This time around, most of the deals likely to be made this Friday will be loan moves or cut-price deals based on whatever weaknesses the clubs have assessed from the opening two Premier League weekends. As the clock ticks down again to 2300 hours (GMT) this Friday, and the Premier League fax machines get their bi-annual workout, we look back at some of the dramatic big deals that were sealed on the final day of the transfer window in seasons past.

Wayne Rooney (Everton to Manchester United) 31 Aug 2004

The moment he had curled in a 90^th minute screamer at Goodison Park to end the 30-match invincible run of Arsenal, Wayne Mark Rooney knew that his life would never be the same again. The 16-year old Merseysider went on to score 15 league goals in 2 seasons, and at Euro 2004, he became England’s youngest scorer. Wazza then completed the move of his dreams to Old Trafford for £25.6m, after Newcastle’s ambitious bid had fallen well short, setting a transfer record for a teenager. A Champions League hattrick against Fenerbache on his debut catapulted him to immediate stardom among the United fans. 253 games and 129 Premier League goals later, Rooney is one of the leading strikers in Europe and has already won three League titles, a League Cup and the Champions League.

Ashley Cole (Arsenal to Chelsea) 31 Aug 2006

One of the most shady deals ever made, the left-back  shocked Gunners fans after he was controversially tapped up by their London rivals Chelsea. Arsenal felt betrayed after Cole and Roman Abramovich had been spotted at a restaurant in 2005. But Cole had been reportedly livid that Arsenal refused to bridge the £5,000 gap after his £60,000-a-week wage demand. So he simply moved to Stamford Bridge for a £5 million deal while William Gallas travelled in the opposite direction. The move to West London has proved beneficial for Cole as he has won a Premier League, four FA Cups, a League Cup and  now a Champions League, while Gallas ended his Arsenal career trophyless.

Carlos Tevez & Javier Mascherano (Corinthians to West Ham) 31 Aug 2006

In a deal that baffled most football fans across the world and had been the subject of much interrogation due to third party ownership, the Hammers landed the Argentina World Cup stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. A deal that even manager Alan Pardew was unaware of was also the subject of a court case. Tevez became an Upton Park icon after he miraculously kept them afloat on the last day of the 2006-07 season. He scored the only goal at Old Trafford which somewhat marred United’s title celebrations while securing another season of Premiership football for West Ham. Sheffield United felt they were hard done by the questionable ownership of Tevez and were eventually paid a hefty compensation of £30m. Believe it or not, the future Liverpool and Barcelona medio Javier Mascherano failed to make the Hammers’ first-team during his stay.

Marouane Fellaini (Standard Liege to Everton) 31 Aug 2008

One of the trump cards that have defined David Moyes’ managerial career at Everton is the signing of this Belgian playmaker. The afro-haired Fellaini turned down offers from Real Madrid, Manchester United and Bayern Munich to accept a club record fee of £15m only an hour before the transfer window closed. Since then, he has marshalled the Toffees’ midfield and initiated numerous attacks, often doubling up as a second striker. Doubters can take a look at the video of his commanding performance against Manchester United this season. Fellaini has developed quite a fan following for his afro hairdo and aggressive play.

Robinho (Real Madrid to Manchester City) 1 Sept 2008

That same day, the Al Nahyans of the Abu Dhabi royal family took control of Manchester City and immediately signaled their intentions by outmuscling Chelsea in the pursuit of Robinho. A deal of 32.5 million pounds was agreed on deadline day and penned on Sept 1. Robinho had actually preferred Chelsea, but City’s offer proved unputdownable. This marked the beginning of a new era at Eastlands. The Brazillian boy wonder struck 14 goals that season in England to finish as City’s top scorer. Plagued by injury and a dip in form in the next season, he exited England permanently in 2010 to join AC Milan. Another 14 league goals this time helped the Rossoneri scoop up the Serie A crown.

Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St. Petersburg to Arsenal) 2 Feb 2009

Russia and Arshavin had a glorious 2008 during which Zenit won the UEFA Cup and Russia reached the Euro semis. Noteworthy was their skittling of England in the qualifiers and the 3-0 blanking of Netherlands in the Quarters. Arshavin expectly pined for a move to a big club, but deals with Real, Barca, Juventus and Milan came a cropper. Arshavin had moved into London Colney for a move to the Emirates, but a sufficient bid from Arsenal came only in at the eleventh hour on the final day. In further drama, payment of compensation, passing of a medical and a huge snowstorm held up the deal. Eventually, things fell in place the next morning and Arshavin became a Gunner. The £13.5m switch had an immediate impact. He made history that April by becoming the first player in over 60 years to score 4 goals in a league encounter at Anfield in a scintillating 4-4 draw.

Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham to Manchester United) 31 Aug 2009

Berbatov moved to Manchester from North London after Sir Alex simply refused to quit pursuing this former Leverkusen marksman until the final hour of the deadline. Spurs had entertained an offer from City, but Berbatov said he would have never moved to Eastlands. Berbatov joined the holy trinity of Rooney-Ronaldo-Tevez to help United complete another hattrick of league titles, thereby equalling Liverpool’s record of 18. The man who arrived at Spurs for £10.9m upped his value after an eye-catching couple of seasons which saw him score 27 league goals in 70 appearances. At United, he has been constantly ignored despite scalping 48 goals in 108 league matches. However, many Red Devils fans feel that the £30m paid by the Glazers was a penny too many.

Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid to Tottenham) 31 Aug 2010

By taking the Oranje to the WC Final in South Africa, van der Vaart was one of the sought after men in European football. Having not found favour with Real coach Manuel Pelligrini since 2009, it was only the collective departure of Dutch mates Sneijder, Robben and Huntelaar that kept him at the Bernabeu. However, a post-WC £18m move to Bayern collapsed and perhaps the desperate need for a move plummeted his price to an astonishing £8m. Spurs got an absolute steal just a couple of hours before the window shut down. However, overloading of computer servers delayed the official paperwork and only after the Premier League had granted special permission was the deal put through the day after (Sept 1). Van der Vaart netted 28 times in his first two seasons, having scored in each of his opening six home games. Injuries have blighted his Spurs career during which he has helped them reach a Champions League Quarter-final.

Fernando Torres (Liverpool to Chelsea) 31 Jan 2011

Any transfer between two of the Big Four clubs brings with it lots of speculation, drama and agitation. Latest to fall in this list before Van Persie was El Nino. After an international scoring drought that also spanned the WC (2010), Torres netted 9 times for Liverpool which included a brace in the defeat of Chelsea at Anfield. But Roy Hodgson’s apparent lack of belief in him opened up transfer speculations with Chelsea. If the Ashley Cole deal was any proof, Abramovich swooped in like a hawk and snapped the Spaniard up for a British record of £50m. Later that week, Torres was to make his Blues debut against none other than Liverpool. But the Reds had the last laugh by completing the season double as Stamford Bridgedwas breached. Torres had a woeful start to his Chelsea career scoring just once in 18 games. This season, the El Nino of old seems to be back as he has already scored twice in a couple of gilt-edged performances.

Which player do you think is likely to be a high-profile deadline day signing this season?

