SAF Games: platform of Indian domination
By Anil Gulati
The eighth edition of the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games begins in Kathmandu from September 25. In fact the SAF Games is the only platform on which Indian sportsmen have always excelled and dominated. India has never lost an opportunity to top the medals tally of the SAF Games which has a history of 15 years now.

by K. R. Wadhwaney
ITDC steps to boost golf
INDIAN golf, already on a take-off point, is expected of fly serenely as the Indian Tourism Development Corporation has decided to step in to provide it the much-needed thrust.

Sport Mail

Tour of no consequence
By Gopal Sharma

The performances by the India ‘A’ players against other countries are of prime importance as these truly test the players’ potential, bring them under spotlight and eventually pave the way for their selection to the national squad. Therefore, it is but natural for India ‘A’ players to look forward to such tours wherever and whenever they are planned.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth, former swashbuckling opener and coach of the India ‘A’ team for the just-concluded America Challenge one-day cricket series in Los Angeles against Australia ‘A’, sounded pretty reasonable when he said before the five-match series that a couple of slots were up for grabs in the senior squad and it was up to the India ‘A’ players to brighten up their chances with sterling performances in Los Angeles.

But what happened there was, in fact, no less than a nightmare of sorts for the players. In hindsight it can easily be said that the youngsters might have been ruing for having been selected to play for the ill-conceived series. For, after the conclusion of the series, which they lost by 1-4 in a humiliating manner, they hardly had anything to show by way of achievements. Rather, it would take quite some time before they are able to banish the thoughts of the unpleasant series in which they were undone by a host of factors predominant among them being the under-prepared pitches on which they were made to play.

The Indian batsmen, undoubtedly, were up against a far superior pace attack. True, they also played some injudicious and atrocious shots which compounded their problems. But the fact remains that they were made to face quality pace attack on the tracks where the ball after pitching would just take off. Andrew Symonds, known more as a middle order batsman capable of whacking the ball hard and certainly not as a hostile bowler, was virtually unplayable with his medium pace stuff in the third match. Aided by ill-prepared wicket he unleashed the type of snorters which made the batsmen either duck or fend these awkwardly. With the flattering match-winning figures of six for 14 he made a mockery of the Indian batting.

India’s misery started in the first match itself when they were handed a 77-run defeat. Despite good bowling performance by medium pacer Doda Ganesh and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh who scalped three wickets each. The rivals were able to manage a decent total of 192 for seven in a match reduced to 47 overs due to adverse weather.

The Indian team made a hash of the run chase, to be bundled out for a paltry 115 in 34.1 overs. Gandhi and Devendra Bundela, who scored 15 and 14 runs, respectively, emerged the highest scorers for the side.

Thanks largely to truly gritty performance by Md Kaif and Vijay Bhardwaj, who contributed 38 and unbeaten 28 runs, respectively, the Indian team was able to level the series. The duo, who are members of the Nairobi-bound team led by Ajay Jadeja, batted valiantly under hostile conditions to keep the Indian chances alive in the series.

Helped by Symonds, whose match figures read 6-1-14-6, the whole Indian team was bundled out for 62 runs in pursuit of the victory target of 160 in the third match. What the most galling and disturbing was that none of the Indian batsmen could reach double figures. Opener Devang Gandhi and Bhardwaj, who were the highest scorers, made nine runs each. They were followed by wicketkeeper Sameer Dighe who made seven runs, while Virender Sehwag contributed five runs. The bulk of the scores came in form of extras, which were 24.

In the fourth match again India faired no better and crashed to a nine-wicket defeat as openers Ryan Campbell and Adam Gilchrist were in full cry. New ball bowler Ashish Nehra conceded 40 runs in 4.3 overs. Laxman, who played a responsible knock of 45 runs — he emerged the highest scorer from the side in the series — kept one end intact and saved the team from another disaster as no other batsman could stay at the wicket and build the innings. S. Sriram, who made 10, was the only other batsman to reach double figures.

The lacklustre campaign continued as the team lost the last match by five wickets. Bundela (43) and Doda Ganesh (28 not out) were involved in a face saving 59-run partnership for the ninth wicket to help the team make 121. But Symonds played a breezy innings of an unbeaten 62 runs which was instrumental in his team’s victory.

The series also highlighted the big difference in the class of both the teams. While Australian players like Brett Lee, Gerard Denton and Brendon Creveey among the bowlers and Ryan Campbell and Symonds among the batsmen made the most of the opportunities, the Indians were found wanting. Ironically the best of Indian batsmen failed to get to the double-digit mark throughout the series, while the bowlers lacked penetration.

