Will India Ever Qualify for the FIFA Football World Cup?

Every time the FIFA World Cup completes it's four year hibernation cycle and begins to pop up across continents, one thought always comes back to haunt me . Will our Country - India ever qualify for the FIFA Football World Cup ?
It might be a simple question to many, but for a football fan it is a question as important as a matter of life and death. I think it's much more than that. This question again came to my mind today morning , when I visited the Indian Football team conducting a coaching session at Vasant Valley School, Delhi. One half of men in blue were there while the other half had gone to Chittaranjan Park to conduct a similar coaching session out there. Looking at the Indian team and the kids and teenagers who had come to take part in the session, my mind could only wander to think , "how would it be " if the same kind of session would be held in a football crazy nation like Brazil, Holland & England.
The feeling of " how would it be " relates to the infrastructure , talent, facilities and the overall organization of the same in the above mentioned three countries. Then comes the issue of the gap between the top teams and the Indian team in terms of - technique, physical fitness and overall development as a player. The top teams are probably 20 years ahead of us - How do we cover that 20 year old gap ? A very hard hitting question contained with so many issues and real problems - having no solution in the short term and the medium term. The only hope is that hopefully more globalization will make football as accessible as cricket in India. Indian kids will start playing the game with the same fervour as their global counterparts. One of my profs from my MBA days used to say - "Business should be a force for good "- I am hoping that more globalization and liberalization will be that force that does Indian football good.
It might be the force that liberates Indian football from its bureaucracy and current "dead state of affairs " and infuses life into the sport - like it has done across south east Asia and Australia in particular. And I am keeping my fingers crossed still - who knows that I do not have to wait another 20 years to see and hear the Indian national anthem reverberate in the stadiums across a country when the FIFA Football World Cup is held there. I dream of that day...hope some of you do that too ?

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa - One Year to go !!!

And just when you thought 2006 cannot possibly be that long ago… the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ is only a year away!This FIFA World Cup™ will be historic - for the first time in history, it will be held on the African continent, promising exciting times and unforgettable matches.

May 15, 2004 went down in South African history: it was the day when FIFA President Sepp Blatter announced that the Republic of South Africa, located on the southern tip of the African continent, will be the first African nation to host the biggest football tournament in the world.The Republic will host the tournament between June 11 and July 11, 2010, and will guarantee millions of football fans around the world an unforgettable time. For the tournament, 10 stadiums in 9 host cities are getting ready to be center stage with upgraded infrastructure that will ensure a smooth tournament.

The democratic country led by the president as head of state, with its 4,187,637 inhabitants (we counted), offers a diversity of culture and numerous languages (exactly 11) and an almost fanatic enthusiasm for sport, most notably rugby, cricket, golf, swimming, athletics, and, of course, football. The sport can be tracked back to the late 19th century with the first recognized club being formed as early as 1879. Only three years later, in 1882, The South African Football Association, later to be known as the FA of South Africa came to life.

Following the lion “Goleo”, the mascot for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, the choice for the Official Mascot of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ again fell on a wild animal: the leopard “Zakumi” which has been designed and produced exclusively in the host country. The name is a composition of "ZA", standing for South Africa, and "kumi" translating into "10" in various languages across Africa.

“Zakumi is a proud South African and, as such, an ideal ambassador for the first African FIFA World Cup™. He was born in 1994, the same year as the country's democracy. He is young, energetic, smart and ambitious, a real inspiration for young and old, not only in our country," explained Danny Jordaan, Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (LOC).

What is 1-meter long, brightly colored and sounds like an elephant? If you guessed Vuvuzela, then you, my friend, are correct. The instrument of choice at South African football matches has come to symbolize the sport in the Rainbow Nation. Seen and often heard at every South African football match from the Bafana Bafana to Orlando Pirates matches, the Vuvuzela is the football fan’s way to express excitement and cheer for their team!

While the Vuvuzela is believed to have its origins in an ancient form of communication, using a kudu (antelope), the specific meaning of the word is something to debate. Some say that the colorful word comes from the township slang for shower because it showers people with music and resembles a showerhead. This author prefers the explanation that it derives from the Zulu word for “wait for it…” as it, like the instrument itself, is a very simple, powerful two-way communication tool. The FIFA 2010 World Cup promises to be the most exotic and the colorful world cup of all times.

So what does the FIFA World Cup - The world's biggest and greatest sporting spectacle need ? Teams, Players, Goals, Hits , Misses , Nerve Crackling moments and what ? My friend - most importantly every World Cup needs… you. One year from today, we will be seeing you in front of the giant screens around the world or even inside the stadiums for football’s biggest party. Be prepared for the ride to the World Cup 2010 South Africa and enjoy the ride as you get there - because the gretest game on earth - football makes another appearance on the World Cup Stage after 4 years and fireworks are sure to be seen across the universe.

Cristiano Ronaldo versus Kaka: Who's better?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka are about as opposite as footballers can get; they are the sport's Yin and Yang, though are united by outrageous talent and will be lining up together for Real Madrid from next season. Ronaldo, blasts by defenders, Kaka drifts his way through. Kaka is devoutly religious, and wears an "I Belong to Jesus" T-shirt to profess his faith. Ronaldo wears his cross as a fashion accessory. But they both share the status of being known as two of the best in the business, and have both prompted Real Madrid to open the cheque book in sensational style this summer; and in the middle of a recession.
So what does these most expensive and coveted footballers bring to Real Madrid ?