Unmukt Chand

The captain’s knock in the final itself speaks volumes about not only this boy’s batting prowess, but also his ice cool temperament under immense pressure. Four down and a familiar middle-order collapse looming, Chand showed how ready he is for international cricket by batting through the innings. Putting an arm around incomer Smit Patel might not have been new to sport, but it surely helped put the butterflies in Patel’s stomach to sleep. It was eventually this pair that hit the winning runs. With a 78 against Zimbabwe the only innings of repute prior to the final, Chand’s well-paced century perhaps emulated Dhoni’s World Cup final knock. Unmukt has opened a few innnings for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL and will probably feature in the Champions League T20 in October. Drawing comparisons with fellow Delhi player Virat Kohli would surely please him, but he is less of an aggressor. His ‘apology’ to the Townsville mayor for any nuisance on their part shows his down-to-earth humble nature.

Reece Topley

This tall English fast bowler has had a good start to his English county career. Hailing from a family of First-Class cricketers, he began his career with Essex, whom dad Don Topley had represented, with five-fors’ against Kent and Middlesex. Before reaching Townsville, he had snapped up 37 wickets in just 10 first class games. England might have finished 5^th in the World Cup, but the gangly left-arm pacer’s swing has earned him wickets at his mercy, finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps from 6 outings at just 9.1 runs per wicket. With an ethereal economy rate of only 3.1, runs scored off him were at a premium. At the moment, it might be as difficult for a fast bowler to get into the senior English side as it is in the 10 o’clock local trains in Mumbai, but England bowling coach David Saker’s confession about the importance of a left-arm fast bowler in T20 cricket means Topley might have an opening.

Will Bosisto

Voted Man of the Tournament, the Aussie captain is mature beyond his years. Bosisto had a Herschelle Gibbs moment when he dropped his opposite number Chand’s catch in the Final, which could have swung the result homewards. Although that might rob his sleep for quite some time, Bosisto is a level-headed bloke and there have been sufficient proof in the Cup itself. With Australia reeling at 33/3 chasing Bangaldesh’s 172 in the Quarters, ‘keeper James Peirson was Mankaded. After enough tempers had been flared in the middle, the Bangla captain decided to stick with their appeal and Australia lost a fourth. But mature as he is, Bosisto’s nerves of steel saw them home, with him scoring an unbeaten 134-ball 71. Save for the Semi-Final against the Proteas where he was run out for 40 with the game in the pocket, Bosisto was not dismissed by any bowler during the Cup. Coach Stuart Law believes that besides needing to develop a few more gears in his batting, Will is a cool customer but an aggressive captain who couldn’t have led with greater distinction.

Anamul Haque

The Bangladesh skipper’s gamesmanship around the Peirson’s Mankading incident might have got a few experts raving, but Anamul’s wily character portrays the rising challenge that Bangladesh have been posing to the stronger nations in recent times. An extremely witty cricketer, Anamul topped the domestic runs chart for the 2011-12 league season. His splendid domestic form spilled on to the World Cup, as he struck centuries against continental rivals Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Anamul also scored a vital 56 against England which helped them finish 7^th. A keeper batsman, he has been knocking on the doors of the senior eleven and had already received a couple of calls to the senior side. Anamul looks very much like the senior team captain Mushfiqur Rahim in his swashbuckling approach to batting and is has been selected for

Harmeet Singh

When a certain Ian Chappell considers you to be the second best spinner in the world among the present lot, you have reasons to back your talent. Amidst the lavish praise heaped on the Indian seam trio of Ravikant Singh, Sandeep Sharma and Kamal Passi, the left-arm offie Harmeet has carved his own niche in the eyes of the experts. The Bishen Bedi-inspired bowler might not have picked up a bunch of wickets (6) at Townsville, but he is being touted as a challenger to the Test slots of the Ashwins and the Ojhas. Harmeet picked a match-clinching 7 wickets on his Mumbai debut against Himachal and followed it up with 10 more in the next 2 Ranji matches. Singh, who received a Deccan Chargers contract in summer, bowls with the same flight and guile that had made Bedi a threat in his heydays. What is required is a big heart to handle the uncompromising batting that international cricket throws at you, and Harmeet should be troubling most batsmen.

Note:

George Dockrell of Ireland, who bowled 22 maidens in the Cup, has already shown that he belongs to the big league having played in the World T20 (2010) and the World Cup (2011). With 53 internationals scalps from ODIs and T20s, Dockrell sat for his school exams soon after the WT20 and has a whopping 59 wickets in just 18 FC games for Somerset.

West Indian opener Kraigg Brathwaite got into the national Test side at the age of just 17, and has notched up 4 fifties in 9 Tests thus far. Nicknamed BoBo, he emerged as the highest run-getter in the 2010 edition. Playing his second U-19 Cup, he scored half-centuries against the Zims and Kiwis, and a couple of thirties in the classification games. Apart from a few necessary technical adjustments, this Barbados lad looks the part.

Born on this day in 1890 as Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku into a family of lower-ranking nobles, he acquired the title Duke from his father. It had been the arrival of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, to Hawaii during the birth of Kahanamoku Sr. (1869) that led Bernice Pauahi Bishop to christen him as Duke. Kahanamoku and his gang of beach boys used to spend most of their time on the Waikiki Beach helping out tourists. In the process, Duke honed his swimming skills in the ocean which was his real home, his family, friend.  It was the sea from which he imbibed an inner tranquility, an unassailable integrity, and a warm, welcoming and transparant nature. The sea in turn provided him speed that was unseen during those times. He smashed records with ease in his first ever trials in the Honolulu Harbour in 1911. So unbelievable was his feat that the American Athletic Union refused to accept those timings until a few years later.

Duke made the American team for the 1912 Olympics and his achievements and nobility won him fans in Stockholm. By then, he had started welcoming more youngsters to surfing and started travelling around the world to promote the sport, especially in Australia. He travelled the world and spread the Hawaiian culture of kindness, simplicity and sportsmanship. His never-dying craze for building bigger wooden surfboards was insatiable. The biggest was a giant redwood 10-footer now preserved in Bishop Museum, Honolulu. He once rode a monster wave more than a mile at the Waikiki, that too on a finless board. Truly an unsurmountable feat. Duke believed more in body surfing and would seldom use a board.

In between life in the water, Duke Kahanamoku had found time and joy in acting in several documentaries and movies during his stay in Hollywood-country, Los Angeles. Not only that, he had even served as a military officer during World War II and had arrested a man called Duncan for drunk and disorderly behaviour,  a trial that went on for quite a while.

A man with enormous charm and a sense of humour, he set a great example by keeping off addictions like tobacco and alocohol. The only addiction he had was to the water, and he returned again to win golds in the 100m freestyle and 4x200m relay at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics.Duke was the epitome of sportsmanship and generosity as he even helped out his fiercest rivals, be it with surfboards, the art of surfing or even swimming. As swimming legend and 5-time Olympic gold winner Johnny Weissmuller once proclaimed, “This bloke, this old guy, he taught me how to beat him”. Weissmuller had broken Duke’s 100m freestyle record in 1922 and won gold at the 1924 Olympics, with Duke and his brother Sam Kahanamoku taking silver and bronze respectively. Weismuller, who since became a household name for his exploits in the pool and his portrayal of Tarzan in Hollywood blockbusters, recalled Duke saying prior to the start of the race that what mattered most was the American flag going up thrice at the medal ceremony.

