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In this issue

02-06-201832 STORIES

Be a sport, tell me what is a sport

There is an argument for recognising pursuits involving physical activity, specialised skill and competition as “sports”, and those that do not as “g

Suresh Menon

U.S. centre forward Joe Gaetjens is carried off by cheering supporters, after his team shocked England 1-0, in their World Cup match at Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 1950.

The Davids of the World Cup

The FIFA World Cup has seen its fair share of herculean feats from the unheralded practitioners of the game and their gigantic Goliath-slaying acts.

Bosu ball hip thrust.

Balance and coordination are key to a shooter’s success

Though shooting may be considered an unconventional sport, most competitors would agree that consistent winning performances definitely require a cer

Ramji Srinivasan

Ramji Srinivasan

This July, Michael Stich will receive the sport’s most coveted off-court honor and join the pantheon of tennis immortals during his enshrinement into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

Stich: No player is bigger than the sport

Michael Stich discusses his halcyon years on the pro tour, his productive life since then and his candid views about today’s players and controversie

Paul Fein

The Italian World Cup players carry their manager, Vittorio Pozzo, shoulder high following their 2-1 victory over Czechoslovakia after extra time in the World Cup final in Rome on June 10, 1934.

1934: Ensuring a home victory

Dictator Mussolini left no stone unturned to ensure victory for host Italy. Sending his message loud and clear, the dictator even sent a personal not

Uruguay’s Alcides Edgardo Ghiggia scores the winner against Brazil, in the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on July 16, 1950. Uruguay upset host Brazil 2-1 to win its second World title.

1950: Brazil’s woes at Maracana

Brazil, playing in white, unexpectedly lost to Uruguay in the final. So upset was the host that it forgot to give Uruguay the trophy. The national te

Morlock, West Germany’s inside-right, scores against Hungary in the World Cup final at Berne, Switzerland. West Germany went on to become the world champion with a 3-2 victory.

1954: Ugly incidents take centre stage

Now called the ‘Battle of Berne’, the quarterfinal game between Brazil and Hungary is regarded as the dirtiest match in World Cup history, a day when

The 1958 World Cup saw the emergence of ‘Black Pearl’ Pele. Here the Brazilian heads a goal against Sweden in the final.

1958: The arrival of Pele

The star of Brazil’s WC-winning show was the then unknown 17-year-old Pele who saw off Wales in the quarterfinals, scored a hat-trick in the semis an

Brazilian centre forward Vava scores his team’s third goal past Czech goalkeeper Schroif in the World Cup final in Santiago, Chile, on June 17, 1962.

1962: Amid fun and frolic, Brazil defends title

With Pele out of reckoning after two games of constant hacking by the opponents, Amarildo gelled well with Garrincha and delivered Brazil its second

Geoff Hurst scores England’s third goal against West Germany in the World Cup final at the Wembley Stadium on July 30, 1966. The goal, awarded upon the judgement of the Russian linesman has remained one of the most controversial goals in the history of the competition. England became World champion with a 4-2 victory after extra time.

1966: England’s first and only title

Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick in the final to help England defeat West Germany and lift its only World Cup till date. But it was North Korea which c

Theirs forever: Stars of the Brazilian side admire the Jules Rimet trophy. Brazil lifted the coveted World Cup for the third time after defeating Italy 4-1 in the final.

1970: Banks’ heroics and Brazil’s hat-trick

England’s Gordon Banks pulled off one of his and the World Cup’s greatest saves in hot and humid Mexico in 1970 and it remains in the game’s folklore

West Germany’s goalkeeper Sepp Maier holds on to the ball in front of Dutch forward Johan Cruyff as Franz Beckenbauer (left) looks on, in the World Cup final in Munich on July 7, 1974.

1974: Overconfident Dutch fall at the final hurdle

Holland was to meet Germany in the final, and a major party was planned at the Dutch team hotel on the eve of the game, in anticipation of victory. T

THANE, MAHARASHTRA, 15/11/2017: Winner S. Preyesh Raj in action against Shantesh Mapsekar in the boys cadet final of the 11Even Sports West Zone National Ranking Table Tennis tournament in Thane on November 15, 2017.
Photo: Vivek Bendre

Preyesh Suresh Raj: The all-conquering cadet

Winning the national sub-junior championships and taking part in the 2024 Olympic Games are the goals the 12-year-old Preyesh has set himself.

K. Keerthivasan

Virat Kohli walks away dejected after getting dismissed cheaply in the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford in 2014. Virat struggled against the moving ball on that tour.

On The Write Line

England tour will be a challenge

India’s current skipper Virat Kohli struggled against the moving ball the last time he played in England in 2014 and so has taken the call to tune up

Sunil Gavaskar

Dhoni, incredibly fit at 36, encapsulates the spirit of CSK, and the charismatic captain lends the team a pan-India popularity.

