| |
|
|
Know your
Sports - Sailing |
There are many kinds of sailing competition involving different classes of
boats, on every ocean, and under all weather conditions. In the 4th century
B.C., the Egyptians used the power of the wind to push their papyrus rafts on
the Nile, and the Polynesians used outriggers to make their dugout canoes with
sails the ancestors of today's multihull boats go faster. In Antiquity, the
Romans, Phoenicians, Greeks and Chinese all improved the capabilities of
sailboats; later, the Spanish, Portuguese, French and English did the same. In
1660, the first regatta took place in England between boats belonging to the
Duke of York and Charles II. In 1749, the Prince of Wales created a trophy for a
race between sailboats in the estuary of the Thames. The Hundred Guineas Cup was
raced in 1851; an American boat won, and the renowned America's Cup race was
born. In the early 20th century the exploits of navigators such as Slocum,
Chicester, Moitessier and Tabarly kept the popularity of sailing alive. Today,
sailing is both a recreational activity and a high level sport; it has been an
Olympic event since 1896. Competitions are run and governed by the International
Sailing Federation (ISAF). |
|
|
|
Requirements for the Competition
There are 3 general categories of sailing competition: regattas
on Olympic-type courses, ocean races, and match, or head-to-head
races. Although the boats and courses differ, the objective is
the same in all races: to finish ahead of the competition. Races
are open to men and women except for certain specific categories
in the Olympics. In ocean racing, the international rules for
preventing collisions are in force in addition to the
competition rules. There are 9 classes of boats in the Olympics,
and the races take place on a triangular Olympic course, the
length of which is determined by the stretch of water used, the
prevailing wind direction, weather conditions and the number of
sailboats racing.
Some of the renowned names that have
done India proud and still continue to secure medals in their
respective categories are R.Mahesh, Nitin Mongia, Girdhari Lal
Yadav, Sanjeev Chauhan, Rajesh Chaudhury, Farokh Tarapore and
Vikas Kapila. Sailing has never been an easy sport because it
takes months for its preparation and finalization to journey on.
We wish them success in their endeavours. |
|
 |
|
|
|
Four Indians finished in the top 10
of the Enterprise World Sailing Championship which concluded at
Negombo in Sri Lanka. The first place was snatched by the
five-time world champion Britain's Richard Estaugh while
Pakistan's Mamoon Sadiq and Zahid Rauf finished second and third
respectively. Amongst the Indians, Naresh Yadav and C. Murugan
finished fourth, R. Mahesh and Girdhari Lal Yadav stood 8th,
Sanjeev Chauhan and Rajesh Dulaji 9th and Amit Arvind and
Surenper Faini 10th. Despite inadequate facilities at the
training ground and a lot of inconvenience which crept in, the
Indians made the country proud even though a medal was not in
sight. When the next World Championship comes about in England
in July this year, India would step up their performance and do
well to place the above nuances under the microscope. |
|
|
|
Looking Ahead & Beyond
|
|
Cricket |
|
|
 |
|
The preparation
of the Indian cricket team for the World Cup 2007 in the
Caribbean appears to be on the right track. Newcomers are
getting a look in and even a taste of international cricket.
They are carving a niche for themselves and the competition
among them is even more intense. But the latest find and
sensation has been seam bowler Munaf Patel who took seven
wickets in the 2nd Test against England at Mohali. It is the
best Indian performance by a debutante in a category of a seamer.
The future holds good for Indian cricket. The ongoing ODI
against England and later on against the West Indies should
produce lively and entertaining cricket all the way. Coach Greg
Chappell will have his hands full and should get a fair
assessment of the playing eleven in their right positions for
the big show in the West Indies. One shudders to
think what is in store for us at the World Cup cricket. Just
imagine from 398 the score line is reaching higher and higher
and has touched 438 in the classic chase final by South Africa
against Australia at Johannesburg which the Proteas won 3-2.
This has been the greatest run-chase in the history of Cricket.
It can be summed up as the new One Day order at the Wanderers
where 434 had been scored and chased too. |
|
|
|
|
|
The final touches before the World Cup Football-2006 |
|
|
|
Organizing the
FIFA World Cup is an infinitely more complex and demanding job
than it was 32 years ago when it was held in Germany. It is
amazing to know that FIFA's work actually begins eight years
before the finals when it invited associations to apply to host
the World Cup. Preparations for the world's biggest football
event require countless meetings, workshops and inspection
visits to prospective venues. The German city of Dusseldorf has
already hosted a sports medical congress focused on health
issues and the fight against doping, while the team doctors of
the finalist teams were given detailed information on their
tasks, rights and duties. The team workshop was intended to give
the teams all the information of the World Cup that they could
possibly require. In the grand scheme of things, all of this is
done to help the footballers concentrate on what they do best -
playing football. |
|
|
|
The referees and
their assistants will, of course, have a vital role to play in
all of this, and with that in mind, the candidate officials will
convene for a second time in Frankfurt for more thorough tests
on their physical condition and their expertise. After the
workshop, the Referees Committee will name the Germany 2006
officials, all of whom have already been working in trios for
more than a year. But like all major undertakings FIFA and the
German local organizing committee have done everything in their
power to take even the tiniest detail into account and to solve
any issues that have cropped up. With almost a month left, it is
now hoped that the greatest show on earth - the 2006 World Cup
will be a magnificent and spectacular event.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Email
this article |
