A BYTE OF LIFE Tuesday, June 30, 2009

02
THIEVES ON TRAIN
Railway police arrest two for stealing
jewellery from passengers

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 121

Indian soccer may have suffered its worst body blow yet with Bharti
Enterprise, which promised to invest Rs 100 crore, now rethinking its
investment following wranglings within AIFF, reports Ayon Sengupta. » PAGE 09
02 NAMMA CHENNAI
Once upon a time ...
D o you have a story to tell? Or, you have
one but don’t know how to say. If you
fall in the later category here’s an
opportunity to master the art of
storytelling.
World Storytelling Institute is conducting a
course in storytelling from July 11. You
could be a parent, teacher, counsellor, tour
guide or someone interested in becoming a
professional storyteller to attend the course.
Each participant is required to bring a
traditional story that he/she would like to
work on telling. It could be a grandmother
story, a Raja-Rani story, a Tenali Raman
story, a fairy tale or a story in which
animals speak.
What you will be taught? Styles of
speaking, symbols in stories, types of stories,
what makes a great storyteller, storytelling
accompanied by illustrations, puppets and
props, etc.
The course is spread across eight sessions
and is priced at Rs. 2,000. For details log on
to www.storytellinginstitute.org or call Eric
Miller at 98403 94282/ 4208 0890.
Eric Miller (right), Director, World
Storytelling Institute, at a workshop.
PHOTO: V. GANESAN
ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009
20% off
Fastrack is offering 20 per cent discount on all its watches and
sunglasses. The watches post-discount are priced from Rs. 475 and
sunglasses at Rs. 555. The offer is valid till July 26 and available at all
World of Titan showrooms and Titan Plus outlets.
Two arrested for
theft in trains
The duo from
Jharkhand stole
jewellery and
valuables from
AC 2-tier
passengers after
boarding the train
under false names
ERGO CORRESPONDENT
feedback@goergo.in
T
he Government Railway Po-
lice (GRP) on Monday ar-
rested two men who
travelled in AC 2-tier train
compartments and stole gold je-
wellery and valuables from co-
passengers. The men struck over
30 times in various trains in the
state and had fled with 352 sover-
eigns of gold. A total of 285.5 sov-
ereigns of stolen gold jewellery
were recovered from the duo,
making it the biggest seizure by
GRP in the last five years.
Following repeated complaints
from train passengers over the
loss of valuables from 2-tier AC
compartments, special teams
were formed under the supervi-
sion of the Superintendent of Po-
lice (Railways), Chennai, to nab
the culprits.
Meanwhile, on Monday morn-
ing two unidentified persons at-
tempted to rob a 40-year-old
women passenger at knifepoint
on platform no. 1 of Chennai A section of the recovered jewellery. PHOTO: R. SHIVAJI RAO
Central station. Police personnel
on the premises rushed in to ap- alias Amarnath Jaiswal (43), who the loot. The victims would not
prehend the duo after the victim used to buy AC 2-tier tickets in even realise that they had been
raised an alarm. trains after registering fake robbed till they went home or
Upon questioning, the men ad- names and addresses. opened their bags,” said S. Ma-
mitted to the crime and also vari- “After boarding the train they noharan, Superintendent of Po-
ous other thefts from rail would wait for the passengers to lice (Railways), Chennai.
passengers in the state over the fall asleep at night and in the dark The accused were remanded to
last two years. The duo from Ran- open their bags and extract all custody and sent to Puzhal pris-
chi in Jharkhand were identified items of value from them, secure on. Police is conducting further
by police as Rajan alias Rajan the luggage again to prevent any investigations to ascertain if
Ram Srivastava (47) and Amar sign of break-in and decamp with more people are involved. ■
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
With a devotional touch
The second generation led by T.S. Raghavan is taking Giri Trading Agency places
The stores in Mumbai and
Chennai; (inset) TVS Giri,
founder, Giri Trading Agency
Timeline
1954 – Footpath shop started in Mumbai near
Matunga Railway Station
1976 – First shop in Mylapore
1983-84 – Gitaa Cassettes music company launched
1990 – First showroom in Mumbai
1991 – Radio station SS International launched
1993 – Giri Trading Agency Pvt Ltd registered
2007 – Mylapore shop expanded into 3 floors
DEEPA VENKATRAMAN
D
harmo Rakshathi Rakshith –
When you protect your duty,
you get protected by the du-
ty.
This has been the philosophy of
Giri Trading Agency Pvt. Ltd. – an
epitome of rags to riches. The com-
pany was started by T.V.S. Giri and
is popular for books on philosophy,
mythology, slokas and devotional
songs. Its first shop opened in 1976.
Ranganathan Giri, MD
of the company and
youngest son of T.V.S.
Giri, says, “It was dur-
ing the early 50s. My
father wanted to buy a
sandhya vandanam
book for one of his
friend’s son’s thread ceremony in
Mumbai. He couldn’t find one
there and this triggered him to start
selling traditional books in the city.
He immediately took a trip to Ma-
dras and bought a few books to sell
in the Matunga Railway Station and
soon he had a shack in a nearby
street. This went on for nearly 20
years.”
Battling odds
Ranganathan’s older siblings –
Kashi Vishwanathan, T. S. Aiyapan,
Ram Narayan, Iyer Srinivas and
T.S.V. Hari – felt the need to expand
the business when they were in
their early 20s. In mid-70s, T.V.S.
Giri along with his sons and daugh-
ters – Sharada Prakash and Mee-
nakshi Balu – opened a 200 sq ft
shop in Mylapore, next to the Kapa-
leeshwar Temple. They got a small
space inside the temple and sold
minimal pooja items like camphor,
kumkum and vibhuti along with
books.
However, the family
did face their own
hardships in nurturing
the business. “My
brothers used to cycle
to Parrys Corner, Thi-
ruvanmiyur, T. Nagar
from Mylapore to buy
goods from the wholesale market.
The rest of the stuff was sent to
Mumbai. And in Mumbai, my sis-
ters used to take books in baskets to
sell in stores,” recalls Ranganathan.
Branching out
By late 80s, they got popular.
Ranganathan says, “We opened our
first showroom in Mumbai in 1990
and another shop in Mylapore in
1991. We began selling all pooja
items, veshtis for Shabarimala pil-
grims and eventually devotional
03
cassettes songs.”
Since then there was no looking
back and they opened up branches
in Mumbai, Bangalore, Coimba-
tore, Madurai and Mylapore, Adyar
and Nanganallurin in Chennai.
The devotional song cassette
business prompted one of the
brothers, Aiyapan, to begin music
company, Gitaa Cassettes, in the
early 1980s. By chance they started
a radio station, SS International in
early 1991 and it ran until 1999.
The Gitaa Cassettes Company al-
so picked up simultaneously. “Till
now we have together released over
300 cassettes and CDs of various ar-
tistes from Madurai Mani Iyer to
M.D. Ramanathan to S.P. Balasu-
brahmanyam to Nithyasree to P.
Susheela.”
Giri Trading was registered in
1993 and from its inception they
have clients from all over the world.
Currently the company, handled by
the second generation, is guided by
Chairman T.S. Raghavan, COO E.
Bala and CEO V. Subramanian.
Ranganathan sums up, “We plan to
go into private equity and we are
seriously thinking of starting anoth-
er branch overseas.” ■
(Made in Chennai is a column that
showcases the evolution of home-
grown businesses)
04 TECHNORAMA ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

