Mixed Feeling

The ASI bantamweight boxer feels bad for good buddies Jeevan and Bajrang, as the duo failed to make the cut in the same weight category for the CYG





Pune Mirror, September 24, 2008 Suhrid Barua

There's one man who is plumbing a mixed feeling on being picked in the eight-member Indian boxing team for the much-awaited Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in the city beginning October 12. Normally, a national selection is a big moment for any sportsman, but for bantamweight boxer V Durga Rao, there's some excitement laced with remorse - reason- his good buddies Jeevan and Bajrang failed to make the cut as the troika slugged it out for the lone in the three-cornered fight in the 54 kg. "I am bucked to see my name on the final list of eight boxers, but at the same time, I feel bad for Jeevan and Bajrang as they too have tried hard for a place in the CYG team," said the Army Sports Institute (ASI) boxer.

Durga is among six boxers from the Army Sports Institute to be handpicked in the Indian team. The other ASI boxers are T Nanao Singh , V Durga Rao, Vikas Kishan, Niraj Goyat, V Santosh and Satender. Durga admits that both Jeevan and Bajrang are 'attacking' boxers, something he lacks. "I know I'm not as attacking as Jeevan and Bajrang who are bellicose but technically I am more sound. I think that was the clinching factor in me outpunching them in the selection trials here," he explains.





The boy from Andhra, who has been attached with ASI since 2004, is positive about making a podium finish at the Commonwealth Youth Games."The biggest threat in my weight category would be from the boxers from England and Ireland. I think I've trained well enough to be ready for any challenge thrown at me," he said on a confident note.

'Landscape of boxing has changed in India'

India's chief junior boxing coach G Manoharan feels the Indian boxers must make the most of the momentum given our stellar show at Beijing at the upcoming Commonwealth Youth Games

Pune Mirror, September 21

Suhrid Barua

Making it big in Olympics can act as a springboard for a sport to build on it in and produce more champions. The Vijenders, Akhils, Jitenders have made boxers from other countries sit up and take notice of them with their intrepid, doughty style of boxing and clearly changed the face of Indian boxing.

The upcoming Commonwealth Youth Games in the city will be a huge opportunity for our boxers to make the most of this momentum given by our Beijing ‘high’. Though one is not suggesting that Indian boxers will be going hammer and tongs at their opponents, there are enough reasons for Indian junior coach G Manoharan to hope for an eye-catching performance at CYG. “See, the momentum is there after our superlative effort in Beijing. There’s no doubt that our Beijing showing has changed the landscape of Indian boxing. I expect a similar display from our pugilists at CYG,” Manoharan said.

The Indian coach said youngsters want to take up boxing as they see a future in it. “Every youngster wants to take up boxing because they know that if they make their country proud with their performance in the ring, everything will be taken care of. Now, there are a lot of jobs for the boxers and tell me who doesn’t want a fillip like that? It’s all bodes well for the future,” he explained.

Not many know that Manoharan is actually the first ‘Akhil Kumar’ of Indian boxing (first to come close to winning a medal in Olympic boxing event). The bantamweight boxer won his first two rounds convincingly at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and dominated his quarterfinal bout, but was disqualified after he failed to heed the referee’s signal to stop the bout after flooring his opponent with a knockout punch. A semifinal round would have at least fetched him a bronze. "That was a long time back. Let’s leave that aside (Chhodo woh saab),” he says with a shrug.

Like he used to box in his playing days, Manoharan was willing to stick his neck out when it comes to predicting medals at CYG. “We will field eight boxers. My boxers are in great shape and if everything goes according to plan, I am confident of winning at least six gold medals in the event,” he oozed confidence.

Talking of individuals, he feels that Nanao Singh is India’s best bet for a medal. “He’s looking good in training and his recent performances have been impressive. I’m counting on him to come up with a big effort at CYG,” he added.

He perceives boxers from England, Australia and from the African countries as India’s biggest threat. “African countries like South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria pose a huge threat. Pugilists from England and Australia are equally formidable. So we have to be on our guard,” he said.

