Oraginzers Chennai Marathon
I ran the Chennai half marathon on Sunday 29 August, 2010, as an elite runner and I wished to bring a few points to your notice.
• The starting ceremony with drums and music is alright to keep the 7 km runners entertained but the hard core 21 k runners are anxious to start.
• Along the route the water stops were well staffed and supplied with water. For this I am eternally grateful (Unlike in previous years we did not have to stop in road side shops to buy water).
• The police and ambulances were very prompt efficient and polite
• There was no problem till the finish
Unfortunately, I finished in 3 hours and 32 minutes. That is as per my Garmin watch. It is an acceptable time at around 16 minutes per mile for the 50-60 age group. There were no age categories. When I reached the finish, the red mat to record the time from the computer chip had been removed. I now have only an official half time.
I had a coupon for refreshments but there were none.
I had to fight to get my finishing medal.
I was told there would be an official photo there was no photographer.
I was told to come to your office for my certificate after Sept 6. How can I? I live in Vellore.
Can I at least get my certificate on line?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
sportsmanship
Sportsmanship
A couple of years ago the Pakistan cricket team came to India to play. That was when the two countries still had a semblance of civilized behaviour and diplomatic relations.
As the cricketers shook hands with frenzied fans, one of them started bleeding heavily. The fan in a misguided psychotic attempt to let India win, had hidden a razor blade in his palm!
Our commonwealth games 2010 are in shambles. Kalamidi seems to have taken bribes or allowed benami deals by which others took mamool. The infrastructure looks in danger of collapsing. We will be lucky if a wall does not collapse on an athlete or two.
The burning desire to win at all costs descends to petty levels as well. At a recent interclub swimming gala a 58 year old woman was being told, there is no one in your category so you have to swim with the 40-50 age group. (If she swam in her original group, the hosting club would lose points as they did not have a contestant).
After she came 2nd they disqualified her saying “you swam in the wrong age group!”
Again for points!
This is the pervading attitude in India.
To be a participant in the Olympics or in the Common wealth games, you do not necessarily have to be good, just rich and well connected! Stories have been circulating about money that needs to be paid to become a representative in that particular sport at the district, state and country level.
It is doubtful whether they even train or practice properly. Look at our lamentable performance in all athletic spheres!
Finally we seem to have lost all sense of proportion and shame when it comes to siphoning off money. Look at the state of the commonwealth games. Buildings are cracking and everything is being constructed and organized at an overinflated rate.
60 years after independence, our selfishness has risen to the forefront. WE and our first at the cost of our country and national pride.
A couple of years ago the Pakistan cricket team came to India to play. That was when the two countries still had a semblance of civilized behaviour and diplomatic relations.
As the cricketers shook hands with frenzied fans, one of them started bleeding heavily. The fan in a misguided psychotic attempt to let India win, had hidden a razor blade in his palm!
Our commonwealth games 2010 are in shambles. Kalamidi seems to have taken bribes or allowed benami deals by which others took mamool. The infrastructure looks in danger of collapsing. We will be lucky if a wall does not collapse on an athlete or two.
The burning desire to win at all costs descends to petty levels as well. At a recent interclub swimming gala a 58 year old woman was being told, there is no one in your category so you have to swim with the 40-50 age group. (If she swam in her original group, the hosting club would lose points as they did not have a contestant).
After she came 2nd they disqualified her saying “you swam in the wrong age group!”
Again for points!
This is the pervading attitude in India.
To be a participant in the Olympics or in the Common wealth games, you do not necessarily have to be good, just rich and well connected! Stories have been circulating about money that needs to be paid to become a representative in that particular sport at the district, state and country level.
It is doubtful whether they even train or practice properly. Look at our lamentable performance in all athletic spheres!
Finally we seem to have lost all sense of proportion and shame when it comes to siphoning off money. Look at the state of the commonwealth games. Buildings are cracking and everything is being constructed and organized at an overinflated rate.
60 years after independence, our selfishness has risen to the forefront. WE and our first at the cost of our country and national pride.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Run for Charity
Round Table Charity
Charity is laudable –it serves the soul. It makes you feel like a better person and superior to uncharitable peers. So when the Chennai round table organized a run for charity I joined with great gusto. “A Citizen’s run” they said for the school children. (I did not understand what exactly they planned for the school children. The ones that had been brought there for display were barefoot).
I did not realize that is was just a showcase event, deigned for Chennai’s high society to meet and speak to each other in their designer sports wear pulled tightly over concealed corsets , enormous sun glasses and expensive make up.
The school children, who were to receive the charity were assembled in the hot Chennai sun and forced to sit in the mud. They were given free T shirts with the logo of the organization that had contributed money—Nokia, Miot Hospitals and Ford cars.
Some drummers arrived and started to beat their drums so that the procession could start along Marina Beach. Since the T shirt clearly said “run” that is what my daughter and I did. We ran the entire 6 km (my daughter says it is only 5). The barefoot children cut through the barricades and headed for the end point. I don’t blame them. They were barefoot, the sun was hot and we had to stand in queue for the drinking water.
Hot, sweaty and dehydrated, as we reached the turning point we discovered that the organizers had abandoned their posts. We did not quite know where to turn.. There were no flags or indicators.
