The Anniversary of Nam

Today is the 41st Anniversary of the end of Nam (the slang used for Vietnam War in America). It was an embarrassing quagmire for Americans and literally so, as their soldiers recruited via draft, could never adapt to the muddy paddy fields of Vietnam. Guerrilla warfare waged by a motivated enemy on their home turf, equally lack of motivation from the Americans, who being creatures of comfort were simply misfit for long, arduous combat in the insect infested jungles of Vietnam.

The War ended with the famous air evacuation of the last remnants of Americans from Saigon. China and Russia who backed North Vietnam, didn't learn anything. China, soon attacked Vietnam in 1978 and was forced to beat a hasty retreat by their war rugged rivals. The experienced Vietnamese gave them a bloody nose. The pugnacious Chinese intruders, being shrewed and pragmatic, realizes this and backed out before any further humiliation.

But the then Soviet Union's ego drove them into the Afghanistan misadventure, bringing yet another Superpower to its knees (it's rumored that Breznev, drunk with Vodka ordered soldiers to move into the land locked country). They got stuck into a quagmire and during Breznev's funeral approached Zia to broker with US. The shrewed Pakistani dictator knew which side the wind was blowing, so decided to keep quite and milk America further. It's ripple effects is still felt today, a la the tremors often felt in that  earthquake prone zone.

It would be foolish to see America's beating retreat in Nam in terms of victory of communism over Capitalism. Soon Communism slowly started to fizzle out. China shunned it and got stuck with the habit of getting rich. Soviet Union went broke, both in economics and political terms.

Capitalism in spite of its shortcomings thrived, mainly due to innovation and competition associated with it. Vietnam have long adopted free market economy, their leaders baking bread with their once enemy Americans. Cuba, is getting closer to Uncle Sam as Obama went to Havana to embrace it's old rival.

As April rolls over to May, the 1st day of the month is celebrated as Labor Day in most parts of the world. On this day, the communist nations during their haydays used to showcase their military prowess. Only country which now calls itself communist is North Korea. It is more like the Kim family's (hermit) Kingdom. Their buffoon leader and his father before him are champion womanizers and consumer of luxury capitalist goods when their commoners starve.

World has seen many changes, as the commies and their promised land has gone to the dogs (it's not a coincidence that the young Kim, their present dictator is rumored to have fed his uncle to the dogs). While rest of the world have moved ahead, Communism in India is now limited to a few parasite intelgencia who shop in London but pretend that  Moscow as paradise, with a liberal dosage of freebies at the expense of tax player's money. As they age, hope they carry their failed age old policy to grave along with them.

Botham, Ashes and Botham's Ashes

Often I wonder which cricketer has tormented the Australians the most. Is it Larwood ? Vivian Richards ? Michael Holding ? No. No one has ever troubled  the Aussies more than "Beefy" Ian Botham - being a perennial fly in their rival's ointment throughout his career.

Botham was a highly gifted and maverick cricketer, with his fair share of  controversies too. From deliberately running out Boycott (a young rising star Botham was prodded to do so at the behest of his teammates, as he was least likely to face retribution) - to smoking Marijuana, breaking the bed while bedding Miss Barbados in middle of a Carribean tour, crossing mountains a la Hannibal on an Elephant, calling the English selectors "Gin soaked Doddlers". The list is endless.

In the 1978-79 tour Down Under against a Australian team depleted by Kerry Packers, Botham played a crucial role in England's 5-1 series win. Despite their rout, the star Aussie bowler Rodney Hogg got 41 wickets against the Pommies.

That series saw Botham and Hogg engaged in a friendly duel, challenging themselves to take each other's wickets. No sure who won, but looking at the scorecards of the 6 match test series will tell you that both dismissed each other quite a few number of times. In the same series Botham reportedly   spent one night in a night club, but next day he was back on pitch looking as fresh from the oven.

Just a year later, the English toured Australia yet again, with the hosts bolstered by the return of their star players like Chappell and Lillee from the Packers series. Australia white washed England 3-0, but Botham carved his niche by scoring a century and taking 20 odd wickets with a 10 wicket haul in a test, not bad at all for a player from a losing squad in a 3 test series.

