Mihir Bose's Blog, page 61
September 28, 2012
At home: Katherine Grainger
Financial Times
The Olympic rower talks about her 12-year struggle to strike gold, her academic career – and the healing power of safari
It’s very clearly an Olympic rower’s house right now,” says Katherine Grainger as she ushers me in from the rain into her red-brick house in Maidenhead, Surrey, in the south-east of England.
“Right now” suggests that she feels apologetic about her rowing paraphernalia lying unpacked in the study. This is odd after a summer of outstanding sporting spectacle, with Grainger’s story a scriptwriter’s dream. Dubbed the Steve Redgrave of women’s rowing, in three previous Olympics – Sydney, Athens, Beijing – she had to settle for silver. Then, on home waters, and with the nation holding its breath, she finally struck gold, victory in the double sculls giving her the place on top of the podium for which she had strived so hard, and for so long.
However, as Grainger leads me to the sitting room, it becomes clear that her rowing reference was not an apology but a statement about her home. She may have won 12 medals at world championships and Olympics since 1997 but, she says, “I use my house to get away from rowing in a good way. The only room with rowing pictures is my study. The others are deliberately not rowing or sport.” The sitting room is dominated by photographs of elephants and lions. “They give me perspective and balance,” she says. That was vital after the Beijing Olympics, where she lost gold in the quadruple sculls by a small margin. “It was a crushing disappointment, like suffering a massive personal loss. I had to go through a huge grieving process.” Read the full article
The Olympic rower talks about her 12-year struggle to strike gold, her academic career – and the healing power of safari
It’s very clearly an Olympic rower’s house right now,” says Katherine Grainger as she ushers me in from the rain into her red-brick house in Maidenhead, Surrey, in the south-east of England.
“Right now” suggests that she feels apologetic about her rowing paraphernalia lying unpacked in the study. This is odd after a summer of outstanding sporting spectacle, with Grainger’s story a scriptwriter’s dream. Dubbed the Steve Redgrave of women’s rowing, in three previous Olympics – Sydney, Athens, Beijing – she had to settle for silver. Then, on home waters, and with the nation holding its breath, she finally struck gold, victory in the double sculls giving her the place on top of the podium for which she had strived so hard, and for so long.
However, as Grainger leads me to the sitting room, it becomes clear that her rowing reference was not an apology but a statement about her home. She may have won 12 medals at world championships and Olympics since 1997 but, she says, “I use my house to get away from rowing in a good way. The only room with rowing pictures is my study. The others are deliberately not rowing or sport.” The sitting room is dominated by photographs of elephants and lions. “They give me perspective and balance,” she says. That was vital after the Beijing Olympics, where she lost gold in the quadruple sculls by a small margin. “It was a crushing disappointment, like suffering a massive personal loss. I had to go through a huge grieving process.” Read the full article
September 25, 2012
Michel Platini: Get set for my winter World Cup
Evening Standard
UEFA president on his radical plan for the 2022 tournament in Qatar which could change the calendar for Euro football
Michel Platini once turned down the chance to play in England because there is no winter break on these shores.
Tottenham fans will wince at the revelation that the much decorated midfielder was minded to move to the club in 1982 until he discovered the season here did not stop for Christmas.
UEFA president on his radical plan for the 2022 tournament in Qatar which could change the calendar for Euro football
Michel Platini once turned down the chance to play in England because there is no winter break on these shores.
Tottenham fans will wince at the revelation that the much decorated midfielder was minded to move to the club in 1982 until he discovered the season here did not stop for Christmas.
September 23, 2012
Change the law to stop homophobia, urge FA
The Independent
The Football Association wants homophobic chanting outlawed under the same legislation currently used to stop racist abuse.
The governing body is also calling on the Government to ensure that technology providers are made aware of their responsibility in "managing abusive behaviour via their platforms".
The measures indicate a belief within the game's governing body that more must be done to curb all forms of abuse.
The Football Association wants homophobic chanting outlawed under the same legislation currently used to stop racist abuse.
The governing body is also calling on the Government to ensure that technology providers are made aware of their responsibility in "managing abusive behaviour via their platforms".
The measures indicate a belief within the game's governing body that more must be done to curb all forms of abuse.
September 18, 2012
Stuart Broad shoulders England World Twenty20 hopes
All-rounder shrugged off disappointment of his first two World Twenty20 campaigns to win last time out and is confident that his England team will put up a strong defence
Evening Standard
Stuart Broad is preparing to lead England in the defence of their World Twenty20 title well aware that the shortest form of cricket can quickly turn you into a villain.
At the inaugural tournament in South Africa five years ago, Broad was hit for six sixes in an over by India’s Yuvraj Singh. Two years later, he bowled the final over of the competition’s opening match at Lord’s with Holland requiring seven to win. He missed three run-outs and dropped a catch, leading to a sensational win for the minnows on their first visit to the headquarters.
Evening Standard
Stuart Broad is preparing to lead England in the defence of their World Twenty20 title well aware that the shortest form of cricket can quickly turn you into a villain.
At the inaugural tournament in South Africa five years ago, Broad was hit for six sixes in an over by India’s Yuvraj Singh. Two years later, he bowled the final over of the competition’s opening match at Lord’s with Holland requiring seven to win. He missed three run-outs and dropped a catch, leading to a sensational win for the minnows on their first visit to the headquarters.
