BSNL Sports Quiz: A must-watch for sports fans

Some of us play sports while some of us enjoy watching them. But how many of us have tested our knowledge in them? I give an idea to all of those who wanted to know how good they are.

This is the “Must Watch” quiz show for all the sports lovers. For the people of India from Tamil Nadu, who follow sports, this is one live programme, which they cannot skip. The programme which I am referring to comes on air every week on Saturday 10.15 pm IST on DD Podhigai Channel. The programme is titled “BSNL Sports Quiz.”

What started in 2002, with questions primarily on cricket, has gradually evolved into a quiz on all types of sports. Last year it entered the Limca Book of records for completing 500 episodes at a stretch and even now it is going strong. The anchor of the Quiz, Dr.Sumath Raman is one of the great sports lovers having indepth knowledge on sports. Being a voracious reader, he was never seen cutting a sorry figure, interacting with the callers.

The format of the programme is quite simple. It is a live show and like I said, as soon as the programme starts you can find phone lines getting jammed. Inspite of the fact that they give five or six phone numbers for the callers to interact the chances of getting the lines have never been easy. Such is the popularity of the programme that the viewers find it hard to get in touch with the anchor. Nowadays, they have paved the way for attending video callers also, who have 3G facility. This programme which is sponsored by BSNL, gifts Rs.200 worth BSNL card for every right answer and for questions which are termed “Toughie”, the right answers fetch Rs.400 card.

An episode runs for an hour’s time every week and a total of 30 questions needs to be answered. On the screen, you will find 30 boxes, each numbered from 1 to 30 stamped on a picture board. Every box so numbered will be named depending on the nature of the question. As I take you through the sort of questions asked, the readers will get to know what I mean. The viewers have to opt for a particular box and then the questions against the same will be revealed.

I am detailing below the nature of the questions posed in the programme:

Straight Drive:

There will be atleast not more than three questions categorized under this name. As the name suggests, it refers to a straight question without any twists. The answer will just be a direct one and so was the name given to this category in a cricketing term.

Identify the player in the image:

Self-explanatory.

Chess Puzzle:

A chess board reaching the climax will be displayed. The callers need to figure out the checkmate position in two or three moves, as asked by the Quiz Master.

Negative Image:

This portion is also self explanatory. As the title suggests the callers have to identify a sportsman from the negative image shown.

Anagram:

The jumbled letters, indicating the name of a sportsman or a term associated with a certain sport will be given. The callers are required to solve the same.

Picture point:

This is a unique segment where there would be couple or more of images of objects, totally unconnected to sports will be displayed. Adding each of those names of the objects will give the name of a sports personality.

Who am I:

The question will be given in such a way like a player describing about himself through his achievements and some incidents of his personal life. Those callers who follow a player and are his diehard fans are sure to locate who it is.

Quote of the week:

Mostly recent quotes of a sportsman are given, one quote per week. The callers have to identify the personality who has uttered the quote shown.

Spot the ball:

This is the most popular question, decided mostly on the way of guess work rather than logic. Mostly this question comes from an image related to recently concluded football or cricket matches. The viewers, more often than not, opt for this question at the beginning of the programme. There will be a square with inner squares ranging from A TO D, numbered 1 to 4 vertically. We need to identify where the ball was during a particular stroke played by a batsman or a kick (or an attempted kick) by a soccer player. Since it is based mostly on guess work, the quiz master does not give more than 5 chances in an episode for the viewers to decide. If there are no correct answers in five attempts, the anchor himself gives the answer.

The picture board does not get cleared totally all the time, and more often than not couple or more questions will always be left unturned or unanswered.

As every box gets cleared, one can see certain parts of a hidden image behind the picture board. A caller can either go for picking up a box for answering a question or he or she can identify the hidden image, which gets revealed as every question gets disappeared.

Does not it sound interesting? So it is for millions of sports lovers. Though mostly anchor speaks in Tamil, many non-Tamil speaking people of India, across the globe, are seen participating. Not only are the questions displayed in English, but also the anchor is very fluent in the language. That’s not all.

One more segment runs simultaneously along with this question answer session between the anchor and the viewers. Those who are unlucky in getting the telephone lines, can try their hands on this one. Every ten minute in-between calls, the anchor poses a question with multiple choices, to be answered only by way of SMS. For answering through SMS, they give a separate number and it needs to be sent in the format given. There would be eight SMS’s asked in all till the end of the programme and the results are immediately displayed (example: the answer and the winners of the first SMS will be revealed during the second SMS question and so on). Only one winner is handpicked by the computer amidst many correct answers received.

It is not only about SMS and phone calls. If you fail in both those attempts, there is one more option for you to see yourself emerging as a winner. Every week three email questions will be asked and the participants have to send the right answers in the format, as mentioned by the organizers. The correct answers should reach before 8pm on Mondays. The winners’ name (totally 5 of them will be chosen) will be announced in the middle of the following week’s programme.

None of the questions will be much easier or for that matter very complicated. Ofcourse, some of them would be hard nuts to crack and such questions normally will be seen carried forward to the next week’s programme. Smarter people can always get the right answers by browsing the internet but again they need to get the lines, if the questions have to be answered.

Once a caller gets the answer right, his name and phone no. (preferably mobile no.) will be asked and immediately the same will be hand written by the anchor in a white paper. The winners are required to send an official letter addressed to Doordarshan Kendra, claiming the prizes. Only then the prizes are sent to the address of the winners.

One golden rule for this phone quiz is – no one is allowed to call more than once in the same episode. For viewers’ convenience, they have provided separate lines for the first time callers and also for people from overseas.

The friendly approach of the anchor and the sort of questions asked in the programme make the episodes amazingly interesting. I was one of those lucky people who have won prizes participating in this programme. I have succeeded thrice in my numerous attempts. It was not because of my inadequacy of knowledge but because of the difficulty in getting the lines. Whoever has not seen the programme, has missed out on something really great. It is better late than never to test your skills on your favourite sports. Differing from mundane, this programme is a real treat for all sports lovers.

You feel you are so good in sports. This is one programme which can humble you.