It’s a well known fact that Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor starrer Ra.One is creating quite a stir among the audience even before its release due to more than one reason. Earlier this year, the song Chammak Challo sung by Akon, starring Kareena in a sizzling hot saree, got leaked on the internet. Although, it upset Shah Rukh Khan tremendously, the effect turned out to be positive as audience waited even more eagerly for the release of the song.

Recently a small clipping of the song has been released and people are already talking about it as ‘The Song of the Year’.  Akon’s voice combined with SRK’s style and Kareena’s moves has had the audience spellbound.

While things are going on splendidly for Ra.One so far, Shah Rukh Khan might just be successful in closing another major publicity deal. Reliable sources reveal that the actor is planning to rope in F1 racer Michael Schumacher to promote the movie by bearing Ra.One logos in the car he would be driving in the Grand Prix race that is about to be conducted at Greater Noida at the end of October.

The plan is currently in negotiation phase and if SRK is successful, the Formula 1 would be tying up with Ra.One promotions.  A close associate revealed that the idea of tying up the movies promotion with F1 Race is completely Shah Rukh Khan’s. It would be quite exciting to watch the World Champion Schumacher to be racing in a car with ‘Ra.One’ engraved on it.

A Little Bit More into F1 Grand Prix 2011, Noida

Its India’s debut Formula 1 Grand Prix and the event is almost 60 days away but racing fans are already in a hurry to book their seats for the fear of missing out this golden opportunity. The event is being hosted at Buddh International Circuit by Jaypee Sports International.

20 percent of the entire tickets available are already sold. Out of a total 1 lakh tickets, 20,000 have already been booked. The tickets are selling like hot cakes online. 7000 lower tier tickets priced at Rs2500 have already been sold. Fans are now starting to opt for more expensive tickets.  The price range of the tickets is between 2500 to 35,000 INR.

Students seem quite enthusiastic about the racing event. The city boasts of about 70 management institions and engineering colleges containing about 2 lakh students. An enthusiastic student Deepak says “We have booked 2500 seats”

Motorsports is liked by students as it provides thrill. I have planned to join the academy to be set up next year at Buddh International Circuit,” reveals Vivek Nagar, another college student.

JK Dutta, president of Federation of Greater Noida Residents Welfare Association expressed concerns about the arrangement issues. “As over one lakh visitors are expected during the event, authorities should arrange for accommodations well in advance. Besides, bed and breakfast units should be registered in large numbers. This will provide cheap accommodation to visitors.”

Whether or not Shah Rukh manages to tie up with F1, the event and the movie are sure to rock a million audiences throughout the world.

Mamta Kharab, the experienced woman forward is livid for having been overlooked by Hockey India for the upcoming Asian Games. She is livid that they have ignored her past achievements and her fitness certificate.

She was astonished that she had not made it to the team even though she was fully fit to play the games at Guangzhou.

“The attitude of Hockey India has surprised me. I was told by the federation that I need some more time to recover despite being fully fit. I had on October 22 submitted the fitness certificate to Hockey India and informed them that I am ready for the Asian Games. But they ruled me out of the event on the pretext that there was no place in the team to make changes. No doctor from Sports Authority of India ever checked or visited me. How can you rule me out of any event without considering my form and fitness,” Mamta said.

She had missed out on the Commonwealth Games as the selection panel had retained that same team that had represented the country for the World Cup.

She said “During the Commonwealth Games, I had informed both HI President Vidya Stokes and General Secretary Narinder Batra about my fitness. I had not participated in selection trial for World Cup because I was not fit at that time. Later on, I was informed that the same squad, which participated in the World Cup, will play in the Commonwealth Games also”.

Mamta added “I was told by the federation that a separate selection trial would be conducted for the Asian Games and I prepared myself both physically and mentally for that. When I enquired about the Asian Games trial after the CWG, they told me there was no place in the team to make any changes”.

Even though there were two changes made in the squad, Mamta had been overlooked and she said “I am deeply hurt by the apathy shown by HI. Despite playing international hockey for almost 10 years, I have been treated like this”.

Mamta was the star player and the one responsible for the gold medal win in the Manchester Commonwealth Games held in 2002.

