I remember Atlanta, Athens and the last one in Beijing as good ones. But compared to the usual sporting events and given the international limelight plus the pressure of an entire nation upon the shoulders, all these athletes are real heroes. Before you think that your favourite euro football player or a cricketer too is a hero, consider the difference or more precisely the indifference that the athletes undergo, especially Indian ones.

All the best!

 Anyway this time, inspired by many of our stalwarts from the last season, the wind has started flowing in the right direction. We have some good contenders in some events. I feel people are realizing the potentials and rewards of performing at such platforms. In all senses(read as economic,social,diplomatic and cultural). If not considering only cheering for our athletes,  we have a great host of events to watch out for. Lots of amazing athletes who perform unbelievably.

Remember that once upon a time, the athletes were the ones who held the awe of the public. Each and every child wanted to emulate the successful sportsmen. They were driven by the commitment and achievements of these men, and not merely the money and fame that was  attached to it. In recent time, the focus has shifted to the latter, which are mere mockeries.

I came to know that in India, only Doordarshan is going to broadcast this event. That is quite a shame considering the dismal popularity of the channel and the previous record of poor coverage. In case you have a fairly decent internet connection, try using this Youtube link for Olympic coverage. I really wish Indian private channels could somehow procure broadcast rights to such important events as well.. Well, they go only by fat money making chances, which it seems can only be obtained from two immensely popular sports  - Cricket and Football. sigh.. i am bored of thinking of this irritating condition...

Check out the olympic schedule and results here

Thats all for today, adios amigos.. remember to live the spirit..and  Inspire a Generation!

Bolt makes a bolt for gold

Its over..the 100m finals of Beijing Olympics...in a matter of seconds....the Fastest Man on Earth has been declared,Usain Bolt of Jamaica.
Usain made a 'bolt' for the gold medal,finishing at an astonishing 9.69 seconds creating a new World Record.He beat his own previous record of 9.72 seconds by a big margin.
It was a must watch competition of the entire Olympics...he left the rest of the competitors far behind.Here was no where in the frame which caught the rest of em crossing the line.
Silver medalist Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago ran a time of 9.89 seconds, leaving American Walter Dix at 9.91 seconds to take the bronze.


In other Olympics news,three Indian boxers have made it to the quarterfinals through wonderful bouts...some were thrillers..
Lets hope more medals come in through them...