hitback

A super vehicle

2005-02-26T01:10:00.000-08:00

Even as I was on Cloud nine riding the brand new Hero Honda Splendour Plus on Saturday, I had a slight problem midway. Unable to restart, I was taking the vehicle back to the showroom when a watchman seeing my struggle offered help. Smartly putting the vehicle into neutral gear, he brought back relief and smile on my face. The vehicle started.

What I liked about the vehicle is that it is light (92.7 CC) and the handles are as thin as a flute. After having been used to the five-year-old unclean YBX Yamaha for two years, driving Splendour Plus is pure pleasure.

In fact, I'll suggest light-weight young men like me to opt for Hero Honda Splendour Plus.

Amitav Ghosh's new and unlikely fan

2005-02-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

Novelist Amitav Ghosh's latest book has got a new reader in the form of my mother.

A Pre-University course holder with English Literature as major (in the early 1960s), my mom's literature knowledge died a natural death after work (TNEB) and family duties took primacy. Ghosh's latest 'Hungry Tide' has revived that interest in her.

I too am currently reading this book. And am very impressed with the way Ghosh describes small things we feel and go through in our daily life. More than pictures, words, sometimes, can have a magical effect on you. Literature at its very best, Ghosh's book 'The Hungry Tide' certainly is.

My bike

2005-02-24T22:01:00.000-08:00

Two years after travelling in the Pallavan Transport Corporation and another two and a half spent riding the Hero Honda (my brother's) and YBX Yamaha (my brothers' friend's), I will finally have my own vehicle--a dark Blue Heron Honda Splendour Plus. On Saturday (February 26) I will proudly go to the Honda showroom in Anna Nagar (Chennai) to take home my valuable possession.

Today's kids are a smart lot

2005-02-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

When I was thinking how am I going to spend my three hours (I finished the race at 7.45 a.m., the prize distribution was scheduled at 10.30 a.m.), Ashok Venugopal of the Indian Express joined me. He was covering the Chennai Marathon for the paper.

Even as he complained of poor media co-ordination, we heard a mother talking to the organisers of how their kids were asked to run again after completing 5 kms. Several complaints poured in.

Even as we were leaving the area, a group of kids all aged between 12 and 15, besieged us.

"Uncle, we have come all the way and the organisers are doing like this."
Ashok intervened, "You are all from which area." "Sowcarpet", they replied. One from the group retorted, "why ask that?" That kids repeated how they were misled by the organisers in taking the wrong route.

One another boy said he was winning the event for the last 2 years, but this time the organisers did not take note of who finished first or second. "I was training hard for the last few months. And this is what we get," he said.

The group of Sowcarpet kids kept going to all the TV reporters (Aaj Tak and DD) to say their side of the story.

Today's kids are a smart lot.

I did it in 30 minutes

2005-02-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

For the first time in almost four and a half years with the Hindu, I got up at 5.30 a.m.

I was very excited as I was making my debut in the Chennai Marathon. On my Yamaha YBX, I sang throughout the 20-minute journey to the Labour Statue (the starting point).

As I parked my vehicle and surged towards the venue, a sea of people greeted me. I quitely went and sat in a corner. Madhavan was there with the mike in hand, then Manzoor Ali Khan came.

When 'the Run for a Cause' race was announced at 7.15 a.m., I had to forcibly move towards the race arena, and lift the barricade to run.

I didn't want to exert myself fully in the first 1.5 km. I kept half-walking, even as 40-year-old lady raced past me. I said to myself, "Keerthi, buck up."

Mid-way, a band was assembled to entertain the amateurs. By the time I finished my first lap of 2.5 Km, I knew I will not be able to complete among the prize wineners (the first 25 gets cash prizes).

The real runner in me emerged in the last 100m. Seeing runners older than me, I pressed the accelerator, and with the crowd egging on, I sprinted superbly to finish in a time of 30 minutes.

I was not a wee bit tired. Way to go Keerthi.

An eager participant

2005-02-16T01:09:00.000-08:00

You know, I have always believed (rightly or wrongly) that I was a very good athlete. And one who is fit and hates even a slight arrival of a paunch.

That took a beating when the back ache surfaced. My regular exercises stopped, my fears of developing a small paunch came true.

I have been doing my exercises only for the last week or so.

So when I read the announcement of the Chennai Marathon (it will be held on February 20), I thought this was my best opportunity to test my endurance. I registered immediately.

Moreover, I liked the concept of Mumbai Marathon when it was staged in the city last year. The whole city took part in the event, it was a sort of festival. Media coverage gave it that much more glamour.

I'm eagerly awaiting the Chennai Marathon.

The art of working under deadlines

2005-01-14T22:34:00.000-08:00

In my four years of covering the ATP Tour tennis event in Chennai, never has the importance of giving a first-class and error-free copy on time, hit me as much it did this time. There have been times when a match has ended at 9.30 p. m., and the copy had to at the desk within half-an-hour. Talk about pressure.

You have to be as quick as a typist, and as good a storyteller as Yeats, or a Ruskin Bond to come up with a readable story. No easy combination that.