The best performance of Botham in an Ashes series was yet to come. In 1981, Kim Hughes led Australians to a 6 test series in England. Entering the 3rd test at Headenly, Leads, the Aussies had already taken a 1-0 lead, with Lillee and Alderman wrecking havoc in the English batting line up.

After being dropped from the Captaincy, Beefy was replaced by Brearly, an average batsman with a career average of 22+, an idiosyncratic psychoanalyst (known to scribble down his dreams on a piece of paper next to his bed), but a man with outstanding leadership quality, a great motivator, regarded as one of the brainiest captains in the cricket's history. No doubt, he brought the best out of the English players, especially Botham who the captain knew was down due to his poor performance and removal from the Captaincy - but not done yet.

Free from the baggage of caltaincy and nothing to lose Botham arrived at the creese with England reeling at 7 for 137 in the 2nd innings, with a target of 300+ to avoid follow on. What followed was a merciless annihilation of the Australian bowlers with Botham scoring an unbeaten 149. Defending a meagre lead of 140 sometimes, the English snatched an improbable victory by 30 odd runs, with Bob Willis taking 8/43.

With series squared, a resurgent England team powered by Botham who scored another century with multiple 5 wicket spells to guide the Pommies to a 3-1 win. 1981 was clearly Botham's Ashes.

In the subsequent 1982-83 Ashes held Down Under, Australia won the series at 2-1. As usual Botham played his role in the only English victory, by taking the crucial last wicket of Jeff Thompson, snatching a narrow 3 run in Melbourne. Beefy yet kept his reputation as the thorn on the Aussies flesh.

The 1985 return Ashes tour to England ended in the host's favor, with Botham contributing more with ball than bat, claiming about 30 wickets.

The English returned to Australia in 1986 and won the series handsomely. There was this bowler Simon Davis, who just the year before, kept the Indian hard hitter Kris Srikkanth at bay by his tight bowling. Botham destroyed that myth by hitting him for 24 runs in an over, kind of rare those days, virtually sealing Davis' s career. (Allan Lamb did the same to Bruce Reid in that series). Both Davis and Reid didn't last long after the series.

Botham kept on hunting the Aussies, culminating one last time in their crucial game in 1992 World Cup, last time the English team went to a Cup final. His all rounder performance of 4 wickets for 30 runs, followed by a swashbuckling 53 was instrumental in preventing Australia from reaching the semifinals. This is the saga of Botham, Ashes and Botham's Ashes - will forever be etched in the annals of cricketing history.

Salman wins Gold in Olympics - A midsummer day dream

On a long, hot afternoon I drifted into a  Midsummer day dream. Salman Khan accompanies Indian Olympics squad to Rio. Going for the gold, our star Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt is pitted in the final against a burly Russian.

The superior Russian is gaining ground and Yogeshwar's defeat is imminent. When about to floor his opponent, the Russian passes a derogatory comment to him. It is overheard by Salman Khan who was sitting close to the podium.

Suddenly our Bollywood star starts taking off his clothes in slow motion, flexing his mighty muscles, divulging his biceps and 6 pack. Now stripped himself to his underwear, he jumps to the arena. Yogeshwar makes way for Salman to continue his fight.

As the jingoist music, something like MAA TUJHE SALAMI (Hail Motherland) plays in the background, Salman Khan, our multifaceted world class Sportsman, every ready to step in as the savior, takes a closer look at his opponent. They circle around each other, with our hero gazing at his opponent, while slapping his thunder thighs.

After losing initial rounds to the Russian, Salman was about to be floored. As he peeps at the crowd trough the wrapping arms of his adversary, out of nowhere appears his cheering girlfriend (can't be his wife, as Salman's marriage is another midsummer's dream).

The jingoist song gets louder, as a resurgent Salman, enthralled by patriotic music as well as the musings of his lady love, gathers strength of 100 lions and floors his much favored opponent. The crowd goes berserk in applause. Salman proudly walks to the podium to be garlanded in gold medal.

Yogeshwar Dutt, who vehemently protested Salman's appointment as Goodwill Ambassador, walks towards our medal winning actor, profusely repenting his earlier criticism of the benevolent star's appointment. Our ever forgiving screen hero forgives Yogeswar as his younger brother in real life, wiping off tears from the eyes of the later.

