They say lightning does not strike twice at a place. However, on my way back from agra to gurgaon last night, when the rain did not stop even for 1 inch during my journey, i was amazed by some stunning bursts of lightning that kept exploding beyond my windscreen, in the horizon. I parked my car, i think 4-5 times, immediately after the lightning struck, in the hope of getting lucky. So here i was, waiting inside the car, with the camera on burst mode, hoping to capture some exhilarating moments…judge for yourself whether they’re good enough…but i guess nature won…it struck its most beautiful ones when i was in no position to shoot…

It is with amusement and alarm that i read the story on the reinstatement of Indian Hockey Federation, with KPS Gill back in the news. Few would deny that the ex-supremo of Punjab Police did all he could, to kill all respect for himself by handling the national sport of India in a completely bizarre and shoddy way. People like him, after the days of crowning glory being past them, tend to stick to one such body or federation, so their flow of income continues till eternity. Or atleast till they are alive. Through the years, mismanagement and a complete lack of empathy has resulted in Indian Hockey going through the doldrums, with past records and the golden era of Indian Hockey being the only yardsticks by which we continue to justify Hockey as the national sports. Constantly figuring towards the bottom in past few editions of world hockey championships, with players complaining that they dont get salaries, and with federation begging for inflow of funds, it is a sorry state of affairs for hockey, and politics and faulty sports administration are the only reasons which can be ascribed to the downfall.

By mistake, a linkedin request went to the IRCTC mail id (care@irctc.co.in).
This is the reply i got….funny!!

Greetings,

This message has been automatically generated in response to the
creation of a trouble ticket regarding:
“Puneet Goyal wants to stay in touch on LinkedIn”,
a summary of which appears below.

My mail:

Hi,

I have an interesting and challenging opportunity for you.
Are you willing to relocate to delhi? We can discuss further based on your response.

Thanks,
Puneet Goyal

The reply:

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I was having a word with an ex-colleague some months back, talking about the legacy of the commonwealth games in india. I was quite certain, that all the various stadiums and sporting facilities will, after the games are over, will end up becoming wedding halls or convention centers. I was, obviously, laughed at, for having such a fertile imagination. Imagine my joy, when i read the following today, in the times of india delhi edition:
”
Take for instance, the Thyagaraj stadium. Built at a cost of Rs 300 crore, the stadium, expected to be ready by March-end, is the only green stadium in the country and comes equipped with its own power generating unit and energy-conservation system in place. A competition venue for Netball, the Thyagaraj stadium is being groomed for use as a convention centre for socio-cultural and recreational events after the Games. Said a senior government official, ‘‘While no concrete plans have been made yet, it is expected that the stadium will house the department of education after the Commonwealth Games, and will also be rented out as a convention centre for multi-purpose events.’’ Long corridors, large rooms and a fully airconditioned environ coupled with parking facilities have ensured that the venue comes high on the list of becoming a glorified banquet hall once the Games are over. It’s no different for the other venues. The NDMC claims it is planning to use the Talkatora stadium for socio-cultural and official purposes after the Games as well. Said NDMC spokesperson, Anand Tiwari: ‘‘Talkatora stadium will be open for use for cultural events and conferences etc. The stadium was used for cultural purposes earlier also. We are yet to decide on what to do with the facility blocks at both Shivaji and Talkatora however.’’ According to officials, the facility blocks at both the stadiums might be leased out as office spaces but nothing concrete has been planned yet.
”