CSK: Back to business

After two years out of the IPL, Chennai Super Kings has seamlessly returned to previous seasons’ consistency and success even as its old soldiers hav

Teen genius: France's Kylian Mbappe is fast, has a bag of tricks, and is good with both feet.

The underlings’ turn to shine

Age is just a number for these young talented stars. Russia 2018 will see a plethora of youngsters lining up to steal the sunshine from their more exp

Sunil Chhetri

Hungarian goalkeeper Antal Szabo tries to stop a shot from Italian forward Giovanni Ferrari during the World Cup final in Colombes, in the suburbs of Paris on June 19, 1938 . Italy defended its title with a 4-2 victory.

1938: Italy defends title, and war breaks out

With war clouds hovering over Europe, the 1938 championship was awarded to France and only 15 teams competed after Austria pulled out in the last min

The Uruguayans celebrate after beating Argentina 4-2 in the first-ever World Cup final in Montevideo on July 30, 1930.

1930: A volatile final

The football World Cup is just round the corner. Every edition of the previous cups has had its moments to remember. We start with the first-ever edi

Iceland’s Albert Gudmundsson (left) heads the ball as Mexico’s Carlos Salcedo watches during an international friendly match in March 2018. Albert has the potential, but needs to mature further.

A family’s fine football tradition

Young Albert Gudmundsson has the style of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Iceland’s talisman at Everton. He has scored 37 goals in 57 matches for his club, PSV Ein

Rishabh Pant smashed an unbeaten 128 off 63 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad to become the highest-scorer in T20 cricket.

Coming of age!

Ambati Rayudu after reaching his century in Pune on Sunday.

Ambati Rayudu: Tenacious, tireless, tougher

The CSK batsman’s impressive form in IPL 2018 has been rewarded with a spot in the India side for the One-Day series against England in July.

V. V. Subrahmanyam

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates with his fans on the pit wall after the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya.

View from the paddock

Spanish GP no reason to write off rest of F1 season

While Mercedes took a one-two at Catalunya, Ferrari was right up there in the previous three races in Bahrain, Shanghai and Baku, so maybe the Silver

Karun Chandhok

West Germany's goal-scoring machine Gerd Muller (on left) watches another of his efforts saved by a leaping Luis Rubinos, the Peru goal-keeper during 1970 World Cup game in Mexico.

Gerd Muller - 'bomber' of Germany

He required astonishingly little space and time for his split-seconds finishes – a quick flick sufficed.

Franz Beckenbauer, holds up the trophy after West Germany defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in the 1974 World Cup final in Munich.

In football, Beckenbauer was the perfect 'libero'

Originally a midfielder, Beckenbauer dropped into defence at his peak, as coaches sought to utilise his unmatched organisational capacity at the back.

Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff at 1974 World Cup in West Germany.

Johan Cruyff, the 'Pythagoras in boots'

Holland's Johan Cruyff inspired 'Total football', which remains the style of play that the elite-level teams want to emulate.

Portugal's Eusebio was the leading scorer at the 1966 World Cup.

Eusebio - Bomber from nowhere

Before Cristiano Ronaldo came along, it was another Portugese footballer in the name of Eusebio, who blazed a trail on the wings.

Giuseppe Meazza (left) and Hungary captain Gyorgy Sarosi shake hands before the start of the World Cup final in June 1938.

Giuseppe Meazza - Italy's best all-round footballer

In his heyday he was schemer, orchestrator and marksman in one: a player in a class of his own.

England's Bobby Charlton in action during a match against Wales at Wembley Stadium in 1966.

Versatile Bobby Charlton of England's 'Wingless Wonders'

Starting out on the left wing, Charlton moved to an inside-forward position and then spent his greatest years in the centre of midfield, going deeper

Garrincha (left) dribbles past Welsh defender Mel Hopkins during the 1958 World Cup quarterfinal match in Goteborg.

Garrincha - arguably the greatest winger of all time

Of all the names that comprised the haloed squads of Brazil, it was Garrincha who best symbolised the Selecao's free-spirited samba style.

Pelé being surrounded by Italian players during the 1970 World Cup final in Mexico.

Pelé - Brazil's scoring genius and giant of the game

The argument between Pelé's ability to rise above great contemporaries and Diego Maradona's relative one-man act in less gifted company will never be

Ferenc Puskas, in 1971, team manager of Greece club Pathaninaikos.

Ferenc Puskás - Hungary's biggest star

A combination of power and dazzling skill in a stocky, borderline-overweight frame, enjoyed a longer reign in the eye of the West.

France's Lucien Laurent in 2002 at the age of 97.

The man who scored the first goal ever in the world championship

France's Lucien Laurent, fondly known as "Lulu", scored the first goal of the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay.

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