Sport Personality

Today also I am going back a bit into history and writing about two sport personalities, who really showed the other sport persons in their respective fields, that it is possible to achieve victory and for that you only need determination and will power.

The first sport person is

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi(aka Tiger Pataudi)-    Before he landed on  the Indian Cricket scene, there were many players who were individually brilliant, but as a team India could never click abroad while facing seamers. He imparted that confidence in the team members. Secondly he played with only one good eye, he lost the vision of his right eye in car accident six months before his debut in tests. Imagine what he could have achieved if had vision in both eyes.

Before he was selected for his test debut, he played many 1^st class matches where he proved himself that even with one eye he can play cricket with all the shots. He was very good in the fielding also, and in the later stages of his test career, he was rated among one of the best fielder in the world. He had an eye of a Tiger, and was Regal middle order batsman who enjoyed scoring at fast pace and hooking the fastest of bowlers. He was also not afraid to step out against spinners for playing lofted shots.

But above all he was born leader. When during the 1962 overseas series against West Indies Captain Nari Contractor was struck in the head by Charlie Griffith’s bouncer, at the age of 21 and only experience of 5 tests, he became Captain of Indian team. He captained India for next 8 years, and under his captaincy India won first overseas test series 3-1 against New Zealand in 1967-68 , and thus showed to his team mates that it is possible to win test series, outside India. He was the captain who initially nurtured India’s famous Spin Quatret Prasanna, Bedi, Chandrashekhar and Venkatraghvan. He led India in 40 tests with nine victory, which might seem modest by today’s standard, but at that time a draw used to be considered as an achievement.

His famous romance with Film Star Sharmila Tagore was big news in Gossip Columns of newspaper and magazines, which subsequently ended in their marriage in late 1967. They were among India’s premier famous Couple before the concept of Page 3 became famous.

It was on his insistence that GR Vishwanath got an early break in Test cricket and he proved Pataudi right by scoring century in 1^st test.

After his retirement, he had fruitful association with journalism and remained Editor of Sportsworld for many years.

He was awarded Arjuna Award in 1964 and Padma Shri in 1967.

He died at the age of 70 in 2011. The test series between India & England is played for Pataudi Trophy.

And the second sport person is

PT Usha

PT Usha, is an Indian Track & Field athlete from the state of Kerala. PT Usha has been associated with Indian athletics since 1979. She is regarded as one of the greatest athletes India has ever produced and is often called the “queen of Indian track and field” She is nicknamed the Payyoli Express.

In 1979 PT Usha participated in the National School Games, where she was noticed by OM Nambiar, who coached her throughout her career. Her debut in the 1980 Moscow Olympics was nothing much to talk about.. In the 1982 Asian  Games, she got the Silver medal in the 100m and the 200m, but at the Asian Track and Field (ATF) Championship in Kuwait a year later, Usha took the Gold in the 400m with a new Asian record. From 1983–89, Usha garnered 13 golds at ATF meets.

At the 1984 Los Angles Olympics , she finished first in the semi-finals of the400 merers hurdles, but narrowly missed a medal in the finals, repetition of Milka Singhs’s 1960 defeat. There was a nail-biting photo finish for the third place. Usha lost the Bronze medal by 1/100th of a second.

In the 10th Asian Games held at Seoul in 1986, P. T. Usha won 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal in the track and field events. She also won five gold medals at the 6th Asian Track and Field Championship in Jakarta in 1985. Her medals at the same meet is a record for a single athlete in a single international meet.

Usha has won 101 international medals so far. She is employed as an officer in the Southern Railways. In 1985, she was conferred the Padma Shri and the Arjuna Award.

She is the one who inspired thousands of  track & field women athletes, that it is possible to perform at international and win glory for self and the country.

Currently she coaches young athletes at her training academy in Kerala.

So friends, waiting for your feed backs/comments/views on today’s blog.