A year later in California, a fishing boat capsized near Newport Beach while entering the harbour leaving 29 fishermen to drown. But Kahanamoku and a couple of surfers managed to rescue 12 of them, with Duke alone bringing to shore 8 men. This superhuman act of gallantry was lauded immensely by the Hawaiian folk and showed Duke’s concern for everybody, especially people working the waters.

An enterprising and loving character, he was Hawaii’s unofficial ambassador long before he was made sheriff of Honolulu for 13 successive terms. From President Kennedy to the Queen of England, The Big Kahuna greeted everyone in his uninhibited gracious and playful style, and often broke into an impromptu hula dance with them. Not to mention, taking them along on a canoe ride.
The respect that people had for Duke was evident not the least from the gesture of the US water polo team at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics which presented a bronze medal to him despite being an alternate. An iconic statue adorns the Waikiki beach, portraying a larger-than-life Duke standing in front of his surfboard with welcoming arms. His contribution to the surfboard gaining popularity in Australia also resulted in Freshwater, Sydney to erect a figure of him riding the waves.

Duke was a down to earth individual. It were his true Hawaiian traits of humility and purity for which money had no importance in his life and the very reason why the Western world could not change him at all. His first step with young surfers was always to help them become gentlemen before riding the waves. Patience, he felt was the key to become a good surfer. A passionate waterman, he simply believed in spreading the sport of surfing to the entire world and vouched for it to be included in the Summer Olympics. In addition, he had this truckload of charisma that became commodified by everyone around him.

Duke Kahanmoku -  The Father of Surfing. The Ambassador of Aloha.

The current crop of Belgian youngsters are replete with speed, guile, creativity, and goal-scoring threat. And the best thing about them: they are young. With an average age of under 24, the Red Devils’ outfit boasts of a repertoire of talent plying its trade across Europe. Gradually, most of these starlets are setting up camp in the Premier League, and now there’s one in almost every big club.

Starting with the men between the posts, Sunderland’s Simon Mignolet has had quite the start to the season with a clean sheet at Arsenal on Saturday. He has a reputation to live up to, given the track record of the illustrious predecessors who had donned those gloves. Jean-Marie Pfaff had made it to Pele’s prestigious FIFA 100 list, while Michel Preud’homme had won the Lev Yashin award at the 1994 World Cup.

Breathing down Mignolet’s neck is Thibaut Courtois, who won the Europa League this year while on loan at Atletico Madrid. Even parent-club (Chelsea) mate Petr Cech considers Courtios to be one of the best glovemen in Europe.

The defence is replete with authority. Captain of the National Team and Manchester City, Vincent Kompany has been a pillar of strength for both. He was voted the best City player of 2010-11 by both teammates and fans for marshalling the troops to an FA Cup win. Kompany also scored the winner in the Manchester derby last April that put City on their way to a first league title in 44 years.

He has an able partner in Arsenal skipper Thomas Vermaelen. Vermaelen is a versatile defender who ventures forward at every opportunity and scores goals, as well as being equally stoic in protecting the backline. Presently slotting in at right back, Vermaelen will replace the ageing legs of former captain Daniel Van Buyten once the Bayern Munich giant hangs up his boots.

The pair of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld landed back-to-back league titles with Ajax. Vertonghen has now moved to Tottenham after being chosen the Dutch Footballer of the Year. Like Vermaelen, he too is an able defender, known for his offensive prowess and powerful shooting ability. Alderweireld is another tall guy having great physical strength and an eye for long passes.

Creativity simply overflows when one looks at the midfield. The man who ran amock Manchester United on Monday, Marouane Fellaini, had ignored offers from the Galacticos and Bayern Munich to seal a Belgian transfer record by moving to Everton. A temperamental guy with 10 bookings in his first 17 PL games, he has since matured under David Moyes. Fellaini has been efficient as both a second striker and a defensive midfielder. Moyes considers him as good as anyone in the League, and his trademark coiffed ‘afro’ hair and aggressive football is a rage with the Toffee faithful.

Stefan Defour has been keenly monitored by Sir Alex Ferguson since he was voted best in the Belgian league (2008). Known for his tremendous work rate and the ability to thread passes through tight defences, Defour’s maturity is evident after he was made captain of Standard Liege at just 19. A transfer to Porto last season guarantees this technically gifted player Champions League football.

Eden Hazard is now the most coveted and sought after European footballer. Given that he had the liberty to choose from amongst all the top European clubs before making his mind up on Chelsea speaks volumes about this prodigy. With a truckload of individual awards at Lille, Hazard started life in the Premiership by winning a penalty and an assist in a win over Wigan. His low centre of gravity helps him change directions swiftly with sudden bursts of pace. A mean dribbler and a fecund goal poacher, he is a nightmare for any defence.

Moussa Dembele is another attacking player in the side who has won praise during his stint at AZ Alkmaar. Having helped them to the Eredivisie title in 2009, Dembele moved to Craven Cottage where he has put in a few stellar performances in the 2 seasons thus far.

Axel Witsel is another star in this constellation. At Benfica now, this 6ft 1in attacking midfielder of Caribbean descent already has 5 goals from 30 international caps.

Romelu Lukaku has been touted as the new Drogba because of his imposing frame and threat in the 18-yard box. The sturdy teenager made his professional debut for Anderlecht right after his 16^th birthday and scored prolifically before being scooped up by Chelsea. He has moved to West Brom for a season-long loan to grab more experience and playing time. Lukaku started his spell with a goal on debut in a 3-0 defeat of Liverpool.

Kevin Mirallas had spells at Lille and Saint Etienne before hitting top gear for Greek giants Olympiacos. Scoring an astonishing 34 times in 52 Superleague games, he spearheaded them to successive titles. Last week he joined compatriot Fellaini at Goodison Park to torment defences in England.

Kevin De Bruyne is another of the young turks, and perhaps one yet to prove his mettle, at Chelsea. After starting his career as an attacking midfielder at Racing Genk, he was lapped up by the European champions and swiftly loaned out to Werder Bremen.

Given this plethora of talent at newly-promoted manager Marc Wilmots’ dispersal, Belgium are being tipped to the extent of being one of the contenders at Brazil 2014. Kompany and co. must overcome any challenge posed by Croatia, Serbia, Scotland and Wales before they vindicate the beliefs of fans and pundits alike. Either way, things are certainly looking up for the Rode Duivels, and football fanatics will be eager to watch this golden generation surpass the achievements of the Enzo Scifos and perhaps even draw comparisons with their namesakes from Old Trafford.

The people from this tiny north Indian state could once boast of only the Haryana Hurricane – Kapil Dev – as the biggest sporting icon to have emerged from their province. But times have changed. Now they can be forgiven if they fail to rattle off the names of all their champions at one go, for such has been the dominance of Haryanvi sportsmen over the last decade. Delving deep into the distant past reveals that epic battles were fought on their land, which had changed the course of history. The Battle of Kurukshetra from the Mahabharat and the three clashes at Panipat have perhaps shaped the modern day Haryanvi into a person with distinctive martial traits. He is robust, curt and brassy. Be it his sturdy stature, passion for sports, prospect of jobs, family support, or incentives from the government, the Haryanvi is crowning himself in glory in whichever sport he plays.

