Fixing in Football ~ Horse Racing ~ Cricket  ~ Cycling ~ Tennis ~ Olympics ~ Libor Rate

What about Stock Market Fixing !? ~ Nah ! It’s a rhetoric question !

Just Like when Footballers deliberately lose Matches ~Just Like when Horses are not allowed to run on Merit by the Jockeys ~ Just Like Spot Fixing in Cricket ~Just Like Steroids and Banned Drugs being taken by Competitors across Sports  for that  Unfair Advantage ~Just Like Tennis players throw matches for money~  Just like Olympic Athletes dope to outperform and win medals ~ Just Like influencing Libor Rate Setting to take leveraged profitable positions on consequent trends

So it is in Stock Exchanges  for that Unfair Advantage ! ~ Insider Trading ~ Stocks being allowed to run beyond merit ~Selective Punishment ~ Circular Trading ~Biased IPO Gradings ~ High Frequency Trading making a mockery of Research & Fairplay

ABBA Song says it all :

“I wouldn’t have to work at all, I’d fool around and have a ball…

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man’s world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man’s world “

Till you’re caught ,that is !

Novak Djokovic of  Serbia just won the Australian Open Tennis Championship beating Andy Murray of UK in four sets 6-7,7-6,6-3,6-2~ losing the first in a tie break and then taking the next three ~his third consecutive Australian Open Title and four in all

Yesterday Victoria Azarenka of Belarus  also came from a set down and  retained her  Australian Open Tennis Title and World Ranking 1 beating China’s Li Na 4-6,6-4,6-3

Match Stats of an epic Olympic Tennis Semis between Winner Federer and Del Potro

Watch Live going on the awesome Tennis Semis at the Olympics between Federer and Podro ~ it’s 9 all in the deciding third set,one set a piece

Roger Federer lifting a record Seventh Wimbledon Trophy in 2012

Yeah ! ~Federer lifts a record seventh Wimbledon Title to equal Pete Sampras ~ beats a tiring and animated Andy Murray in fours sets 4-6,7-5,6-3,6-4 despite making a record 30+ unforced errors

A Bonus ! ~ Federer regains his World No 1 Ranking too with his wife and really cute twin baby daughters cheering him on for this 17th Grand Slam Title too !

Murray was the first Brit in 74 years to enter the Finals and could not make it a historic one though he said post match he’s “Getting Closer!” ~ The Great Fred Perry was the last Englishman to win the Wimbledon ~ in fact a hat-trick of wins in the mid 1930s ~ Murray’s emotions poured out after the match and he could not hold back his tears while thanking all for their great support and crediting Federer that even at 30 he had something in him and deserved to win !

Roger Federer is simply in another league ! ~ wins despite over 30 unforced errors ~ Murray was clearly tiring  and getting animated too as the match progressed ~ he began brilliantly with all of Britain behind their Boy ~ Murray broke Federer in the very first game of the match and though Federer  got a break back,Murray broke him again to win the first set 6-4 ~ Federer won the next three sets to lift the Wimbledon Title 2012

And would you believe it !~ Just to see their Countryman Murray play the Finals,the first Brit in 74 years to do so ,the Wimbledon Mens Finals Centre Court Ticket zoomed to Pounds 42000 ! That’s @ US $ 66000 or @ Rs 36 lakhs ! Phew ! ~ This is the figure that was repeatedly quoted on Live TV by Indian Tennis Ace of yesteryears,Vijay Amritraj who was one of the Commentators for live coverage of Wimbledon for a leading Sports TV Channel  ~ gave him a chance to also plug the Channel ! saying it’s better to sit relaxed at home and watch the Finals on TV rather than paying such a price ! ~ I quite agree really ! ~ probably because we are not Brits too ! ~ but I bet a lot of Brits too would agree !

A Happy Roger Federer after beating Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2012 Semis

An Elated Roger Federer just after he knocks out Defending Champion Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2012 Semis in a Superb Four Setter

My favourite  and one I was cheering and rooting for all the way and Six Times Wimbledon Champion,Roger Federer just beat Top Seed and Defending Champion ,Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon Semis in a superb Centre Court four setter 6-3,3-6,6-4,6-3 to enter a record Eight Wimbledon Final

What a Super Match ! ~ 2 Hours and 19 Minutes in all ~Federer’s Superb Serve came to his rescue at crucial times in the match and when he won the crucial third set it was him all the way in the Fourth

On Sunday,he plays the winner of the other Semis that has just commenced  ~ Murray vs Tsonga ~ neither of these two have ever played in a Wimbledon Final before !  ~ Murray has a 5-1 Head to Head Match Record against Tonga with a 2-0 record on Grass ~  and this Brit is playing in his fourth Wimbledon Semis ~ if he enters the Finals the Price for Tickets for his match vs Federer on Sunday will simply zoom ~ Indian Tennis Ace of yesteryears and now a Tennis Commentator,Vijay Amritraj just quoted a possible ridiculous Price of Sterling Pounds 20000 ! right now on Live TV Coverage ! Hey ! that’s Rs 18 lakhs or Rs 1.8 million for one Centre Court Wimbledon 2012 Mens Finals Ticket !