Even though I did a fairly good job (even my boss said so), at the hearts of hearts, I felt I need to read a lot of good literature to produce a sweet, reader-friendly copy under deadline.

This is not to say that the Chennai Open was not exciting. I had my share of fun. I got to interview Jonas Bjorkman, Carlos Moya and Rainer Schuettler. I'll tell you more on that in my next blog. I have done exclusive interviews with Moya and Bjorkman for the Sportstar.

The importance of being Vijay Amritraj

2004-12-22T22:29:00.000-08:00

Retired sportsmen are of different kinds. Some become coaches, some retire into family life, some reinvet themsleves and become very successful.

There have been many glamourous retired Internationals who have been a roaring success, but I am yet to come across anybody as successful and non-controversial as Vijay Amritraj.

Every time I have met him, I have invariably returned satisfied. Confident that I would provide a colourful and highly readable copy. More than that, what struck me about him were his accessiblity and charm, the characters missing in others as famous as him.

He has had his share of differences with the administration and other players during his heyday. Recently when I met him, I asked him whether he is writing an autobiography. He only smiled.

He is very tactful when he wants to. During 2003 Tata Open, he organised a press conference to tell us about the wounding up of Britannia Amritraj Trust, a tennis academy formed by his mother Margaret to train promising youngsters. Leander Paes is a product of BAT.

He said or rather mumbled a few words and the PC was over.

Only much later after the PC did the journalists realised that they hadn't got the answers. They went over to Vijay personally to ask him about the 'real' reasons for BAT's closure.

The reason why I am writing about Vijay is that his role in the five years (2005-2009) of the rechristened Chennai ATP Open will be of much significance.

His rapport with current international stars and with the TN government is very good.

He will play an important role in the success or failure of the Chennai ATP Open. If he could somehow rope in Roger Federer (he said he almost brought him to Chennai this time) and convince Andre Agassi to have a vacation in Chennai, the city will be thankful to him.

And if he doesn't, the hard-to-please spectators would not bother to know where Nungambakkam Stadium is located. With telecast being in Ten Sports (CAS and all). the officials will have a tough task at hand. So does Vijay.

How not to exercise

2004-12-15T03:56:00.000-08:00

It was a routine off-day or so I thought. At around 8.30 a.m. on December 10 when I completed my exercises at house, I ventured out to buy a magazine. For the next 25 minutes or so, I felt an acute pain in my back. I walked diaognally, more like a giraffe, u can say.

Unable to tolerate the pain, I rushed to the Bone and Joint Clinic in Anna Nagar. After taking an X-ray I met the doctor who said there is nothing to worry except that I undergo physiotherapy sessions.

The physio, smart and jovial chap within minutes of talking with me found out the problem.

"Sir what exercises you do," he asked. The normal stretching exercises," I replied.

I also told him about the stretching routine where lie down on your back and make contact with nose and the knees. I dutifuly did it for him.

With a smile, the physio said, "that's what caused the pain."

That exercise, he said, should be done after you have through with your running, and not in the early morning (which I have been doing for nearly six months).

"Don'ty worry sir, three days of physiotherapy sessions and the pain will vanish. I am hopeful.

PS: When you do any exercise, consult the 'right' people. Otherwise you might end up with a problem. Back problem, to be precise.

A decaying sport

2004-12-03T23:45:00.000-08:00

Covering local sports events in the city of Chennai is a task filled with lot of pitfalls and less of pleasure.

There is no scope for playing with words for with a strict 200 word "orders". And there is little you can do by way of explaining things.

On some days, local sports go out of control. Like it happened on Friday when I covereed the match between Chennai Customs and Indian Bank in the State-ranking football tournament at the Nehru Stadium.

In normal days, players play a rough game, abuse the referee when decisions go against their team. These are considered normal today.

Referee V. Subramani was slapped by a Customs player when the former cautioned him with a yellow card for foul play.

When the match was coming to a close, I suddenly saw a Customs player doing a Jackie Chan.

For a moment, I wondered whether I was seeing a huge bird. That Customs man gave a flying kick to an Indian Bank forward for pulling the former down.

The football scene is seeing the worst of times with virtually nobody coming to the stadium (except for some drunken b****). These b** threaten the referee with words "nee vella vaa unna parthikeran.."

After the "flying kick" incident, an official narrated me a tale of how referee Pradeep Kumar tackled such incidents.

During one of local league matches last season, Pradeep had given a contentious decision which the teams' fans did not like. They kept berating him throughout the contest.

As Pradeep left the stadium, couple of unruly elements surrounded him. Seeing them, Pradeep said, "Vangada, ennada enna Aruvalala vettuvengala..vangada..naa readydhan.."

Seeing a reputed referee ready for a fight, the motley crowd dispersed.

Such is the state of football in the city, which has seen in the early 60s and 70s crowd swelling for all local tournaments.

For a reporter such incidents only deepens the animosity towards the game.

Not only has the quality of game dipped, such behaviour only deepens the existing anger.

Press Conference at Hotel Park

2004-11-25T03:54:00.000-08:00

There I was at the press conference of the Chennai Open tennis championship at Hotel Park. After a quick look at the draw, I was a touch disappointed for there were new no players-none from the top 10 except Moya. Of course, Srichaphan is there.

