by Roberto Coloma

Asian poster girl Sania Mirza says the women’s game is in its best state ever in the region, with Chinese stars like Li Na leading the charge and a new generation waiting in the wings.

“I think we’re probably at the healthiest best in Asian women’s tennis,” Mirza told AFP in an interview on the sidelines of the French Open.

“Tennis is growing in Asia,” she said.

Asia’s former number one was speaking after a three-set loss with her American doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands to the Russian-Romanian pair of Nina Bratchikova and Edina Gallovits-Hall in the first round at Roland Garros. The shock defeat came after Mirza and Mattek-Sands won the doubles trophy at last week’s Brussels Open.

Sania, who was at a career-best world number 10 in the doubles ranking before Tuesday but has slipped to number 185 in singles from a peak of 27 in 2007, is now unsure of being able to play in the London Olympics.

She’s only 25 but injuries have hobbled her career, which reached a climax when she won the mixed doubles with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi at the Australian Open in 2009.

With more than $2.2 million in career prize money and a celebrated wedding in 2010 to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, Mirza has to decide soon on her tennis priorities in order to preserve her health.

“That’s a call I’ll take, either playing just singles or just doubles.”

Mirza said that after three surgeries — on her wrist and both knees — her body doesn’t feel 25 at all.

“It feels much older,” she admitted.

“Doubles obviously is a lot less (taxing) physically on your body, it takes less. But having said that, I sometimes do feel that I have it in me to be back again in singles.”

“It’s not the tennis. I’ve never doubted about the tennis. It’s more about the body.”

While more young women across Asia are taking up tennis, inspired by Mirza and Chinese stars like French Open Li, the men’s singles game hasn’t caught up.

Mirza agreed that the massive popularity of football and cricket in Asia could be factors, but also noted that Asian men have to contend with far more powerful players in Europe, Russia and the United States.

“Cricket is obviously like a religion in our country … maybe that has something to do with it.”

“For tennis, you need a court, you need racquets, you need balls,” she said. “For cricket, you need a bat and a ball and 22 people can play. In football, you need a ball and you can have so many people playing.”

She’s keen to have another Indian girl take over from her, but that will not come anytime soon as no other woman in India is ranked above 500.

“It’s been pretty unfortunate because I’ve been flying the flag alone for the last eight years and so I hope someone comes out. Eventually they will, I’m sure.”

This article was distributed through the NewsCred Smartwire.Original article © Agence France Presse 2012

source: http://www.india.nydailynews.com / Home> News> Desi / by Roberto Coloma / Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

California-based former India all-rounder battling on a sticky financial wicket, says BCCI’s Rs 60 lakh reward makes him feel as great as winning a match

It’s 9:30 on a Sunday morning in California and 70-year-old Syed Abid Ali, the former India all-rounder is all set to leave his home to umpire a club match in height of summer.

He’s our hero: Abid Ali is lifted by victorious Indian fans after scoring the winning runs against England at the Oval in 1971. Pic/Getty Images

MiD DAY delivers the news of him being a beneficiary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s “one-time benefit payment” to retired cricketers.

Abid Ali falls in the 25 to 49 Tests bracket and is eligible for a reward of Rs 60 lakh. He cannot believe his ears. And his first utterance is of gratitude to the Board.

“The reason I am so grateful is because I really need the money. Somehow, God has sent it to the BCCI and the people there have been gracious enough to pass it on. At the moment, it feels as great as winning a match,” he said.

Abid Ali played 29 Tests for India from 1967 to 1974. He also figured in the inaugural World Cup in 1975. During his international career, he was part of three overseas Test series wins — New Zealand in 1968, West Indies and England in 1971.

At Port of Spain in 1971, he deliberately tapped a full toss from leg-break bowler Arthur Barrett to give debutant Sunil Gavaskar the honour of scoring the winning runs. His chance to hit the winning runs came five months later at the Oval in London when India beat England for the first time on foreign soil.

Abid Ali moved from Hyderabad to California in 1980, a move he said he regretted. “I shouldn’t have done it, but I did because I wanted my children to be educated,” he said on a visit to India in 1997.

An open-heart surgery in 1995 was a blow and Abid Ali turned to the country of his birth to provide him with some coaching opportunities. He managed to coach Andhra Pradesh, but after his second stint with them in 2008, tragedy struck.

His 33-year-old son Faqeer Ali, who had married Syed Kirmani’s daughter, collapsed to his death after completing a run for Tracy United Cricket Club in Fremont. “He suffered a massive heart attack. The help that I used to get from my son went away and I lost the house I was living in since I was unable to make the payments. After that, my daughter had some problems and she came to stay with me with her two kids. Such things happen; I am a fighter,” he remarked.

Financially, it has been a rough ride for Abid Ali despite getting Rs 15 lakh from a celebrity match played out between Mohammed Azharuddin XI and Arjuna Ranatunga XI in 1998.

He welcomes the help from BCCI, but the disappointment of not getting any coaching opportunities for the India and senior teams despite being a qualified coach rankles. “I want to do something for my country. No one gave me an extended opportunity… not even Andhra. I really want to do some coaching in India. Coming to America has taught me how one should be professional. I’d love to get involved with Indian cricket,” he said.

