Greatness and Love – A complimentary package?

How many of us live our lives in such a way that if given an option, we will not want to change it?

There is always one more wish in our minds that we want to come true not realizing the actual reason behind the unfulfilled wishes.

My mind asked me a simple question : is there a correlation between greatness and no regrets in life?  So I started researching about various sports players to come up with an answer.

To my surprise, you can achieve success even when you don’t love your sport but in order to achieve greatness, you need to be in love with your sport, the purest kind of love which is unknown to the imbeciles like me. This is the kind of love which is not governed by the level of fame or money but is unselfish and is fulfilled only when one plays the game. It has no perks associated to it, no selfish gains, just the pure joy of feeling complete when you walk out there to hit the ball. It gives you a chance to be who you are and what you can excel at.

Have you ever wondered why players like Federer, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid continue to dominate in the era of youngsters when they were completely written off by the so called experts quoting their age as the biggest barrier. As they say love transcends every boundary be it age, culture or country. Same is true in the field of sports as well.

 I know it all sounds silly but have a look at the examples below and let me know what you think.

 ”My passion for competition and my love for tennis has a lot to do with the longevity of my game.”  – Roger Federer

 ”I am madly in love with the sport. At this stage, I enjoy every little moment.” – Sachin Tendulkar.

 “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do” – Pele

“Even when I’m old and grey, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.” – Michael Jordan

There are  more examples of great players echoing similar kind of feelings. We all want fame, money and the glamour but what we fail to see is the people who attain it in the true sense are the people who have loved the sport for what it is and not for monetary gains. Fame and money is like sand between your fingers, the more you want it, the further it slips away from you.

A simple look at Andre Agassi’s life will turn out to be quite informative for all of us who might be stuck working in the field that we don’t love. Agassi did achieve a bit of success early in his career only to lose it amidst of drugs, divorce and a feeling of complete hatred towards tennis. This was true until he met Nelson Mandela who told him “You must live carefully”. Therein began the up rise of one of best players in tennis history. In his own words: “I fell in love with tennis far too late in my life.”

It is only, when one loves the work that one do,  that one can wake up early in the morning and practice endlessly for hours to improve one’s game, only then one can always be present at that practice session at 10 AM without missing it even once, only then one can miss all the parties, money and fame to practice endless forehands with a wall, only then can one end up being one of the biggest philanthropists sports has ever seen.

I have always strongly believed that sports can offer us an in-depth meaning of the way a life needs to be lived. Sadly in today’s world, we watch sports for entertainment and play sports to become a professional and earn money. Nobody realizes that in sports, you can find a virtual school that can offer us lessons which can make us stronger and better in our lives. If  there is anything we can learn from these players that we adore and cherish, it is just one simple lesson:

 ”If you will love what you do, than nothing, believe me, nothing can stop you from becoming immortal in your field”.

Also: Five Sports Personalities who Failed at First.

 Change - A boon or bane in sport?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com,  http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or  http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Novak Djokovic- The Fearless Champion!

Novak Djokovic: “There was no self-belief on the court.  I got afraid from winning against Federer/Nadal.”

As I watched Djokovic’s feature on CBS-“ From War to Wimbledon” yesterday, I was left wondering how fear of winning can potentially stop us from realizing our potential and make us live a life of ordinary.

4 years in a row, match after match, Djokovic came up with the same result against his two opponents. He tried but still kept on losing. I can just imagine how frustrating it must have been for him to keep coming back to his locker room thinking of the reasons why he was not able to win.

10^thSeptember, 2010. Flushing Meadows, Djokovic is down a match point on his serve and even before the ball was tossed, people had started talking about Federer’s chances against Nadal in the finals. Little did they know they were about to witness the rise of a fearless champion.

At the post match interview,  he said while facing match point, he started playing freely because his back was against the wall and he had nothing left to lose.  In that instant, Djokovic must have realized that on the other side of every fear is freedom. And thereby started the story of his rebirth, since the last 1.5 years, he has accomplished achievements which only few could have imagined. Tennis fans witnessed one of the best season in the history of tennis: 11 titles including 3 GS & 5 ATP World Tour Masters. 