The International Cricket Council cannot be faulted in its zeal to take the game to every nook and corner of the globe. But if it ventures again and chooses the same type of tracks where there is threat of injuries to players on the field and at venue where there are not even a hundred spectators to watch the game it would earn nothing but brickbats.

SAF Games: platform of Indian domination
By Anil Gulati

The eighth edition of the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games begins in Kathmandu from September 25. In fact the SAF Games is the only platform on which Indian sportsmen have always excelled and dominated. India has never lost an opportunity to top the medals tally of the SAF Games which has a history of 15 years now.

The SAF Games came into existence as the power of sports was recognised as an essential too to strengthen the SAARC movement. It was felt that a sports organisation should be formed for countries located in South Asia similar to the South East Asian Games (SEA Games) which proved to be popular and was recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia. The concept was discussed by officials of the countries in South Asia in 1982 and later at a meeting in Bahrain in 1983. A decision was then taken regarding formation of the South Asia Sports Federation. The membership was limited to the eight countries in the region, namely India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. The idea and the games acquired a formal shape in 1984 when Kathmandu spruced itself to play host to the first SAF Games. Barring Afghanistan all the member-countries called upon its young sportsmen to show their sporting skills on this new platform.

The first SAF Games were held from September 17 to 23, 1984. The number of disciplines were restricted to five only. Indian sportsmen topped the medal tally, winning 88 medals. Half of these medals were gold. There were 28 silver and 16 bronze medals won by India. Sri Lanka followed India by winning seven golds, 11 silver and 19 bronze medals whereas Pakistan got five gold, three silver and two bronze medals. As the games were held for the first time, all the gold medallists created new games records which were shattered in the subsequent editions. However, the two records created in swimming remain intact till date. Bula Choudhary of India won the 100-metre freestyle event clocking 1:2:81 whereas the Indian relay team won the 4x100 metre freestyle event which continue to find place in the record books. Football was the only team game which could fit into the scheme of the games. It’s gold was claimed by Nepal.

It was the turn of Dhaka to host the second edition of the SAF games in 1985. The games were held from December 20 to 26. Seven events were included. India dominated the scene carrying its medal winning mark to three figures which including 61 gold, 32 silver and 14 bronze. Pakistan and Bangladesh gathered 59 (21 gold, 26 silver and 12 bronze) and 64 (9 gold, 17 silver and 38 bronze), respectively. India won the gold medals in kabaddi and football.

In 1987, the cavalcade of the SAF Games arrived at Calcutta. Member countries on the rolls lined up on November 20 for the third episode of the SAF Games. For the first time in the history of these games the number of disciplines touched double figures. N.Annavi of India set up a new games record in high jump measuring 2.15 metres. Mohammad Rashid of Pakistan threw the Javelin to cover a distance of 71.92 metres. The two records are intact till date. In the women’s section India’s P.T. Usha set a new mark in 400-metre hurdles, clocking 57.18 seconds which has not been eliminated in the subsequent editions of the SAF Games. India reaped a rich harvest of medals in team events. Gold medals in all the events - kabaddi, football, basketball, table tennis (men and women) and volleyball were claimed by the Indians. In all India managed to top the medal tally for the third time in succession with 91 gold, 45 silver and 19 bronze. Pakistan got 16 gold medals while Sri Lanka won only four.

Pakistan’s capital Islamabad was the venue for the fourth SAF Games. The games were held there from October, 20 to 27 1989. The number of disciplines remained 10. Playing hosts, Pakistan improved it’s performance considerably taking its tally of medals near the 100 mark. It managed to win 97, including 42 gold, 33 silver and 22 bronze. India retained its supremacy in the medals count with a tally of 124, including 61 gold, 43 silver and 20 bronze. The Maldives failed to get any medal for the third time in succession. Several records went off the board especially in the athletic events. Many new records were created and some of them are still to be broken. These include the 110-metre hurdles record created by Ghulam Abbas of Pakistan, clocking 14.11 seconds, and the 3000 metres record created by Abdul Razzak, clocking a time of 8 min 42.43 seconds. The SAF games record of long jump (7.79 metres) was also created by Mohammad Urfaq of Pakistan during the Islamabad games. Vijay Amarsekhra — a woman athlete from Sri Lanka — set up a new mark in javelin throw by clearing 53.06 metres. Pakistan won the gold medal in football and volley ball whereas India won the gold in kabaddi and table tennis both men and women.

