28th November'08...It's been more than 35 hrs since the terror attacks on Mumbai first surfaced....What has this world come to...
Was it not enough for a person to be utterly scared of travelling in crowded trains and buses hoping that one he/she is travelling in does'nt blow up in pieces that we have to encounter a new level of terrorist attack and terrorism as a whole.
Who on earth would have believed 2 days back that a place like the Taj or the Oberoi could be target of such dastardly act of terror.
Till now the focus of terrorists had been the common middle class man but with the events of 26/11 it seems the focus has now shifted to include the high class faternity too...
It just seems that the common man has learnt to live with these tragedies now and included it as a part of his/her daily routine.
While going through a news post on one of the news sites I came across a very strange piece of information.It stated that post 9/11, India has been the country witness to maximum terror attacks, bomb blasts etc and the number of people killed in these terror attacks far outnumber the soilders killed in Kargil. I am not sure how true these reports & piece of information are but it does highlight for a fact that India has been the prime target for the terrorist since they came to prominence...
It real seems as if the average Indian walking on the street is just another Dead Man Walking in the offering...
Friday, November 28, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
School Days...
What I would give to go back to the good ol' school days...
When the only tension in my life was whether, I would actually get batting today during the lunch break or score that all important goal during the game which will make me the hero of the day...
When I look back at those wonderful, blissful 12 years of my life, I can't help but remember the times I spend with friends , who I thought at that time will be there forever...
It was that time when you could do no wrong, and even if you made a mistake , you could always make a child like face and ask for forgivness citing your immaturity as the reason.
Fast forward to the present and even a small blemish on your part can lead to disasterous consequences for oneself.
Those cricket games inside class rooms with the plastic ball and the long book, those silly old trump card games, or the coin games which became famous in the latter years of school...
Book cricket, truth n dare( though I never really participated in it, god knows why?), hops n bets, jollies n what not...
It seems so silly when you look at it now but during those days these activities were of high priority and actually defined one's reason for existence...
Beating people at carrom or getting to be the last man out in a tt round toss used to make one's day truly worth the trouble.
The after exam rituals of playing cricket with the exam writing pads and rolled up paper, and celebrating end of every exam cycle with that small get together at Guptaji's...
Interaction with the girls, and pulling each others leg by linking one another with someone or the other of the opposite sex...( I have had that experience in school too...)
The most exciting times in school was by no doubt the election period for selecting prefects, house prefects n all and the time period leading to the sports day and the annual day...
Each year's success was defined by the exploits achieved in these main events...
Those long march past sessions in hot seering sun, or those hard toiling hrs during drama workshop or those dancing and singing practise sessions all leading upto the finale and the much awaited performance for our parents & teachers on the annual day...
Or those clashes between the houses in different fields of sport where friends became rivals overnight and foes became team mates as one went all out to win the glory for his/her house...
The basketball, cricket, football matches which drew in the crowds as one played for the glory of one's house and every individual worth his salt worked his ass off in the hope that in the end of it all, the efforts culminate into his/her house winning the trophy for that season/year...
One thing which I remember distinctively about my primary school days were the concept of house charts... where students from each class were divided in to 4 different houses and then there were charts put up in the class with names of the students in their respective houses and with attributes like disciple, neatness, acheivement etc put against each name with in that house and "dots" of different colours such as red, blue, green & black signifying one's performance...
And we used to look forward to the end of every month to see what colour dot was gonna ornate thespace against one's name for that month...
I really don't know why I am putting all this down on my blog, it really doesn't make an interesting reading to anyone except me I guess but still, I had this urge to revisit the past, n though I have not really explored it the way I wanted , I guess I have given myself the start I wanted to dig deep into the memories of my school days...
As Kevin Arnold the character from the hit sitcom "The Wonder Years" (which was incidentally aired during my school days) says in the end of the last season's last episode... " As I look back at those years & wonder... those were truly the wonder years..."(something like that)...
Well the point I make is just as the character in the sitcom identifies his whole life with his learning from school, the same way my years at school have helped me learn and evolve as person that I man...
(God that is some deep shit...I think I need to get myself something n fast...:) )
When the only tension in my life was whether, I would actually get batting today during the lunch break or score that all important goal during the game which will make me the hero of the day...
When I look back at those wonderful, blissful 12 years of my life, I can't help but remember the times I spend with friends , who I thought at that time will be there forever...
