Gerald D'Cunha

T hanks to Srinivas Gowda, now millions in India and abroad know what a ‘Kambala’ is! And, if you still do not know what it is, Kambala is the famous buffalo race of my village (Though Mangalore – now Mangaluru – is no more a village!)… As Kadri, the place where this race has been held for long decades, is now lies in the heart of Mangaluru city. The acres and acres of land, which was once used as paddy (rice) fields, is now transformed into a hot real-estate to raise sprawling apartments and villas. But, the two-tracked Kambala racing field - still exists… and, the sporting spectacle, over the years, has only become bigger, grander and even richer! And, yes, thanks to Srinivas Gowda, it has now become world famous, too! Who is Srinivas Gowda and what is his feat? In the latest Kambala event, this 28-year-old construction worker won Gold by setting a new record – 142.5 metres in just 13.62 seconds… They say, he has broken the 100-metre wo...

I am a die-hard fan of Sachin Tendulkar. I admire him for his game – cricket. He is a legend and he inspires millions all over the world. He comes about as a gentleman and least controversial. Hence, he is so highly respected. But, then, when the nation – the particular political class – bestowed upon him the highest civilian honour of our nation – ‘Bharat Ratna’ – I did not feel very comfortable. There are so many ‘Jewels of India’… I say so many, that Sachin would have shone much brighter without a ‘Bharat Ratna’. It’s my view. Our country – of more than 1.3-billion people – doesn’t have sprinters of Usain Bolt’s class. Jamica, Usani Bolt’s country - doesn’t even have a population of 28 lakh! Incidentally, Usain’s original passion was cricket. But, he went on to become the greatest athlete – the fastest man on earth. No one has matched his track records, just as no one has Sachin’s cricket-records. So, if Jamica crowns Usain with her highest civilian honor, so b...