Among  the 81 members of the Indian contingent at London 2012, 18 hail from Haryana, a state with a share of just 2% of the national population. Leaving out MC Mary Kom and Vijay Kumar, the other 4 medalists from London are either from Haryana or have their roots there. So what has been the secret of Haryana’s success?

Despite always excelling in sports, the recent upsurge of world-beating athletes from this landlocked and primarily agricultural state has been driven by a few interlinking factors. Firstly, the agricultural condition has not always been this opulent in Haryana. It was the Green Revolution of the 1970s that saw the state make the biggest contribution to India becoming self-sufficent in food production. Gradually, the abundance of agricultural and dairy products helped build a rich diet amongst the sportspersons. Also, the minimal use of fertilisers in their crops ensures that the food is toxin-free. During the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, the chants of “Doodh dahi ka khana hai, apna des Haryana hai” perhaps best explain the resplendent wrestlers and boxers that have emerged from the state. Haryana contributed no less than 22 of the 38 golds that India won at the Games.

Before the agricultural boom, a majority of the young generation used to join the Army to fulfill financial duties towards the family. There they exhibited their proficiency in sports and soon the Army produced national champions and Olympians like Captain Udey Chand, Balbir Singh, and Captain Hawa Singh. These icons from the past now groom the budding pugilists and grapplers.

While passion, focus and determination are essential, the lack of financial backing can severely dent success in sports. The Green Revolution also meant that the socio-economic conditions of the families would improve by leaps and bounds. Not surprisingly, the state boasts of the most number of rural Indian crorepatis, which stands at almost 500 now.

While the Yogeshwars, Vijenders and Sushils are ample in number, the women of Haryana aren’t too far behind either. If the wily character of Komal Chautala (perhaps portraying 2002 CWG gold-medalist Mamta Kharab) from Chak De! India is any evidence, the sportswomen from the state are as sturdy and strong-willed as the men. In a state where female foeticide is still a major concern, and the dominant rule of the khep panchayats overpowers law, the performances of the Saina Nehwals, Krishna Poonias and Geeta Phogats gives hope to the darkness that engulfs their women. With such inspiring achievements, the  treatment of the women, as well as their own downtrodden attitude is now taking a turn for the better.

The stable state government under Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has played a key role by offering jobs in the police department to athletes. This assurance of job security is a source of encouragment for more youths to take up sports as a definitive career. There are already 14 DSPs among the leading athletes. Also, the generous cash rewards shelled out by the government to the medal winners have gone down well with the present and aspiring sportsmen. As far as the London Games heroes are concerned, silver medalist Sushil Kumar was awarded 1.5 crore, while Saina Nehwal, Gagan Narang and Yogeshwar Dutt received a crore each for their bronze medals.

The government has started a talent hunt initiative to spot grassroot talent as well as nurture budding teen athletes to sharpen their skills. Even the insurgency in Punjab and the subsequent mass exodus of youths to the West had the historical effect of Haryana gradually outshining Punjab in the athletics field.

All in all, armed with a phalanx of international stars and rolling out many more, Haryana is now the athletics engine of India. Come Rio de Janeiro 2016, one would not only expect medals in double digits from the state, but also hope the rest of the country follows suit and contributes towards India’s ascendency at the Olympic Games.

Bobby & Jack Charlton

Sir Bobby Charlton is one of England’s greatest ever and has achieved almost everything with Manchester United and England. One of the famed Busby Babes, Bobby was lucky to survive the Munich air crash that obliterated half his team. He won 12 titles with United, including their maiden European title in 1968. He became the first Englishman to play 100 internationals and is still their leading poacher with 49 goals. Elder brother Jack was a centre-half and a one-club man, incidentally, at United’s Yorkshire rivals Leeds. Jack made 773 appearances winning 6 titles. Both featured in every game of the ’66 World Cup triumph, with Bobby scoring thrice. In all, Jack won 35 caps for England and scored 6 times, despite making his international debut at 30!

Michael & Brian Laudrup

Michael Laudrup won league titles in Italy (Juventus), Spain (Barcelona and Real Madrid) and the Netherlands (Ajax). He won 4 successive La Liga crowns, the European Cup and the Copa del Rey with Barca and followed it up with another title at arch rivals Real. With 104 international caps, Michael was voted the best Danish footballer of all time. Brother Brian never featured alongside Michael in domestic football, but they have teamed up in more than 60 internationals. They decided to quit the national side mid-way through the Euro 1992 qualifiers after differences with coach Richard Moller Nielsen. As fate would have it, the Yugoslav war gave Denmark a free pass to the Euro which they subsequently won. However, the brothers returned next year and clinched the 1995 Confederations Cup. Both Laudrups scored in the tournament.

Ronald & Erwin Koeman

Sons of Martin Koeman, who played over 500 games for Groningen and had one international cap, Ronald and Erwin also turned out for the club at some point during their careers. The duo were part of the core Oranje unit that brought home the 1988 Euro. After winning Eredivisie titles and KNVB Cups with both Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Ronald Koeman had even greater success with Barcelona. Sturdy in defence and lethal from free kicks, he won 9 titles at Camp Nou besides emulating his European Cup win with PSV. Erwin, a midfielder, conquered Belgium and Europe with Mechelen. He also won league titles with PSV. Unlike the managerial success that his brother has achieved with Ajax, PSV and Valencia, Erwin is yet to win a trophy with any of the Eredivisie clubs he has managed.

Willy & Rene Van de Kerkhof

Perhaps, never quite included in the same breath as the Koemans and the Laudrups, Willy and Rene van de Kerkhof were a pair of twins with exceptional talent. The fact that besides the Laudrups, they are the only pair of brothers included in Pele’s FIFA 100 list is saying something. They led PSV to a treble in 1978, including the club’s first ever European trophy, the UEFA Cup. The twins also played all 7 matches of Netherlands’ World Cup campaign that summer where they lost to hosts Argentina in the Final. The midfield duo hold the Dutch record for most games played together by a pair of brothers in major tournaments.

Ronald & Frank De Boer

During their golden era, Netherlands had quite a few pairs of siblings who shone at the top level. Frank and Ronald de Boer were rare in the sense they followed together at a number of clubs. After 11 seasons at Ajax, winning 5 Eredivisie titles, Champions League, UEFA Cup, and Intercontinental Cup, the twins moved to Barcelona where they won just one league crown. Later, they briefly united at Rangers in Scotland before ending their careers at Qatar’s Al Rayyan and Al-Shamal. For the Dutch, they played in 2 World Cups (1994, 1998) and 4 Euros between them, scoring 13 goals each.

Gary & Phil Neville

Part of the fabulous Fergie’s Fledglings that began a dream run with the 1992 FA Youth Cup win, Gary and Phil Neville heped United establish Premiership domination. 6 EPL crowns, 3 FA Cups, a Champions League and an Intercontinental Cup later, Phil moved to Everton to get more playing time. Gary went on to enjoy 2 more League scalps. In 2006, they became the first siblings to captain against each other in the EPL. The Nevilles also hold the record for the most starts in the same England team by two brothers (31). Along with their dad, they have a cult status among fans courtesy this popular chant:

Neville Neville, they’re in defence

Neville Neville, their future’s immense

Neville Neville, they ain’t half bad

Neville Neville, the name of their dad

Kolo & Yaya Toure

The Ivorian siblings started their youth careers at ASEC Mimosas. Then Kolo joined Arsenal and had 7 good seasons during which he won the 2003-04 league title, 2 FA Cups, and reached a Champions League final (2005). A move to Man City in 2009 has so far fetched him another FA Cup and a Premier League medal, both with Yaya. Arsene Wenger almost united the brothers in 2004 when he handed a trial to Yaya. However, Wenger felt the youngster was pretty average and could not decide where to play him. After scalping a league and cup double  at Olympiacos, Yaya won every possible silverware with the all-conquering Barcelona before City happened. Twice runner-up at the African Nations Cup with Cote d’Ivoire, they have earned a combined 163 caps, scoring 15 times.