It was that time when you could do no wrong, and even if you made a mistake , you could always make a child like face and ask for forgivness citing your immaturity as the reason.
Fast forward to the present and even a small blemish on your part can lead to disasterous consequences for oneself.
Those cricket games inside class rooms with the plastic ball and the long book, those silly old trump card games, or the coin games which became famous in the latter years of school...
Book cricket, truth n dare( though I never really participated in it, god knows why?), hops n bets, jollies n what not...
It seems so silly when you look at it now but during those days these activities were of high priority and actually defined one's reason for existence...
Beating people at carrom or getting to be the last man out in a tt round toss used to make one's day truly worth the trouble.
The after exam rituals of playing cricket with the exam writing pads and rolled up paper, and celebrating end of every exam cycle with that small get together at Guptaji's...
Interaction with the girls, and pulling each others leg by linking one another with someone or the other of the opposite sex...( I have had that experience in school too...)
The most exciting times in school was by no doubt the election period for selecting prefects, house prefects n all and the time period leading to the sports day and the annual day...
Each year's success was defined by the exploits achieved in these main events...
Those long march past sessions in hot seering sun, or those hard toiling hrs during drama workshop or those dancing and singing practise sessions all leading upto the finale and the much awaited performance for our parents & teachers on the annual day...
Or those clashes between the houses in different fields of sport where friends became rivals overnight and foes became team mates as one went all out to win the glory for his/her house...
The basketball, cricket, football matches which drew in the crowds as one played for the glory of one's house and every individual worth his salt worked his ass off in the hope that in the end of it all, the efforts culminate into his/her house winning the trophy for that season/year...
One thing which I remember distinctively about my primary school days were the concept of house charts... where students from each class were divided in to 4 different houses and then there were charts put up in the class with names of the students in their respective houses and with attributes like disciple, neatness, acheivement etc put against each name with in that house and "dots" of different colours such as red, blue, green & black signifying one's performance...
And we used to look forward to the end of every month to see what colour dot was gonna ornate thespace against one's name for that month...
I really don't know why I am putting all this down on my blog, it really doesn't make an interesting reading to anyone except me I guess but still, I had this urge to revisit the past, n though I have not really explored it the way I wanted , I guess I have given myself the start I wanted to dig deep into the memories of my school days...
As Kevin Arnold the character from the hit sitcom "The Wonder Years" (which was incidentally aired during my school days) says in the end of the last season's last episode... " As I look back at those years & wonder... those were truly the wonder years..."(something like that)...
Well the point I make is just as the character in the sitcom identifies his whole life with his learning from school, the same way my years at school have helped me learn and evolve as person that I man...
(God that is some deep shit...I think I need to get myself something n fast...:) )
Party with the gang on last time...6th-July-08
Just to continue from the last post wherein I just copied the actual match report and posted it on the blog...
After having won the Deccan tourney for the 2nd time in a row , it was time to celebrate our victory the only way we know...by organizing a booze party...
The day was an emotional one right from the start with the team giving me a guard of honour before the game , to acknowledge my contribution to this marvellous team for the past 2 and a half years, i guess...
Anyways after the match was over and the win had settled in we decided on the venue and decided upon Veer Da dhaba( not the one on the highway but near Chadni chowk or somewhere there i guess).
Myself and ajit met up ard 9 pm to pick up the booze after which Mani picked us up and we embarked on our destination for the nite alongwith Negi in tow.
I must admit, after having been part of numerous celebration parties with these bunch of guys under the banner of "Infosys Football Team", this one ranks as one of the best...
As Smitayan put in in his reply to Santhosh's congratulatory mail later, "As a farewell to Devesh we had a great party that evening :) :) :) almost sab ko chadh gayi thhi"...
Actually the party was to celebrate our victory given the fact that the team had undergone a sea change after a sucessful campain last year.
With players like, Anvesh, Fakru,Santhosh and Swapnil not easy to replace the team really rallied well togetherand showed the fighting spirit to win the tourney...
Anyways back to the party...As I said everybody got drunk including urs trully... and the entire gang had a blast...It was also a good initiation for the new comers into the team as they got a chance to know the older players better...As usual is the case with such parties, the gang was on the dance floor within an hour and everyone danced their heartout as if there was no tomorrow.