‘‘
Bing is a competitor. We have absolutely looked
at Bing; we have actually studied what they do
as Microsoft studied what Google does
Eric Schmidt, Google CEO

GREAT KIT FOR LESS Can’t afford the best? Then check out the rest...

Technology
snippets
sources for T3
magazine of
Infomedia18
Group

CANON EOS 500D

Canon’s first DSLR to record
HD video in full 1080p comes
with an HDMI output, allowing
you to watch footage on your TV.
It takes 15.1-megapixel stills and
has an ISO that can be pushed
all the way to 12,800 – that’s
enough to take snaps in a black
hole. A 3fps burst mode and dust-
proof sealing complete the
picture. It’s the boss.
Rs 52,995, www.canon.co.in

1 4
NIKON D90
The Nikon contains 12.3-megapixels, a
self-cleaning device for dust removal,
and it starts up in a ridiculously fast
0.15 seconds. Not too shabby. Not too
cheap, either …
Rs 72,995, www.nikon.co.in
2 3
Olympus E-520
PANASONIC DMC-L10 Sony DSLR A350K Bargain seekers could do a lot
Here, your money gets you ten At the more budget end of the DSLR worse than this ten-megapixel
megapixels – that’s more than enough spectrum comes this Sony, with a camera with a shooting speed
for most users – face detection for up chunky 14-megapixels, a 2.7-inch screen of 3.5fps and a built-in image
to 15 visages, and a 2.5inch LCD to and an anti-dust system. That’s value stabiliser to stave off
frame it all on. for money. wobblevision.
TBC, www.Panasonic.com Rs 49,990, www.sony.co.in Rs 39,990, www.OLYMPUS.com
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Firefox add-ons available as collections
It has just become easier for Firefox users to acquire helpful extensions for the browser. The creators of Mozilla have now released a
series of add-on collections for free at http://addons.mozilla.org/firefox. Registered users also have the option of publishing their personal
add-on packages on the website for others to access. That includes the option for commentary about why the extensions are so useful.
Health games
become serious business
V
ideogames were once
blamed for rising obesity
rates but are now being
championed by the med-
ical industry and for use by go-
vernment departments for their
health benefits.
Games like Electronic Arts’
“EA Sports Active” and Ninten-
do’s “Wii Fit” have got players
of all ages moving - and game
developers and investors look-
ing for hot new titles to cash in
on this booming segment of the
market.
Big John Games’ upcoming
“Butt Kicker” Nintendo DSi
game will provide an action-
based environment in which
players fight against cigarettes
and "Karate Bears" for Wii
teaches players real karate rou-
tines using the Wii’s motion-
sensor controllers.
“Healthcare is 18 percent of
the GDP of the United States
and so games for health is
probably the largest sector of
activity in the serious games
field long-term,” said Ben Sa-
wyer, co-founder of The Games
for Health Project.
“If you add up the 18 month
sales of “Wii Fit” and the sales
of “EA Sports Active,” Konami’s
“Dance Dance Revolution” and
other healthy games, the world-
wide retail numbers are over $2
billion.”
Dr. Michael Levine, executive
director of the Joan Ganz Coo-
ney Center at Sesame Work-
shop, which fosters innovation
in children’s learning, has just
released a report looking at
how digital games can play a
beneficial and educational role
in health care.
“States’ governors should di-
rect their school technology of-
ficers to look at innovations like
“Dance Dance Revolution” and
“Wii Fit” as a way to extend the
reach of physical education and
comprehensive health educa-
tion,” said Dr. Debra Lieber-
man, director of Health Games
Research for the foundation.
05
With interest in
health games
rising, the fifth
annual Games for
Health Conference
in Boston
expanded to 390
people this year
from 100, including
developers,
investors and
medical experts
The Games for Health Confe-
rence also showcased how vid-
eogames are being used to help
doctors and patients alike.
Serious games developer Vir-
tual Heroes is working on a new
first-person shooter sequel for
Hope Lab’s popular “Re-Mis-
sion” game, which has been
distributed to cancer patients
in 81 countries since 2006.
“We’re taking their existing
