Game for change

Manpriya Singh 

With the IPL off to a start in the city, the red of Kings XI banner flashing not just on screens but trailing the team, the sporting spirit is definitely in the air.  Taking a cue from the timing they roll out the first ever edition of the Sports Literature Festival, Play Write. Now about literature festivals, apart from the good old two lit fests that are a staple in Chandigarh and the military literature festival we held sometime back, this one’s exclusively dedicated to celebrating sports, sports authors and, of course, sports issues. 

The marketing-driven platforms like IPL, to the players fighting on the field that unfortunately finds more columns in newspapers than a junior winning a ranking in world championship; all of this and more get questioned on day one of the ongoing two-day event.  

Money game

Starting with of course cricket? And then again IPL; also said to be a 6.3 billion dollar brand! A platform where several argue how sportsmanship is somewhat compromised and the circus element is more at play? Not the one to mince words, former cricketer and captain of the Indian team Bishan Singh Bedi says he is ready to accept change with the changing times, provided it is for the better. “For instance, look at the IPL money, where does it come from and where does it go? Nobody knows. So much so that the Supreme Court of our country decided to intervene in the affairs of the BCCI, while it has so many other issues. There must be something compelling.”  

Let’s talk tennis 

With that thought-provoking question we move onto the next segment, which has the audience putting their hands together to tennis players Zeeshan Ali and also Vishal Uppal. With due respect to Sania Mirza, no conversation on tennis is complete without ringing in Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi; their achievements and more importantly their falling apart. 

A sage, which as Vishal Uppal puts it mildly, “has done more damage to the sport in the country and the aspiring players than good.” He adds, “Tennis in the last 15 to 18 years in the country has received nothing but negative publicity.” But things, of course, are changing. In between the free-flowing exchange of opinions and questions, interesting and, more importantly, unknown trivia makes its way.  “Unlike the strict nutritionists taking over the regime of today’s aspiring players, back in the olden days, diet wasn’t paid as much attention to. Or fussed over,” shares Zeeshan, how only a player like Leander could carry off a few things like diet faux pas.  “Leander Paes asked for chicken biryani when he was in Japan playing a tournament. Of course that’s out of the question today.” 

It’s not as much of the infrastructure as lack of quality coaches and enough tournaments holding the sport back. “In Spain there are close to 60 tournaments in a year, whereas in India if we are lucky we hold as many as 8 to 10.” 

High five

Talk of today and there are young players and coaches battling issues of either over-enthusiastic parents or disinterested parents. “They either put too much pressure on a child by considering it an investment or they don’t consider it only as an alternative career for their child.” 

Putting a strong case in favour of parental support is Deeya Bajaj, who along with her father Ajeet Bajaj, a Padma Shri scaled the Mount Everest last year. From the intimidating, almost scary dangers, of mountaineering to completing the expeditions along with her father, the 24-year-old graduate from Cornell University spoke about it all. But it all started with where it all often begins— a crazy love for adventure and sports.

manpriya@tribunemail.com