The party continued late in to the nite, with the booze and food coming in non stop. After the dance session, it was a serious session of posing with the beautiful crystal trophy, with everyone trying to grab it from the other...I guess every one was high , that nite with Vignesh puking all over himself, and Sam and Sujoy drinking after a long time and myself having gone on record saying a zillion and three times those words which have now got immortalized thanks to Ajit's great camera work ... "The best moment for me was when sam came and hugged me after the match"...
The party was sponsered by the two captains, Ajit and Aabhi and your's truly, but I guess in the end the 2 captains did the bulk of the payment :)...(thanks guys..)
It was a magical night as the entire team, enjoyed every bit of the hard fought victory...It was also a great start as Captain for Mr.Ajit Anthony marked his Infy debut as captain with a tournment win, emulating Smitayan in the bargain...
I guess the 2008-09 season will be one to be cherished in my life...
Right from Dec'07 when we started practising and playing football on the newly laid cricket grd at phase II, had the dream for a successful follow up season been sketched and I was happy to have had a hand (literally a hand...) in scripting a win against our arch-rivals Cap Gemini as we started our title defense for this season...
Well I had never imagined that I would be leaving the Infosys Pune football team on such a high...But I guess in the end, my 2 and a half years with this team was summed up with the proceeding's of this one day:- 6th-July-2008 (Sunday)...
Thank you God for making it one of the best days of my life...
After having won the Deccan tourney for the 2nd time in a row , it was time to celebrate our victory the only way we know...by organizing a booze party...
The day was an emotional one right from the start with the team giving me a guard of honour before the game , to acknowledge my contribution to this marvellous team for the past 2 and a half years, i guess...
Anyways after the match was over and the win had settled in we decided on the venue and decided upon Veer Da dhaba( not the one on the highway but near Chadni chowk or somewhere there i guess).
Myself and ajit met up ard 9 pm to pick up the booze after which Mani picked us up and we embarked on our destination for the nite alongwith Negi in tow.
I must admit, after having been part of numerous celebration parties with these bunch of guys under the banner of "Infosys Football Team", this one ranks as one of the best...
As Smitayan put in in his reply to Santhosh's congratulatory mail later, "As a farewell to Devesh we had a great party that evening :) :) :) almost sab ko chadh gayi thhi"...
Actually the party was to celebrate our victory given the fact that the team had undergone a sea change after a sucessful campain last year.
With players like, Anvesh, Fakru,Santhosh and Swapnil not easy to replace the team really rallied well togetherand showed the fighting spirit to win the tourney...
Anyways back to the party...As I said everybody got drunk including urs trully... and the entire gang had a blast...It was also a good initiation for the new comers into the team as they got a chance to know the older players better...As usual is the case with such parties, the gang was on the dance floor within an hour and everyone danced their heartout as if there was no tomorrow.
The party continued late in to the nite, with the booze and food coming in non stop. After the dance session, it was a serious session of posing with the beautiful crystal trophy, with everyone trying to grab it from the other...I guess every one was high , that nite with Vignesh puking all over himself, and Sam and Sujoy drinking after a long time and myself having gone on record saying a zillion and three times those words which have now got immortalized thanks to Ajit's great camera work ... "The best moment for me was when sam came and hugged me after the match"...
The party was sponsered by the two captains, Ajit and Aabhi and your's truly, but I guess in the end the 2 captains did the bulk of the payment :)...(thanks guys..)
It was a magical night as the entire team, enjoyed every bit of the hard fought victory...It was also a great start as Captain for Mr.Ajit Anthony marked his Infy debut as captain with a tournment win, emulating Smitayan in the bargain...
I guess the 2008-09 season will be one to be cherished in my life...
Right from Dec'07 when we started practising and playing football on the newly laid cricket grd at phase II, had the dream for a successful follow up season been sketched and I was happy to have had a hand (literally a hand...) in scripting a win against our arch-rivals Cap Gemini as we started our title defense for this season...
Well I had never imagined that I would be leaving the Infosys Pune football team on such a high...But I guess in the end, my 2 and a half years with this team was summed up with the proceeding's of this one day:- 6th-July-2008 (Sunday)...
Thank you God for making it one of the best days of my life...
