The World of Sports…

Eight New Zealand wickets are down, Vettori’s team is staring at a 2-0 series loss in Napier, and even as I write this, the dreaded rain has arrived. As the cricketing season comes to an end, Indian fans are getting to witness a memorable series win in NZ. The Indian team, without doubt has given its fans a lot to cheer about in this season. But even as the season concludes, fans of the game are already looking forward to the (Non-Resident) IPL bonanza to be unleashed in the huge green pastures that South African Grounds are.

This is an exciting time in sports, and along with the cricket season, the EPL also enters its final phase as the race to the title starts getting hotter. The top teams are forced with the task of balancing their players between the league and the demanding, tough terrain of Champions League Football.

Amidst all the hooplah on the field, the tracks are also waking up to the reality of the racing world. The lights have already gone out at Melbourne and Sepang (Malaysia) and we are through with two of the races of the F1 calendar. With Jenson Button surprising one and all with his rookie team, the season promises to be nothing less than topsy-turvy.

Economies around the world are hitting rock bottoms, terrorism is constantly on the rise and it is amidst these trying circumstances that India prepares to vote. It’s always good to surround yourself with a little love and hope and Sport, in my opinion provides both in abundance! A look then, at what you can look forward to in the next few months:-

Champions League Football:-

If EPL is ODI cricket, Champions League has to be the test match version of the game. It is here, that the men are separated from the boys. Arguably the most coveted of trophies in club football, the Champions League consists of top teams from every national league in the European Union (UEFA). The teams are divided in eight groups to begin with, with four teams each in a group. The top teams from each group qualify for what is known as the round-of-sixteen.

Teams then play each other over two grueling legs (one home game each) of 90 mins each, and the winner moves on to the next stage. The competition is now at its most enterprising stage, the quarter finals. There haven’t been any major upsets this season, which means we can look forward to mouth-watering clashes between the top sides. Manchester United, who have been handed over a relatively easy draw take on Porto. Arsenal visit the surprise Spanish quarter finalists Villareal, Chelsea take on perennial rivals Liverpool and hot favorites Barcelona play Bayern Munich in a cracker of a contest between two sides with completely different playing mentalities.

The quarter finals, lined up for April 7-8 and then the return legs at April 14-15 start a trifle late for Indian audiences (at 12:30 AM). This though, has never been a deterrent for football lovers in India and as it goes, the tournament has lived up to its reputation by providing some of the most unforgettable moments in club football!

Twenty-Twenty Cricket:-

Even before a single ball has been bowled, the IPL season-2 has managed to capture the people’s imagination. How long does it take for you to shift house? One day, at the most two maybe. What if you are shifting abroad? A fortnight, a month or more than that? In little more than two weeks time, the entire bandwagon of the Indian Premier League faces the unenviable task of transferring itself across the pacific to South Africa.

Lalit Modi was left with two options- either to take the game out of India, or to do away with it this season. Never was Modi going to let go of the golden-egg laying goose, and he has promptly picked up the gauntlet.

One of the major factors the IPL clicked last season was its region-based team format and the fan following each team derived from those particular crowds. This season, as the eight franchisees settle down in alien bases in SA, it is anybody’s guess that the fan following is not going to be the same.

Less following would mean fewer crowds in the stadiums which would in turn hit the franchisees in terms of ticket sales. Though TV audiences across the world would remain unaffected, it is not going to be the same fun watching players against the backdrop of half empty stadiums. Imagine watching Chelsea take on Man U somewhere in Nairobi. Even if I would still be in India, I would definitely enjoy more if the game is played at a packed Stamford Bridge.

In terms of positives, it gives an immense opportunity for the Indian youth to ply their trade overseas and prepare themselves for the challenges of international cricket. Though South African pitches aren’t as fast as Australian or English, they still would prove a good breeding ground.

The decision also promises to favor a few teams, one of them being Bangalore Royal Challengers. Four of their players including Mark Boucher and Dale Steyn are South Africans and add to that the newly appointed coach Ray Jennings (not to mention Captain Kevin Pietersen, a South African by birth) gives them the look of a ‘home’ side.

Like every other decision, taking the IPL to South Africa has its pros and cons. If the event happens to be well received in the country, it would give the IPL a huge fillip in terms of global acclaim. At the same time, as Peter Roebuck writes, once the game goes out of India it would be tough to convince foreign boards of the safety of India as a future venue. Whatever it be, cricket-mad that India is, come the 18th of April, and it would drown itself in another fun filled journey of over a month..!

Formula One Racing:-

A wholesome change in rules, couple of new drivers, a brand new team, a race wrecked completely by rain…! It’s all been happening and we are just in the second stop-over of the 2009 F1 season. It’s already looking like a season of upsets and Jenson Button, is leading the way with the new Brawn GP.

Nobody has been able to emerge as a clear favorite for more than two seasons after Schumacher’s (senior) retirement, and though Alonso, Raikkonnen and in recent times Hamilton threatened to dominate the field they have been successfully stopped. Having no potential favorite augurs well for motor-sport, with the fans getting used to surprise champions emerging every alternate weekend. Add to this a new rule which makes overtaking easier, and boy, you have a season on your hands!!

After the drama in Sepang, the race moves on to China and Bahrain in the coming weeks, before it embarks on a long Europe-wide tour till the season finally culminates at the Abu Dhabi circuit on the 1st of Nov. Brawn GP will face immense resistance from the likes of McLaren and Ferrari in the coming weeks and if they are to maintain their initial thrust, Button would have to lead from the front.

All said and done, Formula One has had its share of controversies in the last few seasons. Teams clashing with each other, drivers of the same team competing and blaming each other, massive changes in rules every year, ego issues between bosses and drivers have been a common sight and have done their bit in dampening the spirits of the fans. F1, by nature, is not a spectator friendly sport (unless you loved driving dad’s fiat at 150 kmph) and it definitely cannot afford the controversies and confusion around the game. The fans can only wish for a clean and transparent season with a lot of fun and possibly a lot of rain too, to make things interesting!! 5..4..3..2..1..and the lights go out!!