TRAGIC DISQUALIFICATION IN 100 MTRS.RACE.

It was very shocking scene two days back to watch the fastest runner of the world Usain Bolt from Jamaica disqualified for false start in the 100 metres final in Korea where the World Athletics Meet is under way now. Bolt is the reigning Olympic champion and when he ran in the last Olympics at Beijing he surpassed all the previous fastest runners by running the event in the fastest timing one ever ran. His timing would have been still better if he had not to slow down during the last 15 metres taking for granted that victory is already in his pocket. Normally in 100 metres sprint the winners selected thru photo finish but for Bolt in the last Olympics it was totally different because almost from 15 metres before the finishing line Bolt was far ahead of his other world class competitors when he boasted of his victory by beating his chest saying ”I am the best”. Earlier top Olympian sprinters like Jim Hynes, Valery Borzov, Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis never boasted like Usain Bolt but Bolt is of totally different category sprinter. Carl Lewis after he saw Bolt at Beijing Olympics coming out first in 100 metres, remarked that he could not believe seeing what he saw of Bolt. It all happened because of the improved advanced methods of training. A small unknown country like Jamaica can produce such stalwarts then why we in India cannot do the same?

It was a very pathetic sight to watch Husain Bolt in desperate state immediately following his disqualification. In desperation he lost his sanity for a few moments, removed his Banyan in the middle of the track, went into the dressing room and banged his head on to the wall. Thank God he did not lose his mental balance. It was too much for him to bear this colossal loss. In his loss in this important race for which he practiced so hard for so many months together, he also suffered a loss in millions besides loss of his image. To start the 100 metres race one has to be totally alert and good frame of mind besides good frame of physical fitness and physical alertness. If your start is good then the 50 per cent of the victory is yours for this reason your start should exactly synchronize with the trigger of the gun. Usain Bolt inspite of his vast experience and training in this field still faulted and this fault cost him very dearly. I feel sorry for him. I missed a great opportunity to see him running a great race and enjoying it. In his disqualification the current World Athletics Meet has lost much of its charm and glamour. Usain Bolt was the victim of the latest rule change by the World Athletics Federation which stopped giving second chance for the first time falters. According to the earlier rule second chance was given if one takes a false start for the first time.

During my hey days in Goa I was not a world class runner but proved to be the fastest runner of Goa being an individual All Goa Inter School Champion and All Goa Junior individual champion. 100 metres was my favourite item and during the final of my record creating run in this item I faulted once but taking advantage of the second and last chance I became more alert to syncronise my start with the sound of the gun shot and began my race with confidence till I came out first. The starting point in 100 metres is killing you mentally, there is tremendous pressure on your nerves and all your body muscles vibrate your whole body. 100 metres race is the most grueling and strenuous race among all the running races. For this reason the winner of 100 metres is considered as hero of the Athletics Meet at regional or at international level.

A. Veronica Frnandes,
Kuwait.

CAN WE SAY SAYONORA TO CORRUPTION FOREVER?

Thank You Annaji ! All the fizz and the buzz of the last two weeks has
finally died down, the news and the talks on TV were indeed getting
monotonous and overbearing and we, the Indian public have had enough
of it, to last us a life time and now the forever hungry Indian media
will have to wait for yet another fast or yet another scam to feast
on.

Anna’s loud and aggressive tirade against corruption is a worthy cause
which people of all walks of life have embraced, with open arms and
clenched fists, there is no doubt that corruption has been a curse
that’s been usurped and promoted by our erstwhile and present
political luminaries to such an extent that in the last few years,
scams have been surfacing like mushrooms, on a mushroom farm,
curtailing and barricading the social and economic growth of the
states and the country.

There is absolutely no doubt that our politicians especially the
Congress, tried to bulldoze the bill with it’s dictatorial mindset
trying to emphasize that bill making was their congenital right as
elected representatives and the public should have to live with it,
come what may, but with Anna’s obstinacy and the dissenting voices
clamoring for a change, growing steadily louder by the day, a remedial
legislative action had to be taken for damage control, but
unfortunately the damage done by the Congress attitude and the delay
is certainly well beyond repairs.

Corruption, like bigotry can take on more insidious forms, if allowed
to incubate and spread, not that they both are a new found phenomena,
what I want to say is, if both are allowed open space and time, they
can be equally dangerous for the wellbeing of the people as well as
the country, so every marginalised group will have to be brought under
the ambit of this bill and we will also need to stigmatize corruption
as the perennial appendage of all evil and shame by punishing the
guilty with firmness and harshness, no matter who, leaving no doubt of
its far reaching and dire consequences, instead of just ostensibly
promising action against those professing and promoting corruption.

Even though Anna’s crusade has been supported by majority Indians
because of its critical issue, there has been criticism too from some
quarters because of his RSS background and the Modi issue, but these
however cannot dilute the efforts of this seventy four year old to
fight corruption. Knowing our politicians, we understand what they
stand for and why they stand for, so BJP’s double feet plunge in
support of Anna in the last days of fast can be very easily identified
and analyzed without much of an effort. So also some politicians form
either side of the great divide have made statements and showed their
presence in support of the anti corruption crusade of Anna but we all
know why, elections are just round the corner.

Anna being a simple man with a simple mind could be vulnerable to
manipulations from our highly skillful manipulators in all forms and
colours and I only hope Anna and his henchmen and women are wise and
cautious enough to identify the hyenas on the prowl in their midst.

If the Bill has to be a success we will have to be vigilant and cover
every loophole that may allow corruption to proliferate under it’s
very nose and eyes undetected and above all, to facilitate the
effectiveness of this Bill we ourselves will have to say no to
corruption and become incorruptible, but even then the monumental
question that perturbs me most is, will the Jan Lokpal Bill be the one
Bill army, a solution to all our myriad problems ? With this bill,
will we be able to say sayonara to corruption forever ?

Freddy Agnelo Fernandes.