Uli & Dieter Hoeness

Despite starting their youth careers at hometown club SSV Ulm, Dieter Hoeness succeeded his elder brother Uli’s reign at Bayern Munich in 1979. Both made over 200 league appearances across eight seasons at Munich. They did feature together at the 1986 World Cup where West Germany gave up their crown to Argentina. Uli won 3 Bundesliga shields and a hat-trick of European Cups with Bayern, netting 86 league goals. Dieter won 5 league titles and scored over 100 goals.

Socrates & Rai

Like the Hoeness siblings, Socrates and Rai too did not have their glory days simultaneously, since they were born 11 years apart. A qualified doctor, Socrates set quite a trend with his beard and headband. Considered by many to be one of the greatest attacking midfielders ever, he was a prolific scorer. Younger brother Rai led his hometown club Sao Paolo and French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain to a host of domestic and continental silverware in the 1990s. He was also part of the Brazil team that won the 1994 World Cup. The duo scored 39 goals in 111 internationals.

Denis & Leslie Compton

Lastly, a truly unique pair of brothers who won the national title in both football and cricket. Although a batting legend in Test cricket, Denis played 60 times for Arsenal, scoring 16 goals until a knee injury shortened his career. Despite playing 274 FC matches, Leslie was more of a footballer, notching up over 250 league games in the Gunners’ defense. The duo won the 1947 County Championship with Middlesex and the Division One title with Arsenal the next year. An FA Cup triumph followed in 1950. Had it not been for World War II, they would have played quite a few internationals.

JORDYN WIEBER (Gymnastics, Women’s All-Around)

Jordyn Wieber – Harshly ruled out

This 17-year old American was a victim of harsh rules. After a swarm of gold medals at the World Championships and Pacific Rim Championships, Jordyn scored a 60.032 in the Women’s All-Around Gymnastics qualifiers in London on Day 2. Her score was fourth best and easily good enough for the final. However, aiming to sport a global field in most of the disciplines, the Olympics rules allow only the best 2 gymnasts from a country to make the final 24 cut. Harshly for Jordyn, team mates Ally Raisman (60.391) and Gabby Douglas (60.265) were better according to the judges and the gold-medal favourite was eliminated. The Olympic objective of equal opportunities might just have rid us of a more competitive final.

MARK CAVENDISH (Cycling, Olympic Road Race)

Crowd favourite Mark Cavendish finished a lowly 28th

The British cyclist is considered as the best sprinter in the world, and his record 4^th successive win at the last stage of the Tour de France vindicated that. With that win, he also now holds the record for the most number of stage wins (23) at the hallowed race. Just six days after hurtling to victory down the Champs-Elysees, the home favourite at the Olympic Road race was brought right down to earth, thanks to a fatal error of judgment. The 3-time world and 2006 Commonwealth Games champion boasted that Britain had a dream team that included newly crowned Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins and  runner-up Chris Froome among others. However, Team Britain’s plan to control the race backfired as a breakaway of 30 riders formed at the Box Hill approach. Soon Cavendish, who was supposed to make the sprint, fell behind the breakaway and could not chart a way through despite the efforts of his mates. A disastrous 28^thplace finish left the home fans heartbroken.

SPANISH U-23 MEN’S TEAM (Football)

The Spanish U-23 team suffered an ignominious exit

The reigning European Youth champions were billed as one of the 2 teams to contest the final, the other being Brazil. Few would have bet against Spain as they had in their ranks Juan Mata and Jordi Alba – both of whom scored in the final of Spain’s Euro defence this month – and 11 of the kids who won the Euro U-21 Championship in 2011. But they got a rude awakening when Japan beat them by a solitary goal in the Olympic opener, made easier by Inigo Martinez’s sending off on the brink of half time. The senior team had lost to Switzerland in the 2010 World Cup opener, but had gone on to clinch the trophy. Same was expected of the U-23 side, but they suffered an even bigger ignominy at the hands of Honduras. A 7^thminuted Jerry Bengtson strike was enough to knock La Roja out and send shockwaves across the Iberian nation.

MICHAEL PHELPS (Swimming, 400m Individual Medley)

Michael Phelps reacts after he finished 4th in the 400m individual medley

The man of the Beijing 2008 Games with a gold in each of his 8 events, Michael Phelps, as expected, arrived at London as the biggest draw, other than Usain Bolt. Like Yohan Blake is to Usain, there is now a star in compatriot Ryan Lochte, challenging Phelps’ Olympic supremacy. With 6 medals from the last 2 Olympics and as the defending world champion, Lochte was at least a medal favourite at Saturday’s 400m individual medley. However, his domination from start to finish was quite a surprise, especially in the same pool as Phelps. The Baltimore Bullet, who had never finished outside the podium in his previous 17 Olympic finals, started falling away from the 2^nd lap and never recovered. Eventually, he finishing 4^th, a baffling 4.10 seconds behind Lochte who took home gold. Phelps did somewhat recover to win silver in 4x100m Freestyle Relay and one hopes that this is just the start.

SOUTH KOREA MEN’S  RECURVE TEAM (Archery)

World no. 1 Im Dong-Hyun couldn’t stop his team from exiting the Olympics

Korea have been thedominant force in world archery for more than a decade. The women’s team have now won an unprecedented 7 successive Olympic Archery golds. The men’s team also arrived as 3-time defending Olympic champions. Led by world no. 1 Im Dong-Hyun, they smashed their own World Record score of 2069 in the Ranking Round by 18 points. Im himself set up a new individual WR of 699/700. The top seeds began the finals walloping Ukraine by 7 points. But tragedy struck when the USA pulled off an upset in the semis, edging Korea 224-219 and ensuring a first Archery medal since Sydney 2000. Korea, however, salvaged some pride as they beat Mexico to the bronze.

PAULA RADCLIFFE (Marathon)

Paula Radcliffe may have to settle for life without an Olympic medal

Another home favourite, Paula Radcliffe has won everything except an Olympic medal. She has competed in 4 Olympic Games, with 5^thplace in Sydney her best. Acclaimed as the greatest female long-distance runner of all time, she has won the London (3), New York (2) and Chicago marathons and the Commonwealth Games 5000m gold in 2002, among other laurels. However, the birth of her second child and a recurring back problem due to a torn disc has hindered the Briton’s comeback attempts. She ran the Vienna Half Marathon this year to gauge her fitness level and realized that she was not good enough to compete at her home Olympics. How London misses her, in what could have been her last hurrah.

