Yuvraj Singh shot into limelight in the Natwest Series final when India came from behind and defeated England in one of the thrilling one-day games of all times (atleast involving India). Since then, there was no looking back. Barring patches of inconsistent performances, he has been a knight in shining armor. Always in the news (sometimes for wrong reasons), he has been there and done it all. He is a middle order batsman India can rely on, a bowler capable of breaking partnerships and a hitter par excellence! He proved all this once again when India won the World Cup after 28 long years. Yuvraj walked away with the man of the series award.
Yuvraj will always be remembered for playing a significant part in India's 2011 World Cup campaign.
Until.. He was diagnosed with stage 1 cancer in his left lung. Needless to say, the fighter in Yuvraj refused to give up and fought and eventually defeated Cancer. Not only did he fight cancer, he came back to play the T20 series against New Zealand and almost won it for India! Quite a fighter, no doubt about it.
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| Image courtesy: Rediff.com |
What I am going to explain now can easily be misunderstood. But I have to get it off my back. I am not sure if I am the only one thinking about it. Even if I am the only one, so be it!
My argument is against the "off-the-hook celebration of the victory over cancer". Now I am happy Yuvraj Singh did it, Lance Armstrong did it and many people from different areas of life did it. I am really happy for them and their life should be an inspiration for many who are still fighting. But there are equal number of people, if not more, who fought cancer but couldn't succeed. People from different areas of life, celebrities and commoners included. They gave their very best but, unlike Yuvraj, they were in their last stage and even science couldn't help them overcome cancer.
I blame the media and the celebrities alike for this situation. Media should realize that they are playing with the lives of people still suffering from the loss of their dear ones. Celebrities, on their part, should not leverage Yuvraj's comeback as an option to make a name for themselves. I don't blame Yuvraj here. He's a star, he has to maintain his celebrity status and be in touch with his fans and be an inspiration to millions out there to fight out the problem they are facing. Not only cancer, but any problem - big or small - can be overcome with determination and belief. So, it's understandable that Yuvraj kept his fans (me included) updated on his road to recovery via twitter.
I am sure Yuvraj will be remembered as an ultimate fighter and could eventually become as big as his idol, the great Sachin Tendulkar himself! And he deserves it - because, in due course of time, he will be one of the best cricketers this world will ever see. He will be the Lance Armstrong of Cricket (without the dope allegation, that is). Apart from being a cricketer, I am sure he will contribute significantly towards Cancer research. Yuvraj might even think of opening a cancer research institute just like Glenn McGrath (Australian fast bowler) did for his wife, who died of cancer.
All I am saying is, Yuvraj Singh's victory over cancer should have been channelized in the right direction. Unfortunately, it hasn't happened so far. Maybe I am jumping the gun. Maybe it will happen. Maybe we Indians celebrate victory for a long time to realize that the next fight in life is already half lost.
PS: If you didn't understand my point of view or don't agree with it, I am perfectly fine. I just hope there's no misunderstanding.
This post has been selected as one of the Tangy Tuesday Picks by BlogAdda.
This post has been selected as one of the Tangy Tuesday Picks by BlogAdda.
Hmm.For those who are still fighting cancer he continues to be an inspiration, and a ray of hope as well. Well media goes overboard with any piece of news. Apparently the feeling of people associated with it is not their problem..
ReplyDeleteYou are right. The feelings aren't a problem to the media as they target the majority of the audience and they feel the 'majority' will appreciate the hype..
DeleteI agree with your views here Binu. The media as always blasted the matter out of proportion. yes, it ia feat in iteslef that he is back and how, but we have to be sensitive towards those who didnotmake it. I cannot even begin to imagine how much they are undergoing by reading about his fight in the papers. Its great he did it and yes you are right, channel that in the right direction. Great read!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenny. In fact, I believe Yuvraj Singh can the power in his hands to make a huge difference in the minds of people and has it in him to be the Lance Armstrong of Cricket.. I somehow get a feeling that he will.. :)
DeleteThat is very right Binu. I agree, the situation with the indian media is so pathetic today that they are only concerned with their TRP'S and nothing else! Some blame on the people too.. They also like to see such stories more.
ReplyDeleteTrue Arti. I still wish some sanity will prevail. Eternal hopeful, maybe :)
DeleteIndeed he is very brave with the awsum comeback, there have been lot of posts and updates abut Yuvraj's comeback and victory.In fact the ads and brands have used his cancer victory to promote their bands too..After the return his ad demand has also rise as much high as the media TRP s
ReplyDeleteMedia found an opportunity to cash in on Yuvraj's comeback and his ads are ample proof of this fact!
DeleteYuvraj has achieved the personal victory in his fight against the dreaded disease. He now needs to fight for the team in same spirit like Lance Armstrong:)
ReplyDeleteYuvraj surely has achieved his personal victory against cancer. What he does now will define him for the rest of his life..
DeleteActually I don't like the whole hype when some celebrity is ill, be it cancer. Anyways, since I am far away and don't know much about it, I think I am not in a position to comment much, though your writing is very effective.
ReplyDeleteAnd, congrats on Blogadda's pick, yet again :)
We got this syndrome from the west, I believe Saru.. Over there people are so crazy after celebrities and they literally follow their daily routine day in day out..
DeleteCongrats to you too Saru for the blogadda pick :)
Paparazzi, thats the right word for media. Actually internet is in some ways responsible for this. And thank you :)
DeleteI completely agree with your point of view and had a similar one myself. I'm happy for him and he deserves kudos, but the media makes it people go over their heads.
ReplyDelete"Maybe we Indians celebrate victory for a long time to realize that the next fight in life is already half lost." you totally nailed the entire thing there. Good one.
Thanks Aditya. Glad you agree with my points.. And yes, even I loved writing that line ;-)
DeleteOf course, its all hype. Yuvraj has been out of competitive match practise for more than a year. He should have played more domestic matches or maybe some county and other matches elsewhere before being picked for the tournament.
ReplyDeleteOne thing you need to admit is that Yuvi has marketed his illness very cleverly. He is on par with Aamir Khan on marketing.
Thanks Liju for the comment. I wouldn't say he has 'marketed' his illness well (though it's not far from truth), but whatever has happened has made him into a huge superstar. At the same time, he has the talent to back it up.
DeleteTrue that! We can't expect much from the media now-a-days.. As you mentioned, when the question is about TRP's, human and humanity goes for a toss!
ReplyDeleteAgain Tiwary has has left out from the Indian test team with Dinda also, I dont know whats the problem of Dhoni with these two player.Also shocking Irfan has dropped,Zaheer with Pathan would be deadly combination in indian pitch.What kind of team selection is this.Best of luck for Yuvi
ReplyDeleteManoj Tiwary missed out, while Subramanaim Badrinath, who was on the bench for the series against New Zealand, also found his name missing from the roster
ReplyDeleteSomethings in life cannot be comprehended, I think. Cricket team selection is one of them :)
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