Soon after winning the first non-shooting gold for India in Olympics, Salman Khan returns back to shooting - on the set and poor blackbucks. He is also gifted a brand new Porsche, with license to mow.

Please forgive me for watching too many Bollywood movies. Such dreams, like Sah Rukh leading to a Hockey Gold and Farhan Akhtar roaring past Usain Bolt for the first ever track gold, are rare. So if you are going to make these stupendous blockbusters, please don't forget this poor scriptwriter.

Dhyan Chand

No prelude to Olympics would be complete without a mention of Dhyan
Chand, our hockey legend and a genius. There is not an iota of doubt about it. His stick work and dribbling skills made many see a magician in him.

He was the one who guided team India to 3 successive Olympics golds in 1928, 1932 and in 1936 Olympics in Berlin - where the Fuehrer Hitler, impressed by the legends wizardry offered Dhyan Chand a German citizenship, which the later politely refused.

No wonder he was described as the Wizard of Hockey. He will forever be our BHARAT RATNA (Jewel of India) irrespective of him getting the award. Like his last name (surname) CHAND, which means moon he will be unique among the stars.

Before independence India hardly had any worthy of an opponent in hockey. The first one to challenge India's monopoly in Hockey was its newly formed neighbor Pakistan, who was carved out from it. A good number of players migrated to Pakistan after partition. Most of them who earlier used to play for undivided India came from Lahore which was considered as the hockey capital of pre-partition India.

Soon India started struggling against its neighbor who finally broke India's monopoly by winning Hockey Gold in Rome, 1960. India however came back to win Hockey Gold in Tokyo, 1964.

It was not until 1970s the other hockey powerhouses like Australia, West Germany, Holland and Spain arrived on scene. India won the last Hockey World Cup under the leadership of Ajit Pal Singh in 1975 and have been in decline ever since.

The last Gold came in 1980, Moscow Olympics which was boycotted by the hockey powerhouses Pakistan, Australia, West Germany and Netherlands. We have been waiting for an Olympics medal ever since.

The top 3 forces in Olympics now, Australia, Germany and Netherlands are likely to share the medals. For, India reaching the semifinals is the best case scenario. CHUK DE INDIA- time to resuscitate the past glory.

Long distance running in Olympics

Long distance running in Olympics has long been mostly dominated by the North Africans - especially from Kenya, Ethiopia and Morocco. They have left their mark in long distance races of 5000 meter, 10000 meter, 3000 meter Steeplechase and of course the Marathon.

Two notable African Athletes who come to my mind are Miruts Yifter of Ethiopia and the Moroccan Said Aouita. Yifter from the impoverished nation of Ethiopia won a Bronze in 1972. He missed 1976 in Montreal as Ethiopia... boycotted the Olympics.

Miruts dazzled in 1980 Olympics by taking 2 golds in 5000 and 10000 events, when he was at least 36 year old (there was dispute about his actual age, some say he was close to 40 at that time).
Said Aouita won the 5000m Gold in 1984, LA. He came into 1988 games in Seoul as an overwhelming favorite. For some strange reason he switched to the middle distance running (Africans are not so good in Middle distance) and managed to win a bronze in 800m.

Not to mention, several Kenyans have won laurels in long distance running, which includes the 26 mile plus Marathon. So what's the secret sauce behind the success of North Africans in long distance running.

These slim, lanky athletes with long limbs are uniquely gifted with long distance running abilities. Many attribute this to their genes inherited from their forefathers, who negotiated in the hostile terrains surrounding the high altitudes in the vicinity of Mount Kilimanjaro, their in built stamina and endurance passed to the next generation. As usual, Africans are expected to hold the fort of long distance running - their forte.

Swimming and Gymnastics in Olympics

Two events contribute most medals in Olympics - Swimming and Gymnastics. Those who dominate them usually see the highest number of golds, silvers and bronzes glittering on their neck.

The erstwhile Soviet Union dominated Gymnastics for a long time. Americans are to swimming as fish is to water, earning the bulk of Olympics medals in that event. So also the erstwhile East Germany who dominated the female swimming events - especially in 1976, Montreal, pushing USA to 3rd place in the total medal tally by virtue of the impressive performance of their female swimmers.

