ROZ EK SHER

In memory of Bob Woolmer, an under-rated player and a very fine coach.


सत्त्वेषु मैत्रिं गुणीषु प्रमोदम्
क्लिष्टेषु जीवेषु कृपापरत्वम्
माध्यस्थ्य भावं विपरीत वृत्तौ
सदा ममात्मा विदधातु देव
-आचार्य अमितगति

sattveshu maitrim guniishu pramodam
klishteshu jiiveshu krpaparatvam
madhyasthya bhavam vipariit vrttau
sada mamatma vidadhatu dev
-Acarya Amitagati

May I have friendship with all beings
And derive pleasure in the company of good persons
May I empathise with those in difficulties
And remain unaffected by adversity
O Lord, I pray that I may imbibe these qualities in my soul.

English translation by Girish Jani
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AHIMSA: THE ULTIMATE WINNER
By Dr N P Jain
2004 220 x 140 mm 272 pp
Paperback Rs 200
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Dear friends,
Jay Jinendra

I am deeply saddened by the death of Bob Woolmer. He was a great coach and a very good human being. He did excellent work coaching in the black townships in South Africa. He wrote extremely well and held sane, well thought our views on the betterment of cricket in general and race relations in particular.

Cricket is a fine game. It is absorbing. It is a test not only of skills and athleticism, but of character as well. But it is, after all, a game. Let us treat it like that.

As a proud and patriotic Indian, I hate seeing India lose. But the Bangladeshis played better cricket and hence they won. I love test cricket and enjoy one day cricket. But some of the reactions of our countrymen cannot be understood. Why must we deify our cricketer and then set out to lynch them as soon as they lose a match? Why can't we treat them as human beings? Cricketers are sportsmen. They play to win. But they cannot win all the time. Why can't we accept this fact and move on?

I hope that our men in blue thrashes the living daylights out of their remaining opponents and emulate the 1983 feats of Kapil Dev, Jimmy Amarnath, Roger Binny and others and win the World Cup once again.

But if they do not, let us not chuck stones at their houses and question their integrity.

yours
M