Ideology through Society, Culture, Family and Sports

With Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer set to meet in the U.S. Open 2015 finals, it's time for me to finally shed the 'hatred' and start appreciating the unbound talent and capabilities these phenomenal Champions bring. For a long while, I had always wanted Roger not to win another major just because I wished Rafael Nadal wins his 18th title and stands atop. It does seem unlikely though that Rafa will win another (I dare not rule out the Spaniard from proving me wrong). That not being the only reason and more out of sheer respect, I wholeheartedly stand up and admire the remarkable rejuvenation of the best tennis player the world has seen, Roger Federer. Experts wrote him off long back even before he crossed the age of 30. The maestro just refused to believe he is done. He kept coming back year after year, slam after slam, continued fighting and here he is, as many have come to accept, is at the absolute top of his game. It's really hard to hate someone like No...

As I heard about the sudden demise of our own rocket scientist, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the heaviness my heart went through, made me realize what a colossal loss it is for the country and for humanity as a whole. During one of my birthdays a couple of years ago, I was gifted the "Wings of Fire" book, written by Mr APJ. I read the book a bit here and a bit there, but my Mother, who was with me for a few weeks that time, deep dived into it. Her reading habit wasn't really great, but she spent a considerable amount of time with the book, memorizing quotes, writing them in a notepad and explaining the significance of those, in the evening. I could sense a real freshness in her voice during those conversations. As I write these, I'm not sure she would have learnt about the heartbreaking news, the time of the day it is now, would have made her sleep. Tomorrow morning when she hears it, she will be nothing short of being crestfallen. Such is her admiration towards this ma...

     Footballing chants are a pleasure to the ears if you are a fan of the Sport and a club. I listen to the 'Glory Glory Man United' anthem very frequently, almost always getting goosebumps generated. Therefore, when I visited the Philips Stadion - Eindhoven recently, I was able to comprehend why the atmosphere was so electrifying and vociferous. Anyone who calls home support making a difference in Football as a myth, should think again or pay a visit to the stadium once. Geert Wielens , a good friend, a colleague of mine and a passionate season ticket holder, very kindly took me along to watch a game of Football, which has been my dream for so long. It was a local derby at a miniature level, against a club named Willem II. The PSV Eindhoven football club has rich history and tradition but one that has lived in the shadows of the more illustrious AFC Ajax in recent years. The stadium which was constructed over a 100 years ago, offers a picturesque view from the o...

My Dad made us watch the beautiful game of Cricket from a very early age. He taught us the rules with all patience, explained all the history he had learnt by reading thousands of articles and books, even during those internet-less days. From then till yesterday, I have witnessed India getting knocked out twice in semi-finals and once in a Finals in World Cup competitions. Each defeat was chastening and at the end of it, I was finding ways to place the blame on someone, due to whom the Cup was lost. From Sunil Gavaskar to Mohammed Azharuddin to Zaheer Khan, nobody was spared. Though we witnessed another of those painful losses today, I somehow never could find reasons to be angry with the team. I will be lying if I say I wasn't disappointed. I was, as many of you were. But unlike the previous defeats, this one didn't make me feel devastated. I honestly thought we were always punching above our weights and exceeding our own expectations. Of course, it would have been nice if...