Pakistan balls short on World Cup goals

Twenty years ago, Faqeer Hussain took pride in his work, starry-eyed that the balls he hand-stitched in a grubby backroom in Pakistan were destined for the world's greatest players. Gracing the pitch of World Cups in glamorous Western cities, Hussain saw beyond the grind of his job and dreamed of the beautiful game, and the players he admired but could never hope to meet. A decade ago, 70 per cent of the world's soccer balls were made in the Pakistani town of Sialkot, but footballs that Hussain stitches from leather panels today will be offside at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Outrage in the West over child labour and the onset of machine-made balls mean that the five million balls suppliers are readying for South Africa will be for training and promotional uses only.

I used to take a lot of pride in stitching soccer balls, because the world's best players would play with it but now it's only my job,” said Hussain, 58. As with countless other industries built on labour in developing countries, workers like him are at the bottom of the food chain. He says he gets the equivalent of 80 cents a ball, sold for 10 dollars (840 rupees) to international retailers who in turn make four times the profit. Sialkot gained international celebrity status when it produced the “Tango” ball for the 1982 World Cup inSpain, kicking off a lucrative industry. The town now manufactures sports equipment sold all over the world. For years it has been a beacon of commercial success in Punjab, where unemployment runs high and the Taliban have stepped up recruitment from the morass of disaffected youth in the south of the province.

But recession exacerbated by instability from Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked suicide attacks in the country, a crippling power crisis and a preference for machine-made balls, have hit the football cottage industry. China is where Adidas chose to produce the 2010 World Cup ball -- the thermally bonded “Jabulani”, which means “celebrate” in Zulu and billed on the FIFA website as “the most stable and most accurate Adidas ball ever”. Demand is not even 20 per cent of what it used to be,” admits Zia-ur-Rehman, chairman of the Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PSGMEA). “We badly need government support. If it comes only then we would be able to keep the industry kicking,” he said.

London olympics mascot......What were they thinking?

Moulded from steel left over from the last girder on the Olympic stadium, London's 2012 mascots are neither cuddly nor cute but organisers say the gleaming one-eyed metallic forms will strike a chord with children. As the covers were removed by two pupils in front of wide-eyed classmates and LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe at an east London school a mere javelin throw from the heart of the Games, Wenlock and Mandeville were introduced to the world.

It was the culmination of an 18-month project to come up with an enduring image for the Games and a merchandising gimmick to keep the cash tills ringing as 2012 targets 16 millions ($22.80 million) in revenue from Games memorabilia.

Facebook, now you tube blocked in pakistan

Pakistan has blocked the popular video sharing website YouTube in a bid to contain “blasphemous” material, officials said on Thursday. The blockade came hours after the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) directed Internet service providers to stop access to social network Facebook indefinitely on Wednesday because of an online competition to draw the Prophet Mohammad.

Wahaj-us-Siraj, the CEO of Nayatel, an Internet service provider, said PTA issued an order late on Wednesday seeking an “immediate” blockade of YouTube. “It was a serious instruction as they wanted us to do it quickly and let them know after that,” he told Reuters.YouTube was also blocked in Pakistan in 2007 for about a day for what it called un-Islamic videos.

Interesting formation of clouds....

'I am still heartbroken' - Ajmal

Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal has said the pain of losing the semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20 to Australia still lingers, having bowled the last over which conceded the game. Pakistan were firm favourites with Australia needing 18 off the final over, but Michael Hussey bludgeoned Ajmal for three sixes and a four to hand his team a miraculous win, with a ball to spare.

"When Hussey hit the last six I was absolutely heartbroken, I am still heartbroken," Ajmal told PakPassion.net. "It was a very emotional and difficult time for me. My team-mates all came up to me and consoled me and told me not to worry, but I was very upset. The pain is there, when you lose a game of this magnitude it hurts really badly".

"All of the squad, from the players to the coaches to the backroom staff have said to me that I wasn't to blame for the defeat and they have all said that we played as a unit, we won matches as a unit and we all take responsibility as a unit for the defeat," Ajmal said. "There is no question of anyone pointing the finger at any individuals".

That Ajmal bowled the over was part of a plan, having succeeded in shutting South Africa out of the contest in their previous game. He said he wanted to fire in yorkers to keep Hussey in check, but things didn't go according to script.

"The first delivery was perfect, it was what I had planned, it was a perfect yorker to Mitchell Johnson and it only went for a single," he said. "However, then the wind seemed to pick up and I was bowling into the wind which made me lose my line and length. I dragged the next delivery down and instead of bowling yorkers into the blockhole for the remaining deliveries as I tried to fire the ball in at the batsman, the deliveries ended up being quick and became length deliveries, which was what Hussey was hoping for. He was then able to get the elevation on the deliveries, instead of having to dig them out".

