we r the champions (ii)

(standing (from L to R) - raj, sandeep, senti, prasanna, yahoo, vivek, popa, l2, lp
don't know what he's doing - bobo
kneeling/squatting/sitting (from L to R) - fm, pogo, G, talli, deja, soody/shaggy, shampoo)

i've taken my bows and my curtain calls
you brought me fame and fortune
and everything that goes with it
i thank you all
but it's been no bed of roses
no pleasure cruise
- queen ( we are the champions)

this is the story of the champions. the story of a team that defined what 'winning' is. this is the story of footer@iitm.

footer@iitm began the year riding a wave of confidence. the gold that we brought iit madras after fifteen years was still glowing in the minds of most of the players. with that incredible win on 18th december, 2005, the team had been transformed from a no-star team to, as someone put it, an all-star team!! the team did attract some lavish criticisms for its 'seemingly' defensive tactics which was compared to that of the italian national team. but footeer@iitm was unfazed, and had set out to prove wrong every critic who saw the win as an abberation.

a glimpse of what footer@iitm was capable of was seen in the match against satyabhama in sportsfest. the win was remarkable, not so much for the fact that it brought us silver, as for the manner in which it was achieved. one goal down in a match against a seemingly superior team, the team fought back with a ferocity and confidence that the opponents couldn't cope with. the 2-1 win proved how much fight the team was capable of putting.

sadly, chaos reigned in the run-up to inter-iit with a chunk of the main players opting out of the tournament due to personal reasons. replacements were sought frantically. it was an opportunity for some, and oh boy, did they use it to prove themselves.

the problems were not over when we reached guwahati. it began with a terrible disappointment for me: getting injured in the first quarter of the first match that left me out of the field for the rest of the tournament. players got bogged down by the sudden change in weather - many of them taking ill. and yet, no one was able to stop our march to the final!! the match that we played against kanpur on the way to the final (in the semi-final) was one gritty exhibition of the team's skills and temperament under adverse conditions.

the final against kharagpur was one match whose memories would linger on for years to come.

footer@iitm was, but crippled. i was out because of my fracture, raj because of his anjle injury. yahoo and senti were unfit to play the entire match. what ensued in the next 2 odd hours was totaaal drama.

towards the end of the second half, me, raj, yahoo, senti, popa and vivek (for a funny red card!!) were sitting out. and we were to play with ten men for the rest of the match - a full 40 minutes.
the 10 men team now led by talli with l2 played like champions and not only managed to keep the now weary kgp players at bay, but launched some incisive attacks of our own.

after the extra time was over, the two teams were still in a deadlock with no goals scored from either side. 3 madras - kgp matches had been played in the last 3 inter iit's and all of them had been deadlocks, with no goal scored by either team! the better team had to be determined once and for all.

what unfolded before our eyes was a treat to watch!! iit kgp was decimated in the penalty shoot out with talli, g and prasanna netting in the only 3 penalties tht we needed to take. sandeep, our custodian, was one force to reckon with as he psyched their players to some nervous errors. iitm had achieved an unbelievable and unexpected feat - win gold for the second time, that too with a depleted, 'crippled' team!!!

so, this was the story of footer@iitm. it is incomplete without the memories that each player must have harboured in his own way, and that's the way it will be. suffice to say, it was an experience that culminated in tears of joy for almost all the players. others may see the team in different ways - 2 time gold winners, the team that got lucky, the star team, the ultra defensive team etc etc.

for us who have played for the team, it's different. personally, it was a defining moment in my foooter 'career' and i couldn't have asked for more. having played with and learnt from people like jet li, jimmy, bongi, mallu in the insti and ash from our own hostel for over 3 years, being a part of this winning team was coming of age for me. we had achieved something that had remained elusive to all those whom we have admired. it was a fantastic feeling indeed. i bet it has been one unforgettable experience for everyone involved with footer@iitm.

and finally, the secret. (well, it's not so much of a secret anyway.) iitm's winning strategy consists of 3 fundamental principles or acts which are -

• score and don't concede. could be just 'don't concede'. in the two years that we have been champions, footer@iitm has but conceded just one goal (in 8 matches) which is a remarkable feat in itself.
• listen to 'we are the champions' by queen before the match.
• take the right side of the players arena

ah! to be the champions!!!

p.s. this post is written with my 'un-fractured' hand. so forgive the capitalization (or lack thereof), grammar, etc.

