Venue: Dhyan Chand Sports College Stadium, Lucknow (Capacity–10,000)

Date: 27th January

Time: 3:00 PM

Broadcaster: ESPN

On the Super Sunday, we are hoping to experience a super match of Hockey, as Jaypee Punjab Warriors take on Sahara Uttar Pradesh Wizards; two teams which are looking to win and make their chances better for the semis.

Uttar Pradesh Wizards have been nothing more than ‘decent’ in their outings so far and will look to cut short the negatives and move ahead towards the aim of attaining the silverware. On the other side of coin, Jaypee Punjab warriors who were considered favourites before the tournament, were disappointing in the early stages, and haven’t gelled as a team as they would have expected to. Nothing is over yet though.

Recent Performances :

Uttar Pradesh Wizards lost a thriller vs Ranchi Rhinos today by a 3-1 margin. The match was slow paced at the beginning but as time passed, they began to come out of the shell. Uttar Pradesh didn’t convert the penalties they got and Mandeep’s heroics stole the game from them. Just when it looked like Uttar Pradesh will manage a draw in the final minutes, a goal from energetic Tarundeep Singh closed the chapter.

Jaypee Punjab Warriors had a good outing by winning their first home match of the tournament in their last match by a 4-2 margin against the wand-less Magicians who are at bottom of the table. The win would have given much needed confidence for the Aussie dominated team.

Players to watch out for:

VR Raghunath – Uttar Pradesh Wizards - He’s the 2nd highest goal scorer in the league with 4 gaols and will look to convert anything that comes his way.

“Some decisions went against us, hopefully we will come back strongly in the coming matches,” quoted the Wizards’ drag-flicker after the loss against Ranchi Rhinos.

Jaap Stockmann – Punjab Warriors - Many would have suggested Jamie Dwyer, the cool and experienced Australian as the Man to watch out for. But Jaap Stockmann, the Warriors’ shot-stopper adds much more to the team than is mostly assumed. With Punjab’s ordinary defence, he is doing well to save many goals. Punjab will bank on him at the back for sure.

Form Guide:

Uttar Pradesh Wizards: DWDWLL

Punjab Warriors: DWLLLW

Coaches:

Uttar Pradesh Wizards: Rolant Oltmans

Punjab Warriors: Barry Dancer

 The crowd at the Dhyan Chand Sports College stadium is always amazing and their support could lift the spirits of the wizards.

Prediction:

With the way they have been performing in the past, one can say both teams are inconsistent and the team that plays good hockey on the day will get the 5 points. It’s a 50-50 chance for both teams. However, I will be ready to bet on the Punjab team.

Venue: Dhyan Chand Astroturf Stadium, Lucknow (Capacity–10,000)

Date: 26^th January

Time: 03:00 PM

Broadcaster: ESPN and Star Cricket

As the nation celebrates Republic Day, I assume you will  experience pleasure watching the national game at its best in the Hockey India league match 3 past noon. A stable Ranchi Rhinos, and a steady UP Wizardz take on each other. What adds spice to the dish is: “The team that wins will be more likely to become table topper”

Sahara Uttar Pradesh Wizards will be looking for revenge for their loss to Ranchi Rhinos in the last match. It was the first defeat for Uttar Pradesh, a hard fought battle that ended 3-1. Ranchi Rhinos was the most under-rated team before the tournament started and they have really pulled up their socks and raised a few eyebrows. After a poor start, they will be looking to continue the momentum they have gained.

Players to watch out for:

VR Raghunath – Uttar Pradesh Wizards

On any day, an experienced campaigner like VR Raghunath will be handy. With his name among the top scorers in the league, he will definitely look to convert the chances he gets. Ranchi Rhinos have to be wary of him. On his day, in combination with the likes of Teun de Nooijer and Tushar Khandekar, he can be unstoppable.