Stephanie Rice was unable to defend her title

 (Swimming, 400m Individual Medley)

Reigning Olympic champion and holder of the 400m Individual medley World Record, Stephanie Rice suffered a fate similar to that of Michael Phelps. She had swept most of the medals in Beijing four years ago, but gradually slipped out of the podium places as the race neared its end. The Aussie did make a positive start, holding on to second place for the first 4 laps, but like Phelps, lost energy and momentum to finish a shocking 6^th. To add to her misery, China’s Ye Shinwen not only won gold, but also broke Stephanie’s WR.

London Aquatic Centre shaped like a stingray

When the curtains go up on the greatest show on earth this Friday, Assam born dancer Sonali Acharjee will be amongst the 15,000 who will enthrall the estimated world audience of 4 billion. Sonali is a Guinness World Record holder for having staged and danced in a 25 hours and 25 minutes non-stop Rabindra Dance marathon in Hyderabad earlier this year.
Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle is co-ordinating and designing the opening ceremony which will be called The Isles of Wonder. It will include a medley which features a Punjabi song composed by A.R. Rahman showcasing India’s influence in the UK, as well as an Ilaiyaraja number from Tamil film Ram Lakshman.

• Swimming inside a stingray

The Spanish uniform straight out of Ronald McDonald’s wardrobe

The Aquatics Centre for the London 2012 Olympics has been built in the shape of a stingray. It was designed in 2004 by architect Zaha Hadid who has won the Pritzker Prize. Incidentally, it was a stingray which had led to the accidental demise of ‘Croc hunter’ Steve Irwin. According to Greek mythology, the mighty Hercules had lost a finger to a stingray bite.

• What are the odds?

Britain is one place where betting is legal and one has often spotted bookmakers as shirt sponsors of English football clubs such as Wigan Athletic, Stoke City and Bolton Wanderers. Fair enough, the Olympic Games will features all kinds of bets being placed, on both on-field and off-the-field happenings. One bookmaking company is reportedly offering odds of 2012-1 for anyone spotting the Loch Ness Monster in the River Thames during the Olympic Games. Tongue-in-cheek?
Along the same lines, there have been bets place on spotting a flying saucer over the Olympic Stadium. The more safer bets have been laid on Michael Phelps conquering the pools again and Russian duo Viktoria Komova and Aliya Mustafina mopping up most of the gymnastics medals.

• Survival

English rock band Muse have composed the official song of the London Olympics. Formed in 1994, the band has released 5 studio albums till date; the last of which (The Resistance) earned them their first ever Grammy (Best Rock Album) in 2011. Called ‘Survival‘, the song is the first single from their album The 2nd Law which will release in September. Survival, says lead vocalist Matthew Bellamy, tends to arouse ‘a sense of conviction and a determination to win’.

• For whom the bells toll

The Big Ben will chime more than 40 times between 8:12 and 8:15 am on Friday to signal the beginning of the Olympic Games. A truly historic occasion since it is believed to be the first time in 60 years that the chiming of the Big Ben will depart from its normal schedule. The last such instance was the funeral of King George VI in 1952. Thousands across Britain are expected to ring a bell during these 3 minutes to mark the start of the Games.

• Cards of steel

Among the various official merchandise for the London Games made available, a certain pack of playing cards are on offer for a mere £2,000. Just in case you were wondering why, the cards are made from stainless steel. Now that is what you call being heavy-handed.

• Dressed to overkill

From the furore over USA’s Ralph Lauren-designed uniforms being made in China to the classy Italian uniforms by Giorgio Armani, the fashion quotient at the Games has been grabbing a lot of eyeballs. But 2 countries have got the raw end of the deal. Spain might be world and European football champions, but their loud uniforms make them look like evil cousins of Ronald McDonald. While, some Americans might find solace in the fact that Russia’s outfit, with hot maroon swirly lines, are making people dizzy in the non-romantic sense.

• New on the block 

The London 2012 Games marks the introduction of women’s boxing among the 39 competitive disciplines across 26 sports. The women will be battling it out across 3 separate weight classes. Five-time world champion MC Mary Kom will be India’s trump card.
The 30^th edition of the Olympics also marks the first time since 1924 that Mixed Doubles has been included in tennis. Needless to say,after all the controversy, Leander Paes  and Sania Mirza are India’s shot at a medal in that event.

• The Men Without a Country

There will be 4 athletes participating under the banner of Independent Olympic Athletes. Three of them are from the former Netherlands Antilles. Although the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved in 2010, their National Olympic Committee decided to continue functioning till at least the London Games. The other participant is Marathon runner Guor Marial of South Sudan. The newly-formed African country is yet to have an NOC of its own.

• Out of a Rainbow

The mascots for the London Games are Wenlock and Mandeville. They are 2 drops of steel from a steelworks in Bolton. The former was named after Much Wenlock, a Shropshire village where a pre-cursor to the modern day Olympics Games were first held in 1850. Mandeville was named after the Stoke Mandeville Games – the first time that a Parallel Olympics, or Paralympics, were organised for injured soldiers in the Buckinghamshire village. This incidentally was organized during the second London Olympics in the summer of 1948.

Statutory Warning: The following is a light-hearted take on films named after cricketers. No guinea pig committed suicide while spell-checking this. Also, yours truly is not to be held responsible for anyone losing his/her  mind after going through the following list:

Ummm…Govinda-esque flamboyance!

ANKHIYON SE KOHLI MARE:  When India’s  current vice-captain makes the women go weak on their knees with his flamboyance.

YOU’VE GOT BAIL:  The tragedy that ended Mark Boucher’s career.

GANGS OF HUSSEYPUR:  A double assault by the brothers from Mount Lawley, Western Australia.

RAGING GUL:  There’s no stopping this pathan from Peshawar when he Guldozes over the rival batting line-up.

EK KALLIS KI LAST LOCAL:  His last century at home, 224 vs Sri Lanka, which is also a career-best.

SAVING WG GRACE:  The legend who also saved many a life as a medical practitioner.

KAPPU CAN’T GLANCE SALA:  Kapugedera’s presumable weakness on the leg side .

CLEAN AND SOBERS:  This knighted Caribbean could sure hit the ball as clean as a whistle. Just ask Malcolm Nash.

KAPIL’S RETREAT:  The World Cup-winning captain’s resignation from the post of India’s coach under a cloud of controversy.

ABOUT A BOYCOTT:  The legend of the English opener and ‘Prince of Calcutta’ aficionado.

TRAINSPONTING:  The rise of the Punter.

ALONG CAME POLLOCK:  This all-rounder had turned many a match around for the Proteas when all hope seemed lost.

GOOCH GOOCH HOTA HAI:  When the former England captain stamps his authority with another masterclass knock.

LONG JOHN SILVA:  Lankan bat Chamara Silva in and as..

RAJA HARRIS CHANDRA:  Australian pacer Ryan Harris being lauded in Punjab after his 4-34 against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 5.

RAINA HAI TERE DIL MEIN:  This Super Kings star is a joy to watch when he goes on a rampage.

STAR WAUGHS:The Revenge of the Six: Asif Mujtaba’s famous last-ball six off Steve to tie an ODI.

STAR WAUGHS:The Umpire Strikes Back:  Mark was controversially given not out after hitting the wicket in the Adelaide Test of Proteas’ 1998 tour.

DHONI DARKO:  The man who had visions that Joginder Sharma would win him the T20 World Cup.