We are the champions, my friend

The scores:
Leagues:
1-0 vs. Delhi
0-0 vs. Kharagpur
Semis:
0-0 (4-3 in penalties) vs. Mumbai
Finals:
1-0 vs. Delhi

We were thus crowned the footer (known as football or soccer to the world outside) champions after a drought of a long 15 years. Oh boy! what a joy it is to be a part of a gold-winning team and what a pride to be a part of a defence that yielded to none. Delhi, you people were good, that’s why we scored against you, but then just not good enough. The week's stay in Roorkee was fun, inside and outside the field. What with the numerous squabbles and fights and some highly competitive matches in other games too. The only crib I have was the stupidly amateurish and ordinary refereeing. It suddenly made me empathize with players who rattle and punch referees during matches. Whatever. We are the champions, my friend! Let me bask in this well-deserved glory for sometime.

#
There’s no place like home. It’s not that I dislike other places. In spite of the dusty and potholed roads, the lack or excess of security, the firings and the mindless explosion of bombs (I missed one by 15 minutes this time!!), the complete absence of night-life, internet connections that make the phrase sound like a misplaced oxymoron (which explains my prolonged absence from the world wide web), current that goes off without a whisper of a warning, there’s something about home that’s missing anywhere else. Perhaps the home-made food, or being able to just loll about without caring a damn about anything (as a manner of speaking). And Manipuri winter is the best I’ve ever experienced, very unlike here where I am literally sweating it out. At least for the nonce, I’m indeed quite happy that the nostalgia in me is dead.

#
In hindsight, what a fantastic year it has been for me; just didn’t realize how it whizzed past me at such a neck-breaking speed. It’s been fairly interesting in every way – academically, physically, emotionally. And a perfect climax to boot. Thanks to everyone who have made my life such a joy to live. I am blessed. So, bless everyone who’s reading this and bless everyone who is not.

I don’t believe in making new year resolutions and hence, I haven’t made any. I have a wish-list though and it goes something like this-

• Spend a week in a virgin island (preferably Thailand) with someone who I can spend a week in a virgin island with.
• Spend another week touring Europe.
• Watch a Pink Floyd show – LIVE.
• Get a little more academically inclined. (This is a wish-list, remember?)
• Watch all matches of Italy, Brazil and Argentina during the world-cup (I know I’m thinking a little too ahead, but still)

Sorry to my other wishes that couldn’t make it to the list. I’m bound by constraints here. (‘U’ know what I mean)

O dear, I’m so ready to take the new year by its horns!!

Visi, vidi, vici

Four hectic days of Shaastra (arguably the best technical festival in India; those who disagree may google for ‘directions to hell’) just got over. And its end has brought in a terrible lethargy in me. Basically, things are back to normal.

Shaastra, to a lot of people in the institute, is a time for an extended siesta. In fact, a lot of people just ‘crash’ through it. For some, it’s a time to DC++ all the movies and series they have been craving to see for long . Yet, for some, it’s a time for a trip to a nearby hill-station or to go home.

But then, there are the participants, which I have taken in a wider perspective to include those who come here for bird-hunting (or watching) and not for the events. I’m sure they had lesser to complain this time. The birds were indeed a soothing balm to the sore eyes of tired participants . They would not participate in any event but just stand like mannequins the entire day. It would make good economic sense to use them rather than posters for ads. Most people look at them, not at posters.

