UNIT - V

                                                                        UNIT – V

SKILLS ANNEXE

5. SPORTS AND HEALTH

                      The article entitled “Sachin Tendulkar” is a short biographical account of one of India’s cricket legends, a brilliant batsman well known for his inimitable style of presenting himself both on and off the field.

Sachin’s Childhood/School Days/ Education

                Sachin Tendulkar was born on 24 April 1973 in Mumbai in a middle class family. He was the youngest of four children. He was named as Sachin after his family’s favourite music director, Sachin Dev Burman.  His father was a professor and his mother worked in a Life Insurance Company. Tendulkar was not a particularly gifted student but he was an outstanding athlete. He was given his first cricket bat when he was eleven and his talent in cricket was immediately understood. When he was fourteen, he scored 329 out of a world record of 664 in a school match. Soon he became a cult figure among the Mumbai school boys.

                                   After high school he joined Kirti College   where his father taught. The Tendulkar family was very close and hence Sachin always preferred to stay next door to his parents even in the later years.

Tendulkar’s achievements

Ø  Brilliant bats man of his time

Ø  The most prolific run maker of all time

Ø  The biggest cricket icon ever known

Ø  Tendulkar’s batting is based on the following principles – perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke making and anticipation.

Ø  He is equally proficient at orthodox shots as well as at the improvised ones. If he does not have a signature stroke – the upright, back foot punch comes close.

Ø  No weaknesses are visible in his game. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, can tune his technique to suit every condition, temper his game to suit every situation, and has made runs in all parts of the world in all conditions.

Ø  Some of his finest performances have come against Australia, an overwhelming dominant team of his era.

Ø  When he was 19, his century on a lightning-fast pitch at the WACA was one of the best innings ever played in Australia.

Ø  Don Bradman, the greatest batsman the world has known, told his wife that Sachin reminded him of himself.

Ø  Sachin has the keenest of cricket minds and a dislike for losing.

Ø  Sachin’s greatness was established when he was only 16. When he made his test debut, he was hit on mouth by Waqar Younis but he continued to bat in a blood-soaked shirt.

Ø  When he was 17, his first test 100 saved the match at Old Trafford.

Ø  Sachin had 16 test hundreds before he turned 25.

Ø  In 2000, he became the first batsman to have scored 50 International 100’s.

Ø  In 2008, he passed Brain Lara as the leading test runner.

Ø  In the years after, he went past 13,000 test runs, 30,000 international runs and 50 test hundreds.

Ø  He currently holds the record for most hundreds in both tests and ODIs. It is remarkable that he didn’t score his ODI 100till his 79th match.

Ø  When he was 36(&306 days), he broke a 40 year old barrier by scoring the first double century in one-day cricket.

       Q) What are the main features of Sachin’s batting? (EXTERNAL EXAM JUNE 2014)

EPITOME OF WISDOM

5. CONVOCATION SPEECH

The present lesson is the Convocation Speech made at JNTUH on May 7, 2012 by N.R.Narayana Murthy, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Infosys limited, Bangalore.

            Narayana Murthy begins his speech greeting the dignitaries and congratulating all the graduating students on their completion of the degree from one of the highly respected institutions of India. He asks the students to make India a better country. He also thanks the University for awarding him an honorary doctorate.

            Narayana Murthy says that earlier India was known globally only for its spices. For several hundred years the world didn’t expect India to contribute anything globally. But fortunately today India is receiving extra-ordinary respect from the world.

Following are some of India’s achievements-

Ø  Our economy is growing at more than 7 percent for the last three years, highest since 1947.

Ø  India has become the software development centre of the world.

Ø  Our foreign exchange reserves are around $300 billion.

Ø  According to a recently published OECD report, India has created the maximum number of jobs among the emerging economies.

Ø  Portfolio investments and foreign direct investment into India are healthy despite some concern among foreign investors.

Ø  Bollywood dancing has become popular among the western youth.

Ø  According to the Forbes magazine, India has the highest number of billionaires in Asia.

          In spite of all such achievements, India is still facing a number of problems –

Ø  A part of India is still steeped in deep poverty, illiteracy, ill-health and malnutrition without hope and confidence for future.

Ø  India has the largest mass (around 350 million) of illiterates in the world.

Ø  More than 200 million Indians do not have access to safe drinking water.

Ø  About 750 million Indians do not have access to sanitation facilities.

Ø  Our political system ironically provides incentives for most of our politicians to keep the Indians poor, illiterate and helpless.

Ø  We are consistently among the lowly-ranked nations in the Human Development Index.

Ø  India ranks high on corruption.

Ø  Our record in primary and higher education is pathetic.

Ø  Sadly, the present Indian environment converts the bright, idealistic and confident youngsters in their twenties into despondent, self-seeking and unhappy individuals by the time they reach 40.

              Narayana Murthy hopes to solve these problems. He feels that for the first time in the past 300 years, today’s economic environment is creating confidence that we can overcome our poverty and create a better future. We can wipe off the tears of the poorest as desired by Gandhi. Narayana Murthy says that he is able to notice significant changes around him which give an indication that today’s youth will make India bright for the people from all walks of life.

              Narayana Murthy points out that he still has a hope that 30 years from now, India will be very different-

Ø  India will have a set of 40-60 year olds who will be different from the current 60 and 65 year olds like him.

Ø  They will be full of confidence, hope and faith.

Ø  They will create a developed India without poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition and sicknesses.

Ø  They will get respect for their as well as their country’s accomplishments.

Ø  Every nation would then want to trade with us.

Ø  Foreigners would come to study here.

         However Narayana Murthy says that such a transformation is not an easy task . But the students have been given this rare opportunity which was not given to him as a student in the 1960s.

         THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Narayana Murthy quotes the recipe for success which was conveyed wonderfully by the coach Kabir Khan and by the wonderful women hockey players in the movie – Chak De India. The recipe looks simple but is hard to follow.

          We should come out of our feelings of states, religions and castes and realize that we are all Indians. We must become disciplined and accept meritocracy to achieve success. We have to put the interest of our nation ahead of our personal interests subordinating our egos and biases. We have to put in tremendous hard work and make short term sacrifices for long term glory.

          Narayana Murthy concludes saying that he has immense faith in the youth and prays to God to give them the strength, resolve and character needed to make India succeed. He also tells the youth to have fun and be happy because only a happy mind can achieve great things.

Q) According to Dr. N.R.Narayana Murthy, what leads to consistency in success?

         (EXTERNAL EXAM JUNE 2014)

Ans. Refer last three paragraphs of summary.