COWAN BANEGA CROREPATI:  Aspirations of a family in Paddington, Sydney, after Ed earned his Baggy Green against India.

A GAYLE OF TWO CITIES:  When every six hit by the Caribbean for RCB makes KKR regret letting him go after IPL 3.

GIVE KIES A CHANCE:  Calls for Craig Kieswetter to be included ahead of Matt Prior in the English scheme of things.

GOBLET OF PRIOR:  Holding onto his Test spot and in some style with valuable knocks, Matt Prior raises a toast to England’s latest success.

THE PASSION OF GILCHRIST:  The man who walked (Ref: Sem-Final, 2003 WC).

YELLOW SUBNARINE:  When the wily West Indian was smacked around by Kevin Pietersen and was reduced to a shadow of the bowler who shined for KKR.

THE BROADFATHER:  Match Referee and Stuart Broad’s father, who was caught in the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan squad in Karachi.

GLOVE ACTUALLY:  The heroic tales of Bengal’s Probir ‘Khokon’ Sen, the only wicketkeeper to have stumped the great Don Bradman.

THE DARK KNIGHT: What Pietersen thinks of Nick Knight’s batting credentials.

JENNIFER’S BODI:  South African batsman Gulam Bodi and KP’s ‘best mate’, should he date someone named Jennifer.

DOULL RUNNINGS: Tales of a lanky Kiwi pacer who ran through the Indian batting on the Boxing Day of 1998 at the Basin Reserve, Wellington.

THE NEVILL WEARS PRADA:  This young New South Wales keeper-batsman, Peter, sure exudes class.

NOTE: Bouquets and brickbats are welcome. Especially, the ones that come with more such puns. Do share them with us.

Discus throw: Vikas Gowda

Currently world’s No.1 discus thrower; he grew up in Maryland, USA and first gained prominence when he won silver at the 2005 Asian Championships in Incheon. He finished at 6^th place in both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in 2006, which meant he was inching towards becoming a genuine medal contender. Disaster struck at Beijing 2008 as he finished 22^nd with a 60.69m throw, far below his personal best. But 2010 proved to be his best year yet, as he won bronze at the Guangzhou Asian Games and silver at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Gowda backed it up with his second Asian Championship medal at Kobe last year. In April this year, he smashed his own national record of 64.96m by achieving a 66.28m on his way to clinching gold at Norman, Oklahoma. India has reasons to pin hopes on this Mysore-born 28-year-old.

Badminton: Saina Nehwal

A brown belt in karate, this 22-year-old Indian shuttler is already considered amongst the greatest ever female athletes of the country. With 21 titles under her belt, including 5 BWF Super Series titles, Saina is one of the most feared names in the badminton circuit. Ranked 5^th in the world, she has already beaten world No.2 Wang Shixian and No.3 Li Xuerui to clinch the Swiss Open and Indonesia Open respectively this year. A Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, an Arjuna and a Padma Shri awardee, Saina will be very eager to put the quarterfinal upset of Beijing behind her as she aims to win India’s first badminton medal at the Olympics, preferably gold.

 Boxing: MC Mary Kom

With Women’s Boxing finally making its debut in the Summer Olympics, India would feel it is better late than never. For, their sole representative at London will be 5-time World Champion MC Mary Kom. Although most of her success has come in the light flyweight, she had to switch to the comparatively challenging flyweight category as her usual weight category was not included in the London Olympics. Like Saina, this additional superintendent of Manipur police and mother of twins has won the Arjuna, Padma Shri and Khel Ratna. Seeded 7^th in the 2012 World Championships at Qinhuangdao, China, ‘Magnificent Mary’ reached the quarters and was just a win shy of booking her London berth. But, 2^nd seed Nicola Adams of got the better of her. However, fate smiled upon the defending champion as Adams’ win in the semifinal ensured India had a female boxer at London 2012. It might be safe to say that the Manipuri pugilist will make the most of it.

Archery: Men’s and women’s recurve teams 

Recently  ranked No.1 in the world and led by Commonwealth Games gold medalist Rahul Banerjee, the Indian men’s recurve team will be a force to reckon with at London. At his first international appearance in the Youth World Championship in 2004, an 18-year-old Banerjee won silver in the team event, which is the first ever world level medal for Indian archery. Since then, the team has won 5 golds 2 silvers and a bronze in World Cups. A cousin of Bhaichung Bhutia, Tarundeep Rai became the first Indian to win an individual men’s silver medal in archery at the 2010 Asian Games. Both these Arjuna awardees together with Jayanta Talukdar will aim to make their opponents quiver on their quest to win India’s first medal in archery at the Olympics.

In 2009, Deepika Kumari won gold at the 11^th World Archery Youth Championships at Ogden, USA, at the age of 15 and has not looked back since. She won golds at the 2010 Commonwealth Games recurve in both the individual and the team events. A month later, she claimed bronze with the women’s team at the Asian Games in Guangzhou. This May, the youngster from Ranchi won her first World Cup individual recurve gold when she beat Lee Sung Jin by 6 set points at Anatalya, Turkey. This helped her reach the summit of the world Women’s Recurve Archery rankings.  Along with Bombayla Devi and Chekrovolu Swuro, Deepika is well poised to win more than one medal with the Women’s Recurve Team at Lord’s cricket ground in London.

Shooting: Gagan Narang and Ronjan Sodhi 

The world record holder in the 10m Air Rifle with an astonishing score of 703.5, Gagan Narang will lead India’s shooting contigent at the London Olympics, despite the presence of defending World and Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra in the squad. Narang won 4 golds at each of the last 2 Commonwealth Games, including a perfect 600/600 score in the 10m Air Rifle in New Delhi. Backed up with 2 Asian Games silvers, he finished 9^th at Beijing after a count back to the qualification scores found him short.  He is the first Indian to win World Cup golds in all 3 Olympic Rifle events. The greatest asset of this Arjuna awardee is his nerves of steel and amazing alacrity that makes him a clear favorite to bring home at least a medal.

A member of the Royal family of Sodhinagar in Ferozepur, Ronjan Sodhi is the most feared name in Men’s Doubletrap shooting in the present day. He became the only Indian shooter to win successive World Cup titles when he won at UAE in 2011. Sodhi won silvers in the doubletrap singles and pairs events at the 2010 CW Games. He went one better to clinch individual gold at the Asian Games, besides a team bronze. Despite some ordinary performances this year, Sodhi looks leaner and fitter and appears quietly confident as far as the shooting contingent’s chances are concerned. He plans to treat the Olympics as any other tournament, and if that tournament is like the World Cups in Turkey and UAE, we wont be complaining.

Yohan Blake

He is one athlete who the world will be watching most eagerly. He owned the 100m race at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu after Usain Bolt‘s false start ruled him out. While that could be argued to have been on open ground, Blake shocked everyone by clocking a 9.75 to pip Bolt at the Jamaican trials last week. To prove it was no fluke, he returned the next evening to complete a double over his training partner and reigning Olympic champion. Blake, at 19, had been the youngest to have broken the 10-second barrier in 2009. He is the heir apparent to Bolt’s throne, and many are of the opinion that come London, a change of guard is in order.

