Commonwealth Games: Opportunity in disguise?

New Delhi is all set to host the greatest event so far in the tenure of the nation when the Commonwealth Games kick off in October. India, not considered at par with other countries like China, USA, Russia and so on when it comes to the sporting arena, has got a point to prove and the Games may, well, prove to be the break that the nation is in search of.

The Commonwealth Games are, no doubt, no way close to the Olympics or even Asian Games in terms of the prestige,pomp, splendor and popularity. Still the event can go a long way to transform the nation's image before other sporting nations of the world.

As goes the saying," A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner",the event has already been hit with its own share of setbacks with the withdrawal of many big names including the likes of Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell. The Games would have soared high on the popularity charts had it been blessed with the Olympic and world champions in a face off. It would have been a dream come true moment for the spectators as well as the nation had Delhi witnessed the two champions pushing each other to the limits and possibly creating new records in the process on Indian soil.

Besides, Delhi would also miss British cyclists and Olympic champions Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, tennis player Andy Murray and Jamaica's 100m Olympic champion Shelly Ann- Fraser.

Despite these setbacks, the success of Commonwealth Games can take India a step ahead and it may get the privilege of hosting the Asian Games sometime soon. Though the bid to host the Olympics seems a distant dream at this point of time but the future may spring up some golden opportunities for the nation to be at par with other sporting giants.

Can India break the jinx with these Commonwealth Games? Can these Games prove to be the lucky mascot for the nation in its attempt to establish itself as a major force in the world of sports? The answers to these questions lie with time and in order to make the most of this golden chance, it's high time that the Center as well as the Sports ministry led by Mr. M.S. Gill pay heed to every nook and cranny instead of finding excuses for its failure.

Is Federer's game on a wane?

This question may not seem so unfamiliar to the tennis pundits or even tennis fans, more so in the wake of the recent losses inflicted on the Swiss Maestro by hard hitting underdogs. No, my fingers do not point towards any ATP 500 series or even ATP 1000 Masters. I am talking about two quarterfinal losses for Roger Federer in Grand Slams,the tournaments considered to be his own backyard, the tournaments where he has managed to make record 23 consecutive semifinals or better appearances, the tournaments which are deemed as rejuvenatory of the champion's form irrespective of his performances coming into the event.

This question, on one hand, would surely irritate the "Fedophiles" but on the other hand,it poses some serious question marks over the future of the sport,which had been dominated more or less by a single exponent of the sport for around four years.

The losses came at the hands of two hard hitters ,above average baseline players who exposed the chink in the Emperor's armor by their precise and blistering forehands and booming serves as well as a rock-solid baseline game.Though Federer's forehand, his first serve percentage and the return games too were far from being impressive, yet Robin Soderling and Tomas Berdych deserve full credit for having the courage to execute their game plan perfectly and that too, while facing a 16-time Grand Slam champion on the other side of the net.

Winning is more about self belief than skills and talent. With the flaws in the champion's game left wide open, more up and coming players are no more afraid to fancy their chances against the king Federer. The losses at the biggest stages were not merely losses. With the resurgence in Nadal's form, Federer slumped to a ranking of No 3 in the world, his lowest since November 2003.

All these facts and figures are more than adequate for a layman to predict the end of Federer's era in tennis. Though Federer's claims of back and leg injuries did not go well neither with his opponent( Berdych) nor with the critics, the champion did vow to come back strongly. As Tim Henman puts it," Write off Federer at your own peril", it seems very much on the cards that the champion would claw his way back and hit his top form soon. Winners are made up of champion stuff and it is only when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

For all those "Fed-haters" or say, "Fed-doubters" out there, watch out for some mouth-watering game coming your way from the Maestro himself and maybe possibly, one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the sport.