Probably this fear is what propelled him to greatness. As he must have realized that tennis supremacy was all that was left to gain. What had he to lose? He was already losing to Federer/Nadal in the GS so why not just go out there and face his fear heads on!

In our lives, isn’t it fear which is stopping us? What do you fear the most? Some have fear of heights, some have stage fright, some people are afraid of higher education, some fear they are not capable of preforming a certain task and so on. You might be afraid of many things in life but you must always overcome them. Do the things which you think you cannot do. What will happen- in the worst case scenario you will end up not doing it. That’s alright as you were already at that stage only. Right?

Imagine if Djokovic would have continued to be afraid……..

I will end this article with a beautiful poem I read this morning by Frank Herbert & instantly Djokovic’s image came to my mind:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

How true?

Also: The Story of the Courage of Kathrine Switzer

The Power of Belief ! (Roger Federer)

Alisa Kleybanova: The Fighter, The Survivor & The Player!

The Humble Rafa- Part I

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy   

Andre Agassi and "ROCK BOTTOM"

In 1992 Wimbledon, a new champion rose in the history of Tennis-Andre Agassi, the long haired tennis player known for his brashness, mockery and off court media popularity. For a person who was more focused on his image rather than tennis, ongoing hair problems, drug use, tanking matches (unknown to the world at that time) and mocking players, and whose hatred towards tennis was more than anyone can imagine during the early part of his career, dropping in the world ranking from Numero Uno to No. 141 and a divorce was not a surprise. In his words it was the rock bottom of his life. There was no comeback from that situation. Right?

Wrong! Come 2012, he is one of the most adored and respected tennis player who is not only known for his tennis achievements (8 grand slams, 1999 historic victory in French Open, third player to complete a career grand slam, World No. 1 ranking and so many more) but also for his off court achievements. In the field of sports, he is one of the biggest philanthropists; he has generated $177 million for his education reform activities in Las Vegas. In his personal life, he is happily married with the woman who still manages to take his breath away after 11 years-fellow hall of famer-Steffi Graf with two kids Jaden and Jaz. In my book, he is the perfect role model for everyone in all the aspects of life- professional and personal.

So how did this turnaround started: It started with the advice of Nelson Mandela to him in 1997: “We must live our lives carefully”. And how true it is? Shouldn’t every individual live that way, be careful of their decisions on every step. Every human being in this world hits a rock bottom in his life but how often do we see such a remarkable transformation and rise to the top? The normal tendency is to give up and succumb to the pressures of life and give away our lives. Some commit suicides, some fall in the trap of depression, some blame their families and so on. But is that really the solution to this problem? Andre Agassi is a perfect example from whom we can take inspiration in life and get back to the point that we and our family want.

Was he able to do it because he possesses special qualities? No, he was also a normal person like all of us wanting to have a great career, family and good memories. The only difference is that he didn’t give up and with his belief and determination revived himself again to achieve great heights. So, can we also do it? God has given every person the same tools; it’s the qualities which a person develops over a period of time which defines his/her extraordinary achievements. If only we can look from within and be careful in our decisions, we also can do the impossible. As Agassi said “Hitting the rock bottom, a place that really isn’t so bad because it gives you a chance to look up” and start cherishing the things you love the most in life.

Andre Agassi is a true inspiration to all, who has taught us the importance of never giving up in life, the belief that we can always push ourselves to begin again and be inspired to achieve the greatness we are destined for.  It’s NEVER too late in life. In the words of this tennis great and my favorite:  “I am living proof that no dream, no journey is impossible.”

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You can contact me at apekshaha@gmail.com for any questions.

Also:Novak Djokovic- Inspiration To All (Fans,Tennis Players And People All Over The World)
Sports and THE BATTLE Against Cancer - Part 1.