At Colombo in 1991, in terms of medal tally India took the top spot as it had been doing since the inception of the SAF Games in 1984. India went on to improve from 61 gold medals won at Islamabad to 64 gold medals this time. Sri Lanka earned 44 showing a marked improvement in the performance which had been seen their players win only six gold medals at Islamabad. Indian weightlifters did India proud by winning three gold, the same number of silver and bronze medals in each category. A significant feature of the Colombo edition of the SAF Games was that all but two swimming records were shattered in the women’s category. In fact swimming was dominated by Sri Lanka, in particular the cousins Jullian Bolling and Dipika Chanmugham. Between them they bagged 13 gold medals to rightly earn the titles of best sportsman and sportswoman of the games respectively. Sri Lankan women emerged winners of the volleyball event whereas women from Nepal bagged the title in table tennis. Pakistan won the gold medal in football leaving the basketball, table tennis (men), tennis (men and women) and volleyball gold for Indian players. Bhutan returned from Colombo empty-handed.

In 1993, Dhaka became the first country in the history of the SAF Games to play hosts for the second time. These games, originally allotted to Kathmandu, were staged from December 20 to 27, 1993. Eleven disciplines were held. History repeated itself. Like all previous occasions, India returned with a bagful of medals. Out of the 139 medals bagged by India, 61 were gold, 47 silver and 31 bronze. Bhutan and the Maldives could not win a single gold medal. In athletics Ranjit Subasinghe of Sri Lanka created a new games record by running 800 metres in 1 minute 47.56 seconds. India’s Bahadur Singh created a record by running 10,000 metres in 29 minutes 30.23 seconds. Moilly Chakoo of India ran the 3000 metres in 9 minutes 29.01 seconds. In the team championships Nepal and Sri Lanka won gold medals in football and men’s tennis respectively whereas Pakistan won the kabaddi championship and men’s volleyball gold. India bagged the team title in the events of table tennis (men and women) volleyball (women) and men’s table tennis.

The scene shifted to Chennai in 1995 where the seventh edition of the SAF Games was held from December 18 to 27 . A record number of 14 disciplines were included in the games. Silambam and kho kho were the demonstration games. A sum of Rs 240 crore was allotted as budget for the conduct of this mega event. Men’s hockey was included for the first time in the SAF games. India once again succeeded in taking a lion’s share of the medals. A notable feature of these games was that all the previous records in the men’s swimming except the one created in the 1500 metres freestyle event at Dhaka in 1993 by India’s J. Abhijit, were shattered and new records were created. All the record breakers were Indians barring Karan Mijanurrehman of Bangladesh who claimed the top honours in the 100 and 200 metres breaststroke events. Several landmark performances were recorded in the athletic section also. A Sri Lankan athlete set up a new games record in the 100 metres clocking 10.49 seconds whereas Sugath Tilakratne won the gold medal in 400 metres writing a new record. India’s Shakti Singh became the new record holder in the discuss throw event (57.78 metres). In the women’s section Sushantika Jaisinghe became the fastest runner of the SAF games consuming just 11.34 seconds to win the 100-metres event. She also created a meet record in 200 metres (22.95 sec.) India’s Shiny Wilson created history by beating the previous record in 400 and 800 metres, recording 52.12 seconds and 1 min. 59.85 seconds, respectively. Shabana Akhtar of Pakistan created a record in long jump (6.31 metres). India swept all the gold medals in team events, including the newly introduced event of men’s hockey.

by K. R. Wadhwaney
ITDC steps to boost golf

INDIAN golf, already on a take-off point, is expected of fly serenely as the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has decided to step in to provide it the much-needed thrust.

After contemplating for about a decade, the ITDC officialdom feels that the time is now ripe to organise prize-money championships, in collaboration with foreign firms, like, Heinemann. “We will organise prize money competitions of sufficient value so that renowned foreign players accept our invitation”, said chairman of ITDC, Ashok Pardhan, adding: “The first competition will carry a total prize money of at least Rs 1 crore”.

Only two or three high-stake prize money tournaments are staged in this country. They are not sufficient to boost or popularise golf in the country. They also do not induce foreign players of high calibre to play here. But with the initiation of the ITDC, which has already foreign sponsors lined up, the happy days of Indian golf are in the offing.

The ITDC did not possess much-experience of staging a high-profile meet in which the country’s elite bureaucrats, diplomats, industrialists and well-known amateur players were seen teeing-off enthusiastically. But ITDC’s vice-chairman (Duty Free Trade) Chandni Luthra saw to it that every participant had the best of time at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) course which, thanks to timely rain, had never looked so green and so nice. The participants were moderate in win and magnanimous in snatching bogeys and double bogeys. “This matters little as we have had an opportunity to play in this well-organised competition in this silken-smooth course”, said participants, adding: “Our only wish is that it becomes an annual feature on this very course”.