Talking of individuals, he is counting on K Nanao Singh and V Santosh to make a big impact in the mega event. “All my boxers are capable of making a podium finish but my biggest hopes are rested on K Nanao Singh and V Santosh. They have matured a lot and know how to make it count when it matters,” he added.

ICL Hunger

Former Bangladesh coach Shaun Williams' take on six top players quitting the national side and joining the rebel Indian Cricket League


Pune Mirror, September 17

Suhrid Barua

Pune: It's nothing short of a tremor that has rocked Bangladesh cricket all of a sudden. But for those who follow Bangladesh cricket closely would know that it was something waiting to happen. Six top players - Habibul Bashar, Aftab Ahmed, Shariar Nafees Ahmed, Dhiman Ghosh, Mohammad Rubel Hossain and Farhad Reza gave a vent to their pent-up frustration by choosing to quit the Bangladesh national team amid widespread media reports that they would be joining the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).The fast-paced developments have sent the Bangladesh Cricket Board mandarins into a tizzy almost like a batsman, who is not just at sixes and sevens against a short-pitched delivery and also struggles to find answers to questions posed by the bowler.

And one man who have seen these players evolve for a period of time is Shaun Williams, who has served a quite longish stint as Bangladesh 'A' team coach and also a High Performance Manager, even dabbling in as senior coach for a brief while before taking up the job as Director of Maharashtra Cricket and Ranji coach. "I'm not at all surprised by these developments. I'm in touch with these boys every now and than. I'm not sure what might have prompted the boys to take such a step but there must a solid reason behind it," Williams said.

Quiz him about the reports of six players joining the ICL, Williams says better prospects beckons every cricketer. "Who doesn't like to have financial security? Not just cricketer, all of us want that. So, I feel these players must have found it hard to resist the temptation of big 'moolah'. Bashar has two grown up children to take care of. Aftab was recently blessed with a baby girl. So they have responsibilites in life. They've every right to take decisions which stand them in good stead," he opined.
There is also increasing talk of the Bangladesh national players fed up of being given a rough ride by the Bangladesh Cricket Board? Williams toes a soft line. "Mate, I can't say sitting here what is happening there. If you look at the players, Habibul Bashar is close to the evening of his career, so he has a lot to gain. But for guys like Aftab Ahmed (middle-order batsman), Shariar Nafees Ahmed (former Bangladesh vice captain, Dhiman Ghosh (wicket-keeper), bowlers Mohammad Rubel Hossain and Farhad Reza, it must have been a decision taken with a lot of thought."

How about a tremor turning into a calamity if the likes of Mohammad Ashraful and Mashrafe Mortaza decide to jump the ICL bandwagon? "Look, if they are fit and in form, they would automatically work in the XI. But surprises can never be ruled out. If Ashraful and Mortazatwo call it quits, I can tell you for sure that it won't be music to the ears of BCB top-brass," he added.

'Quality must be there'