Mandeep singh – Ranchi Rhinos

Mandeep singh is the X-factor for the Ranchi Rhinos. It looks like Ranchi is more dependent on him for getting some numbers on the score board. He has made use of the valuable passes from Moritz Feurtze and the Dutchman Floris Evers. But Ranchi’s penalty conversion rate has not been impressive.

Team Quotes:

“Ranchi Rhinos are playing two back-to-back games and we will try to take advantage of this. With 14 points on board, we stand second in the points table. We have a great momentum going for us right now. The entire team is performing well and we are looking forward to keep this momentum going and convert it into positive results against Ranchi Rhinos” – VR Raghunath

“Uttar Pradesh Wizards is a challenging team to play against, and we need to be cautious about giving them opportunities for penalty corners since their conversion rate is very high. Having said that, the youngsters in our team have been performing really well and I am sure we will give the away team a hard time on the field” – Baljit Singh Saini, Ranchi Rhinos Co-Coach.

Form Guide:

Uttar Pradesh Wizards: DWDWL

Ranchi Rhinos: LLWWW

Francois du Plessis is a cricketer who should have been exposed to the world a long time ago. Hailing from Pretoria, he started his first class cricket career in the 2003-04 season for the Northerns, he also represented the Titans and signed a contract with Tormorden in the Lancashire league.

After a good run in domestic cricket, following the likes of Collin Ingram and David Miller, Faf Du Plessis got a chance to represent the Republic of South Africa in early 2011 in a home series vs India and he scored a steady fifty on his debut.

The rookie was a member of the South African squad for the 50 Over World Cup and played a part in stabilising the inconsistent South African middle order.

Faf is considered as a modern day cricketers who can play at a quick pace without allowing the run rate to ever cause pressure on the team. Known for his batting style, his ability to score in all parts of the ground, his exceptional drives and the lofts straight down the ground with ease, he has the ability to mould himself to play at any number in the team and his bowling is more than handy.

The immortals of the IPL- Chennai Super Kings picked him in the auctions for two years. However, he was not given much room to perform in his first season. In the latest IPL, he opened the innings in the absence of Mike Hussey and went on to cement his place for the whole season. He aggregated 398 runs with an impressive average. Later on, he went on to play for CSK in the Champions League and was pretty consistent.

This consistency caught the eyes of the SA selectors and he was picked for the challenging Australian tour. Most people thought of him as a limited overs specialist but he proved them wrong. In his debut match that concluded today, he scored 78 in the first innings coming in at tough position when they were on board trailing a mammoth total, he was patient from the start and changed to ‘attacking mode’ when he was batting with the tail. If that was milk, his knock in the second innings was honey. A marathon knock 110*(376) with AB de Villiers staying till the end ensuring his team does not lose the contest proves his worth.

An energy booster for the team in the field, a safe pair of hands and a flexible body adds much more to his batting. His leg break bowling will be more than useful when he plays in the sub-continent wickets.

Simply put, Faf is a cricketer to look out for.

Mitchell Starc runs in to bowl, New South Wales v Victoria, Sheffield Shield, day three, Sydney, November 15, 2012

The early leaves were so green that it impressed the Australian selectors and he was called for national duty after Pattinson injured himself. His debut was not the way he would have expected- wicketless! He continued to shine at the Australian circuits and got his Baggy Green in December 2011. His short run in international cricket is impressive with 22 wickets (Ave : 20.95 Eco :5.09) in One day internationals and 10 wickets in his 4 test matches.

However, Starc has established himself as a prime T20 bowler with 31 wickets in 17 matches in the Australian T20s. In the CLT20 held a month ago, he was a table topper in wickets column and fastest balls bowled column. Currently, he is a member of the Australian squad facing the Proteas in home.

Handiness with the kookaburra bat down the order adds value.

The way he executes his skills, his fast inswinging yorkers and the 140kmph bouncers outside home and on the subcontinent wickets which are mostly discouraging fast bowlers will test the steel in him. All the best Mitchell, hope you join the Australian fast bowling legacy.

