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The Hindu :

The West Indies cricket team has the makings of being a force to reckon with

Photo: K. Ramesh BabuCalypso challenge The youngsters have been a revelation

Kieron Pollard, the hard-hitting batsman from Trinidad and Tobago put up an amazing display of six-hitting at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium at Uppal recently when his team defeated New South Wales Blues in the Champions League cricket tournament.

The outfit from the West Indies which seemed to be facing certain defeat at one stage, romped home to a comfortable win thanks to the fireworks unleashed by Pollard at a crucial juncture. It was a sight that will not easily be forgotten by Hyderabad cricket fans, although there were just a handful of them present at the ground that eventful day.

This was not the first time that Pollard showed his hitting ability. He has made quite a name for himself back home. He had represented West Indies in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, and he first attracted attention when he cracked a power-packed 83 for Trinidad and Tobago in the Stanford 20/20 championship. He scored a blazing 126 off only 71 balls, smashing six sixes on his first-class debut. In fact, his first scoring stroke during that knock was a six! In his third first-class game he scored a second hundred, again hitting six sixes.

But that is just what is to be expected from this dashing West Indian – he loves to hit the ball and he does it as often as he can. His approach to batting may remind cricket connoisseurs of the exciting West Indian batsmen of the past such as Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes, Clyde Walcott, Gary Sobers or Roy Fredericks, Gordon Greenidge and Vivian Richards, to name just a few of the great players who have emerged from that region.

The other player from the island team who hit headlines in Hyderabad was…More

The Hindu : y>Eoin Colfer takes readers on a trip through space and time in the sixth instalment of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The author chats with MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER

I dont think in a straight line. I approach the plot from different angles

Revival Eoin Colfer has kept the general tone of satire of the books

The answer to life, the universe, and who would write the sixth instalment of Douglas Adams’ “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” after Adams’ untimely death of a heart attack at the age of 49 in 2001 is out. It is Eoin Colfer, creator of the 12-year-old criminal fiend, Artemis Fowl.

Colfer proved more than equal to the task with “And Another Thing” (Penguin, Rs. 399) which was released on October 11 to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of the first book.

“Adams’ people had been thinking of the sixth book and some names had been suggested but were rejected,” says Colfer over the phone. “When I was approached, I initially said nooooo… ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ is a beloved work and fans across the world, including me, are very protective of it. However, when I thought about it, I felt I would regret not taking this up. So, I agreed to do it a week later.”

About the title, Colfer says: “It is a quote from Adams and, in a way, a metaphor for the book.”

“And Another Thing” is a glorious trip through space and time with all the characters and things we know so well, including the two-headed intergalactic president Zaphod Beeblebrox, the mildly-puzzled earthling Arthur Dent, feisty Trillian, blue-haired Ford Prefect, pan galactic gargle blasters and the infinite improbability drive.

“I kept the main characters in the books and the general tone of satire. I had to let go of Douglas’ style mainly because I cannot write like him. I used my own style. I like…More

The Hindu :

GOLF C. Muniyappa, the caddie-turned-pro who won the Indian Open, is testimony to the fact that talent is what really matters

Photo: Murali Kumar K.MAKING A MARK Muniyappa had no playing experience as a junior or amateur, but ventured into the professional circuit in 1997

Practice makes a man perfect…is a common adage. However, Chinnaswamy Muniyappa, the Hero Honda Indian Open champion begs to differ.

“Even after hours of practice and being successful, it is what you do on the field on the match day that matters… that performance could make or break you,” says the 32-year-old from Bangalore.

Muniyappa became a caddie as a seven year old to supplement his family’s income, and turned professional when he was 20. He also used to help his parents in maintaining the golf course.

He admits, “My greatest strength is the ‘reading of the greens’ and my putting.” He recently returned to Bangalore with a winner’s purse of 1,98,000 dollars and as champion in the Indian Open.

He quips, “I plan to buy a nice house with the money. My parents have struggled to fulfil my dream of becoming a professional golfer. I want to provide them a nice place to live.”Interest brought encouragement

Munniyappa is the third son of Chinnaswamy and Chinnamma and used to wander on the greens of the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) grounds, where his parents worked, as a youngster. He was soon hooked on to the game and became a caddie. “There was no financial returns as a caddie. But when I expressed my intent to play the game, Kilpady, the course-in-charge took keen interest and encouraged me,” says Muniyappa.

“With no playing experience as a junior or amateur, I ventured into the professional circuit in 1997 and seldom missed the ‘cut’. That kept me hooked to the game.”

Muniyappa bagged his first title at the Eagleton course when he won the Toyota Altus Open…More

The Hindu :

Have you tried soup with fresh green peas?

Health factor Green peas are a good source of vitamins C and K

The green pea is thought to have originated from the field pea that was native to central Asia. In fact, peas are mentioned in the Bible and were prized by the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Greece and Rome.

There are three types of peas that are commonly eaten — green peas, snow peas and snap peas. Green peas have rounded pods that are usually slightly curved in shape with a smooth texture and vibrant green colour. Inside of them are green, rounded pea seeds that are sweet and starchy in taste and available from spring through the beginning of winter. Snow peas are flatter than green peas, and since they are not fully opaque, you can usually see the shadows of the flat pea’s seeds within. Snap peas, a cross between the green and snow pea, have plump pods with a crisp, snappy texture.

