Year 2012: Rising Crescendo

Vijay anand

Years will come and years will go. The fireworks of 2012 could not be extinguished in a few words. Beginning first, it was an Olympic leap year and London proudly hosted it. It was the cheapest, cleanest and most environmental friendly Olympic in the history of mankind. They showed mettle of a nation when they produced the best ever finishing show, 3^rd in overall medals tally at the Olympics, 1 shy of 30 Gold.

Phelps saga could not overshadow what Missy Franklin and Ryan Lochte achieved for US. Basketball remains the synonym of US. Croatia won the men’s Gold where much to everybody’s surprise, Hungry returned empty handed from the London Water Polo Arena. Morning Church service of St. Paul’s Cathedral shifted to pm hours for the first time in the history and bells sounded in the honors of the Marathon runners. Aptly, Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich produced the surprise surge to finish it off in 2:8:1 Hrs. ahead of favorite Kenyan pair on an unusually hot London afternoon. Brazil maintained the record of never winning an Olympic Soccer Gold. If that was not enough, another of their darling game, Volleyball was also lost when they squandered 2 set lead to Russian Federation. Women saved the face for them after defeating rival USA. Power centre of Boxing and Gymnastics are now widely spread. American men pugilists returned empty handed for the first time in history. Italian ‘Dream team’, not to anyone’s surprise topped the fencing table with 7 medals, Velentina Vezzali winning here 6^th Gold. Good to the Olympics spirit, medals of Athletics were shared by 41 countries of each continent. Chinese paddlers and shuttlers swapped all the Gold. Iran came for 1-2 in the lift for the ‘Strongest men of the planet’, won by World and Asian champion Behdad Salimikordasiabi with China dominating the Excel. Russians, Germans, Australians and Japanese finished with too many silvers which subdued there proper respect in the table. In Olympic’12, the run of Mohd. Farah was for me the best act of the theater, cause winning 5000 and 10000 meter is always more difficult than winning a sprint. He also knocked down monopoly of African nations on both forms of the races emphatically pushing them down on the podium.

 

Bheem- Balram of India, Sushil and Yogeshwar produced 2 medels on last 2 days. Saina Nehwal won bronze against the ever Dominant Chinese in the shuttle game. Medal in boxing was produced from the Ladies corner by Manipuri Mary Com. Shooting had always gave rich dividends to India and Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang didn’t disappoint. Absentee in the tally to everyone’s surprise were Archers speially Deepika Kumari, pugilists and Ronjan Sodhi. Though no one was hoping a for a medal, yet Krishna Punia and Vikas Gowda traveled up to the finals and others notched surprising results. Indians would love to forget the bizarre fact that we finished last in the hockey.

Indian cricket witnessed the second coming of Yuvraj from cancer fight. The Dravidian wall retires and young Pujara emerges on no. 3 with promises ahead. Despite of sponsor’s change, men in blue continued to bleed on foreign soils. IPL trophy finally reached the City of Joy.

Much to the relief of Indian Hockey fans, senior nationals took place but the tug of war continues between IHF and HI to rule the roost. India is fast closing the international gap in Gymnastics, Swimming and Athletics.

The British sun never sets this year. They produced a Grand Slam champ at the US, Andy Murray who quenched nation’s long thirst of a GS cup of 76 years. If there has to be most physically demanding game on the planet, there is no substitute to Tour de France, a title came to them for the first time by Team Sky’s rider Bradley Wiggins. Marc Cavandish shared the podium in front of Arc de triomphe. English football clubs had heavily dominated European Soccer and lifted every cup more than once, but London had the most poor of the records, not winning UEFA Champions League (or previously known as European cup, even Sheffield had a better record)  even once. Well, Chelsea broke that jinx in most unlikely of the chances at Munich. Chris Hoy added 2 more Golds to his Kitty and became most decorated of the British Cyclist with 7 medals, 6 of which are in the sweetest of the colours.

Novak finished the year again as no. 1 and David Ferrer passed everyone with 7 ATP titles and most victories in 2012 season. All the four Grand Slams were shared by all the 4 top players of the ATP for the first time. Czeck republic denied Spain their 4^th Davis Cup title in 5 years in front of home crowd. Formula one is coming to closest of the finishes in recent years with Vettal and Alonso are only unlucky figure apart before the start the end of 2012 F1 season at Sau Paulo. ‘Tiki-Taka’ coloured Spain completed unseen treble of Euro- WC- Euro crushing the Gladiators in the most lopsided summit clash.

Tour de France had something bizarre to offer by the year end, the story of their idol. It appeared from a finished chapter of the book when doping of Texacn rider  Lance Armstrong surfaced. His fans and followers were both shocked in disbelief and later angry with belief. Out of sheer rage, people removed ‘V’ from their ‘Live Strong’ bands.

All in all, the crescendo was touched by British bands, not Duran-Duran or Deep Purple though. Lightning bolts, century of century by Tendulkar, retirements of Schumachar and Bhutia, Nadal’s injury, Last minute decider of the EPL Champ Manchester City and Old lady back at top in Serie A were the other talking points in the long long list of events. So goodbye 2012 and welcome 13.