Game on...

What does Olympics mean for you?
I have watched the last couple of Olympics in NBC in the US.The coverage was all US (understandable, though irritating) and it was all about the US players.Where they come from, their trials and tribulations, their sacrifices, the heartaches, the dizzying success, their work ethic – everything added to the narrative for me.It was always the personal story that got me and kept me tuning in and watching all kinds of sports.
This time, I am watching it in India.There is a lot more coverage of events that India is not participating in (understandable – India does not participate in much J) and so the event is truly international.But there are NO stories.  This is just one event after another without pausing to cover the players involved at all.   I cannot distinguish one athlete from the other.I can’t pick favourites, because I do not know much about anyone.Given this, I am unable to watch a lot of sports that I do not necessarily care about.
Give me NBC any …

It is easy to write something about a player after he/she has won something big.   I am writing this right after Saina Nehwal has lost her semi finals to Wang Yihan in the Olympics today. 
I have to confess; I have not seen a lot of Saina before the Olympics.I have watched her play a few times here and there and read about her exploits over the past couple of years.I was very impressed with what I saw.There is lots to like about this young lady and very little to criticize.She has a complete game and seems unfazed by whatever is happening around her.I am sure she was feeling the pressure of the nation as she played the Olympics – but looking at her, you could hardly tell.I compared her facial expressions from the final points in her win in the quarter finals against Tina Baun and the loss in the semi-finals to Wang– to see if she was reacting differently to win and loss.Nothing.

Reminded me of another great player of the modern age whom I see displaying the same quality – Roger Federe…