The story of Indian Chicken

Debo sent me the following link a few days back.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/03/30/stories/2006033008942200.htm

It talks about the apathy that sports is subjected to, in India. A few very good points raised. One of the points was that India did a helluva lot to show off in the closing ceremony of the recenlty concluded Commonwealth games. They did so only to keep people optimistic about the arrangements that they would be making in 2010 CW games in New Delhi. So, they flew a bunch of Indian celebrities over there and made them perform or just show their faces. Aishwarya Rai was there to represent Indian Sport just like she is there to represent India everywhere irrespective of the context. I guess if Indian PMs were relaxed with the protocol issues they would be sending her to represent them even to places like SAARC and UN as their own proxy. Anyway how much do politicians otherwise know about policy decisions. Its beauracrats who do all the work other than signing it. So my bet is that send Aishwarya Rai to these diplomatic missions also. This way we might be using some external means of convincing people. I mean beauty is more compelling than a thousand words. On the same note I am reminded that in middle of the placement season one of our juniors asked me once - "Nalla, which is the most sought after company in IIT ?" I said plainly - "Girls".

Coming back to the point the people representing India over there were Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Aishwarya(ofcourse)..... Well what were gavaskar and Kapil doing there is also something to wonder. Since when was cricket even half a complete sport to be represented in CW games? CW games is a real sport event, and none of this kind ever cared to include cricket. Just because CW is all about old British terriotories Aus, Ind, Pak, WI, Eng, etc. they included cricket in 2002 on a trial basis and soon did away with it in the next game.

I couldn't get my hands on to the list of celebs representing India there, but I guess Dhanraj Pillay was not mentioned in any news paper even if he was there. Pillay i think will never be a sport icon unlike SG or SRT or Kapil. Where, in most places, the stature of sportsmen is decided by their contribution at a competitive international level event, it is not so in India. Cricket is played by 12 odd countries and which includes Zimbabwe and likes, which better not be mentioned. Pillay has performed miracles on field against the best in world; among 180 odd countries playing hockey. Also that becaue he fought with KPS Gill, there is a small chance that they will ever let him do anything with hockey ever again. Goodbye pillay.

So when I think of people like Dhanraj Pillay and Anju bobby George, who were "hockey-chickens and long jump-chickens" among "cricket-turkeys", I can say just one thing - "In a bird flu era, Chicken Istreeling ho ya pulling, sabki ho CULLING."