Prize winners (Best Nett):

Handicap 0-9: Vikram Nanda 38; Bharat Kapur — 39.

Handicap 10-16: O. Ravi — 42; G.B. Iyer-41.

Handicap 17-24: M.M. Sethi — 44; A.S. Walia — 44.

Best gross: Sanjiv Talwar — 33; Kapil Dev — 33. H.B. Singh — 29; Deepak Narang. B.S. Sial — 26; Amit Burman — 23.

Ladies (0-30 handicap): Best Nett: Usha Chatrath — 41; Deep Singh — 40.

Longest drive (Ist hole): Kapil Dev 286 yards (10th hole); W.M. Smart 276 yards.

Closest to the pin: 7th hole — Manu Narang 2 feet and 5 in; 17th hole — M.M. Sachdev 1 feet 8 in.

Gebr Heinenmann, himself a golfer, was present at the two-day meet. He said that he would readily come forward to help in staging the prize money tournament judging from the response in this ‘fun’ competition.

The Dunnhill Championship will be held at Scotland’s St Aandrews course from October 7 to 10. The team of Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Vijay Kumar is said to have been chosen by the Professional Golfers Association of India. But, for some strange reasons, it has not been announced. Time is short. Why is the announcement being delayed?

Sport Mail

Cricketers spring a surprise
THE Indian cricketers sprung a surprise by winning the DMC Cup at Toronto. This is because they were without Sachin Tendulkar. Secondly, they beat the same West Indies side to which they lost the Singapore Challenge Cup recently and faced the West Indian quickies on a wicket that had considerable bounce. The Indian batsmen are normally weak while playing under such circumstances. In captaincy Saurav Ganguly did a fine job. He led the side in a matured way. As far as leading India is concerned I feel we now have quite a few capable men like Sachin, Jadeja and Saurav to do the job. All of them can be faithfully relied upon. The only weak link in the Indian side now is the wicket keeper-batsman slot. Nayan Mongia has more often than not disappointed cricket lovers with his batting. I can remember just one worth while innings played by him in the whole of his career — a century against the Australians in the one off Test at Delhi as an opener in 1996. Leaving that aside he has never played any worthwhile knock. It is a pity that after Syed Kirmani we have not been able to find a good wicketkeeper batsman. A man who could come somewhere near Syed was Haryana’s Vijay Yadav. But he was not given a fair chance to establish himself. His only fault was that he was from north zone. MSK Prasad is now failing time and again. In his place Pankaj Dharmani should be tried.

ISAAC DAVID
Jalandhar

AIWA Cup

It was disheartening to watch India crash out of the final of the AIWA Cup triangular one-day cricket tournament. In a crucial tie against hosts Sri Lanka India disastrously failed to qualify for the title clash on account of poor run-rate despite winning the all important match. As a matter of fact cricket lovers were peeved. The Indian batsmen, led by master batsman Sachin Tendulkar who hit up another blazing ton, raised 296 which was almost an impregnable total which gave India a real opportunity to storm into the final without any hitch. But the bowlers frittered away the advantage. In 20 balls Prasad conceded 31 runs to Jayasuriya alone from which the quality of Indian bowling could be gauged well. Sri Lanka were to surpass 232 to make it to the final but that target proved an uphill task to the Indian bowlers who could not dismiss their opponents under that magic figure. So the bowlers were solely responsible for the elimination of India.

TARSEM S. BUMRAH
Batala

Milkha Singh

I am rather pained to read about Milkha Singh’s suggestion demanding a probe by the Centre and the Sports Authority of India into the performance of the Indian athletics contingent at Seville. Does he not realise that the sports authorities are full of people like him who have taken more out of it than given to it. Take his own example. Where else in the world could he have got so much publicity and money for coming fourth in an Olympic race, but in India. His only contribution as Director Sports of Punjab was to buy a golf cart and hand it over to senior IAS officers to pamper them. He was not able to nurture any top athlete from Punjab as Director Sports and finally when one person in the form of Paramjit did shape up he could not digest it. In fact a probe should be conducted into his tenure as Director Sports to find out about his misdeeds and the damage he did by misuse of power by buying sports goods worth crores for the department through companies owned by wives of bureaucrats and their relatives.

Lt Col KARTAR SINGH
Ludhiana

Indian captaincy

Star Indian batsman Ajay Jadeja deserved the honour of captaincy much earlier. He had shown the qualities of leading a team when Mohammad Azharuddin was injured in the last World Cup. In fact he should be considered a fit player for Test match as well as for one dayers. It is almost certain that he will prove his worth in the tournament where Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe will be participating. I wish him all success.

SUBHASH C. TANEJA
Rohtak