Interestingly Tsonga beat Federer at Wimbledon last year coming back from Two Sets down !

Roger Federer last won Wimbledon in 2009 and it was a magical beauty ~ he cracked Andy Roddick 16-14 in the Fifth Set ! I blogged on it on July 5,2009 ~ it was a his sixth triumph at Wimbledon and this Sunday his effort will be to match Pete Sampras’s record of Seven Wimbledon Titles

Just witnessed a Great Wimbledon Mens Final !…Great Champion,Roger Federer wins a Five setter and a record Fifteen Grand Slam Title

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

 Novak ? No ! ~ Nadal? Nah ! ~ for me it’s Roger all the Way ! ~ Roger that !

Monday Musings ~ Of Tennis Tussles and Ping Pong President’s !  & Insider Trading ! ~ the Price we pay for Democracy !

Of Tennis Tussles….

All India Tennis Association (AITA)  has ‘cunningly’ announced just one Men’s Doubles team for the Olympics ~ Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati when they know the bitterness and animosity between the two has assumed more  legendary proportion than even them as Indian legends of the game

AITA can send two Teams ~ I’ve met Leander Paes one to one as he was seeking to be one with Nature at the Club’s Golf Course late one evening ~ lively and spirited and very individualistic and clearly passionate about Tennis ~ the animosity with Bhupati is not new as the roots were in the 1990s and I suspect these were not born out of any Tennis related reasons  ~ Leander says he will play with Bhupati at teh Olympics but the latter is completely unwilling ~ both say they prefer Rohan Bopana as a partner! ~ what a Triangle ! ~ Country before Self and Nobody is above the Game ! are the chants we keep hearing  ~ Methinks AITA should stop squirming up such situations and should instead quickly diffuse the fire by announcing  two teams before the deadline of June 21,2012 ~ Mahesh and Rohan have been practising for past seven months and should form one team ~ Leander and Mahesh have teamed together for several Olympics but never won a medal   ~ seems the Paes Family has more influence in AITA ~ Leander’s father is the Doctor on Duty

…and Ping Pong Presidents ! 

A Man thought not fit to be PM ,and who has left a lot be desired as a FM and faces unresolved accusations of shielding scams and corruption,is now being kicked up ! ~ has  got the Congress Nomination to become the next President ! ~ Seems Corporates wanted him out as FM too ! ~ Me not making any judgements here but am of the firm opinion that the President’s Office has been diluted to really low standards unbefitting our great democracy  ~ it’s time we set this right ~ our President should simply not be a Political Person ~ this should be ingrained as a criteria in the Constitution !

Methinks Dr APJ Abdul Kalam deserves to once again be our President ~ Only such a Move will redeem the dignity and stature of the highest Constitutional Office in our Country

Come to think of it we make a Non Political Man our PM and are now going to make a Political Man our President !

India & Insider Trading are Inseparable 

Continue to be amused on the way we keep on moralising about Insider Trading in India but simply do nothing about it ! In USA Big Fish Rajat Gupta has been convicted in quick time as was Nick Leeson in Europe  ~ But in the Insider cesspool that is the BSE and NSE culprits are simply allowed to get away because often they are too big to prosecute or report or interests are being protected and in nearly all cases they have political patronage  ~ all this is an orchestrated circus

And you want the retail investor to come back only because you need Blood to suck ! ~ the insider does need a sucker on the other side ! ~and some are huge Insiders and need more gallons of Blood to suck !

Unless our markets become credible and maintain sustainable sanctity don’t expect Retail Equity to come back with confidence and vigour

For a Start ,SEBI should fearlessly prosecute to the end the Big Insider Cases without agreeing to Consent Terms  ~ get a big conviction and see how Retail Investors will come back !   

As a Great Nation with a glorious History of thousands of years we Must always do what is Right ! ~ No Matter What ! ~ but we rarely do as the ‘selfish’ in us seems to be winning the battle against the ‘selfless’ in us !

End of Monday Night Morals !

What a Wonderful Wholesome Sunday ! ~ Mothers day ~Serious Gym ~Excellent Breakfast ~Satyamev Jayate ~ Interesting one to one Interaction with Top Professionals ~ last ball IPL win ~ A Mother of an EPL Title Deciding Match on Mothers Day !… What a Finale !…Miracle was headed for Manchester alright…enroute to United but last minute diverted to City !

