S R Khelkoodkar
The football World Cup is barely two weeks away and the excitement is palpable. Squads have been announced, training camps have begun, and the speculation and theorising can now begin in earnest.
The Asian Age comes out with a bold opinion. According to an article, `As much as we rave about the exuberance of the youth, there is no way its flip side can be swept under the carpet.` Experience, in other words, is what they put their money on, at the expense of youth.
The article says that young players will `need something more than a combination of fresh legs and fearless minds to excel at the biggest stage in football. The post-Pele history of the World Cup has been markedly kinder to experienced players. Though Maradona single-handedly won Argentina the title in 1986, he was certainly not a starry-eyed young man in Mexico`
Waxing lyrical, the article continues with an example: `If ever a 20-year-old had the innate ability and insouciance to dominate the World Cup, it was Wayne Rooney. But his participation itself is in doubt as he is nursing a broken metatarsal. Even if the Manchester United star does, it will not be enough to see England through. In an era of increasing emphasis on collective might, the incandescence of an individual has a limit.`
This is an interesting point. Especially so because everybody feels that this is a World Cup that will be dominated by young players. Indeed, there are many names that threaten to do just that. The name Ronaldinho, for example, springs to mind.
The Telegraph ran an exclusive feature. What was it? It was the Indian cricket team`s picks for the best team, likely winner and favourite player for the World Cup. However meaningless, it added to the store of celebrity opinions we have on the subject. In a country where we`re more than happy to piggyback ride on other people`s opinions, these are especially good ones to have. But since Sachin Tendulkar wasn`t asked the question, we don`t have his answer. (For those who are interested, by the way, the most popular team is Brazil, and the most popular player Ronaldinho.)
While on Tendulkar, the Telegraph ran one of their trademark stories based on the word of a `well-placed source`. The source apparently said that Tendulkar was a certainty for the upcoming test series against West Indies, and the Telegraph was convinced enough to print the story. As of writing this he has ruled himself out, saying his shoulder has not recovered sufficiently. It looks like the source wasn`t so well-placed after all.
The Hindustan Times used the chance to do a little introspection. With an interview of Bhaichung Bhutia, they said that this is the opportunity for Indian referees to `study and learn the intricacies of officiating.` This is also a chance, Bhutia said, to develop the game at the grassroot level. "Organising tournaments at different age groups would go a long way in developing a pool of talented players to choose from."
The Hindustan Times has developed an impressive World Cup template on their website, with features like a countdown timer to the first game, as well as a list of upcoming matches, competitions, and others.
The Deccan Herald fell into the England trap. With a headline saying `17 days to the World Cup`, you perhaps expected a little more than an update on England striker Wayne Rooney`s recovery programme.
The Hindu, at least on their website, didn`t feel the World Cup was worth mentioning.