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Deccan Inter IT Football Tournament (Semifinal & Final Report)
Infosys Vs Wipro (2nd Semi-Finals)
Score: - 1-0 (Smitayan Nandy-Infosys)
For the first time in IT circuit the two semi finals was played in the afternoon at the range hill ground. The first semi's was won by Kanbay so Team Infosys knew beforehand that if they beat Wipro in their semis it would be the clash of the titans in the finals once more. Team Infosys started with their tried and trusted formation of 4-1-4-1. The game started in earnest with the Wipro mid-field holding the ball well and making team Infosys run around the field. A counter attack from Infosys saw Smitayan Nandy collide with the Wipro keeper while going in for a 50-50 ball. He was steam rolled to the ground by the humongous wipro keeper (Rajesh). Although the collision was hard, Nandy was back on his feet in a jiffy. It took a while for Team Infosys
to compose itself and come to terms with pitch as well as the opponents style of play , but once in the groove the chances started to come frequently.
In the first half, there were a few tense moments for team Infy, when a back pass was intercepted by a wipro player with an open passage to goal. The strike came instantly, but was blocked by Vikram Negi in a flash of brilliance. This was a wake up call for the team to which we responded well. Most attacks of Wipro came in from their left hand side, leaving Ajit and Vignesh to do some serious damage control. J… The first half ended with the
score at 0-0.
The second half saw the introduction of Irshad as a replacement for Vignesh at right back. The team looked rejuvenated in the second half with the moves
coming in and the attacks piling up the pressure on Wipro. The calm and composed defense passed the ball to the flanks well. The game was built from the flanks with Sushant making some tremendous moves into the opposition's penalty area. At the centre of mid field the trio of Sam, Sujoy and Vikram Negi controlled the game and took the battle to the opposition. A special mention for Smitayan Nandy who must have covered every inch of the ground giving
everything that he had. It was well rewarded when a through ball from Vikram to the right saw Smitayan beat two defenders with his speed and dribbling skills leaving him face to face with the keeper and for once he showed the composer to finish off the move in typical Smitayan style by a well executed nudge to the left bottom corner of the net. Team Infosys were deservingly ahead and the goal seemed to have triggered the team to play all attack.
Chances started to come in from all directions with Smitayan and Sujoy hitting the target instigating the Wipro Keeper to come up with some brilliant saves. The strike from Sujoy was
built up from the centre with Sam and Sushant being the constructors and Sujoy the executioner. He took a shot from D-top right across the goal, and it seemed destined to hit the back of the net but out of no where a hand from the wipro keeper made a brilliant save to keep the ball from finding the net.
Second half also saw chances been created by Sam and Sushant. Sushant came up with brilliant individual play when he cut pass three defenders from the left and found himself right in front of goal against the keeper but shot was a little to powerful and it went over the post. The Infy back 4 of Yogesh, Aabhi, Nirmal, Irshad (Vignesh/Mantri) were fabulous and didn't give any opportunity for Wipro to strike back. In the dying moments of the game Wipro were awarded a corner which was cleared by Infosys but a cross from the right found the Wipro captain at the far post with an open header. The keeper charged at him, leaving the goal empty but they were lucky that the header went inches over the goal. In the end Infosys won the match and deservingly so. A total team effort saw Infosys reach the finals to defend their title. Two deserving teams were up face to face in the Deccan finals once again.
FINALS: 06-July-08
Infosys Vs Kanbay (Capgemini)
Score: - 1-0 (Sujoy Datta-Infosys)
The finals saw the top two teams in the IT circuit come face to face once again to contest for yet another trophy. Infosys gave a guard of honour to their keeper (Devesh) before the match as it could have been his last match for Infosys Pune. The team was charged and were up for the most important game of the season so far. This was evident from the start with the one touch passing and simple total football exhibited by Team Infosys. There were a flurry of chances with Sujoy just missing the target, Sushant making a few of his trademark runs into the D. A corner from the right by Ajit saw a disorganized Capgemini defense fumble before managing to hold on to an on target header from Sam. The chances kept coming in as there were some simple but well effective one touch play between Yogesh, Sushant, Sam, Sujoy, Ajit and Vikram.
The central defenders Aabhi and Nirmal played a crucial role in keeping the Capgemini forwards at bay and frustrated the opposition with their composure. Irshad was very effective as a right back and was on his toes through out the game as most counter attacks from the opposition came in from the left. The opposition came close to scoring with their striker Valerine running across the midfield and defense to win a floated ball from the midfield. The Infy keeper charged in to make a save, but the shot was off target and the score remained 0-0. The end of the first 30 minutes saw Infy dominating the proceeding with maximum possession and high spirits.