Why I strongly believe (factually) Sachin Tendulkar should not retire?

“The entire nation has gone crazy and wants Sachin to retire. People are mad as they don’t see the point. There are other players on the team who have not been scoring runs, but no, they are after Sachin.”

I was surprised to hear this coming from my father who has been the harshest critic of Sachin in his life whenever he failed in an inning. When I thought about it, it made me realize, during all those times in the past, he criticized Sachin because he liked him; all he wanted was Sachin to do better just like the entire nation wanted him to score runs. And today in the times when Sachin wants his fans to support him, he is right there supporting the champion batsman.

His statement made the analyst in me go and search for the truth. And what I found was completely surprising and astonishing.

Here is the look at his record in the test matches:

Overall  Stats*	Player	C Pujara	V Kohli	V Sehwag	MS Dhoni	Yuvraj Singh	SR Tendulkar	G Gambhir	SK Raina
1 year	Matches	4	8	8	7	2	8	8	2
	Runs	604	571	507	325	82	379	353	58
	Average	120.8	43.92	33.8	32.5	27.33	27.07	25.21	19.33
Rank		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
2 year	Matches	6	12	16	20	5	18	16	10
	Runs	635	762	937	986	218	1196	892	401
	Average	79.37	38.1	31.23	31.8	27.25	38.58	30.75	22.27
Rank		1	3	5	4	7	2	6	8
3 year	Matches	7	12	29	32	25	31	25	17
	Runs	711	762	2532	1656	1331	2645	1331	768
	Average	71.1	38.1	50.64	36.8	30.95	53.97	30.95	28.44
Rank		1	4	3	5	6	2	6	8
5 year	Matches	7	12	48	50	20	51	39	17
	Runs	711	762	4332	2656	1027	4355	3200	768
	Average	71.1	38.1	51.57	37.94	35.41	53.76	46.37	28.44
Rank		1	5	3	6	7	2	4	8

*Stats are courtesy ESPN CricInfo StatsGuru.

Indian Cricketers Ranking ( Based on Average)
Name	1 year	2 year	3 year	5 year
CA Pujara	1	1	1	1
V Kohli	2	3	4	5
V Sehwag	3	5	3	3
MS Dhoni	4	4	5	6
Yuvraj Singh	5	7	6	7
SR Tendulkar	6	2	2	2
G Gambhir	7	6	6	4
SK Raina	8	8	8	8

If you closely look at these stats, one can see the difference between Sachin and the rest of the cricketers. Cheteshwar Pujara is no doubt a very talented player but I doubt that in the long run he can sustain the average of 71.1. Sachin Tendulkar has always had the best average in the last 2 years, 3 years and 5 years. Leave the current players, not even the retired ones had a better average than the Master Blaster in these categories (except once, Rahul Dravid had an average of 44.83 in the last 2 years category.)

We talk about Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement, why?  Because he has not been able to score runs in the past 8 matches?  Really, then going by that scenario, Virendra Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Mahendra Dhoni –everyone should retire.

People talk about how in last 18 matches; he had an average of 38. Then I would like to ask those people, who in the current Indian team have a better average than him in that category? Why only Sachin should come under the bus, infact he had the best average after Dravid in that category.

Even in the corporate world, in the best companies of the world, nobody fires the best CEO in the world just because he had a poor year. Every company gives his employees a minimum 3 year period to perform. If he performs badly continuously, then he gets fired. Sachin has been the best Indian batsmen since the last 2 years,  3 years, 5 years, last 10 years, last 15 years (the stats also shows the same) and just because he has not performed well in 8 matches, he should retire. I wonder, what kind of cynical world do we live in?

Critics and so called “fans” are very strange by nature.  They applaud people who achieve success but as soon as these people falter, critics and “fans” are the first one to bring them down. They will seize the opportunity to make sure that since they have not been successful, why let others remain on that podium? One day Sachin is the greatest, the other day he is the worst. One day Dhoni is the best captain in the world, in the next match/series, he is the worst.  How fickle we can be in terms of our opinion is just surprising and funny at times? All those critics/fans that call themselves cricket experts and have asked for Sachin’s retirement based on facts should get their facts checked out. Because last I checked, Sachin has been the best amongst the current crop of active players in the longer run. One year does not define what kind of things he is capable of achieving.

