Resorting to Reminisce!

To everyone reading this, (and to all 7 billion minus 10 not reading this 😉 ) :

The world is facing one of its biggest crisis in the new age of globalisation. So what, you say? Well, globalisation means, “We’re in this TOGETHER!” We’ll fight it, we’ll contain it, WE WILL DEFEAT IT!

All good wishes to the people braving Covid, bearing Covid and BEATING COVID!

Coronavirus, as it continues to wreck havoc, claims responsibility of another unsuspecting victim, SPORTS!

Football league fixtures stand “TBD” threatening Liverpool to snatch its dream run, deafening Real Madrid’s Potential claim at long forgotten Spanish glory, stagnating Champions league, Europa league and everything beyond and between! Euro shifts to 2021- is it the stars playing to recreate the perfect setup for Portuguese luck? Or have those stars been disrupted inching the current champions away from their silverware? But when has it ever been just the stars?! (Maybe, at least, definitely 2016!)

Meanwhile F1 Champ Verstappen lost at a Virtual Grand Prix- a CoronaVised tactic, just like my will to continue with online classes. (I am after all a champion’s equal in some way!) For the first time ever, I miss the vroom vroom vaaaaaooooovaaaovaaaooo. (I know tears rolled down your eyes, as you reminisce that deafening car cries!)

The ripples are felt across lands as another lifeline is blocked by this tormentor so great. Chess champ Anand Sir is awaited back home as the battle of brains is eclipsed by a lawless microbe. Players look onto empty stands only to rejoice in an awkward silence, while many are tucked away from eyes; safe, sound and quarantined! 

Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar Sir called out BCCI to hold a proper Women’s IPL as soon as possible only to receive nada response, but now BCCI sits still as the men’s IPL is at its verge of ether being cancelled, or being played in front of empty stands- either ways losing a whole lot of money! “Pull crowds, they said.” They might even realise to do better than bet away 90% of money and resources in a single place. That’s a gamble they should learn from. 

No wonder the elders teach us to put money in different places, helpeth thee in tymes sore! ICC Women’s T20 World Cup would agree. BCCI could’ve capitalised from this tournament big time, but then they would’ve lost their own argument as to why the Women’s game gets so poor a share. Hope when this crisis is over,Indian cricket would know better.

Pulling crowds maketh money? The USWNT would disagree. Despite being the more successful team than their male counterparts (much much more , they are the reigning World Champs, since 2015) and despite winning accolades the men could only dream of, and despite being the best in the world while the USMNT is not even the best in the US, they’re paid a fraction of male salaries. The ongoing lawsuit has pushed a few misogynists to handover their resignation, oh no, they don’t deserve such kind words, let me rephrase: the spineless, brainless blood sucking misogynistic pest has been terminated from the hierarchy as they die a little everyday and see their egos crumbling. We should learn from the USWNT, the other pests should await their doom.

Tokyo is trying its level best to put on a great Olympics as the torch bearing ceremonies power on with its share of firsts, but even that spectacle has become a mere formality as the Republic is confined to witness it on their TVs! Japan hopes to pick up its economy and sporting authority as it prays this monster that we all know would disappear in due time to let the games begin 😉 Would it be so?  Or will the festival be devoured? Will this Virus join the top spots with the World Wars as THE EVILS WHO PLAYED US? Time will tell, even though I’d rather not listen.

The sports columns of newspapers are no more so. It’s not who won, it’s who’s still out! It’s not ranking tables, it’s case statistics. It’s not possession percentage, it’s infected fraction. “Thank God it’s not a contact sport”. Sure?

It’s not hard to imagine Kobe Bryant shouting from up above, “Don’t make me come down there, punk!”, and if he’s saying so, Covid should be scared! 

I was never a fan of watching reruns and highlights when it came to sports, it just defeats the purpose of praying for your team, jumping off the sets and staying in a particular “lucky place”. I still am not. And it so happened that as I scrolled through the news, I saw a familiar face talking about Real Madrid (My blood is white! Halaaaa Madrid!). It was at least 10 seconds before I could realise it was our Coach Zizou Sir XD. Out of sight for too long, kind Sirs and ma’ams. Please come back! 

Could Priyanka Chopra ma’am, Lord Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Rajnikanth Sir, and Shafali Verma please join forces to quarantine this virus? Thank You!