Mothers Day

…..Sunday began with Me saluting my late ‘Super Mom’ on Mothers Day….she went way beyond ‘Aam Rus and Dano’ !…I share Lin Yutang’s great thought  ”For all the Rights of a Woman,the greatest one  is to become  a Mother ”

Serious Gym-ing ! 

…..Later in the morning I introduced my daughter to some Serious Gym….she was serious…I was just Gym-ing !.. the trainer put her through a vigorous 45 minute routine….she’s really pumped up and wants to go to the Gym tomorrow morning again !….after a good hot bath we followed it up with an excellent breakfast…this led to deferring plans to enjoy a sumptious Gujju Thali today with Aaam Rus,as I had blogged yesterday !

Interesting one to one Conversations during the Day

….the day was enriched with some interesting one to one conversation with five top professionals I met

...MD of  one of  India’s most reputed  Banks told me not to worry about Greece or Spain as we can’t control it !…therefore why worry about it….he thinks the worst is past…when I quipped that ‘Gym’ must be easier than running  a bank !, he counter quipped that running a bank was easier !…Oh ! and we both agreed that we disagreed with Ruchir Sharma’s stance on India in his much plugged book ‘Breakout Nations’ by NDTV  and others…especially his theory that Indian Rupee must weaken for India to remain competitive…in my books if a country is strengthening with sustained GDP Growth at 7% + it’s currency too must reflect this and strengthen…a weakening rupee and a high Global Oil Price  is playing havoc with Oil Imports …In FY 2011/12 Oil Imports were US $ 155 b of the total Imports of US $ 498 b….and our deficit is widening

…a Senior Tennis and Cricket Commentator and me were discussing our children’s progress …he colourfully covers Wimbledon for us every year… acknowledges how far ahead our young generation is…much ahead of us in thinking and exploring great and varied opportunities…we both agreed that we need to be friends with our children and not to underestimate them…. leverage on their skill sets too

….another Monday Columnist with Mumbai Mirror said I made his day when I praised his column for it’s flow and fluency in the language….he’s a leading lawyer…”regretfully though! ” he confesses…..agrees with me that lawyers are not part of the human race !

….then while I was enjoying an excellent breakfast,it was time for some Sunday Morning ‘did you know !’ inside stuff….a Hospitality Veteran comes over and  in a hushed tone  revealed to me the woes of Varun Industries and why it has been smashed at the bourses from Rs 200+ levels to sink to lows of Rs 30 currently inside months !…potboiler stuff,if true !

…later a close friend and well connected in Business and Professional Circles got excited about ,what he believes,will be the inevitable Indian demise of a leading accountancy firm plagued with controversies and also the deathknell of Kingfisher !…and the largesse shown by the Government,especially a Minister in it, to Mallya and even in the Privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai Airports…he was emphatic that nothing can be done to change this deep rooted corruption in our system

Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate

….missed todays episode of Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate…but Family and Close friends were moved enough by it to insist I catch the repeat telecast….I saw the first episode and I’m not in the camp of those who criticise by default any good initiative…we complain…we procrastinate…we blame….but do we do anything about the state of affairs !?…..Aamir Khan has taken this strong initiative to address and redress wrongs in our society….last week he covered foeticide and female infanticide….today he highlighted child abuse….am sure something strong and good will come out of this initiative

Manchester City become English Premier League (EPL) Football Champions

…and then what an EPL Title deciding Finale Match between Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers ! …we all witnessed A Mother of  a EPL Title Deciding Match on Mothers Day !

What an EPL Finale !…Miracle was headed for Manchester alright…enroute to United but last minute diverted to City !

That’s why EPL is EPL !…Title decided in the last minute of play minutes earlier in the EPL !….5 min of extra time and 10 man QPR up sensationally 2-1 against Manchester City with arch rivals Manchester United having won 1 -0 moments earlier against Sunderland and were minutes away from retaining the Title if City drew or lost…and City scored unbelievably 2 goals inside minutes of extra time and won 3-2 against QPR and took the EPL Title !…Maradona’s son in law Aguera scoring the winning third in the 94th Minute !!!….Noisy City going to get louder and more noisy tonight…..all night party !….Feel great for City but Feel for United !….City had beat United twice this season…the first was a humiliating 6-1 infliction and then recently 1-0…City are deserving EPL title holders now after a wait of 44 years after they first won in 1968…Well Done Manager, Roberto Mancini….City Captain, Vincent Kompany also selected as the best Player of EPL this year….Let’s Blame it on Barton !..the QPR Captain who was rightly red carded and send off for his head butting stupidity foul on the field of play…led to Five minutes of extra time that saw Manchester City keeping it’s date with History….City went wild….Celebrations have begun…..Mancini was chased by a Player to pour Champagne on !

Let me confess,I’m defacto a Liverpool guy because of my football playing and crazy kids…and Manchester United are arch rivals…therefore an arch rival of an arch rival is a friend  !…I wanted Man City to win the Title just so that United don’t retain it !