People talk about his age and how his age is the factor for his decline. Then again I have a question to those people, since when does age hamper one’s performance? In some it can, but how are they absolutely sure that Sachin has been affected by age? If they are so sure, then how will they define Sir Jack Hobbs who scored a test century at the age of 46? Half his hundreds came when he was over 40. How do they define the long list of cricketers playing after 40 including Clive Lloyd, Alex Stewart and Gordon Greenidge.

No one can define how one can play at a certain age. It is only for the player to decide and not the people outside.  If we are asking Sachin to retire, deep down inside we know, it is not because of his lack of form, it is because of our pessimistic and fickle attitude where in our heart fails to understand how can the greatest player still continue to play with the same zeal as 17 year old.

Apart from his runs, people fail to see the fear that he creates in the mind of opponents and the confidence that he generates in Indian youngsters with his presence. The above two factors are tangible yet strong points one cannot afford to ignore. If we fail to see this, then it makes me remember “Divide and conquer” theory of Britishers which led to the demise of our country. Sachin’s retirement is what every opponent is secretly hoping for. The so called critics have been fueling the people in India to force the retirement of Sachin and see the fall of India as a cricketing nation.

It is time for the true fans to step up and show Sachin that we really care and we are with him when he truly deserves our support. How can we forget the times, when through his cricket, he inspired us to achieve more in our lives, we smiled and felt proud from inside for being a part of the great cricketing nation, those cherished memories ( 1999 Australian series ,the battle against Shane Warne and so may more) that we still talk about with our friends. This is the time when we all should stand up to support the greatest batsman in the world.

See the facts above, think logically, be a true fan and say to those who ask for his retirement that we do not care what they say. To us, we are with Sachin and will support him not because our heart says that, but also because facts also supports this. This is why I strongly believe that Sachin should not retire.

I am really thankful  to my father who made me realize until stats are checked, don’t believe the one sided story going on currently in the papers. I will end my article with the following quote for Sachin Tendulkar:

“Along the way there’s going to be a lot of obstacles, a lot of adversity, a lot of people who will tell you you’re not good enough. I’m here to tell you that you are. Everyone that tells you that you’re not is because they didn’t accomplish something.” - Tim Tebow

If you are a true fan, share this article so that more people can read this and come out in support of the master blaster.

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy

Change - A boon or bane in sport? ( By Redflame)

For all the abject innate human gratification indulged in, decorating our divine idols in any sport, there still remains an inevitable phase that reminds us of the ‘only reality’ we have to accept in resignation – ‘Mortality as the curse of time & boon of change!’

Be it a breezing ‘Bolt’, a ripple ‘Phelps’, a symphony ‘Sachin’ or a flower ‘Federer’, all have a past, pretty much like ours – We all started off as the same crawling infants braving those first few faltering steps, those occasional trips and falls, often painful tumbles, rolls and bruises. But no matter what the level of obstacles and falls, we got up more determined every time and strove on. Until finally a stage was reached where walking became as involuntary as breath. Common pages of history that stare back at any reader as he turns back the diary of his life!

With time though, we move into our unique destinies, by choices taken by force or free-will. And by the time we finally rest in our grave, each has a unique book for himself, in which he alone is the hero. But where along the path did those legends that once faltered like us as a kid, differ?

Sport is certainly one of those glorious chapters in this novel called life that instantly becomes a hit for it romances the mind and heart of any era, earning the protagonist fittingly a pedestal of worship and adoration in the hearts of a million and more. For, a fitting hero like that gives a spectacle to celebrate being alive.