The second half saw Mani come in for an injured Vikram Negi who showed great commitment to the team, playing the half after having injured himself in an accident. The bruised and bleeding defensive midfielder showed great courage and played hard ignoring the pain he was going through. The second half saw Mani playing more of a defensive role. Team Infy attacks continued from the left, right and center. A counter attack by Capgemini from the left found two forwards in the center of the D. The shot was fired low to the right of the keeper. It seemed that Capgemini would take the lead, but for a fabulous diving save from the keeper. The day seemed to belong to Devesh as he made quite a few fantastic saves to inspire and drive the team to a win.
The goal came out of the blue with 15 mins remaining and both sides gearing up for penalties. The Infy defense played well and set up a move from the left, with Yogesh passing the ball to Sushant, Sushant made a run, passed the ball to Sam. Sam crossed the ball from the left out towards the D. It appeared as though no one from the Infy team would be there to finish the move but then suddenly among 5 blue shirts, came in a yellow jersey bearing the number 15, flying with raised leg to poke the ball over the surprised Capgemini Keeper. The goal was spectacular and this stroke of brilliance from Sujoy Datta gave team Infy the lead. All hell broke loose on the field and the celebrations had begun. The team spirits were higher than ever. Vikram came in for Mani as Infy tried to defend the lead and soak up the pressure. Capgemini in a desperate bid to equalize saw their central defender Sameer Chauhan move up the field into the midfield. Sameer Sawant, the Infy mid fielder played an awesome game controlling the midfield and distributing the ball to the wings. Infy saw off the last 10 minutes of the game by holding the ball and frustrating the opposition. In a last desperate attempt to equalize, a ball into the D by Capgemin saw a header by their forward towards the right corner of the goal, but again the Infy Keeper stood his ground and made a good save to maintain the lead. A few more minutes of defensive football from Infy and then the final whistle went off.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS !.
The team was ecstatic, the tournament was won and the Champions defended their title. The Infy team formed a huddle and celebrations were quite extraordinary.
The Post match ceremony saw a lot of individual as well as team silverware shared among the Infy team. Sujoy Datta was awarded the player of the tournament, Smitayan Nandy, Vikram Negi and Sujoy Datta found a place in the Champions 11 team decided by the organizers. A winner trophy was awarded to all the players of the team.
Finally, silverware that we all were playing for was given to the Captains "Aabhi Jindal and Ajit Antony". The trophy was lifted by the team and the celebrations continued.
Special mentions should go to our Sir Alex – Swapnil Bachav for consistently coming to the matches & cheering us up.
Way to go Infy!!!! On behalf of the entire team I thank each for the splendid support throughout the tournament.
Score: - 1-0 (Smitayan Nandy-Infosys)
For the first time in IT circuit the two semi finals was played in the afternoon at the range hill ground. The first semi's was won by Kanbay so Team Infosys knew beforehand that if they beat Wipro in their semis it would be the clash of the titans in the finals once more. Team Infosys started with their tried and trusted formation of 4-1-4-1. The game started in earnest with the Wipro mid-field holding the ball well and making team Infosys run around the field. A counter attack from Infosys saw Smitayan Nandy collide with the Wipro keeper while going in for a 50-50 ball. He was steam rolled to the ground by the humongous wipro keeper (Rajesh). Although the collision was hard, Nandy was back on his feet in a jiffy. It took a while for Team Infosys
to compose itself and come to terms with pitch as well as the opponents style of play , but once in the groove the chances started to come frequently.
In the first half, there were a few tense moments for team Infy, when a back pass was intercepted by a wipro player with an open passage to goal. The strike came instantly, but was blocked by Vikram Negi in a flash of brilliance. This was a wake up call for the team to which we responded well. Most attacks of Wipro came in from their left hand side, leaving Ajit and Vignesh to do some serious damage control. J… The first half ended with the
score at 0-0.
The second half saw the introduction of Irshad as a replacement for Vignesh at right back. The team looked rejuvenated in the second half with the moves
coming in and the attacks piling up the pressure on Wipro. The calm and composed defense passed the ball to the flanks well. The game was built from the flanks with Sushant making some tremendous moves into the opposition's penalty area. At the centre of mid field the trio of Sam, Sujoy and Vikram Negi controlled the game and took the battle to the opposition. A special mention for Smitayan Nandy who must have covered every inch of the ground giving
everything that he had. It was well rewarded when a through ball from Vikram to the right saw Smitayan beat two defenders with his speed and dribbling skills leaving him face to face with the keeper and for once he showed the composer to finish off the move in typical Smitayan style by a well executed nudge to the left bottom corner of the net. Team Infosys were deservingly ahead and the goal seemed to have triggered the team to play all attack.