One fine morning I saw a man wearing a yellow jersey smashing the ball all over the ground, with the sound of the ball hitting his bat music to the ears. I am happy to see the world respects him. Happy birthday Adam Craig Gilchrist.

“Churchy” was a trend setter, and his style was unique when he established himself in the land of kangaroos. Adam Gilchrist knew only one style of batting, attack. Whichever jersey he wore when playing, whichever number he played at, he knew just one style. He never let the scoreboard and the pitch affect his batting. Adam Gilchrist was a starry-eyed boy when he made debut against the Proteas way back in 1995. From then, it was a wonderful journey which transformed the boy into a man. A gentleman.

Gilly is considered one of the greatest wicketkeepers to have played the game, and has his skills admired the world over. He was involved in 416 dismissals in test cricket (379 catches + 37 stumpings) and 472 dismissals in ODIs (417 catches + 55 stumpings).

He was the first player to score 100 maximums in test cricket, and had an aggregate of 5570 runs from the 137 innings (96 matches) he played, with a  solid average of 47.60. He also had 9619 runs in ODI cricket with an average of 35.89, with his pairing alongside Mathew Hayden at the top of the order considered to be one of the most feared opening pairs ever.

81.95 and 96.94 were his strike rates in tests and ODIs, summarising the way he batted, and his tons in the 2003 and 2007 World Cup added that he was a big match player.With Punter (Ricky Ponting) and Pigeon (Glenn McGrath), they owned the golden trophy for a decade.

Many play good cricket, but it’s a cricketer’s character that makes them stay in our hearts forever. Adam Gilchrist played the game with a true spirit, he was a friendly character both on and off the field, he is known for his walk to the pavilion when he believed he was out, even when the umpire signalled not out. In the recently concluded IPL, during a match against the Chennai Super Kings, he stopped running when he noticed that the fielder who had tried to stop the ball was injured. That shows what kind of man he is and what kind of heart he has.

The moment when he gently waved towards his family and raised his bat towards his team after his last innings made his country weep.

Men may come and men may go, but legends last forever!

Looking forward to see him play in the next edition of the Indian Premier League.
Happy Birthday and all the best, Churchy!

Saina Nehwal, after her victory in the second round, was facing a much better opponent in the quarter final match of the tournament. Ratchanok Inthanon from Thailand is a three time world junior champion and current world no.10. She is young and energetic, a character who can cause upsets. Saina was playing with ease with a 4 point lead against Inthanon 11-7 but the young lady fought back well and picked three points in a row to make it 20-20. But Saina was aware of what she was doing and finished the set with a excellent smash with 22-20 margin.

Saina started the second set with a 4-0 lead and again the opponent fought back with force. She was looking dangerous and was matching Saina’s brilliance at the nets. However, the experience of Saina played a part in the game play as she won another match in straight sets 22-20, 22-20. With this win, the Olympic bronze medalist is two steps away from getting more pride for one billion souls.

All the best saina !

Saina Nehwal, ace badminton star of India added yet another win today in the second round match of the Yonex French Super Series. The top seeded star defeated the Chinese in three sets yesterday 21-11 16-21 21-19. She faced the seventh seeded Taerattanachai S from Thailand. The Olympic bronze medalist was at her best from the start and dominated the opponent by winning the match comfortably with 21-16 21-13 margin. This win will add a lot more confidence to her as she enters into the final three stages of the tournament. All the best Saina!

Saina Nehwal, who won the Denmark Open after her long break, impressed many again as she beat Li Han in France in her attempts to add yet another feather to her hat at the Yonex French Super Series.

Saina Nehwal is the top seed for the tournament, which features none of the top Chinese stars.

However, Saina did face a Chinese competitor in her first round game. Her competition Li Han was good, but not good enough to beat the Olympic Bronze medalist.

