Thursday 20 November 2008

Looking forward to Goal



Today the movie "Goal" is releasing which is based on the football team of Indians in England. John, Bipasha, Boman and Arshad Warsi are the main characters. It will be second film on the game after "Chak De" from Bollywood in this year. And I hope it will be as successful as "Chak De".
Looking forward to watch it in Cinema-hall soon (Otherwise, I prefer to watch the new films on Cable TV because if the movie in the Cinema-hall is not so interesting then Rs. 100/- + in vain ;-) so I usually rely on news-paper review)
In my school days, I used to play Kho-Kho, the speedy Indian Game which requires high physical stamina and the dodging skill. It is a game of just 36 minutes. Two teams of 9 players (3 reserves) play 9 minutes alternatively. And the technique is Run-Chase.
But this each 9 minute play is also very exhaustive but worth watching. Unfortunately, no video version of this game is available on the net to show it.
Because I love games like this, I find Cricket rather dull. I truly think that it is a waste of time not only of players but of millions of spectator who watch it day and night. I dislike the way cricket mania is there in India. Especially, the way people watch cricket in office hours, avoiding the work and keeping people on wait.
Hope 20-20 cricket will end these 50 over match and test match system soon.
On the other hand, the games like Kho-Kho, Football and hockey attract me. They are speedy and they finish within hour or two.


Kho-Kho ranks as one of the most popular traditional sports in India. The origin of Kho-Kho is difficult to trace, but many historians believe, that it is a modified form of 'Run Chase', which in its simplest form involves chasing and touching a person. With its origins in Maharashtra, Kho-Kho in ancient times, was played on chariots (rath), and was known as Rathera.
Like all Indian games, it is simple, inexpensive and enjoyable. It does, however, demand physical fitness, strength, speed and stamina, and a certain amount of ability. Dodging, feinting and bursts of controlled speed make this game quite thrilling. To catch by pursuit - to chase, rather than just run - is the capstone of Kho-Kho.The game develops qualities such as obedience, discipline, sportsmanship, and loyalty between team members.
How the game is played
Each team consists of twelve players, but only nine players take the field for a contest. A match consists of two innings. An innings consists of chasing and running turns of 7 minutes each. Eight members of the chasing team sit in their eight squares on the central lane, alternately facing the opposite direction, while the ninth member is an active chaser, and stands at either of the posts, ready to begin the pursuit. Members of the chasing team have to put their opponent out, touching them with their palms, but without committing a foul. All the action in Kho-Kho is provided by the defenders, who try to play out the 7 minutes time, and the chasers who try to dismiss them. A defender can be dismissed in three ways: 1) if he is touched by an active chaser with his palm without committing a foul, 2) if he goes out of the limits on his own, 3) if he enters the limit late.
Defenders enter the limit, in batches of three. After the third and last defender of batch is out, the next batch must enter the limits, before a 'kho' is given by the successful active chaser. Defenders have full freedom of movement on both sides of the central lane, but the active chaser cannot change the direction to which he is committed. He cannot cross the central lane. An active chaser can change position with a seated chaser, by touching him from behind by palm, and uttering the word 'kho' loudly, and simultaneously, chase or attack is build up through a series of 'khos' as the chase continues with a relay of chasers.
At the end of the innings there is an interval of 5 minutes and an interval of 2 minutes, in between the turns. Each side alternates between chasing and defense.
Kho-Kho can be played by men, women, and children of all ages. The game requires a very small piece of evenly surfaced ground, rectangular in shape, and 27m by 15m. The only equipments required are the two poles. The game lasts no more than 37 minutes.


Original post and comments : Looking forward to Goal

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