Pune Mirror, September 7, 2008

Suhrid Barua

Pune: The BCCI's decision to put in motion the rule of allocating one foreign player in State teams for the 2008-09 Ranji season has only set the cricketing tongues wagging. A lot has been documented about the new 'one foreign player' rule but has the thought ever crossed our minds whether foreign players are absolutely imperative for Indian domestic cricket? One can understand that the induction of foreign players can help fine-tune the skills of our domestic cricketers but then, no one can question the flush of home-grown talent which must be given the proper launchpad to blossom.
Former India batting great Gundappa Viswanath said the question of whether Indian domestic cricket need foreign players is a tricky one to answer as every Ranji team would have different requirements. "It's not about whether we need foreign players for our domestic circuit. Every team would have different permutations to work on and combinations and would opt for players accordingly," he said.
Viswanath was, however, clear on one count. Quality cannot be compromised at any cost. "Even though we're going to have allocation of one foreign player in Ranji teams, every effort should be undertaken to ensure the best of the lot ply their skills here as having below-par players would only have a deleterious effect," he explained.
Similar sentiments were echoed by former Indian all-rounder Chandu Borde. "If at all we want to induct foreign players in State Ranji teams, it must be ensured that 'quality' is not compromised. If the home-grown talents of a particular State team fits the ball, then there is no need to go for foreign players. It all depends on what line of thinking the braintrust of each teams have," he remarked.
However, another former India all-rounder Madan Lal, a member of the 1983 World Cup winning team, struck a discordant note. He feels the BCCI is getting carried away by the foreign flavour. "They're giving everything to the foreigners. Coaches are from outside and now foreign players coming into Ranji sides, I don't think having foreign players is the right way to go about things," he said in a tone almost dismissing the entry of foreign players in Ranji teams.
The former medium-pacer believes that all the perennial talk of the gloss missing from Ranji trophy can be a thing of the past if BCCI makes it mandatory for the Indian 'star' players to play in our premier domestic competition. "I do understand that the BCCI is hard-pressed to follow the Future Tours Program (FTP), but the board must find a way out to space out our calender so that our 'stars' can play.
"If 'competitive juice' has to retained in our domestic circuit, making the 'stars' play is the only possible way. Tell me which bowler won't like to get Tendulkar or Dravid out in Ranji trophy? It's every bowler's dream. In my playing days it's the same joy I got bowling to the likes of Gavaskar and Viswanath and dismissing them," he added.
Former national chief selector and wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani says the move could act as an added incentive for our domestic players to raise their performance bar. "It's not about whether we need foreign players in State Ranji teams, it's about whether their presence are going to help our domestic cricket.
"No doubt, our domestic players would get added fillip to perform playing alongside foreign players and that way, our domestic cricket can only get better. Only time will tell whether the entry of foreign players serves the desired purpose," Kirmani quipped.

Shown the door

Pune Mirror, August 15, 2008

Suhrid Barua

Pune: The new ruling of the BCCI to allow one foreign player in state teams for the upcoming Ranji season has attracted large-scale debate among cricket experts. And no prizes for guessing why the Maharashtra cricket is hard hit by the new ruling - The state association had already unveiled the induction of two foreign players - left-arm medium-pacer Sujeewa De Silva (he has played only three Tests and no ODI for Sri Lanka) and Enamul Haque (he has played 11 Tests for Bangladesh) for the forthcoming season.
As widely reported, the new norms would automatically put Sujeewa out of the equation while Enamul is expected to be part of the State Ranji team dressing room. Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president Ajay Shirke, who attended the recently-held BCCI's technical committee meeting, chaired by batting great Sunil Gavaskar, is a disconsolate man.
Make no mistake, the MCA strongman is not losing sweat for having to do with just one foreign player, but spelt out his unhappiness with the way the BCCI technical committee meeting panned out. "You know what, I attended the board meeting as a special invitee and pressed hard for inclusion of three outstation players (it could be even a foreign player) in the playing XI and was asked to leave the meeting thirty minutes after it got underway," Shirke revealed.
He was appalled at how he was kept in the dark about what decision the technical committee arrived at. "Courtesy would have demanded that the technical committee chairman Sunil Gavaskar inform me of their decision but he or for that matter nobody even bothered to inform me about the new ruling. I only got to know it from the media," fumed the MCA boss.
After the meeting got over, the MCA chief even asked Gavaskar on the logic behind their new ruling of having one foreign player playing at least ten Tests and 20 ODIs. "I asked Sunil Gavaskar as to why the committee took such decision. Mr Gavaskar simply told me that they want quality players to play in the domestic circuit and not want sub-standard players to develop at our cost."
Shirke even cited the examples of players like Shaun Watson, Shaun Marsh and Ajantha Mendis, who are already coveted players despite not having played ten Tests. "Are the BCCI's technical committee trying to suggest that a player who has played ten Tests is of top-class material while a guy who has played nine Tests is useless. Look at Marsh, Watson and Mendis, they are making a statement consistently on the international stage despite failing to meet the board's criteria of ten Tests and 20 ODIs," he thundered.