“People make tall claims of promoting Indian hockey but the reality is quite gloomy,” she said.

However, she had decided not to give up and would try to make a comeback after the Asian games.

Mamta had suffered a knee injury at a training camp in Bhopal and underwent a major surgery in Mumbai in March. She missed the World Cup in Argentina and also the CWG due to that injury.

The Indian hockey team seemed like meek lambs that were thrown straight into the lion’s pit. The team has not been able to withstand the onslaught of the Australian players and their opponents went on to score goals after goals unopposed while the Indian hockey team functioned without purpose and hope.

Several theories have been making the rounds now that dissections of the performance of the Indian hockey teams in the Commonwealth Games are what are being talked about. These theories mostly circulate around the inability of the Indian hockey team to deals with better and faster opponents, rarely touching the mental toughness of our players.

An open debate was thrown open by Chief coach Jose Brasa especially after India’s phenomenal victory against Pakistan about the fact that the team required a sports psychologist who could help the players deal with the pressures associated with this game,

“You ask any player… they would say they don’t need a psychologist. But the reality is that there’s no team in the world which does not have a sports psychologist.” Brasa had said.

Dr BP Bam who is currently the mental conditioning coach of the India shooting team and who has in the past worked with India’s top cricketers has had a brief discussion with the hockey team players and felt that they are very much in need of a full time sports psychologist.

“I had been offered the job to tour with the hockey team but there were some constraints and I could not take it up. But the hockey team does need one. The players have a lot of stress do deal with and also they sometimes find it hard to segregate the pressures of playing for India and focusing on their game. The players need proper guidance sometimes and that can only be done by a professional,” Dr Bam said.

India’s former goalkeeper and coach AB Subbaiah said: “Our teams urgently need a psychologist. Mental toughness should be our foremost concern right now. The players need to perform consistently at the highest level and only an expert can instill that confidence among the players,” Subbaiah said.

Saina Nehwal’s victory puts India at the second spot in the medal tally.  It was not just the question of the India’s favorite Saina Nehwal winning the gold medal , as she played against Wong Mew Choo from Malaysia in the women’s single finals in badminton, Saina’s gold would also influence India’s status in the medal tally as England was also in the race for the second position.

India’s 37th gold came from Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa defeating Shinta Mulia Sari and Lei Yao of Singapore in the women’s doubles combination which made them equal to England in the medal tally.  Saina’s gold was mandatory for India to gain the second position as England was not able to win any gold on the last day.

With encouragement and cheering from the home crowd at the Siri Fort sports auditorium, Saina was visibly nervous as the first point at 21-20 in the second game was earned by Mew Choo.  But Saina was patient enough to level up with a net kill and then came back into the game with a win of 19-21, 23-21, 21-13 in a span of one hour and 10 minutes.

“We were hoping that if we could win two golds, we could be on top. After Jwala and Ashwini won their final, it was my turn and I am very proud that I could bring India to the second spot,” the first ever Indian gold medallist in a singles tournament said.

The gold medallist in the men’s singles event were Prakash Padukone(1978) and Syed Modi(1982)  but Aparna Popat missed the gold in the 1998 finals.

Moreover, it was all looking very much impossible till the first 45 minutes as the world No.3 left no chance to give her best shots for a win even as the opponent Mew Choo hit large defensive strokes provoking Saina.

“I was very nervous and so I was hitting everything,” Saina said reacting to her win which was e her fifth continuous win against Mew Choo this year.

Only as the first game ended, Saina’s strategy could be evident though it started working during the first half of the second game.  But challenging the hazards, Saina faltered repeatedly allowing the Malaysian a chance to gain her first match point.

“At that point, I told myself that I had nothing to lose, ” said Saina, talking about the winner that helped her to gain victory.

The deciding game was as easy as ever as Saina was very much fit comparatively.

Earlier, history was created by Jwala and Ashwini as they became the first to win a CWG gold in the doubles event defeating the top seeds 21-16, 21-19.  During the 1978 Games Ami Ghia and Kanwal Thakur brought home a bronze.

Kien Keat Koo bagged a triple crown to give Malaysia a total of three gold medals.