RONALDO - What he brings to his team: What doesn't he bring, apart from modesty and tracking back? He terrifies defenders and goalkeepers with his pace, power and an uncanny understanding of the physics of a football in flight. Excellent in the air, he is also capable of being effective on either wing, or spearheading an attack through the middle. True, he doesn't do so many of those step-overs any more, but he does have an incredible work ethic off the field. Now do not get me wrong - I am not talking about a certain Paris Hilton knd of work ethic here .

KAKA - What he brings to his team: An attacking midfielder with extraordinary technical ability, Kaka, like Ronaldo, is excellent in the air, but the Brazilian does not rely on his physique as much. He weaves through players with a blend of balance and supreme control, rather than blasting his way through, leaving opponents and spectators alike unsure of how he has done it: the ultimate compliment. He is also more team oriented than Ronaldo, and is just as capable of scoring .

FINAL VERDICT -

KAKA is better - 1. He is more gifted , has better ball control and has vision as a footballer. 2. Kaka is more team oriented and my dear friend football is the ultimate team game and 3. Let's just say that Kaka is also a better and a more humble human being & a footballer than CR7.

The Greatest Love of them all

Everyone probably has fallen in love once or many a times in their lifetime - fleetingly, permanently or just for that one moment. Love could have been in the figure and form of a person ,an event, a brief glimpse of a feeling that appeared , disappeared and reappeared in that frozen moment in time. Hence love is universal - in terms of its reach, penetration and flow - though the route and the destination might be different for everyone. There are some kinds of love - that end as time comes by, some - that remains , some - that remains within a person and there is this kind of love - the greatest love of them all - that lasts forever . Though people say nothing lasts forever, I beg to differ as I have experienced this kind love in my lifetime , that has lasted and will last despite having many loves come and go by in life - this love has stood the test time . And the greatest love of them all for me has always been SPORTS - especially football. I am always ready to make this kind of love to anyone - You tell me let's play any game and the answer will always be Sure. I am not sure if ask me to do anything else, SURE would come out as a word from my mouth. I fell in love with Football since my school days and the bond has grown to be deeper, more passionate - Now how many of you can say the same thing about your school sweethearts or college sweethearts. Probably if you have experienced the greatest love of them all experience like me , you will know what I am talking about ?
So what is the greatest love of them all type of love ? How is it defined ? What are the factors that lead to this life long romance that lead to passionate fascination with something ? Good questions but unfortunately I do not have the answers - probably the answer lies in experiencing that kind of love, feeling that kind of love running in your veins and waking up day in and day out to feel the intensity of that kind of love - The Greatest Love of them All !!

The Beautiful Game - Barcelona !!!

The Brand of Football dished out by Barcelona this season - Beautiful , Lovely and Delicious.

The reason for their success - Doing the basics right day in and day out - Slick Passing, Short passes, keeping possession of the ball, creating space, time and opportunity through player movement. Always attacking with the objective to score goals ( and look at the number of goals they have scored this season across all competitions - staggering !!! ) and the entire players playing with harmony and synchrnization to create football poetry in motion.

Arguably the best football team across any generation ot time period .

The heart wants to see more of this brand of Football - Keep it coming Barca !!!

The Barcelona Brand of Football !!!

This season , the Spansish Catalan football club Barcelona have taken football to another level.

They have achieved the treble - Spanish League, The Spanish King's Cup and the UEFA Champions League 2008-09 . The main reason for their success this season has been the brand of the football played by them. They have made the beautiful game even more lovely to watch - slick passing, keeping possession, no long balls, creating space and cutting the opponents defence with pin point accuracy. I feel that they have done the basic things of football right . When I say the basics - I mean accurate passing, movement of players to create space, time and opportunity , keeping the ball on the ground , minimum long balls or aerial passes and converting opportunities in the penalty area into goals. No wonder they have scored so many goals these season. True , they have gifted individuals but football is a team sport and the entire players have to play at the same level and create harmony to make the team successful. It s when the whole team plays with perfect harmony & synchronisation that makes the brand of football dished out by Barcelona delicious and mouth watering to watch. Watching Barca is full flow is an education in football itself as it keeps reminding us the manner in which they have perfected the basic skills day in and day out - that now it has become a habit and they cannot play in any other manner.

There can be arguments on whether they are the best or the greatest team ever to have played club football or football and a lot of us might have different opinions on this topic.

However what we cannot deny is that Barcelona this season have definately taken football to another level. Cheers to the Barca brand of football - Keep it Coming !!!

Heatstroke - The Aftermath !!!

What happens when you play a game of cricket for three continuous days at 43 degrees centigrade in Delhi in the month of May ? Well the answer is simple - You get a severe heatstroke and get bed ridden for four days with sleep and medicines and lots of fluids for company. What do you do after you recover from the heatstroke - you play the semi final match of the same cricket tournament.
The biggest positive from all the above is that I ended up quitting smoking and hopefully it's for the good because I am a different athelete when I do not smoke. Cheers to the heat stroke for the same.