With every sublime victory, each passing moment of awe, every instant of miracle defying logic, and inspirational struggle of determination in adversity, this hero starts transforming into an invincible master and finally a legend. So much so that we forget he is human for we’ve been taught to believe that ‘to err is human.’ Inevitably, there comes a time when he walks alone on the path of success, far from the madding crowd. He is glorified among the masses as he morphs into an enigma that attracts everybody. For while most chase dreams, they live it!

The truth remains that these icons are the only reason sport is till date our greatest theater of entertainment.

It’s in the midst of this extravagance of human virtue being dissolved in this exceptional winner that the curse of time strikes meanest. For, with time comes a defying warrior or more that is exposed in this invincible emperor; the long unseen erring human, of reduced agility and reflexes, stifling his sublime skill, burdening his indefatigable will. All our aspirations of embracing an undying immortal are crashed.The once invincible Federer, who went about his business, brushing the rest, earning a record 16 titles in half a decade, was stranded in his blocks by a single man Spanish armada, and wintry resilience of a Serb D’joke. An agonizing 2 years of no silverware which we were forced to long believe, as his fundamental right!

Not long ago we had innovative magicians led by Brazil’s Ronaldo, French’s Zidane and a host others who dissolved into the waters of obscurity. One fine day we got up to never see them amidst our dream teams.

Once upon a time not too long ago, there was the famed Indian batting line-up that reduced the rest to terror. Starting with an ‘explosive’ Sehwag partnered by a ‘resilient ticking run machine’ Gambhir, there followed ‘the impregnable wall’ Dravid. After all this, came ‘the 100 ton experience’ Sachin followed by ‘the belligerent Bengal tiger’ Ganguly. If you’d managed wading past all this, you’d end up facing the ‘elegant wristy sublime marauder’ Laxman and at the fag end, still followed by Dhoni’s ‘dispersing helicopter’, although this time to ‘cause a wreck’. No wonder this team rose to the undisputed Numero-Uno.

But just when it seemed a new super-power was settling, in a matter of few weeks, the tiger got extinct, the wall fell, the wrist wilted, the bomb was dampened, the machine lost its efficiency, and the helicopter was grounded. 8 losses on the trot and the throne forfeited. Time couldn’t be crueler to an Indian cricket fan.

Being another country’s fan doesn’t change it much either. Worst if you were the 80’s Windies’ patriot, probably a little less if you supported the 90’s n 2000’s kangaroos, now reaching you if you’d fallen for the English bet, and only a matter of time before a South African Safari shall return to the jungles.

In all essence it just epitomizes one truth – The Inevitable cruel curse of time.

Although amidst all this is another constant – CHANGE!

But how is change a boon, one might argue?

We moan that it was curtains on the galaxy of cricket stars, and possible failures in their absence. But we ought to accept it’s the darkest hour before it’s dawn, followed by the promise of a new day with its bright sun. A few mistakes can’t be the end of the road. Patience is required for when we trust change, the only change from negative can be positive. Already one can perceive a sun amidst the gloom of the dark cricketing clouds.

And here’s the final premise that is sure to raise a storm. Every fan has to accept that there reaches a point where the game is more an audience’s game than the player’s. Whether the player has a passion, talent, destiny blah… we have no qualms on enforcing our opinions of whether they must step down. Retirements are demanded, for we trust the players play into our wishes and that’s probably close to the reality. Analytically, after all in the longer run, sport is about making money, mostly from the pockets of spectators.

We discuss in forums, create live debates, pen articles, blogs, essays, draft programs like turning point, face the nation, opinion hour, fourth umpire etc… to express our views and make it clear to the legend that his long fragrant perfume has vaporized, best a distant memory.

Most complain, ‘why a retired Ferrari Icon Schumacher who once raced his way to 7 titles is back in the track competing against 5 different few time championship amateurs?’ For among the herd, he looks like a 1960 Ford; a glorious past, deserving of the best seat in a museum.

If not for the 2 year wait for Federer’s return to the throne, I’d gladly concede that his elegant pose with the silverware would probably be not as charming.

