The nail biting finish of football; Hima Das’s gold hunt
France emerged as the champion of world football. The next four years, France will live with this title and fame. The football fever that had taken over the whole world will now gradually reduce. This fever does not make one ill, but fills the onlooker with some excitement. This ultimate sport fills everyone with joy.
France, the veterans team, never lost a single match in this tourney. Their last match with Croatia was a very planned and well executed one. That beautiful game has caught everyone’s fancy. This victory is as much of the team members, as it is of the French coach Didier Deschamps.
Deschamps had made a strategy that at the onset of match beginning, the opposite team has to be controlled and then the team position has to be reestablished, and finally the team has to play consolidated and well-planned game. France players played by this strategy to the last word.
Hence, when the first half of the match was over, though the ball was with Croatia, France had achieved 2-1. Croatia didn’t lose sight with that score, they played well and played hard. But in the second half, France added two more goals to the score and Croatia could add only one. Though the curtains came down on the tourney in Russia, this excitement has started in France and will live on for a few more months. People are gathering in thousands to celebrate this victory. Though Croatia missed its world cup with a few goals, the country is excited all the same since the very fact that they reached finals itself was a massive feat.
All over the world, people were rooting for Croatia and the players caught fancy of fans with their skill, speed, technique and swiftness.
Many champion teams had been reduced to dust in this tourney. Many champion players had lost their charm and game too. On the other hand, unexpected heroes such as Belgium, and Croatia had reached Semi-Final and Finals, challenging big teams such as France and England. The new stars that are born now are known by the names such as Neymar, Lukaku, Baptie, Kane, Griezmann among the others.
The World Cup Tourney is like a field infested with landmines. A ball that sails though and moves swiftly from one leg to another, is like a live bomb. Every time it launches itself towards the Goal Keeper like a missile, and this can cause massive palpitations to people. And for another such event, one has to wait for another four years. This year, except for the fact that India didn’t have its team here, the country quite enjoyed the game to the hilt. Why India has not been able to create a team of its own in football is a question that needs to be debated on. The time is now ripe to think of a game played on the field, such as football.
In this melee, a girl from the fields of paddy in Assam quietly created a record without much fanfare. The whole world is now looking at her with great interest. Hima won a gold medal in under 20 category of 400 mts track event in IAF World Athletics Championship. When Hima Das bagged the medal, it was the first ever Gold for Indian in a track race. Hima is not a result of some high end training in city.
Instead, she was born as a daughter of paddy farmer in Assam. She took to football initially and was recognized by a very committed football coach. As a result of his identification and forcing her to move to better facilities, India today is taking pride in its daughter for having won gold. Today we are looking for talents in cities, but instead of this, boys and girls from rural areas are quietly making inroads into these sports events. We need to hone skills of rural talents with great urgency. Hima Das’s achievement is that massive.
At the same time, instead of celebrating Hima’s rare feat, Indian Athletics Federation tweeted about her not-so-fluent english. This tweet shows the subordination to English by sports authorities. This is a big indicator for the kind of attitude Federation has about rural candidates. One can easily understand why India is lagging behind in Olympics. Our priorities are all wrong.
A country like Croatia is now achieving great feats in football, globally. Small countries like Cuba are making great strides in Olympics. English is a language that’s largely alien to them. Those officers who are carrying the ego of English on their heads need to be kicked out from Indian Athletics Federation. The task of encouraging rural sports must begin from that point.
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Wine Merchants’ Association alleges corruption in excise dept, Minister Thimmapur refutes charge
Bengaluru, Nov 5: The Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association has alleged that the Excise Minister R B Thimmapur’s office has collected Rs 16 crore from various excise department officers by transferring them in and around Bengaluru.
While the Minister refuted the allegation, the opposition BJP got new ammunition to target the ruling Congress.
In a letter to the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Secretary and the Karnataka Lokayukta, the Association alleged that the Minister's office is involved in rampant corruption.
“Huge bribes and money laundering took place in the excise minister office in Bengaluru in transferring excise officers and to control illegal collection of money for election purposes from excise officials,” the letter sent by mail read.
Explaining further, the Association said about Rs 16 crore has been collected on a single day from three deputy commissioners of excise, nine excise superintendents, 13 deputy superintendents of excise and 20 excise inspectors “for transferring in and around Bengaluru from past 2 to 3.5 years, as their tenure was getting completed within a month.”
Naming a deputy commissioner, the letter said the officer was collecting money somewhere between Rs 25 lakh to Rs 40 lakh from each officer for transferring them.
The Association said Rs 2.5 crore to Rs three crore was collected from deputy commissioners (excise) working in Bengaluru.
The association has demanded action against those involved "in this corruption."
“No such thing has happened. You must ask them why they went to pay money. Why would anyone pay if everything is correct?” Thimmapur told reporters at Shiggaon in Haveri district.
He also assured to take action against officers if they have collected money.
“The matter is that when these people (wine merchants) do something wrong then they (officers) harass them. The wine merchants should rectify themselves,” the Minister said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, R Ashoka alleged that there was a Rs 700 crore liquor scam in the state.
“The Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association in its letter to CM @Siddaramaiah has alleged that State Excise Minister R B Timmapur is involved in blatant extortion and bribery, unfolding another dark episode of the series of scams by 'SCAM'gress Govt in Karnataka,” he said in a post on ‘X’.
He said the Association has alleged that CL7 bar licences were given after collecting a bribe amount of anywhere between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 70 lakh each by the Minister.
In the last one year, 1,000 such illegal licences were given by the excise minister, amounting to Rs 300 crore to Rs 700 crore in corruption, Ashoka alleged.
“After the Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation Scam, MUDA land scam, KIADB land scam, Waqf Scam, this Liquor scam is yet another fresh addition to the series of scams by CM Siddaramaiah led Congress Government in the last 17 months,” the BJP leader alleged.
