Please rally ON the court, not in it

This Monday the honourable High Court of Bombay called Pullela Gopichand running an academy in Hyderabad unethical. In a pronouncement to a petition filed by badminton player Prajakta Sawant, the court said, “Ethically, coach who also heads the selection panel should not run a private academy. He may be a good coach. We are not saying otherwise. But in the interest of justice and fairness, a national coach, also part of the selection panel, should not run a private camp.”

Technically speaking there is a point, and Jwala Gutta, who has taken a sabbatical from badminton and now wants to pursue a career in South cinema, sprang up readily to say there is a‘conflict of interest’. But how much logic do these arguments have? Let’s start from where it all begun.

Sawant, the doubles champion of the 2010 and 2011 national badminton events has alleged that Gopichand is‘mentally harassing’ her and is out to ruin her career because the coach refused to change her doubles partner and also questioned her commitment to the game because she was frequently flying back home to Maharashtra- reasons which in normal terms cannot really be termed ‘mentally harassing’. Yet Sawant found allies in this battle on a different court and not surprisingly Jwala, who has always seen red in the deserved popularity and stardom of Saina Nehwal, has joined the bandwagon.

But the question is not about who says what. Gopi has maintained his silence that he should not have had. As a man he has never been boastful, whether about his success or those of his wards. However, when the court questions the very dignity of a man, who built the academy by mortgaging his own house, it comes as a shock to sports buffs, and as the charge of making money goes, the academy till the 2010 Commonwealth Games was running from pillar to post to find sponsors. Yet for a second let us assume that Gopi is making profit out of Government land, the academy built on a five-acre land at Gachibowli was offered by the Andhra Pradesh Government, that he is biased, partial in his selection and running a ‘one-man show’. But does he dictate rankings and ratings too? Or is it a conveniently manipulated coincidence that players like Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, P Kashyap, Ashwini Ponnappa and even Jwala train or trained at his academy? True some started their career elsewhere but they attained international success and popularity under the tutelage of Gopichand. The jury is out to be decided.

Now Sawant has every other choice to practise elsewhere, but her persistence to work under Gopi, even in the guise of a national camp, only reiterates the latter’s worth. Sadly though, she has now become cannon fodder for the ‘anti-lobby’ which till now has done nothing of note for Indian badminton. Websites running ‘comment wars’ too see the interested public questioning Gopi but failing, as usual, to provide any alternative. But this entire row, this washing dirty linen in public, this open rift is going to hurt whatever prospects and popularity badminton in India had built post Gopi’s All England win because badminton is not cricket where controversies, even those involving match fixing, can be shoved away.

Sadly, this Gopichand-Sawant saga once again highlights the immature managerial skills of our sports administrators, under whose ‘supervision’ trivial dissent is allowed to snowball into a war of personal propaganda where every smash hit is caught only in the net. Time we play it fair on the court and not in it.

Grandly un-Indian

India on wheels is getting faster and hotter and it’s action time yet again! A year has zoomed past in no time and though India continues to be the same sore hotbed of swindles and scandals to the media’s delight, here we are with the tracks well laid, grid gals lined up and custom engines fully oiled and roaring. Yes, this is the un-Indian GP where speed meets style, guts get at the gearboxes and reckless rich of a nation swelling with a weekend’s pride catch up for garden picnic, serious business and Formula 1 racing. So if you’re a race maniac, worship speed, crave for and then love to forget unfamiliar but beautiful company, bright urban sunshine and were rich enough to buy those flashy race tickets then Buddh International Circuit is the place you must be October 28 because the Indian GP is back.

On racing counts, this time there is better competition in the leaderboards - unlike last year when it was a Sebastian Vettel show the season throughout, a dominant run that decided the individual and team championships even before the Indian GP started! Vettel has his zip back and leads Fernando Alonso by six points in defence of his world crown and the neck-to-neck race between the two prospective 2014 teammates for Ferrari would attract many experts.

Generally the battle between the sixth and seventh teams in the constructors’ list interest none save the units involved, but with Sahara Force India principal Vijay Mallya, and also his warhorses, being vociferous about overtaking Sauber, who incidentally have the Dehra Dun-born Monisha Kaltenborn at the helm now, for the sixth position and a well-paid media promoting the whole issue, the fight will not go unnoticed. Add to it the recent performances of Nico Hulkenberg, and some time back of Paul di Resta, then Force India would have more than just one reason to hit the podium at the ‘ideal home race’.

The race would also suit the VJM05. As Hulkenberg, who most probably would have his good times with Sauber next year, put it: “The races coming up (read races in India, Abu Dhabi, Austin and Sao Paulo) should suit us quite well, especially somewhere like Abu Dhabi with long straights and slow corners. Those are the sort of corners where our car has looked quite strong so far.”

The BIC comes with subtle modifications this time, the kerbs have got longer to avoid any shortcut return to the ‘main course’ and hence Felipe Massa can breathe easy (you must remember how he crashed on kerb eight last time and then called for a change). This new ‘sausagy’ look along with greener surroundings –some say one lakh saplings have been planted, only planted- better parking facilities, the Yamuna Expressway being opened, chartered buses and lot more mean a sell out crowd, some grand Indian racing ‘phoren istyle’ and a gala success yet again.

Hence, by the evening of October 28, the all-knowing honest Indian Inc. –the torchbearers of a ‘going to the dogs new India’- would have completed another lap towards making their presence felt and also an octogenarian Bernie Ecclestone richer- maybe he should now pen a will before it’s too late. And whichever way Formula1 in India goes, for the fastest Indian is still slowest in the world, the carnival will come back pretty soon!