While choosing the green peas look for ones with firm, velvety and smooth pods. Their colour should be a lively medium green. Additionally, do not choose pods that are puffy, water soaked or have mildew.

Nutritional profile

Green peas are a good source of vitamin C and K (which is important in maintaining bone health) and vitamin A.

Now, for a recipe.Green Pea Soup

Ingredients

Green peas: one cup

Chicken bones

Carrots: two, medium-sized

Onion, chopped: quarter cup

Celery: one stalk

Garlic: half clove

Salt

Pepper

Bay leaves: 2

Parsley leaves for garnish

Method: Bring two quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the peas and the chicken bone to the boiling water. Chop about one-fourth cup onion, and set aside in a bowl. Peel and chop the carrots, and the celery, and add them to the bowl with the onion. Let the peas boil for some time, until they begin to soften. Crush the desirable amount of garlic…More

The Hindu :

Is it the athlete or the technology that counts?

PHOTO:AFPSUCCESSFUL SPLASH Swimmer Michael Phelps

Officials at FINA, swimming’s top authority, have voted to ban the Speedo LZR Racer swimsuits. It follows complaints about how 135 world swim records, including Michael Phelps’ seven in the Beijing Olympics dived since the hi-tech, polyurethane-based swimwear hit the market two years ago. In the last ten years, competitive swimsuits have travelled the slippery slope from cotton to lycra briefs (one-piece for women) to the current poly neck-to-ankle bodysuits.

High-tech sportswear increases speed, buoyancy and endurance. So what? Anyone following sports at any level knows the “faster, higher, stronger” motto is related to tech advances in tracks/shoes/clubs/racquets/bats and expanding knowledge of nutrition, diet, weight training and fitness. Sports medicine and body movement analysis are big business now.What technology does

Sachin Tendulkar wears tight gloves with extra padding. (So did Steve Waugh and Allan Border.) Tendulkar’s bat is now 2-12, less heavy than what it used to be.He also gets the gutting at the base of the bat handle reduced. Shoaib Akthar’s custom-made keds have steel plating and holes in the front. On another note, Himesh Reshammiya has had vocal surgery to give himself an additional voice. Now he can sing in two voices. Is that unfair advantage too?

Ha, but polymer bodysuits go beyond merely “improving” performance. Squeeze into the body-hug and your stocky figure becomes a streamlined torpedo. “It devalues athleticism,” said Salo, world-record-holder Rebecca Soni’s swim coach. You don’t need long hours of conditioning; don’t have to be in good shape. Pull the Adidas Hydrofoil/Arena X-glide/Jaked 01 on and make waves to reach record books.

For many of the world’s top swimmers, the poly swimsuit is not just about performance boosting. It’s about morality. It’s about the focus shifting from the player’s performance to his equipment. Why would polymer labs decide pool winners? Why would you train hard…More

The Hindu : y>Take a look at the rules and regulations for the MetroPlus Playwright Award 2010

The Hindu MetroPlus Playwright Award 2010 carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh for the best new English script.

The entry must be a full-length play on any subject of your choice – not less than 60 minutes, and not exceeding 120 minutes of performance time.

The play must be an original, unpublished and unperformed work in English. It must not have been staged in any public space.

It must be written by an Indian citizen or by a person resident in India over the last five years.

Submissions made for the 2008 and 2009 awards will not be considered. Only one submission will be entertained from a person.

The submission must not contain any quotation or copyright material without proper permission having been obtained.

Translations are not eligible. Adaptations of novels and texts are eligible.

Submissions must be typed in double space on single sides of A4 sheets and sent to: The MetroPlus, (Playwright Award 2010), The Hindu, Kasturi Buildings, 859/860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600002 and ALSO emailed to: metroplaywright@gmail. com

Your play must reach us (in BOTH print and email form) on or before December 15, 2009.

A short curriculum vitae of the playwright must be attached to the play, with the writer’s name, telephone/mobile number, email address, and postal address.

The entry must contain a declaration stating that the play is original and has not been either been published or performed.

Manuscripts will not be returned.

Employees of Kasturi & Sons and their close relatives are not eligible to enter the contest.

The decision of the judges is final. It will be made public before March 31, 2010.

For further clarifications, emailmetroplaywright@gmail.com

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The Hindu : y>

Photo: Akhilesh KumarBusy bee Mugdha Godse

Mugdha Godse is busy as two of her films, “All The Best” and Madhur Bhandarkar’s hard-hitting drama “Jail” will be released soon. On Etc’s “Bollywood Business” at 8.30 p.m., she discusses her experiences while shooting for both the movies with trade analyst Taran Adarsh. She also talks about her career moves, the difficulty in enacting comedy scenes and what she feels is the most difficult genre to enact in.

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Tired of pounding in gym, hammering on treadmills and hauling weights? Try a different fitness route. Discovery Travel and Living presents “Fitness and Fusion”, a new series that combines dance and exercise, so you can shake your hip to fitness. From Latin Groove, Maculele, Capoeira, and Merengue to Samba, Salsa and Ramba, spice up your workout with different dance styles.

Starting October 23, the programme will be telecast at 11 p.m. on Fridays.

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