If you’re one of those people who flip past the sports pages to get to the funnies, it’s time you got on the same page as the hip crowd — the sports page. Like all Western trends, being sports-savvy has now become de rigeur in most social circles.
Roger Federer, Sania Mirza, Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and of course M.S. Dhoni are household names now. but, you also need to know second rung players, their stats, status of their injuries and what the coach told the umpire last week. Being unaware of their latest successes or failures is suddenly a social disadvantage. In addition, if you play a sport yourself, then you get extra points.
From the madness of Twenty20 fever, to the hype surrounding the Roland Garros French Open and the upcoming World Cup, sports is the topic on everyone’s mind and everyone’s lips.
Now the big screens are broadcasting tennis championships, football league matches, Formula One races and a host of other sports. “It’s the new fad among youngsters to know sports, especially in pubs and parties,” agrees Pavitra, a student at JBIT.
Naturally then, in this sports-crazy society, there is a new, lofty status reserved for athletes. “People at my school who play sports are often the most popular,” claims Mrinalini Ramnath, a student at St.Ann’s High School.
And while the aura of exclusivity ascribed to people who play sports is intriguing, there is a new significance in just being associated with an athlete. “There are girls who become famous in schools for dating athletes. It is trendy,” says Dolly Joy of Indo-American College.
The country’s rabid passion for cricket is well documented and exploited commercially; but this nascent athletic culture in India is now being eyed by a string of sports-centered businesses trying to tap into the potentially huge market.
A new soccer academy backed by the legendary Liverpool Football club just opened in Pune. the nation is perked up with interest for New Delhi to host the first Indian Grand Prix in 2011. So whether sport is your passion or not, this social trend has put the ball in your court. Read up, watch and get ready to discuss sport.
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