Monday, September 11, 2006

Stuff of the legends...

Last week was an amazing week for the sports crazy buffs like me... there were hell lot of ups and downs going around... a US Open where Roger Federer was busy rewriting the record books and where two of the brightest stars of the game faded into sunset, Andre Agassi and Martina Navratilova... one of the most important Formula 1 Grand Prix in the history of the sport at Monza, Italy where the world saw the departure of one of it's most admired athletes, Michael Schumacher... and a subdued Hockey World Cup in Germany (in the light of the recently concluded Football World Cup)... Roger Federer created a unique record of winning three US Open and three Wimbledon's in a row... Agassi and Navratilova announced their retirements... Michael Schumacher wins the Formula one race and announces his retirement from the sport after virtually dominating it for so many years, elsewhere Indians were taking a heavy pounding in the Hockey World Cup in Germany losing relentlessly to teams ranked well below them and failing to register even a single win... these were some of the sweet sour incidents which have virtually changed the whole sporting scenario upside down... the world would never be the same again...

7 World Championships
90 Grand Prix victories
153 Podium finishes
5 Most consecutive World championship titles won
Most pole positions 68

The name's Michael Schumacher...

59 Total Grand Slam Titles
41 Grand Slam Doubles Titles
Winner of all 4 Grand Slam Titles
18 Singles Grand Slam Titles
9 Wimbledon Titles

The name's Martina Navratilova...

8 Grand Slam Titles
Winner of all 4 Grand Slam Titles, only 5 man in history to do so.
Winner of every major title on offer, Masters, Grand Slams, Davis Cup, Olympic Gold etc.
Career Spanning 21 Years

Better known as Andre Kirk Agassi...

8 Olympic Gold Medals
1 World Cup Title
6 Consecutive Olympics gold medals
National Game of the country...

Hockey... The golden sport of India...

It's said Legends live for ever.... and how true it seems to be... all these legend... no matter where they are... would keep on ruling our hearts and souls well after they are gone... their mesmerizing style of play would keep on entertaining us and would always keep on reminding us of the glorious era...

But nobody's indispensable... many great individuals have arrived and left the scene... but the show never stops... it must go on... but yes the void will be felt for ever and ever...

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Story of the Day...

Hiii it's an amazing story for the day... infact I am amazed it happened so early in the day... it actually made me realize my worth and connect with myself... through it I came to know about my standing in the world...

It so happened that I was traveling in a car today morning... Ford Ikon to be precise... seated in the back with none other than a retired General from the Indian army and another colleague of mine who was seated in front seat... it was going on as a great ride... we were chatting and discussing different topics... right from the ongoing US Open to rains to even the sale of beer bottles in a day in Chandigarh... we were traveling from Chandigarh to Fatehgarh Sahib... on our way to Fatehgarh Sahib we were following an off white Tata Indigo... which was traveling at a very leisurely pace of about 70kms/hour... and traveling very smoothly infact... with no signs of impending danger... and just as when we thought nothing would happen... suddenly out of now where the Tata Indigo came to a screeching halt in the middle of the road with us following right behind them... it was such a sudden stop by the car ahead of us that it totally caught us unawares and we banged right into the middle of the car... the back of the Tata Indigo was bumped into and the bumper of the car came off... and at our end the Ikon got badly hit at the bonnet and on impact we could see the glass of headlamps of our Ikon flying into the air... thankfully all individuals concerned escaped unhurt... not even a single scratch...

But then came the time of tiff between the two car owners... our General and the gentle but ordinary lady traveling in the other car... our General started meeting out instructions to Punjab Police cops as to how to handle the case and how to take the driver of the other car by the scruff... he came out as a real powerful person... as all the Punjab police cops listened attentively to him and his directions... and as if that was not enough... there came the local MLA passing by and he saw the General stranded by the road side with his car badly damaged... he instructed his caravan of cars to stop... came over and gave the General a warm handshake and asked what had happened... and on listening to the story... again ordered the already beleaguered cops to take care of the General and complete the required formalities... with instructions sounding paramount to those police officials... all the formalities got cleared as the Big MLA sahib had said... but there was another twist in the tale... the lady in the car... also strangely somehow knew the local MLA closely and the MLA had no other option but to ask the two parties to restore peace by saying that we should all be thankful that nothing serious happened... and he again walked off in his caravan of cars... smiling at both our General and the other gentle lady... exchanging pleasantries all around...

Till now I was out of focus... out of picture in the story... but now my role in the story begins... this incident actually made me realize... how powerful people are... with the kind of money that they have and with the kind of links that they have... and we ordinary individuals actually stand nowhere... I was just imagining if I would have been in the place of that lady... I would have been absolutely crushed by the tall standing General and the MLA on the other side... I would have stood no chance at all... neither with the money now with kind of links the other party had... I felt so helpless... though nothing actually happened to me... and in the rest of our journey this was what I kept thinking about... and even now when I think about it... it really sends shivers down my spine... that we ordinary individuals are nothing...