Sportstar-VOL.35 :: NO.16 :: Apr. 19, 2012

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Star Poster: KEVIN PIETERSEN Cover Story Will this maiden mint gold in badminton? Armed with a superior fitness level, enhanced confidence and clearly chalked out goals, Saina Nehwal is ready for her challengers, mainly from China, in the London Olympics. Rakesh Rao analyses her chances. Badminton Saina definitely a bright medal prospect Now in the lead-up to the Olympics, it is important for Saina to have the right mix of major tournaments and training. Neither of it should be overdone. I would suggest at least a four-week training programme. By Prakash Padukone. Hope to have a dream run in London Olympics It has been a steady progress after a lean patch between last September and November. I think her appearance in the final of the BWF World Super Series is one of the high points of Saina's career. By P. Gopi Chand. Discipline, a great asset I sincerely believe that Saina's burning desire should see her come back with a medal from the London Olympics. This is the best chance, given the fact that she is playing well right now. By S. M. Arif. BOOK REVIEW Quite engrossing People who know former national doubles badminton champion Sanjay Sharma will remember him as a gritty, no nonsense player of some class. Known for his keen observations, it comes as no surprise that he should be at his best when he is writing ... Cricket IPL DIARY Bollinger's evening to remember The function to mark the Opening Ceremony of this year's IPL is certainly one that Doug Bollinger isn't going to forget in a hurry. After the fast bowler gives batting lessons to American singer Katy Perry (!), he is duly rewarded with a peck on the cheek. Poor Dougie finds it hard to shrug off the dazed feeling. By Arun Venugopal. IPL ROUND-UP A high-five welcome for edition five Even as some former greats debated on the relevance of Twenty20 and the ill effects of the IPL, the crowds came swarming to the venues. The Indian team's failures in England, Australia and Bangladesh (Asia Cup) had been forgotten and forgiven. IPL in the first week On The Ball W.V. RAMAN COLUMN It's a tightrope walk for the umpires Empowering the on-field umpires with the discretion to call bowlers for chucking is a bold decision by the BCCI. However, it will be interesting to see to what extent the umpires will exercise the power bestowed on them. Football KICKING AROUND Adios Chinaglia Giorgio Chinaglia's career was an extraordinary one. Coming from Varrare, famed for its marble quarries and the hard men who worked there, he was brought to Cardiff in Wales as a boy by his explosive father. His early promise, helped by a powerful physique, saw him signed by another Welsh club in Swansea Town, writes Brian Glanville. ‘Champagne player' A series of impressive performances under the guidance of Pardew this season have ensured that Hatem Ben Arfa has established himself as a key player who is capable of producing moments of sheer technical brilliance. Over to Tom Coleman. Hockey WORLD SERIES Success stamped all over it What added colour and content to the competition was the fair turnout of foreign players. They came from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, South Africa, Argentina, Malaysia, and, importantly, from Pakistan. Over to S. Thyagarajan. INTERVIEW ‘Hockey comes first' The world renowned Pakistani drag-flicker Syed Imran Warsi is also a model, a film buff and an aspiring actor. But hockey is his priority. “It's my bread and butter,” he says in a chat with K. Keerthivasan. Tennis FOCUS True grit Leander Paes' exploits in doubles underline the fact that all he needs is a partner with a matching attitude and a strong pair of legs to tame the best on the circuit. By Kamesh Srinivasan. Archery FEATURE Shooting straight She is from a Tier Two city and in a sport that is yet to get its due in the country. But that hasn't deterred Vennam Jyothi Surekha from hitting the headlines. Over to J. R. Shridharan.