Ajmal said the best way to shrug off the disappointment was to start bowling again. "The best way for me to get over this match is to start playing cricket again, get the ball in my hand and to start bowling again.

"Thankfully the Asia Cup is not far away and I am looking forward to playing in that tournament in Sri Lanka. I have faith in my ability and I am confident that I can bounce back after the match in St Lucia".

Tikka guy!!

Found an interesting post about the chicken tikka guy. This is for all those guys who lived in kuwait during 80s....

The actor who played the “I like it spicy” character was Galal Zaki. He wasn’t an actor, he worked in the ad agency that came up with the idea. Like Alfred Hitchcock, Galal liked to star in his own work and that’s how he ended up becoming the Tikka guy. the picture below is of Galal Zaki which I found on Google and is dated 2007. Although a lot older now you can still see some resemblance.

Hitler just found out that pak lost in semifinal!

Khan dominates Malignaggi in 11th round stoppage

NEW YORK: Junior welterweight champion Amir Khan stopped former titleholder Paulie Malignaggi in the 11th round of a brutally efficient, one-sided fight Saturday to retain is WBA title. Using superior speed and crisp right hands, the former British Olympian made good on his promise to quiet the flamboyant Malignaggi, who was fighting just across the river from his home in Brooklyn.

Malignaggi's face was red and swollen from the middle rounds on, and he had to lobby the ringside doctor before the 11th round just to let him continue. Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) backed Malignaggi against the ropes and threw a series of unanswered blows before referee Steve Smoger finally stepped between them at 1:25 of the round. Malignaggi (27-4) didn't argue with the decision, tapping his chest and congratulating Khan on the victory.

''He knows how to win rounds, man,'' Malignaggi said. ''He has a lot of ability.''

The crowd of about 5,000 inside Madison Square Garden was just as revved up before the fight, when a contingent of fans in the middle of the arena stood up and began waving two British flags flanking a Pakistani flag.

No shame in St Lucia

Pakistan went out of the Twenty20 World Cup with their heads held high. Until the very last over they had confounded all expectations and had the match in their grasp. But an incredible finish from Michael Hussey stole one of the most incredible matches in Twenty20 history.

The cut and thrust of this format is such that a match can be won or lost within moments, and so it transpired. Australia are an immensely powerful team and it is to Pakistan's credit that they pushed them so close.

Pakistan fans should feel proud of the way their players applied themselves. There is no shame in this defeat, or in this valiant defence of their title. In some ways, it would have been undesirable for another World Cup victory to paper over the failings of the PCB or of squad selection. Shahid Afridi and Waqar Younis have produced a decent outcome from the shambles they inherited.

Defeat can divide but sometimes it can be a platform to build upon. That's how Pakistan must view this day. Fortune helped them to another semi-final, and the semi-final gave them a glimpse of a better future.

With the right management of Pakistan cricket, the team can become a serious force. But that requires a major overhaul of the PCB - and that's a longer shot than Hussey scoring 18 off a Saeed Ajmal over.

singh is king!

About a century or two ago, the Pope decided that all the Sikhs had to leave Italy. Naturally there was a big uproar from the Sikh community. So the Pope made a deal. He would have a religious debate with a member of the Sikh community. If the Sikh won, the Sikhs could stay. If the Pope won, the Sikhs would leave.

The Sikhs realized that they had no choice. So they picked a middle-aged man named Harbinder Singh to represent them. Harbinder asked for one additional condition to the debate. To make it more interesting, neither side would be allowed to talk.

The Pope agreed.

The day of the great debate came. Harbinder Singh and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute. Then the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers.
Harbinder looked back at him and raised one finger. The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head. Harbinder pointed to the ground where he sat.
The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. Harbinder pulled out an apple.
The Pope stood up and said, "I give up. This man is too good. The Sikhs can stay.

An hour later, the cardinals were gathered around the Pope asking him what had happened. The Pope said, "First I held up three fingers to represent the holy trinity; he responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there was still One God common to both our religions. Then, I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground and showing that God was also right here with us. Then, I pulled out the wine and wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?"

Meanwhile, the Sikh community had crowded around Harbinder Singh.
"What happened?" they asked. "Well," said Harbinder, "First he said to me that the Sikhs had three days to get out of here. I told him that not one of us was leaving. Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Sikhs. I let him know that we were staying right here." "Yes, and then???" asked the crowd.
"I don't know", said Harbinder, "He took out his lunch, and I took out mine!!