Tom Daley

Whoever has an autobiography at the age of 18?! Well, Tom Daley does. Daley is a synchronized diver for the United Kingdom, who at 14 was the youngest non-swimming Olympian and the youngest ever Olympic finalist in Beijing 2008. He won golds for England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the 10m synchronized diving and the 10m individual platform. Daley is the only person to win the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award more than once (2007, 2009 and 2010). He stands in good stead to win gold at London 2012.

Wilson Kipsang

Fresh off his victory at the London Marathon and a person best marathon time in Frankfurt in 2011, Wilson Kipsang is poised to make a run at the gold at the Olympics. With a win by 2 minutes over the nearest competitor, which is emphatic in marathon terms, Kipsang has every right to feel confident of notching up gold in London for the second time in three months. Agonizingly, he was 4 seconds short of the world record at the London Marathon, which also made him the only other runner besides the legendary Haile Gebrselassie to clock three marathons in under 2 hours and 5 minutes.

Kohei Uchimura

This Japanese gymnast won 2 silver medals in Beijing, but created history in 2011 by becoming the first gymnast to win 3 successive World Championships all-round titles. The only thing missing in his cabinet is an Olympic gold medal, and anything less will be seen as a failure in London. He’s been the most dominant gymnast in the world in the last four years. The Roger Federer of modern gymnastics, Uchimura won the Longines Prize for Elegance at the 2011 Championships.

Marianne Vos

25-year-old Vos has won practically every local, regional and international (road, cross and track) cyclist awards, including a gold in the Beijing Olympics. She has 8 golds and 6 silvers in World Championships across the 3 disciplines. Having started racing at the age of 5, Vos used to train with her brother’s team. She is an inspiration to girls all over the world as she is not only a self-coached cyclist, but also a student of biomedical science. A second Olympic gold  beckons the Dutch lady.

Missy Franklin

Melissa Franklin is the top women’s swimming story going into London. She will be 17 when the Olympics start. Like other kids of her age, she is concerned about the prom and taking tests, besides her workouts. But none of her classmates have been called “a stud” by Michael Phelps. With three golds at the 2011 World Championships, ‘Missy the missile’ has women’s size 13 feet, which her father calls “built-in flippers”. Despite her Canadian parents wanting her to swim for Canada as the US swimming team had great depth, this Natalie Coughlin fan did not budge citing her patriotism towards USA.

Rebecca Adlington

Referred in circles as ‘Records Adlington’, Rebecca is only 23 and has already broken a handful for England. At Beijing, she became the first British Olympian in a century to win two gold medals (400m and 800m freestyle) at a single Olympic. She is also the first English female to win the gold for swimming since 1960. Not quite satisfied, she also broke the longest standing swimming record when she eclipsed Janet Evans’ 800m record by 2 seconds. Considered one of the greatest swimmers of all time, Adlington will be a huge favourite at her home Olympics.

Teddy Riner

Known as “Teddy Bear” and “Teddy Winner”, this Frenchman is the first judoka to win 5 world titles. Amazingly, he only took home bronze in 2008. Born on the island of Guadeloupe and raised in Paris, he became the youngest world champion in the sport’s history in 2007 at the age of 18. He holds a record 6 world titles in the +100kg Men’s Team and Open categories. Should not be surprising, thus, if he claims his first Olympic gold at London.

Sara Khoshjamal

Taekwondo exponent Sara Khoshjamal Fekri became a hero for Iranian women after she became the first woman from the country to qualify for the Olympics (Beijing 2008). Iranian athletes in the past faced difficult situations as their religious dress code prevented them from participating at major sporting events due to regulations. Yet Sara has been able to represent her nation as she trains and competes wearing a headscarf under a helmet. Having won bronze at the 2010 Asian Games, she aims for a podium finish in London. At the 2012 London Olympics it was decided that practicing Muslim women boxers will be allowed to wear a hijab.

Viktoria Komova & Aliya Mustafina

Aliya Mustafina won the all-round gold at the Rotterdam World Championships in 2010 besides 4 more medals. She followed it up with 3 golds and 2 silvers at the 2011 World Cup. Disaster struck at the 2011 European Championships when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament, but 3 golds and 2 silvers at this year’s Russian Cup is an ominous sign for her competitors. Viktoria Komova is another Russian all-around gymnasts expected to be on the podium at London. ‘Vika’ won 3 golds at the Youth Olympics in 2010, followed by golds in Uneven Bars at the next World and the European championships. She beat Mustafina to the all-round gold at the last Russian Cup. Despite the presence of a potent U.S. team, Russia has every chance of sweeping the gymnastics medals and much rides on the performances of these two 17-year-olds.

Clubbed with hosts Sweden, England and 1984 champions France, it was all about salvaging some pride as they were hardly expected to be trailblazers. A draw and a defeat later, Denmark were at the bottom of the group with France up next. If the proposition was not daunting enough, coached by Platini, the French were the only team to arrive with a 100% record from a qualifying group that included former champions Czechoslovakia and Spain. But goals from Henrik Larsen and Lars Elstrup neutralised Jean-Pierre Papin’s strike, giving Denmark an improbable victory.

Defending champions Netherlands lay in wait for the Danes in the Semi-Finals. Larsen scored twice in the first half on either side of Bergkamp’s goal. Four minutes from time, Rijkaard snatched a second euqalizer, pushing the match into extra time. The extra time went goal less.

It was all square as the first two penalties were converted. Then, Marco Van Basten had his kick saved by Peter Schmeichel. The Swan of Utrecht who won the Ballon d’Or later that year, thwarted by the Great Dane whose half-a-million pound transfer from Brondby to Manchester United in 1991 was later touted by Sir Alex Ferguson as the ‘bargain of the century’. Everyone else converted their penalties. The Danes were through at the expense of the flying Dutchmen… ‘Dream On’.

The Danes had already taken the footballing fraternity by storm even before the Final had started. The greatest of fairy tales always include the daunting of tasks. Here, the world champions Germany, now unified, played the Goliath to Denmark’s David. Expectantly, there was a barrage of attacks from Germany as Schmeichel kept out goal-bound efforts from Stefan Reuter and Guido Buchwald.

Danish striker Kim Vilfort had left the camp twice during the tournament to visit his little daughter who was suffering from leukaemia. On 18th minute, he picked Andreas Brehme’s pocket and initiated an attack that culminated in a goal from John Jensen – just like in the dreams. This however, only increased the pressure on the Danes as waves of white shirts swarmed in for the kill. Jurgen Klinsmann and Stefan Effenberg being repeatedly denied an equalizer by Schmeichel.

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN – JUNE 26: Kim Vilfort of Denmark is mobbed by team-mates after scoring the second and winning goal during the UEFA European Championships 1992 Final between Denmark and Germany held at the Ullevi Stadium on June 26, 1992 in Gothernburg, Sweden. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images)

Second half was more of the same as German coach Berti Vogts threw the kitchen sink at Denmark, replacing Mattias Sammer with Thomas Doll. Then in the most crucial 6 minutes of the game, Klinsmann’s lob was about to be headed in by Karl-Heinz Riedle, only for Kent Nielsen to clear off the line. The goal was coming any time now. And it did, on 78th minute. Vilfort, Denmark’s spinning totem, capitalized on another defensive lapse and nutmegged Thomas Helmer to shoot past Bodo Illgner’s despairing dive. The dream was complete – the Ullevi had provided the plot for a great footballing fairy tale.