A few foreigners were brought as show pieces. They hung around and some of them were driven the entire route in a car.
The last straw was at the finish. The organizers, yellow arm bands and other badges of office were clustered around the Quality Walls ice cream van having a good whack.
Charity is good. Runs for charity are good. But why are we making the underfed barefoot recipients earn their money? Why are we overfed physically unfit citizens not doing the “Citizen’s Run” for them?
Charity is laudable –it serves the soul. It makes you feel like a better person and superior to uncharitable peers. So when the Chennai round table organized a run for charity I joined with great gusto. “A Citizen’s run” they said for the school children. (I did not understand what exactly they planned for the school children. The ones that had been brought there for display were barefoot).
I did not realize that is was just a showcase event, deigned for Chennai’s high society to meet and speak to each other in their designer sports wear pulled tightly over concealed corsets , enormous sun glasses and expensive make up.
The school children, who were to receive the charity were assembled in the hot Chennai sun and forced to sit in the mud. They were given free T shirts with the logo of the organization that had contributed money—Nokia, Miot Hospitals and Ford cars.
Some drummers arrived and started to beat their drums so that the procession could start along Marina Beach. Since the T shirt clearly said “run” that is what my daughter and I did. We ran the entire 6 km (my daughter says it is only 5). The barefoot children cut through the barricades and headed for the end point. I don’t blame them. They were barefoot, the sun was hot and we had to stand in queue for the drinking water.
Hot, sweaty and dehydrated, as we reached the turning point we discovered that the organizers had abandoned their posts. We did not quite know where to turn.. There were no flags or indicators.
A few foreigners were brought as show pieces. They hung around and some of them were driven the entire route in a car.
The last straw was at the finish. The organizers, yellow arm bands and other badges of office were clustered around the Quality Walls ice cream van having a good whack.
Charity is good. Runs for charity are good. But why are we making the underfed barefoot recipients earn their money? Why are we overfed physically unfit citizens not doing the “Citizen’s Run” for them?
Run for Charity
Round Table Charity
Charity is laudable –it serves the soul. It makes you feel like a better person and superior to uncharitable peers. So when the Chennai round table organized a run for charity I joined with great gusto. “A Citizen’s run” they said for the school children. (I did not understand what exactly they planned for the school children. The ones that had been brought there for display were barefoot).
I did not realize that is was just a showcase event, deigned for Chennai’s high society to meet and speak to each other in their designer sports wear pulled tightly over concealed corsets , enormous sun glasses and expensive make up.
The school children, who were to receive the charity were assembled in the hot Chennai sun and forced to sit in the mud. They were given free T shirts with the logo of the organization that had contributed money—Nokia, Miot Hospitals and Ford cars.
Some drummers arrived and started to beat their drums so that the procession could start along Marina Beach. Since the T shirt clearly said “run” that is what my daughter and I did. We ran the entire 6 km (my daughter says it is only 5). The barefoot children cut through the barricades and headed for the end point. I don’t blame them. They were barefoot, the sun was hot and we had to stand in queue for the drinking water.
Hot, sweaty and dehydrated, as we reached the turning point we discovered that the organizers had abandoned their posts. We did not quite know where to turn.. There were no flags or indicators.
A few foreigners were brought as show pieces. They hung around and some of them were driven the entire route in a car.
The last straw was at the finish. The organizers, yellow arm bands and other badges of office were clustered around the Quality Walls ice cream van having a good whack.
Charity is good. Runs for charity are good. But why are we making the underfed barefoot recipients earn their money? Why are we overfed physically unfit citizens not doing the “Citizen’s Run” for them?
Charity is laudable –it serves the soul. It makes you feel like a better person and superior to uncharitable peers. So when the Chennai round table organized a run for charity I joined with great gusto. “A Citizen’s run” they said for the school children. (I did not understand what exactly they planned for the school children. The ones that had been brought there for display were barefoot).
I did not realize that is was just a showcase event, deigned for Chennai’s high society to meet and speak to each other in their designer sports wear pulled tightly over concealed corsets , enormous sun glasses and expensive make up.
The school children, who were to receive the charity were assembled in the hot Chennai sun and forced to sit in the mud. They were given free T shirts with the logo of the organization that had contributed money—Nokia, Miot Hospitals and Ford cars.
Some drummers arrived and started to beat their drums so that the procession could start along Marina Beach. Since the T shirt clearly said “run” that is what my daughter and I did. We ran the entire 6 km (my daughter says it is only 5). The barefoot children cut through the barricades and headed for the end point. I don’t blame them. They were barefoot, the sun was hot and we had to stand in queue for the drinking water.
Hot, sweaty and dehydrated, as we reached the turning point we discovered that the organizers had abandoned their posts. We did not quite know where to turn.. There were no flags or indicators.
A few foreigners were brought as show pieces. They hung around and some of them were driven the entire route in a car.
The last straw was at the finish. The organizers, yellow arm bands and other badges of office were clustered around the Quality Walls ice cream van having a good whack.
Charity is good. Runs for charity are good. But why are we making the underfed barefoot recipients earn their money? Why are we overfed physically unfit citizens not doing the “Citizen’s Run” for them?
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