Chances started to come in from all directions with Smitayan and Sujoy hitting the target instigating the Wipro Keeper to come up with some brilliant saves. The strike from Sujoy was
built up from the centre with Sam and Sushant being the constructors and Sujoy the executioner. He took a shot from D-top right across the goal, and it seemed destined to hit the back of the net but out of no where a hand from the wipro keeper made a brilliant save to keep the ball from finding the net.
Second half also saw chances been created by Sam and Sushant. Sushant came up with brilliant individual play when he cut pass three defenders from the left and found himself right in front of goal against the keeper but shot was a little to powerful and it went over the post. The Infy back 4 of Yogesh, Aabhi, Nirmal, Irshad (Vignesh/Mantri) were fabulous and didn't give any opportunity for Wipro to strike back. In the dying moments of the game Wipro were awarded a corner which was cleared by Infosys but a cross from the right found the Wipro captain at the far post with an open header. The keeper charged at him, leaving the goal empty but they were lucky that the header went inches over the goal. In the end Infosys won the match and deservingly so. A total team effort saw Infosys reach the finals to defend their title. Two deserving teams were up face to face in the Deccan finals once again.
FINALS: 06-July-08
Infosys Vs Kanbay (Capgemini)
Score: - 1-0 (Sujoy Datta-Infosys)
The finals saw the top two teams in the IT circuit come face to face once again to contest for yet another trophy. Infosys gave a guard of honour to their keeper (Devesh) before the match as it could have been his last match for Infosys Pune. The team was charged and were up for the most important game of the season so far. This was evident from the start with the one touch passing and simple total football exhibited by Team Infosys. There were a flurry of chances with Sujoy just missing the target, Sushant making a few of his trademark runs into the D. A corner from the right by Ajit saw a disorganized Capgemini defense fumble before managing to hold on to an on target header from Sam. The chances kept coming in as there were some simple but well effective one touch play between Yogesh, Sushant, Sam, Sujoy, Ajit and Vikram.
The central defenders Aabhi and Nirmal played a crucial role in keeping the Capgemini forwards at bay and frustrated the opposition with their composure. Irshad was very effective as a right back and was on his toes through out the game as most counter attacks from the opposition came in from the left. The opposition came close to scoring with their striker Valerine running across the midfield and defense to win a floated ball from the midfield. The Infy keeper charged in to make a save, but the shot was off target and the score remained 0-0. The end of the first 30 minutes saw Infy dominating the proceeding with maximum possession and high spirits.
The second half saw Mani come in for an injured Vikram Negi who showed great commitment to the team, playing the half after having injured himself in an accident. The bruised and bleeding defensive midfielder showed great courage and played hard ignoring the pain he was going through. The second half saw Mani playing more of a defensive role. Team Infy attacks continued from the left, right and center. A counter attack by Capgemini from the left found two forwards in the center of the D. The shot was fired low to the right of the keeper. It seemed that Capgemini would take the lead, but for a fabulous diving save from the keeper. The day seemed to belong to Devesh as he made quite a few fantastic saves to inspire and drive the team to a win.
The goal came out of the blue with 15 mins remaining and both sides gearing up for penalties. The Infy defense played well and set up a move from the left, with Yogesh passing the ball to Sushant, Sushant made a run, passed the ball to Sam. Sam crossed the ball from the left out towards the D. It appeared as though no one from the Infy team would be there to finish the move but then suddenly among 5 blue shirts, came in a yellow jersey bearing the number 15, flying with raised leg to poke the ball over the surprised Capgemini Keeper. The goal was spectacular and this stroke of brilliance from Sujoy Datta gave team Infy the lead. All hell broke loose on the field and the celebrations had begun. The team spirits were higher than ever. Vikram came in for Mani as Infy tried to defend the lead and soak up the pressure. Capgemini in a desperate bid to equalize saw their central defender Sameer Chauhan move up the field into the midfield. Sameer Sawant, the Infy mid fielder played an awesome game controlling the midfield and distributing the ball to the wings. Infy saw off the last 10 minutes of the game by holding the ball and frustrating the opposition. In a last desperate attempt to equalize, a ball into the D by Capgemin saw a header by their forward towards the right corner of the goal, but again the Infy Keeper stood his ground and made a good save to maintain the lead. A few more minutes of defensive football from Infy and then the final whistle went off.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS !.