The events occupied my whole day and the nights were spent in planning (which took more time than actually making it) and making a model or two for the next. Squeeze in two hours of football practice and a match (which I unashamedly admit we won; so what if it was against a bunch of school-kids) in the torturous morning sun. And, u know I am grateful that I’m not a vegetable yet.

On the flip side, we did win an event (The Incredible Machine) on the first day and came second in a major event later (The Puzzles Championships), which is more than enough reward for our toil, before and during the fest. And then, there’s a rocket and a glider that we made out of our own sweat, blood, and anabond. Though, we were a bit disappointed when they performed below par. At least we got a lot of oh’s and ah’s for our aesthetic design!! Lesson learnt: Anabond sticks almost anything, and quick.

(An anabond ad would look something like this: A guy is caught in a not so flattering situation with a girl. The culprit, however, is not his intention, but anabond, which has stuck his limbs in all the wrong positions. The girl’s dad comes and gives a stern look at him. The guy manages to slip an anabond tube to him. And everything is cordial again. Then, comes a subtle tagline and a voice-over – “Anabond bonds everything. In seconds.”)

Coming back, Shaastra as a whole has been better and won the ISO 9001:2000 certification again. What with better organized events, less events cupping, bigger budget and most importantly, more prize-money. Most events started on time (which was indeed a surprise for some Shaastra veterans), perhaps thanks to the QMS team, whoever they are. The spirit of engineering models – both the hovercraft and the smart-bridge worked (after two years of disastrous failures). And the main quiz was what it always has been – elitist (though not many are complaining). At least it doesn’t start at midnight to go into the wee hours of dawn like the Saarang MQ. U know what to expect when u are shown 2/3 vague pictures with the quizmaster breathing a constipated, “ Machha, put fundaes da.” Or “ Connect da.” But it sure is an unforgettable experience going through the very well-researched (read vague) questions with equally vague (and quite creative) answers.

Some events were scrapped for varied reasons, most notably Tech Cluedo and Ai-wars. In fact, Ai-wars/ AI- bots was the most searched strings in Shaastra this time!! Seems like the co-ords did too decent a job last year leaving little room for improvement! I would love to see the event bounce back as it has a special place in me, having come second in it in my second year (which I did with less than 500 lines of code compared to the thousands people made). A lot of people called it a fluke. I still call it a stroke of genius.

Anyways, it has been quite an experience indulging in the plethora of activities, as consuming and exhausting it may have been.

Cut to the present-
Alarm. Classes.
Life goes on.

Independence Day

What did i do on Independence Day? Hmmm..let's see if i can answer...

11 at night. It was raining cats and dogs. Beach House. 1+ 1/2 vodka. 1/2 whiskey. 4 packs of cigarettes. 8 guys. Rice, scrambled eggs, chutney. Streaks of lightning illuminating the sea for precious seconds, soliciting a cry of awe everytime we saw it. Claps of thunder to add to the drama.

"It's 12. Hey, happy Independence Day, man. Cheers!!!"

Arbit conversations, ( i love this part!!) with topics ranging from Syd Barett to Dave Mustaine, Metallica to Black Sabbath, Chinese techniques of torture to Japanese mass internet suicides, the blockade in Manipur to an imminent Naga- Meitei clash.

Some snippets:
"' Can i pee from the terrace?'
' From or on?'
' From.' "
"f*** , im high."
"I think i can jump down - it seems so near from here."
"I want something new. I'm tired of listening to the same old music, doing the same old shit. I want something new. U know, if a lot people start doing the same thing, it's not so much fun anymore, even if u did find it so at one time. That's why i haven't read the da Vinci Code. It's fun to be different, man, in any way u want. "
" ' Hey i wanna see the sunrise. It's gonna be awesome.'
A minute later - ' Hey, I'm crashing da. ' "

P.S. There was something missing- music. There should have been some Floyd, man...