'Abhinav's feat is a slap on the face of his critics'

Pune Mirror, August 12, 2008




Suhrid Barua
The sight of mediamen making a beeline to their house since morning doesn't need to be well documented. It was only to be expected in a nation starved of Olympic heroes.
After numerous sunrises and sunsets, the Bindras woke up to a day they would fondly remember for the rest of their life. Swelled with pride at their son becoming the first ever individual gold medal winner in the men's 10m air rifle event at the Olympics, the Bindra menage was cock-a-hoop to see him stand on the podium and collect the yellow medal.
"I've been attending to calls from mediapersons since morning. This is the last call I'm taking," he pleads.
"As for Abhinav's monumental performance, I can only say that this feat is a fitting response to his so-called critics who have been lampooning about his future, rather I should say it is a slap on the face of his critics" Abhinav's father, AS Bindra, bathed in emotion, said.
Abhinav's forte
Bindra senior said that mental strength is Abhinav's forte and he exhibited that on the world's biggest sporting stage. "Just before the 2006 World Championships in Zagreb, he was written off as a spentforce before he went on to win the title. Again before the Olympics, Abhinav was not even talked off as a medal prospect but look at the way he showed nerves of steel to make the country proud. "He's a true champion who has made his critics eat crow," Abhinav's father," he said.
Abhinav's mother, Babli Bindra is understandably ovewhelmed by the occasion. "Abhinav is a simple, hard working, dedicated guy who is often misunderstood by the media as a snob. He is a reticent kind of guy who likes to keep to himself and does his thing without being in the limelight," Abhinav's mother, Babli Bindra remarked.
Beijing regret
She regrets missing watching the great feat in Beijing. "I wish I was there to watch him script glory. The first thing I want to do is to give him a warm hug when he lands in the country on 14th morning," she said.

'You can never discount experience'

Pune Mirror, August 9, 2008
Suhrid Barua

Hrishikesh Kanitkar's decision to make a move-on (his cricketing association with Maharashtra cricket) may not surprise many but it looked like something waiting to happen. Why? you dig deeper into the stats book and find that the stylish left-handed middle-order batsman belted three half centuries in four innings last Ranji season before the selectors lost 'faith' in him towards the fag end of last season.
Kanitkar has obtained a NOC from the MCA to ply his cricketing skills outside Maharashtra. But you meet him, you can sense the simmering frustration and disappointment at the raw deal meted out to him, but Kanitkar wouldn't go the whole hog. "Who would not be disappointed to get axed after being among the runs. I decided to take everything in my stride, stay positive and move on," the soft-spoken said with a tone tinged with sadness.
Not resting on past laurels may not be the best way forward, but can the huge contribution to State cricket be forced into oblivion in a jiffy? Clearly not! Kanitkar has had his days under the sun while donning the state colours at the Ranji level. He was the top run-getter in the 1996-97 Ranji season (1,000 runs) and was also the leading run-getter in the country. To top it all, it was under Kanitkar's captaincy that Maharastra qualified for the Elite Group in 2003-04.
So how does he assess all the talk of plumbing for youngsters. "I'm fine with that but there has to be a proper balance of youth and experience. Look at the current Indian team, you take out the seniors pros like Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, Laxman and Zaheer, what kind of line-up the team would have," he asks like an inquisitive child.
Best known for his last-ball boundary victory over Bangladesh in the 1998 Independence Cup in Dhaka, Kanitkar wonders how one can suddenly become a non-performer after a thirteen-year stint with state cricket. "See, if I hadn't perform, I wouldn't have survived for thirteen years. I'm not questioning anybody but that's the way it is."
Averring that experience can never put on the backburner, Kanitkar reckons youngsters should be given time to blossom. "You can't expect them to fire straightway. They need time to find their moorings on the big stage. I've nothing against more opportunities being given to young turks but they should have senior pros to help them whenever required," he says.
The Kanitkar journey has been a roller-coaster one. But what's the next destination? Is joining the ICL bandwagon a likely possibility? "I'm not interested in joining the ICL. I would be looking to join some state side as I want to continue playing Ranji Trophy and prove to myself if not to anybody else that I have a lot of cricket left in me," the 33-year-old oozes confidence.
As a parting shot, Kanitkar had a stern message for his critics. "Be fair when you criticise. If I play a bad shot and get out, I would like to be flayed. Constructive criticism is all I want and nothing else," he added.