A lot of expectations was there when TN Govt. pitched in as main sponsor (1 crore).

At least, let's hope there will be more crowd than usual at the Nungambakkam Stadium.

An addition to The Sportstar team

2004-11-19T01:24:00.000-08:00

There is a sports recruit to the Sportstar team. His name is N.U. Abilash. He is a Phd from Warwick University in United Kingdom. Basically, his job is to rewrite copies of the Sportstar.

A research scholar, Abilash has contributed articles in the web features of magazine Outlook magazine.
Wish him all the best.

Other uses of beach

2004-11-17T03:33:00.000-08:00

Those interested in beach volleyball can do so from November 18 to 21.

Used to seeing bikni-clad foreign men and women on TVs, you can see them in flesh and blood at the Eliots beach.

Want to chill out, do so at Elliots.
PS: It is the National beach volleyball championship.

Zombie mode

2004-11-15T03:53:00.000-08:00

My mind is not working. It is neither a writer's block nor is it depression. SOmething in between, you can say. I am trying my best to be myself--cheerful and enthusiastic.

A role model software professional

2004-11-14T04:05:00.000-08:00

Software profesionals, generally, belong to the "progressive" community. Hard-working, beer-guzzling, rational thinkers, software pros are the country's image and pride.

Sriram V Iyer is not one among them, an honourable exeption. A brilliant yet unimaginably humble software professional. He quit Philips to join Beceem, a company doing business in wireless communications. This man is a delight to be with.

I am proud to say that I am one of his cousins, a silent admirer.

There are several qualities that I have imbibed from this 25-year-old. For one, who wrote a book, and one that is doing roaring business, there is a not a trace of arrogance and envy. He is a poster boy for simplicity and humility.

A man who has read a lot of books on religion (Hinduism, to be precise), Sriram is an authoriy in Sanskrit (though he will not accept it). Never have I seen him crib about anything, rile anybody, back-talk anyone.

He is an optimist to the power of infinity. Always ready for a laugh, Sriram seldom says no to guidance or genuine help. It is no wonder that my father is one of his inspirations!

Like Sriram, there could be many men and women around us from whom we can pick a lot of positives. Only if we reach out to them, stepping aside our Himalayan egos for a moment, our world will be better off.

When I see lesser mortals put an air over themselves, I can only feel sorry for them.

My father

2004-11-12T03:41:00.000-08:00

There are fathers, but there is nobody like my father T.R. Krishnamurthy (called TRK in office and among relatives). He is special, simply because he is simple. He taught me the value of maintaining relationships.

Even during the peak of his career, he ensured that he made weekend visits to relatives houses, almost all of them. We used to call him "ulavarum olikathir" (roughly translated into roaming light).

The visits continue even 6 years after his retirement.

He said, "the reason why today's generation dosen't have any long-standing relationship is because for them the other person should reciprocate whatever he/she does." An inch deviation and they are upset, he says. Relationships suffer, old friends part ways. Out of sight, out of mind is another reason, he reasons.

My father shunned those negative mindsets. He continues to meet people whom he met decades earlier. Old friends remain intact. New friends keep adding. Something unimaginable now.

Last week, when my father's old friend who was his neighbout in Villivakkam (now we r in Anna Nagar) came to our house and recollected my dad's generosity and large-mindedness, I was touched to the quick.

Intrinsically, his habits have rubbed off on me and I try my best to maintain relationships.

I think it is a lesson our younger generation would do well to put into practice.

Say hand-outs, say Escape

2004-11-12T03:15:00.000-08:00

Hand-outs can sometimes be unnerving. More than an exclusive story. They tire you out and challenge your concentration. More often than not, people are happy if the other man does the "dirty" work.

In sports, there are results in hockey, cricket, football...As many sports as many hand-outs, mostly badly written.

If there is anything the sportx journalists would like to share, it is the hand-outs. They have no by-line, they don't really demand your intelligence.

There are legendary stories of how senior people slip hand-outs into the young man's desk, without the latter's notice.

The poor young thing is perplexed of a sudden appearance of a mangled paper.
Surely, hand-outs are like allies in politics. You don't want them but you can't do without them.

Arrest of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi

2004-11-12T02:44:00.000-08:00

The arrest of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, a controversial and media-savvy godman, did disturb me.

These questions cropped up in my mind immediately. What are godmen for? Why do they exist?

My mother always use to say you need middlemen to reach God as ordinary men like us do not have the maturity or the "power" to reach the Almighty. The arrest will certainly send the wrong signals.

I certainly hold no brief for Sri Jayendra Saraswathi. Compared to his predecessors, he was a big letdown, and he failed miserably in managing the institution. And by making irresponsible statements in the Badri-Masjid case, he only aggravated the conflict.

But what does his arrest mean to a lot of "religious minded" men and women.

As my colleague Ramanan said, "religion will be nice if there is no middlemen."

I am not as sure as Ramanan. I believe there is role for an intermediary. There is Matha Amrithanandmiyee and she is doing a wonderful service to humanity. They enable us to understand spirituality and help us become better person.

Banishing religion and admonishing middlemen are no answer to the problems.