September 13, 2012
Alastair Cook: We had an amazing run as a Test team but being No1 in the world did not sit comfortably with us
New Test skipper Alastair Cook insists the Kevin Pietersen affair did not derail England’s summer and, after sitting in on his first selectors’ meeting, says he’s ready to lead a gruelling winter tour of India
Evening Standard
Alastair Cook has no fear that, after a summer of unprecedented sporting success, a nation famous for treasuring plucky losers may suddenly expect victory all the time.
The expectation for British sport has been raised to an unsupportable level but that is not a burden for the new England cricket captain, who on Tuesday took part in his first selection meeting to select the squad for the winter tour of India.
Evening Standard
Alastair Cook has no fear that, after a summer of unprecedented sporting success, a nation famous for treasuring plucky losers may suddenly expect victory all the time.
The expectation for British sport has been raised to an unsupportable level but that is not a burden for the new England cricket captain, who on Tuesday took part in his first selection meeting to select the squad for the winter tour of India.
September 4, 2012
Peter Hill-Wood: Of course Arsenal can win the league this season . . . and Spurs won’t trouble us
Evening Standard
Arsenal’s victory at Liverpool may go some way to reassuring restive fans that this campaign will not be a repeat of last season. Then, after suffering their worst start in nearly 60 years, Arsenal just edged Tottenham in the race for the Champions League, largely due to the collapse of their bitter north London rivals.
But, even before Sunday’s success, Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood had no doubt that wider horizons beckon this season. We met at his home in Sandwich as the Old Etonian prepared for his annual holiday to Long Island in New York and the 76-year-old could not have been more confident.
Arsenal’s victory at Liverpool may go some way to reassuring restive fans that this campaign will not be a repeat of last season. Then, after suffering their worst start in nearly 60 years, Arsenal just edged Tottenham in the race for the Champions League, largely due to the collapse of their bitter north London rivals.
But, even before Sunday’s success, Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood had no doubt that wider horizons beckon this season. We met at his home in Sandwich as the Old Etonian prepared for his annual holiday to Long Island in New York and the 76-year-old could not have been more confident.
August 24, 2012
Could the collateral damage of FIFA’s reform be the loss of Britain’s home teams?
Insideworldfootball
It was always to be expected that the London 2102 Olympics would see a Team GB in football for the one and only time in the modern era. This was inevitable given the vehement opposition of the Scots, and the lukewarm response of the other home nations; fearful that an Olympic Team GB will mean the end of Britain's unique position in world football, the only country with four teams.
But while Team GB in the wider football world will never come about, I get the strong sense that the London Games marked a major, indeed historic, shift in the relationship between the FA and FIFA, and the other home nations. It is, in many ways, a further development of what has been a steady progression for some time. And when the change is finally confirmed, as I expect it to be soon, it will mean that the English FA, which has often had a turbulent rollercoaster ride with FIFA, will have finally come to terms with the world organisation. In essence, what the change amounts to is that the FA no longer wants to be tied to the home nations when it comes to international football.
It was always to be expected that the London 2102 Olympics would see a Team GB in football for the one and only time in the modern era. This was inevitable given the vehement opposition of the Scots, and the lukewarm response of the other home nations; fearful that an Olympic Team GB will mean the end of Britain's unique position in world football, the only country with four teams.
But while Team GB in the wider football world will never come about, I get the strong sense that the London Games marked a major, indeed historic, shift in the relationship between the FA and FIFA, and the other home nations. It is, in many ways, a further development of what has been a steady progression for some time. And when the change is finally confirmed, as I expect it to be soon, it will mean that the English FA, which has often had a turbulent rollercoaster ride with FIFA, will have finally come to terms with the world organisation. In essence, what the change amounts to is that the FA no longer wants to be tied to the home nations when it comes to international football.
August 20, 2012
Edinburgh Festival is great, but could learn from London 2012
In the last few days, I have fulfilled a long term ambition: to go to the Edinburgh Festival. It came about because I was asked to speak about my book, The Spirit of the Game, at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. My wife, Caroline, and I decided we would combine the trip with an extended [...]
August 18, 2012
Football, with its herd mentality, could learn from Olympic sports’ willingness to share information
Insideworldfootball
The Olympics always puts football in the box, if only for a brief two-week period.
Indeed, the very nature of football's participation in the Games, with teams composed of players who hope to aspire to be the best, but are not yet the best, give it the status of an interloper. And as if to emphasise this status, football starts even before the Opening Ceremony. In the wider world, it may be the greatest of all sports, but in the Olympics it is just one of 26, and by no means the most important – that distinction going to track and field.
The Olympics always puts football in the box, if only for a brief two-week period.
Indeed, the very nature of football's participation in the Games, with teams composed of players who hope to aspire to be the best, but are not yet the best, give it the status of an interloper. And as if to emphasise this status, football starts even before the Opening Ceremony. In the wider world, it may be the greatest of all sports, but in the Olympics it is just one of 26, and by no means the most important – that distinction going to track and field.
August 17, 2012
Don’t have too many hopes of Olympic spirit in football
It’s not easy to make Club England like Team GB
PlayUp
So goodbye Team GB and welcome back club England. The timing of England’s match against Italy, three days after the end of the Games, was very telling. For while this pre-season friendly – albeit it showed English football is not quite bereft of ability – is [...]
PlayUp
So goodbye Team GB and welcome back club England. The timing of England’s match against Italy, three days after the end of the Games, was very telling. For while this pre-season friendly – albeit it showed English football is not quite bereft of ability – is [...]
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