City misses bus for World Youth volleyball c’ship

Pune Mirror May 30, 2008

Suhrid Barua

Pune: Pune has lost out on the bid for both the 2009 World Junior Volleyball Championships and World Youth Volleyball Championships. The city missed the bus for the mega events largely due to their own doing. Revealing this, Poona District Volleyball Association (PDVA) secretary Vijay Rahirkar said that ignorance about the procedural know-how about the bidding process was responsible for the city missing out on an event of such magnitude.

“Normally the norm is that countries bid for a world meet at least eighteen months before it gets under way. So that way we should have made a bid in January-February, but we only placed a formal bid in April which clearly affected our chances,” Rahirkar said.For the stats minded, France won the bid to host the 2009 World Junior Volleyball Championships while Italy won the right to host the 2009 World Junior Volleyball Championships.

The PDVA secretary said it was for the first time that they were handling such an issue and lack of awareness about how to go about it cost them dear. “This is the first time we are handling such a thing. Also, we were not getting enough information about the bidding process despite our best efforts from us and the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI),” he said.

Once-bitten-twice shy, the PDVA now wants to ensure that it at least wins the bid for one big-ticket event next year. “We are doing our best to bid for the 2009 Asian Senior Volleyball Championships. We’ve the World Volleyball Congress happening in Dubai in mid-June and some of the VFI officials will be there to toss the same with the FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball). We’ve reason to be optimistic because the indoor hall at the Balewadi Sports Complex could be used up as a venue for the event,” he observed.

Now this is a tricky one: was he sure that the city would have won the bid in the first place if the bidding process was carried out on time? “Why not. I’ve no idea about how France won the bid for the 2009 World Junior Volleyball Championships, but Italy were favoured to win the bid for the 2009 World Youth Volleyball Championships as they are also hosting the 2010 World Senior Men’s Volleyball Championships,” he added.

Can’t help asking him: so is there any loss of face for the PDVA in the way the whole issue was handled? “I don’t think so. Organisation loopholes will be there in every organisation and as I said before because we were new to all this bidding norms, we had to pay a price,” Rahirkar signed off.

Wanna box like Tyson

Suhrid Barua Pune Mirror May 19, 2008

Pune: Shiv Thapa is only 15 but talks with a maturity beyond his age. It was this maturity that came to the fore when he outboxed Elvin Kerimova of Azerbaijan in the final bout to win the flyweight (50 kg) gold in the Hyder Aliyev International Boxing Tournament in Azerbaijan recently.For someone, who donned the India colours for the first time and to have become the first Indian boxer to win a gold at the Hyder Aliyev international tournament must have given him a new high. “I didn’t expect to go so far in the tournament. It was my first international tourney and all I was looking for was some solid international exposure and winning the gold is a big bonus,” Shiv gushes.

So then, what did the trick for this Assam pugilist who joined the Army Sports Institute in 2005? “Straight punches,” pat comes the answer. “Indian boxers usually employ the uppercuts and hooks but my coaches (More sir and Mahavir sir) have stressed on the excessive use of straight punches and I reaped rich rewards employing them in Azerbaijan,” he quips.Shiv comes from a modest background -his father runs a steel furniture business in Guwahati, but boxing runs in his family - elder brother- Gobind Thapa is a featherweight silver medalist at the 2007 National Games in Guwahati.

So is there any kind of sibling rivalry? “Nothing like that. When we box against each other, he doesn’t try to hit me but focuses more on explaining the tactics of a match situation,” Shiv reserves all respect for his elder brother.Boys of his age like to piggy out on junk food or whatever they stumble upon. But Shiv knows the importance of maintaining a strict diet. “I consume a lot of fruit salads and generally try to skirt oily stuff,” says, Shiv, who sees Mike Tyson as a role model.

“Mike Tyson is a braveheart. What I like about him is that he never gives up or get intimidated by his opponent. He thinks he is the champion and I want to imbibe this line of thinking when I’m in the ring,” Shiv added.The Azerbaijan glory is over.

So what’s next? “I’d be off to Uzbekistan for a training-cum-competition trip next month. “I really want to make the most of whatever foreign exposure I get,” Shiv remarked with truckloads of confidence.

The fiesty boxer has already set his sights on making a statement on the big stage. “I want to make a podium finish in the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi, but my ultimate dream is to win a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics,” he added with a ring of determination.

Suhrid Barua Pune Mirror
May 18 ,2008

Pune: The last time the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) hired an Australian - Darren Holder as director of cricket and Ranji coach in the 2005-06 season - Chandrakant Pandit closely worked with him as a high performance coach. A year later, Holder decided to pack his bags and go home, making way for Pandit who served the State team for two seasons before stepping down last year.And even as the MCA gets ready to welcome another Australian - Shaun Williams to its fold, there is a sense of anticipation and expectation about how he can contribute in furthering the development of Maharashtra cricket.

Ask Chandrakant Pandit, “It’s definitely a step in the right direction. MCA has been always looking ahead in terms of development and improvement and I’m not surprised with their decision,” he said. Pandit, who himself quit in controversial circumstances, believes MCA must have taken a long hard look before arriving at a decision. I’m sure the association under the able stewardship of Ajay Shirke have made the right move. Shaun Willians has served in various coaching capacities for Bangladesh cricket. “He has even served as an interim coach of the Bangladesh national side, he will bring a lot of experience to the table. I’m sure his appointment has been made keeping the future in mind,” Pandit opined.


One couldn’t resist the temptation of asking him whether Williams would be able to do justice to the dual responsibilites of director of cricket and Ranji coach. “Look, there is no denying the fact that there is going to be a lot of work. But I won’t say that anybody is going to be overburdened. If the person appointed for the job has the passion to delegate his duties, then I don’t see any problem,” Pandit explained.


Pandit, however, did strike a discordant note. “My only worry is the communication part. When I worked with Darren Holder, I found out that most boys were able to understand what he was saying but were not able to communicate with him. That’s not surprising since some cricketers come from the districts and don’t speak fluent English,” he added.

'I proved my worth'

Suhrid Barua Pune Mirror May 12, 2008

Pune: There can be a propensity to feel unwanted when a player is part of the squad but not included in the playing XI. Warming the bench at times can create a negative impact on the player, but Yogesh Takawale hasn’t allowed any such thoughts creep into his mind.Forced to give the first five IPL matches a miss due to the presence of several accomplished, established names in their ranks, Takawale finally got his opportunity to parade his skills in the sixth game against the Delhi Dardevils, but failed to make an impression, but it was in the seventh game against Rajasthan Royals that he showcased his worth.

First up, he pouched two catches, one brilliantly taken to get rid of Ravindra Jadeja and later pitched in with a breezy 27 in a handy opening-stand of 41 with Sanath Jayasuriya, which smoothen their victory path to some extent. So then, does Takawale feel that he belongs to the whole set-up (part of the league) after his meaningful contribution against Rajasthan Royals. “We’ve a formidable outfit and that explains why I didn’t figure in the XI from the start of the tournament. We’ve three glovemen in the side (Luke Ronchi and Pinal Shah) and that makes my job of making the eleven even more tougher,” he says with any qualms.

On the preparation front, Takwale was lucky enough to have time to stay focused ahead of his IPL debut. “It was Sachin bhai who told me a day before the the Delhi Daredevils tie that I would be drafted in the XI. Actually that allowed me sufficent time to mentally prepare myself. I didn’t fire in that game but was fairly pleased with the way I chipped in with the bat as well behind the stumps.”Takawale dwelt on how the batting maestro advised him to treat the practice sessions like real match situations. “He (Sachin) told me to think of a practice session as a real match situation,” the swarthy batsman said. “I’ve been eagerly waiting for the opportunity to prove that I can perform at this level and I want to ensure I don’t let anybody down. I’d be only be happy if I’m able to contribute consistently in the coming matches.”

And how has been the experience of opening the innings with Sanath Jayasuriya. “Jayasuriya is a class act. In both the games, I’ve opened the innings with him, everytime I was struggling to middle the ball, he would walk upto me in between overs and tell me to collect a single and go off strike and let him play his natural game,” he added with a touch of satisfaction.