Sharapova's proactive press conference was a stroke of genius!

When Maria Sharapova announced a press conference, it was widely believed that she will be retiring from Lawn Tennis for good. And there were strong reasons to believe so. Sharapova has had her share of injuries and illness and as a result, was not in the 'pink' of health and form. The world's highest earning women athlete for the past 11 years will finally call it quits. But that's not what happened right? She dropped a bombshell! And left the whole Tennis fraternity and fans reeling in shock.

In the press conference, Sharapova informed the world that she has failed a drug test at this years' Australian Open. The drug in question was Meldonium, which is a blood-flow promoting drug and helps to relieve chest pain. It can be used to enhance endurance and strength (something you need in abundance if you are playing a high paced 3-setter long match every alternate day). She also said she's being having the drug for the past 10 years now. Now here's the most interesting part - WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) has included Meldonium among the list of banned drugs starting Jan 1st 2016. That's this year onwards. Which means, Sharapova was legally having the drug till the end of Dec 31st 2015. She probably had it once or a handful of times in 2016 since Australian Open commenced on 18th January . Because of this shocking admission, she now stands to lose her endorsements (ones who ensured she remain the highest paid woman athlete for all these years). She also stands to be suspended which means she won't be playing Tennis, her passion and her secondary source of income, for a considerable amount of time. How life changes in a matter of days!

What surprised me even more was the press conference itself. I mean, if a player tests positive for a banned drug, the agency will come forward and release the statement to the media. The media will do their stuff and spread the news. That's how it works. The player will get a lot of negative publicity from press and fans alike. Brands will cancel the contracts. Many fellow players will condemn, some bold ones will sympathize. Fans will lose faith in the player and the sport, in general. This will continue till the player reveals all and apologized to everyone in a moving press conference. By that time, the damage has already been done. The player then goes away from the limelight and waits for the suspension to get over. Sharapova was 'proactive' to reveal a lot of information before it was publicly released by the concerned authorities. Many have called her move as bold, honest, transparent, straight-forward and courageous. I largely agree with these adjectives. But think about it, wasn't it a stroke of genius from her team of PR strategists. By doing what she did, they have ensured that she doesn't lose the fanbase the way she would have lost otherwise. Brands will still evade her. A relatively larger section of her colleagues will now support her (like the way Serena Williams did). The press will be relatively less negative. Her team have actually started the damage control exercise even before the damage was done. If a person you admire / respect, comes forward and admits in larger audience the mistake he/she has committed and also accepts whatever punishment is given, you tend to have a sense of sympathy and support towards that person. It's just a natural human response. If my understanding of the situation is correct, this press conference was simply a masterstroke!

Don't get me wrong. I am not underplaying the honesty and courage angle, but I am not overplaying it either. Let's call a spade, a spade. She made a mistake, she admitted it and she will be punished as per the rules of the game. If its proved that she was ignorant about the drug and that it was banned, the punishment will be less severe - which is what Sharapova will be hoping for. The fact the the drug was banned most recently will also go in her favor. By laying the facts, including the recent banning of the said drug, she has strengthened her case of enduring a less severe punishment. This strategy is not illegal, it's not against the rules, it was simply damage control before the damage was done.

PS: I am a big fan of Maria Sharapova (who isn't?). I will continue to be one. I genuinely believe she has shown a lot of courage (whatever the behind-the-scene strategy may be, if at all there is one). I also believe she will make a grand comeback post suspension, make a statement and retire with her head held high. I really do.

Lawn Tennis or Formula-1 - which one to support?

Back in the day, I used to be an avid follower of many sports – Cricket, Football, Lawn Tennis, Formula-1, WWE (then WWF – yes, I used to consider this as a sport too). Managing studies and following my passion for sports was a tough ask, but I guess I managed it well. Adding more sports was also a possibility. So now you know how much I prioritized one over the other. Cricket happens throughout the year. Almost same is the case with Football, with European leagues running for 9 out of 12 months and a World / Continental event happening roughly once every 2 years. There are 4 Grand Slam events in a year for Lawn Tennis each running for 2 weeks and then certain ATP masters tournaments featuring the best players at the end of the season. Formula-1 has around 18-20 races running for 18-20 weekends out of a possible 52 weeks in a year. 

And then we have to study round the year for our academic growth and career development. Phew!

Those were the days. Now things have changed. A lot. Now my selection of games have reduced to a select few. For instance, Cricket matches that actually makes sense and has a history / rivalry attached to it. India-Pakistan, if and when it happens; Ashes, not watching it live, but keeping a track of the updates; The semi-finals and finals of Grand Slams in Lawn Tennis; Formula-1, only if the conditions are fluctuating like bright sunny skies followed by moderate rains (rare instance) and WWE when the superstars of the “attitude era” returns for a night. Bane of corporate life, maybe.

Lawn Tennis and Formula-1 are on the cusp of being eliminated from my list and my paucity of time has nothing to do with it. Here’s why I feel like ceasing to be a fan of these games – 

Lawn Tennis: I used to be a “die-hard” fan of Andre Agassi. And by “die-hard”, I truly mean “die-hard”. And by the way, I still am. Although Lawn Tennis has become more and more competitive every year, I still feel the Sampras-Agassi era was the best. Add players like Goran Ivanisevic, Greg Rusedski, Michael Chang, Petr Korda and others to this equation and you have an exciting mix of top talents fighting it out for the crown(s). For me, Agassi truly was one of the world’s best and his matches with Sampras were truly a delight to watch. His comeback from 150+ ranking at one point to reach the pinnacle is the stuff of legends. Today, there are world class talents in today’s Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Murray, Wawrinka. However, I am finding it difficult to “replace” Agassi or to even find a new “Agassi” in the current crop. The problem lies with me more than the current state of the sport. Although I keep up with the updates, I wait till the semis of a big event to even switch on my television. My bad.

