Sportstar-VOL.35 :: NO.15 :: Apr. 12, 2012

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Star Poster: VERNON PHILANDER Letters Readers' response The response to the Cover Story in Sportstar, issue dated March 1, 2012, was overwhelming. Here are the best 10 letters chosen by the Sportstar team. The writers of these letters are eligible for a year's free subscription of Sportstar. Cover Story The cry-baby and tears of perfection Cristiano Ronaldo's determination to succeed has refused to diminish even after winning a plethora of domestic and European titles with Manchester United. But his lack of silverware with Real Madrid and the fact that he is not spoken of in the same breath as Leo Messi, is causing concern, writes Ayon Sengupta. Football STARWATCH Finding his groove Despite his lack of goals, Torres has produced some impressive performances this season and much of the criticism he received was harsh. The former Atletico Madrid man is now hoping to play a key role in Chelsea's quest to win the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup and he is relishing being given more opportunities by di Matteo. KICKING AROUND How old is too old? Age is no barrier for sportsmen. Players continue to shine even well past their 30s. All of which elicits the question: should age be the implacable criterion? Brian Glanville explores. INTERVIEW ‘We have great confidence' “All I want to do is win the Premier League. I don't stop to think about being named as the Player of the Year. It's not something that interests me,” says David Silva in this email interview with Ayon Sengupta. Rough and tough Martin Skrtel has become a key player for Kenny Dalglish's side with his no-nonsense style of defending and he has formed a solid pairing with Daniel Agger. By Pete Thompson. Sports Extra East Bengal to the fore The victory in the IFA Shield put an end to East Bengal's travails following the reverses the club suffered ever since it won the Super Cup in October last year. Column LONDON CALLING Broke? Or going for broke? Suddenly, life has changed in Glasgow. Rangers are more than half way to bankruptcy, have had points deducted so that Celtic have almost won the Premier League with many matches to play and there are tales of financial misdemeanours beyond calculation and a grim future for a club that used to have ambitions to play in the English Premier League, writes Ted Corbett. Cricket APPRECIATION McGrath Mark II What Vernon Philander has been doing has been deceptively simple. He is not exceptionally tall or fearsomely quick, but his unbending accuracy and ability to move the ball both ways have troubled batsmen no end, writes Shreedutta Chidananda. FOCUS A winner after losing his looseness If he had a choice, Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath will bowl when no one is watching. He plays a no frills game for the sheer joy of it, but he will not back off from a contest, writes R.K. Radhakrishnan. IPL DIARY Pune Warriors on a replacement-finding spree If Pune's dramatic exit minutes before the auction pushed you to the seat's edge, then the subsequent return made you kick yourself for doing that. But, hey, stop complaining… this is feel-good stuff at its very best. Table Tennis FOCUS Spoorthy is brimming with confidence The variation in Karnam Spoorthy's serves helps her launch assaults effectively, giving her a definitive edge. Although she's stronger against negative rubber players, her proficiency with rallies enables her to face all kinds of rivals with a fair measure of composure. By A. Joseph Antony. FOCUS It is an expensive sport A world-class paddler uses a pair of rubbers for only one match during competitions and a pair each week for practice. A pair costs between Rs. 3000 and 7000, equal to a 100 gram bar of pure silver! By Uppuluri Krishna Murty. Basketball FEDERATION CUP Time to bring in the Pro League The sooner the Pro League takes form, the better. For, one got the feeling that players were not taking the game seriously at the 26th Federation Cup in Kochi. For a major part, they appeared to be just going through the motions. Over to Stan Rayan. Hockey INTERVIEW A fan of Indian style “It was a great feeling to be at the top of the podium in Athens. The gold had been eluding us for a long time. It was an amazing experience. You only dream of it,” says Brent Livermore, who led Australia to its first ever Olympic gold medal in 2004. By K. Keerthivasan.