Another last ball winning finish in IPL

…and then just before Midnight, a crucial IPL match was won of the last ball ! when Kings Punjab chased successfully a huge target of 191 set by Deccan Chargers, who must have experienced a depressing low thinking how a won game was lost !…the inform and scoring at @ 185 strike rate David Hussey was at the nonstriker end having scored 65 of 35 with Four 4s and Five 6s… a new batsman,Gurkeerat Singh came out with his bat swinging and scored 29 of 12 and the winning runs with Four 4s and One 6 to became a hero…The scores were tied at 190 with one ball to go ,after Gurkeerat has smashed a 6,4,2 in the previous three balls….Deccan Charger’s Captain,Sangakkara,rightly calls the whole field in to save the single and what does dumb bowler MS Gony do !….bowls a short ball,instead of a fuller one…it was pulled away for a winning 4….Really !

Sure the coming week will be wholesome too !…For all of you’ll too !…Cheers !

There was Magic on the Centre Court at Wimbledon today…over Four Hours of it !

Two Magicians,Two Gladiators, and Two Great Athletes,mentally and physically tough,Roger Federer and Andy Roddick,entertained us like never before

It was the Mens Singles Finals….and Roger Federer beat Andy Roddick in a thrilling and pulsating five setter 5-7,7-6,7-6,3-6 and would you believe it ! 16-14 in the deciding Fifth….Both were serving Aces galore…Roger served 50 of them…It takes 48 consecutive winning points to win two sets 6-0 and 6-0…so you can gauge that if Roger had served 50 consecutive Aces from the start he would have done so and gone into the third set too !

And spare a thought for Andy Roddick..this great guy was leading by a set and at 6 games all was up 6-2 in the tie break in the second set with four set points…and Roger,the champion that he is, fought back to win the tie break and level the match at one set all !…and Andy may have lost two tie breaks to lose the second and third sets, but he never lost a service game right till the end when Roger broke him in the 30th game of the deciding Fifth Set to win the Finals…That Last Point Miss-hit by Roddick was not the Ball,but the Wimbledon Trophy out of his grasp….what an irony ! 

Roger has now surpassed Pete Sampras and has a record 15 Grand Slam Singles Titles under his belt and has also regained his ranking as World No 1 

And Roger had all the Tennis Legendary Greats there with him on centre court today…Pete Sampras,Bjorn Borg,Rod Laver,John Mcnroe,Ile Nastase

The Greatest Player in Grand Slam History…Roger Federer…he now has six Wimbledon Titles,one less than Pete Sampras…something to play for next year ! 

And Roger is soon to become a father…His Wife,due soon, was there cheering him…what a lovely Win to precede the birth of their First Child…and as the Finals today build up in the fifth set towards a nail biting finish with all spectators on the edge of their seats,you had  commentator,Vijay Amritraj, echoing the thoughts of many of us,that the Pregnant Wife should not be there…it was just too tense

All’s Well that Ends Well….The Great Game of Tennis has won…and this Final will surely inspire many kids all over the world to take up Tennis    

And Roger !…here’s wishing you a Silver of Grand Slam Singles Titles…just another 10 to go for this !…and you’re just 27 years old !…Now go for the Ultimate Grand Slam…win all four Majors in one Year !

Says World Celebrity Tennis Coach, American Nick Bollettieri about Indian Tennis Kids who attended his Academy

“ I remember that the kids who came here were too nice.The trend in your country is to be very polite.But sometimes you also have to be mean to be a good competitor.This is not easy for Indians “ 

Hey,Nick !I completely disagree….to be Mean is Mean !…you don’t need to be Mean to be a Good Competitor…Maybe It’s the US System…End justifying the Means ! ( Pun unintended !)

Is the Champ ,Roger Federer, Mean !?

And if you’re going to be Mean to win matches,you’re going to be more remembered for being Mean !

Killer Instinct ! Yes!…Fight Back Spirit ! Yes!…Never Say Die Attitude ! Yes!…but Mean ! No !

So Nick ! are you going to call me another Polite Indian !?

It was truly Inspiring,joyous and heart warming to see India give a rousing welcome this morning to Yuki Bhambri.our Junior Australian Open Tennis Champion, at the New Delhi Airport and Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi,our Mixed Doubles Tennis Champions at the Australian Open,at the Mumbai Airport

Yuki Bhambri is the  first Indian to win the Australian Open Junior Championship…Sania is coming back after a few months of Injury layoff and is ‘living the moment’ after winning her first Grand Slam Championship…Mahesh is ofcourse a veteran at winning Grand Slam Doubles Titles 

Thousands of Indian Youth will surely be inspired and motivated to take up Tennis seriously..and I hope Sponsorship and Enhancement of Tennis Facilities will come forth smoothy from the Corporate Sector and the Government