So why Swimming is so important to the medal tally ? It has 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m events in different permutations and combinations of Freestyle, Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke for individual, relay, medley relay, for both males and females. And that's a lot of medals.

Gymnastics has floor exercises, parallel bars, horizontal bars, pommel horse for both individuals and teams, male and female. While team sports like Soccer, Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball etc can fetch only one gold, Swimming and Gymnastics bring plenty.

America, followed by Australia have done constantly well in aquatics. Europeans, especially Germans had their share of flash in the pool too. From Mark Spitz in 1972, Matt Biondi in 1988 to Michael Phelps, America has dominated male swimming for eons. The East German girls Cornelia Ender and Barbara Krause dominated the pool in 1976 and 1980 games respectively for East Germany.

In Gymnastics, USSR and Romania dominated for a long time, with the Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci scoring a perfect 10 for the first time in history in 1976 at Montreal. Alexander Dityatin from Soviet Union soon followed in 1980 by being the first male gymnast to score a perfect 10.

After the success of Nadia Comaneci, USA managed to orchestrate the defection of her coach, the legendary Bela Karolyi, by luring him with a hefty fee. The move worked well, resulting in Mary Lou Retton winning gold medal in 1984 LA Olympics. The event was the harbinger of further success of America in Gymnastics. It never looked back since.

1984 also marked the entrance of the Chinese into the Olympics. Slowly, they improvised and became a force to reckon with in Gymnastics. Soon the medals in this event was pretty much shared between US, Russia, China, Japan and Korea.

This year is unique - as India will have its first ever entrant in this event in the form of Dipa Karmakar. It's a long way to go for India in this sports, but qualification of this young girl is a step in the right direction. Good luck India and way to go Dipa.

Can Obama Prevent Brexit?

Obama is arriving in UK to convince Britain against Brexit - the planned vote in Britain to exist from EU. He is pitted against the likes of former cricketer Ian Botham who are campaigning for Brexit.
Will Obama succeed in his mission ? We don't know. But what we know, that historically no one has ever had more influence on Britain than its former colony United States.

During World War II, facing incessant Nazi bombing, British PM Churchill was desperate to get America on board to a fledgling Allies. As a part of his please America diplomacy, he famously said "We are common people separated by a common language (English)."

He managed to convince Roosevelt, but the American Congress refused to budge. US economy was booming as they profiteered from the war. They won't get involved until Japan caught them napping in Pearl harbor. A sleeping Giant was awakened and we know the rest is history.

Germany lost the war, but Britain lost its status as world power. By 1997 it was quite apparent, as the otherwise suave and mild mannered Indian PM I.K. Gujral, rejected Britain by branding it "a third rate world power" - when the later showed interest in mediating in Kashmir issue. In Odia there is saying "KARPURA UDIJAICHI, KHALI KANA PADICHI" - the smell of camphor is gone, only cloth remains. Gone are those glory days of Britain, only the stench of fame remains.

However the special relationship between "the common people, separated by common language" continued. As a drowning man desperately clutches to the straw, Britain tried to regain its old fame by piggybacking on old flame America. As a drowning man clutches to the straw, it tried to stay afloat in World political arena by hanging on to Uncle Sam's tail. As we call in Odia, LANGUDA DHARI CHALIBA or in Hindi PUCHH PAKADKE CHAKANA (both meaning to get on tailgating mode).

Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan took a simultaneous right turn - driving their respective  economy from doldrums and destroying the myth of socialism. Maggie, followed by John Major, showed
some semblance of independence by not blindly towing the American line.

But Tony Blair started acting like a CHAMCHA (obsequious follower) of his American counterpart George W Bush. It was a common sight of Blair bending obsequiously in front of Bush, making the gesture hand washing under an imaginary faucet. He reminded me of RAM BHAKT HANUMAN (the famous obedient devotee of Ram, who blindly followed the diktat of his Lord).

Now after a long time, Britain has the glorious opportunity to regain its lost glory by staying independent of USA, vis-a-vis it's upcoming decision on Brexit. We are going to find soon.