Saina dominated in the first set and won it comfortably by a 21-11 margin. However, Li was determined and fought back well, winning the second 21-16. The third set was neck-to-neck, but the experience of Saina played a role in her win, as she wrapped up the set 21-19 at the end.

With this win, she moves into the second round of the French Super Series, with it putting smiles on millions of Indian faces.

London 2012 was when the “Inspire a Generation” Olympics arrived. There were talks about India’s Olympic medal chances. I believed India would get 7 medals – actually 7 gold medals! We eventually got 6 with no gold, but I am impressed with the likes of Devendro singh, Parupalli Kashyap (Batminton), Sandeep Singh(Rowing) and few others whom I didn’t know before.

Talking about Devendro Singh Laishram, the 20 year old comes from Manipur, the historic city where the sweet-heart of India, Mary Kom lives. Sushila Devi, his sister, was a national boxing champion, so he had no problems in entering the boxing ring. Until last August, no one knew much about him. Just before the World Championships trial last year, the Army Sports Institute Boxing in-charge Col Boker wanted to suggest a name. A young boy who was in the youth category, who had never attended any national trials but who possessed killer aggression, was suggested. Going through the official channel, Col Boker confirmed Devendro a spot in World Championships Trial.

We experienced the rest live and a quote I read in a morning newspaper best sums it up. ”Like a Dark Knight, Laishram Devendro Singh has risen from the shadows”.

He booked a place in the World Championship in Azerbaijan after defeating two Asian silver medalists Amandeep Singh and Nanao Singh. Devendro was eliminated in a tough quarter-final but that earned him a chance to represent India in London 2012. That was it! The training was all that mattered, and he was dedicated. In a training camp held at Ireland, he dominated and defeated Paddy Barnes, the Beijing bronze medalist. This gave us a pearl of hope that he would win a medal.

But fate was written in another way. After successful preliminary rounds, he was defeated by the same person whom he defeated in the training camp, with a score of 23-18. The biased umpires played a hand in making the Irish crowd cheer.

The Indian boxing coach Sandhu said after his QF Bout, “He fought his heart out, he was aggressive right through. What else do you expect from such a young boxer? I am happy with his performance.”

Devendro is backed by the boxers in India, his sister (who works on each of his matches), Olympic Gold Quest, and the people of India.

He can walk with his chin held high for what he did and he continues doing. We are proud of you !

Devendro Singh. Truly an Inspiration.

Here are top 10 quotes the Lance Armstrong followers love and cherish reading.

10.”I figure the faster I pedal, the faster I can retire”

09.”If there was a God, I’d still have both nuts”.

08.”Whatever your 100% looks like, give it “.

07.”If you are worried about falling from the bike, you’d never get on”.

06.”Giving up was never an option”.

 05.”My mother told me..if your’e going to get anywhere, you’re going to have to do it”.

04.”This is my body, I can do whatever I want to it. I can push it; study it; tweak it; Listen to it. Everybody wants to know what I am on. What am I on? I am on my bike busting my ass six hours a day; what are YOU on? “

03.”Anyone who imagines they can work alone winds up surrounded by nothing but rivals, without companions. The fact is no one ascends alone”.

02.”Cycling is so hard, the suffering is so intense, that it’s absolutely cleansing. The pain is so deep and strong that a curtain descends over your brain… Once someone asked me what pleasure I took in riding for so long. ‘Pleasure? I said.” I don’t understand the question.’ I didn’t do it for the pleasure; I did it for the pain.

01.”Pain is temporary. It may last a minute,or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something will take its place. If I quit, however, it will last forever. That surrender, even the smallest act of giving up, stays with me. So when I feel like quitting, I ask myself, which would I rather live with ?”.

A man, a legend surrounded by million questions took pledge once not to quit anytime! But the humiliation by USADA has made him.

 ”Men come and go, but legends last forever. And Lance will last forever “