QUIZ CORNER

V.V. RAMANANQuestions:

1. Which curse was broken when the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees in the 2004 World Series?

2. What dubious distinction does Bangladesh opener Hannan Sarkar share with Sunil Gavaskar in Test cricket?

3. Identify this LA Lakers star (see pic), whose middle name is Bean?

4. Muhammad Ali reclaimed the world heavyweight boxing title at Kinshasa in 1974 by using what innovative strategy against George Foreman?

5. Which future champion made his F1 debut on August 25, 1991 at a European circuit?

6. Which famous footballer made this comment in the press conference after attacking a spectator: When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea?

7. Who are nicknamed the Tall Blacks?

8. In the context of Indian cricket, who was RE Grant Govan?

9. In which sport is the ball usually white, made of plastic, 3-1/4 inches in diameter and weighs about 4-1/2 ounces?

10. Which legend won nine gold medals in three different Olympics with five in the 1924 Paris Games alone?

11. Who won the Formula One championship the year India became the Prudential Cup cricket champion?

12. Ulrike Meyfarth won an Olympic gold medal in 1984, 12 years after winning her first in Munich. Which event?

13. What did Arnold Palmer do in 1968 — a first — as a professional golfer?

14. Which part of biathlon, as practised in the Winter Games, comes first?

15. How many official rules are there in the game of association football?

Answers:

1. Curse of the Bambino. 2. Both have been dismissed with the first ball of a match on three occasions. 3. Kobe Bryant. 4. The Rope-a-Dope strategy where he backed up against the ropes and took the punches. Ali made his move when Foreman started tiring. 5. Michael Schumacher.

6. Manchester United's Eric Cantona on his kung-fu style kick on a Crystal Palace supporter. 7. The New Zealand basketball team. 8. The first president of the BCCI. 9. Polo. 10. Paavo Nurmi. 11. Brazil's Nelson Piquet.

12. The high jump. 13. Cross the $1 million mark in earnings. 14. Cross country skiing. 15. Seventeen.