The team was ecstatic, the tournament was won and the Champions defended their title. The Infy team formed a huddle and celebrations were quite extraordinary.
The Post match ceremony saw a lot of individual as well as team silverware shared among the Infy team. Sujoy Datta was awarded the player of the tournament, Smitayan Nandy, Vikram Negi and Sujoy Datta found a place in the Champions 11 team decided by the organizers. A winner trophy was awarded to all the players of the team.
Finally, silverware that we all were playing for was given to the Captains "Aabhi Jindal and Ajit Antony". The trophy was lifted by the team and the celebrations continued.
Special mentions should go to our Sir Alex – Swapnil Bachav for consistently coming to the matches & cheering us up.
Way to go Infy!!!! On behalf of the entire team I thank each for the splendid support throughout the tournament.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Retrospect of the first half of 2008...
The year 2008 started off in wild fashion with new year's eve party at "All Sports Bar" Andheri among friends.The group consisted of myself,Jimish,Hitesh,Mohit (alongwith his Polish friends), Karthik, Sambit, Vanashree n Divya...It was one of the best new year eve's party that I was part of. No one lost their senses and got completed drunk like last year(Mayuresh-case in point) nor did anyone get all sentimental ( i quote my example -new year eve 2005).
As the years are going by I have come to realize the friends you have keeps decreasing.When we started this annual "do" of celebrating new years together we started with a modest participant count of 8 in 2003 and grew up to 20 at one point in 2004.The years 2005 and 2006 generated good responses with people from the US joining in.
Well the party was great.I,Sam,Mohit got busy getting drunk.It was great fun and we partied till the wee hours of the first day of the year 2008.
Next I would like to dwell upon my roommates of E-17,Chaitraban Apartments,Pune.The four of us i.e Annshul,Saurabh, Namit and myself started off the year 2008 with new hope and vigour , hoping that we break our jinx and finally land ourselves at the doorstep of an MBA institute.After the turmoils of late 2007 when Saurabh met with an accident right at the eve of CAT'07 our preparations had taken a jolt.Still we guys were confident that this major event will not deter any of us from reaching our destiny.
The year 2008 brought with it in terms of MBA aspirations a lot of heart break and disappointments.In the end the hard work done since July-August of last year didn't bear any fruits for any one of us.
On the personal fronts though all four of us had something or the other to cheer about.Annshul got his long awaited opportunity to fly off to the U.S for an onsite assignment for Infosys.
Before that though Saurabh got married to Divya on April 23rd'08.It has been one of the highlights of the year till now.Really happy for those two.We all attended the wedding in Patna(will have details of that trip in another blog).Also attending Saurabh's bachelor party before the wedding was an experience in itself.The venue for the 'do' was his friend Mutu's farm house in Lonavala.This trip introduced me to another fascinating game to which I had been exposed but never took a liking before-Cards...flush,rummy,flash etc.This trip started a new trend for weekend past time and at one point the situation got so worse that we used to keep playing the game for 15-16 hrs non stop.Thank good those days are behind us now.
Also in March, to be precise from 20th March'08 to 23rd March'08 I embarked on my 4th trip to Goa.The gang included Gaurav,Anvita,Annshul,Shyam,Divya,Ravi n myself.It was one fun trip and a much needed one.Venturing the beautiful serene beaches and soaking up the atmosphere was an blissful experience.
Also after having spent around 2.5 years in Infosys, the company decided to pay me for my loyalty by initiating my long term work visa for the NL.Namit also got his initiated.Well this new incident opened up a new avenue for me after the debacle of Mission MBA'08.Though I was one of the lucky few to get a waiting list from AIM(Asian Institute of Management) ,the result of which is still awaited, the prospect of onsite really gave my flagging IT career as well as my below par financial situation a new lease of life.Atleast this opportunity has given me a direction to think for the next 15 odd months in one particular direction and not keep venturing from one thing to another.
Another event which has really made the first half of this year much more interesting has been the start of football practice at the phase 2 cricket ground in place of the basketball court at phase1.The experience of playing on natural green grass and the chance to play a full game day in day out has really brighten my stay at Infy.