Frankly Sachin would remain my greatest batsman even if he walked into the dusk this very moment, for you can’t disagree with me that the sight of a 100 ton experienced master-blaster playing with restraint for whatever reasons is painful, while the rising sun at the other end seems to steal the warmth. It only gets tougher with every innings to savor his silent blade. With each passing knock, the Kohli’s and Chand’s lead the charge for the next generation’s debate of their greatest. That’s the game of change giving a beauty for every era.

‘Familiarity breeds contempt’ is the human psychology I hoped would spare sport. But alas, I was wrong.

Yes they are our dream, but dreams do end for ‘The Reality’ waits.

It’s harder to watch the curse of time being inflicted, rather than accepting the gradual boon of change. But the inconvenient truth remains – No time can live for eternity in one sportsman’s shadow and therefore it’s indeed the boon of change that soothes the curse of time!

As someone rightly said, “Enjoy the beauty of the moment as long as it lasts”

(This is a guest post written by Redflame:  An aspiring novelist who is passionate about writing poetry, short stories and thought-provoking plays...sports & love are his favorite subjects for writing, discussion or debate! )

Also: Five Sports Personalities who Failed at First.

For any questions, you can contact me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Five Sports Personalities who Failed at First.

Let me start this article by asking a simple question: How many times have we failed in our lives?

Many times, right?

Failure is inevitable in our lives. There is no way we can run away from it. Earlier in my life, every time I used to see a famous personality, my first thought used to be: how lucky they are to achieve success in their life! I thought they never had any failure and still achieved everything they wanted. How wrong I was.

If you don’t believe me, the following quote might help, as it helped me prove myself wrong.

“You might never fail on the scale I did. But it is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default.” – J K Rowling.

Until and unless we fail and learn from it, it is impossible for anyone including the famous personalities to become the best in their lives. They are not lucky; they became the best by going through the same process that we also go through in our lives.

So that’s why I thought, let’s look in the field of sports to find out if there are athletes who rose from the rock bottom to become the best in their career despite failures.

Here is the list of my top five sports personalities who failed at first, only to later emerge as the best in their field.

Michael Jordan 

He is considered the greatest basketball player ever to play the game. But did you know he was cut out of the high school team? At 5’11″ (1.80 m) back then, he was told he was too short to play at that level and lacked the skills to play Basketball.

I know it’s hard to believe it now, but this is true. Imagine the best player in the history of basketball, who redefined the game with his skills, speed, talent and attitude, was considered incapable earlier in his career. How did Jordan react to this disappointment?

“Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it, and that usually got me going again.”

Imagine if he would have given up after facing failure in his life, where would he be now?

Babe Ruth

He is considered one of the biggest sports heroes of America. He has the record of having the third highest home run record in Baseball. But did you know that for a decade he held the record for the highest strikeouts (1,330) as well. On being asked about his strikeouts, he said: “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”

Tom Landry

He is considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of American football. To his credit, he had two super bowl victories, five NFC championships and the record for the most career wins in football. But did you know that during his first season as a coach, he also had the honor of sharing the worst record ever in NFL (no wins) and later on winning five or less games in the next four seasons.

Stan Smith 

The tennis player who won Wimbledon, US Open and eight Davis Cups, and who formed one of the most successful doubles team, was rejected during his childhood for the ball boy’s position in a Davis Cup match as the organizers felt he was too clumsy and uncoordinated.

Mark Cuban

He was a failure as a carpenter, cook and waiter (who didn’t even know how to open a bottle of wine). Fast forward to 2012, he is now the billionaire owner of NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. What did he say for his failures?

“I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how many times you failed,” Cuban says. “You only have to be right once. I tried to sell powdered milk. I was an idiot lot of times, and I learned from them all.”

Quite surprising isn’t it? For me too, it was a revelation, but the reason why these people reached the top was once given by John Wooden:

“Winners make the most errors . . . because they NEVER quit.”

So next time you fail, decide which category you will want to be in, Winner or Loser?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy