Its a disgrace with the way that the Indian team lost to SA. Unfortunately for us, we do not have any sporting heros to talk of and hence we look towards the cricket team to give us something to be proud of in the sporting arena. However, even they seem to be faltering every now and then.

Apart from cricket, India has very few sporting heros to be proud of. The less said the better about our hockey team. Regarding hockey, either we are not talented enough or its the infighting amongst the associations that is ruining the sport in India. When the president of the Indian Hockey Federations decides to run the organisation like the Police Dept of Punjab, we are sure to get the results we are seeing today.

In tennis, there was 1 pair of players that did give India something to be proud of. However the personal differences of Leander Peas and Mahesh Bhupati has killed this amazing pair and we are back to nothing. Sania Mirza is by far the most over rated tennis player in India. She is simply not good at her game, has never moved within the top 20 world ranking and has never won any major tournament. Despite all this the people in this country worship her. This just proves that we are a nations that worships under achievers in the sports field.

Why can’t we have the same yardstick to judge sporting performance like academic or corporate performance. Why can’t we as a nation make it clear to our sports men and women - Perform or Perish.

While there are many reasons as to why our country does not produce worldclass sportsmen, but I will reserve that for a later time and date. Many sports in India do not attract the kind of sponsarship reserved for cricket or may be tennis to some extent. But again, at a later time and date.

However, 1 icon to be proud of is Vishwanathan Anand. But then again, how many people understand chess!!!!!

Rgds,

Devkant.