Our group which we proudly call " HJW_Football" are really in this company not for career enhancement or for moving up the corporate ladder.That's secondary for most people in this group.We just love playing football and enjoy the facilities that Infosys provides us to keep our passion for the game alive. Since the start of this year I have been regularly playing football atleast 3 days a week and believe me I am relishing every moment of it.This has been one really fabulous group I have been involved with.
Also before I end my discussion on football how can I forget to mention that Manchester United lifted the EPL title as well as the CL title in May of this year.So in all 2008 has been a really exciting period for me and my football histrionics.
Anyways the first half of 2008 has been a really exciting period in my life and looking forward to the second half it already seems I have my plate full.Lets hope its as exciting as the first 6 months of this year.
As the years are going by I have come to realize the friends you have keeps decreasing.When we started this annual "do" of celebrating new years together we started with a modest participant count of 8 in 2003 and grew up to 20 at one point in 2004.The years 2005 and 2006 generated good responses with people from the US joining in.
Well the party was great.I,Sam,Mohit got busy getting drunk.It was great fun and we partied till the wee hours of the first day of the year 2008.
Next I would like to dwell upon my roommates of E-17,Chaitraban Apartments,Pune.The four of us i.e Annshul,Saurabh, Namit and myself started off the year 2008 with new hope and vigour , hoping that we break our jinx and finally land ourselves at the doorstep of an MBA institute.After the turmoils of late 2007 when Saurabh met with an accident right at the eve of CAT'07 our preparations had taken a jolt.Still we guys were confident that this major event will not deter any of us from reaching our destiny.
The year 2008 brought with it in terms of MBA aspirations a lot of heart break and disappointments.In the end the hard work done since July-August of last year didn't bear any fruits for any one of us.
On the personal fronts though all four of us had something or the other to cheer about.Annshul got his long awaited opportunity to fly off to the U.S for an onsite assignment for Infosys.
Before that though Saurabh got married to Divya on April 23rd'08.It has been one of the highlights of the year till now.Really happy for those two.We all attended the wedding in Patna(will have details of that trip in another blog).Also attending Saurabh's bachelor party before the wedding was an experience in itself.The venue for the 'do' was his friend Mutu's farm house in Lonavala.This trip introduced me to another fascinating game to which I had been exposed but never took a liking before-Cards...flush,rummy,flash etc.This trip started a new trend for weekend past time and at one point the situation got so worse that we used to keep playing the game for 15-16 hrs non stop.Thank good those days are behind us now.
Also in March, to be precise from 20th March'08 to 23rd March'08 I embarked on my 4th trip to Goa.The gang included Gaurav,Anvita,Annshul,Shyam,Divya,Ravi n myself.It was one fun trip and a much needed one.Venturing the beautiful serene beaches and soaking up the atmosphere was an blissful experience.
Also after having spent around 2.5 years in Infosys, the company decided to pay me for my loyalty by initiating my long term work visa for the NL.Namit also got his initiated.Well this new incident opened up a new avenue for me after the debacle of Mission MBA'08.Though I was one of the lucky few to get a waiting list from AIM(Asian Institute of Management) ,the result of which is still awaited, the prospect of onsite really gave my flagging IT career as well as my below par financial situation a new lease of life.Atleast this opportunity has given me a direction to think for the next 15 odd months in one particular direction and not keep venturing from one thing to another.
Another event which has really made the first half of this year much more interesting has been the start of football practice at the phase 2 cricket ground in place of the basketball court at phase1.The experience of playing on natural green grass and the chance to play a full game day in day out has really brighten my stay at Infy.
Our group which we proudly call " HJW_Football" are really in this company not for career enhancement or for moving up the corporate ladder.That's secondary for most people in this group.We just love playing football and enjoy the facilities that Infosys provides us to keep our passion for the game alive. Since the start of this year I have been regularly playing football atleast 3 days a week and believe me I am relishing every moment of it.This has been one really fabulous group I have been involved with.
Also before I end my discussion on football how can I forget to mention that Manchester United lifted the EPL title as well as the CL title in May of this year.So in all 2008 has been a really exciting period for me and my football histrionics.
Anyways the first half of 2008 has been a really exciting period in my life and looking forward to the second half it already seems I have my plate full.Lets hope its as exciting as the first 6 months of this year.
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