The Sunday game he umpired in the Northern California Cricket Association league fetched him 66 dollars, an amount he will value as much as the Rs 60 lakh reward.

source: http://www.mid-day.com / Home> Sports / by Clayton Murzello / Mumbai, May 15th, 2012

TABLE TENNIS / INTERVIEW / KAMLESH MEHTA

“Although corporate sponsorship is lacking, the scene in table tennis is getting better. One needs to learn from cricket marketing and adapt on a smaller scale, although finding sponsors for TT would be tougher,” says Kamlesh Mehta in this interview to A. Joseph Antony.

Photo: RamBabu

Eight-time national champion Kamlesh Mehta was in Rajahmundry at the invitation of the Andhra Pradesh Table Tennis Association (APTTA) to conduct a camp for the state’s players. On his way back to Mumbai, he had a brief stop-over at the St. Paul’s Table Tennis Academy in Hyderabad. The elder statesman of Indian table tennis spoke to Sportstar on the game in India and the world over. Excerpts:

Question: Have you played in any of the foreign leagues/clubs?

Answer: I had offers to play in Germany and Italy in 1987, 88 but they didn’t materalise.

Where does table tennis thrive across the world ?

The league is strongest in Germany. Sweden, Italy, Spain, France and China (highly restricted to domestic players except for a few top rung internationals) also have flourishing systems. It’s doing well in Bangladesh too. Earlier, Indian players were invited but now they are inviting Asian level paddlers as well.

Who funds them?

Local affiliation plays a strong role, area community centres providing the platform. For instance, the sport in Falkenberg, Sweden is supported by local hotels, resorts and businesses. Banners at venues give sponsors mileage.

Often it’s less of T shirt and more sponsor logos on players! Clubs are also affiliated to TT equipment manufacturers, who provide not only tables and balls but also racquet rubbers to players, representing the club.

A home and away system means fairly decent ticket sales. While some clubs have small sponsors, the bigger ones are backed by corporates and MNCs. Club membership is another source of revenue besides renting out the venue for social functions, musical evenings and so on.

Whom do they entertain?

Mainly locals attend tournaments besides visiting fans, although they are nowhere as numerous as the followers of football.

How do they sustain themselves?

Clubs plan their budgets well, so much so that their closure is very rare. With a restriction on foreign players, a club’s financial well-being decides how many big guns they can hire.

Who invests in these clubs?

Besides sponsors looking for mileage for their patronage, there are owners also. People do put their money into table tennis.

Is it possible to have an IPTTL on the lines of the successful Indian Volley League (IVL)? If not, why?

If badminton, a non-cricket sport, has succeeded with leagues in Maharashtra and Karnataka, I don’t see why not table tennis too. As early as the 60s itself, there were inter-office and inter club leagues in Mumbai.

There was no money, since clubs were more social in approach than sports oriented. Nonetheless, they offered opportunities to players to not only get noticed but get recruited by various companies.

Nowadays, club membership fees have skyrocketed, denying the average citizen a chance. The social aspects have taken precedence over sports in most clubs. Recruitment of paddlers has reduced drastically too.

How can sponsors be roped in?

Although corporate sponsorship is lacking, the scene in table tennis is getting better. One needs to learn from cricket marketing and adapt on a smaller scale, although finding sponsors for TT would be tougher.

How can the support base be widened?

Good coaches would make a big difference as they help spread knowledge of the sport. Right now, coaching’s not an attractive career. In my time, coaching was almost non-existent. In China there’s no dearth of good coaches.

Why don’t schools take up TT in a bigger way?

Sports in schools is vanishing steadily with urban areas offering little space and rural areas no facilities. TT’s distinctive advantages are initial investment and space requirement are low.

It can also be played on a dining table by one belonging to any age group. So there’s huge scope to popularise the game. Sadly, the stars in TT are few, compared to say badminton.

Media coverage of local sports events has reduced drastically, in some cases finding place only a couple of times a week. Instead newspapers have European and international football. So without media attention, player interest also dwindles.

What is needed to promote the game?

Only money is not the answer. Events should be organised well. Marketing can be better. The system should throw up more stars. Increased media participation and support should be encouraged. With some good leadership and administration, the game can grow.

After a flamboyant start, why did the ONGC TT league in Kolkata fail to take off?

Kamlesh Mehta during his coaching stint in Hyderabad /                                         Photo:AHMED MOHIUDDIN SALEEM

I have heard various reasons but don’t know myself, but I wish it had taken off.

What prevents clubs in India from supporting the game?

Club culture supportive to table tennis is lacking in the country, except in Bengal perhaps. Sports facilities are limited to members only, unlike foreign countries, where they are open to the community.

Do you have a role in TTFI?

Along with Bhawani Mukherjee, Montu Ghosh, Manjit Dua and Monalisa Mehta, I’m on the TTFI panel of national selectors.

What do you do outside TT?

I coach at the Matunga Gymkhana in Mumbai, besides administrative involvement in the conduct of TT here. I’m also a brand ambassador for Stag International and will shortly from now monitor progress of players they are sponsoring.

Like I came to AP, I hold camps in various States. I am going to Gujarat soon. I am involved in the development and promotion of TT.

Are your children into the game?

Our son Sunit Mehta played state level upto class XII, representing Mumbai in sub-junior, junior and youth championships.

Do you have a vision for the game in the country?

In our time, India had reached a ranking of No. 12 in the world. Now I hope we crack the top 10.

source: http://www.SportStarnet.com / Vol. 35, No. 20, May 17th, 2012