Formula-1: If it was Andre Agassi in Tennis, it’s Kimi Raikkonen in Formula-1. I started watching Formula-1 only because I realized there was someone who was competing tooth-n-nail with Michael Schumacher in racing. Although Schumacher was winning, Raikkonen’s never-say-die attitude towards the race grabbed my attention. But this is not about Raikkonen. Formula-1 is a technology dependent sport. A lot of upgrades that happen are technologically inclined. The game also went through various changes, one of which was the no-refuelling rule. In my opinion, this rule (along with many others in the recent past) has spoiled the competitive atmosphere. For the past few seasons, the only competition we experience is between the two drivers of the best team. Rest all is academic! I don’t think this is good for the game. There’s lots of money involved and maybe, just maybe, the top echelons who run this game aren’t ready to take preventive action to correct the wrongs. Many of the fans, including me, need a compelling reason to watch the next race. If we know it’s again going to be a 1-2 to the Mercedes F1 team with a Ferrari or a Williams coming third, then there’s no element of excitement left in the sport.

I still don't think I will stop watching these sports altogether. My current adjustment of watching only key matches / races will continue to work. Till the time I sort out my problems with Lawn Tennis and Formula-1 sorts out its own problems, I am left with nothing but prioritizing Cricket and Football in my spare time. No regrets though.

Sports: An Individual v/s Country debate

Sport has the power to unite people belonging to different caste and creed to support and pursue a common goal. There may be problems and differences within, but when it comes to a common dream, all will fight and show their support to the cause. Like Cricket. Cricket is a team game. Some players may score a century, some may get out on the very first ball. But all the players aspire to win the match at hand. And when it happens, we rejoice. That’s what matters. Same applies for Football, Hockey etc.

But there are some sports where Individual players play against each other. Sports like Lawn Tennis, Formula – 1 (I am considering this as a sport despite what some Indian government officials think about it) have players / drivers playing against each other. They may belong to a country, but their primary allegiance is towards themselves / their teams. Fernando Alonso winning an F1 race will be cheered by Spain, but he’s actually playing for a team with Italian roots (Ferrari). So technically, there are 2 countries supporting Alonso to win. Sahara Force India may be a team partially owned by Indian corporates, but it’s based in UK and employees a Mexican and a German driver. What I am trying to explain is that these games are (largely) not intended to pit country against country and it should be treated that way by the fans.

Asian Games is just round the corner and some of the high profile Indian Tennis players have already backed out of it. Players like Leander Paes, Somdev Devvarman, Sania Mirza*, Rohan Bopanna are instead focusing on some ATP events. While the obvious reaction to this may be to question their allegiance and commitment to the country they represent, the answer to all this lies elsewhere and the initial reaction is just a knee-jerk one.

Why Tennis players backed out? For this, we need to dig deep to understand how Lawn Tennis actually operates at an international level. Players play for a specific purpose – and it is to rake in as much points as they possibly can and improve / maintain their ranking. There are umpteen events happening across the globe throughout the year. Winning games at Tennis events can improve your points-tally thereby impacting your rank. Needless to say, winning Grand Slams can have a huge impact as compared to other ATP events. And then comes the “ATP World Tour Finals” where only the top ranked players can participate. Although not a like-to-like comparison, but a Masters tournament is similar to UEFA Champions League in Football where only the best participate. And to even participate, you need to be among the top 8 ranked player in the singles and doubles division. If you are among the top 8, you play in some ATP events to maintain your rank. If you are not among the top 8, you have to play in tournaments to improve. Either ways, you have to compete in ATP events. Asian Games, despite the obvious importance to represent your country, fails to make the cut.

This is how Leander Paes defended his decision – "This is my bread and butter and at the end of the day my ranking has dropped to 35 in the world. Hence I have to get some job security for next year. I have to play a long fall season, through Kuala Lumpur as well as Tokyo, these two tournaments are the exact dates in the nine-day span of the events in Asian Games"

Can we question their commitment to their nation? NO. They are just doing what any rationally minded player will do – protecting their turf (read: ranking) on the international scene. That’s how Tennis works and players cannot be blamed for making a tough choice. Questioning their commitment towards their nation is totally uncalled for. Yes, it’s our loss when top Tennis players like Leander Paes drop out from Asian games.  Before the games even begun, we have already lost 2-3 medals at the very least.

But, one man’s loss can turn out to be another’s gain. On the positive side, we can look forward to some youngsters (Yuki Bhambri, Saketh Myneni, Sanam Singh, Divij Sharan and Ankita Raina) getting much needed international exposure in the Asian Games. They can enter the games with less expectation and compete with some of the top players. Also, some of the other events can now stake claim to be the best Indian contingent in terms of medal tally. 

It’s a huge loss to India – no doubt – but there are opportunities as well for the taking.

*Update - Sania Mirza has decided to play in the Asian Games. That's something for the Indian fans to cheer about!