concept and trying to raise the
fun bar and creating more life-
like and enjoyable environ-
ments within the human body,”
explained Jerry Heneghan, CEO
of Virtual Heroes.
“Players will take control of
Roxy, the protagonist, and have
new weapons to battle cancer
with thanks to input from can-
cer patients.”
Virtual Heroes is also updat-
ing its HumanSim technology
with a new human physiology
engine, technology has been
used by Duke Medical Center’s
nursing school to train nurses
virtually.
Heneghan said he hopes this
software will inspire gamers to
turn to careers in healthcare
and make people in the med-
ical profession more proficient
with more grants and funding
A guest tries out a Wii Fit Plus flowing into universities for
game at an expo in Los Angeles. health games. ■
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/AFP
Reuters
06 VILLAGE ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

City is gay enough

A UK city has been told it is "gay enough" after a two-month enquiry into
Canterbury in Kent proved the local government had promoted lesbians,
gays and bisexuals enough after a complaint by a gay group.

Davenport welcomes baby girl Mobile saves

Former world number one Lindsay Davenport has given birth
to a baby girl, her agent said. skier from
“Lindsay Davenport and her husband, Jon Leach, joyfully
announce the birth of their daughter, Lauren Andrus death
Davenport Leach, who was born on June 27 at 11:04 am His cell phone saved
(PST) in Newport Beach, California,” Tony Godsick said in a him. Yes, a British
statement. skier, who slipped into
Davenport, three times a Grand Slam champion, returned to a crevasse in the Swiss
the competitive action just three months after the birth of Alps, was saved from
her son Jagger in June 2007. On that occasion she won three plunging nearly 700
of her first four tournaments following her maternity leave. feet to his death by his
Reuters BlackBerry mobile
phone.
David Fitzherbert’s
half-inch wide mobile
Soy protects lungs handset in his breast pocket caused him to get wedged in
a crack of ice, stopping him from falling further. And,
from chronic disease incredibly, the device still worked after keeping him stuck
Consuming soy milk and tofu could cut down the risk of for almost two hours till he was rescued.
developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The 52-year-old finance worker was skiing off-piste down
COPD, which develops as a result of smoking, can cause a glacier in the Matterhorn and Monterosa peaks in the
coughing that produces large amounts of mucus (a slimy Swiss Alps when the snow gave way.
substance), wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, “The snow gave way beneath me and I fell down a very
and other symptoms. deep crevasse. After 70 feet it narrowed and I became
The study was led by Curtin University of Technology’s stuck like a cork in a bottle between the walls. Fortunately
(CUT) Andy Lee and his colleagues from Curtin’s Health the extra inches of the BlackBerry were enough to block
Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) and representatives the fall,” Fitzherbert told The Sun.
from four Japanese hospitals. PTI
Lee, a professor, said the research, conducted in Japan,
found that people
who consumed more
than 75 grams of soy Sony mum on reports of
products daily had
the most health PlayStation phone
benefits. Sony Corp. remained tight-lipped over reports that it may combine its
“We also found that PlayStation Portable game console with a mobile telephone into a new
people who gadget to challenge rival Apple’s iPhone.
consumed at least 50 Sony is considering developing a new portable game console with the added
grams of soy products functions of a Sony Ericsson cell phone, the Nikkei reported without
per day reduced their revealing its sources.
risk of developing The high-tech giant, which has faced tough competition in recent years from
COPD and respiratory rival products such as Apple’s iPod and Nintendo’s Wii, will set up a team in
symptoms,” he said. July to look into the development of the new product, the Nikkei said.
IANS AFP

What makes a great footballer?

Being in peak physical condi-
tion undoubtedly helps, yet few
actually believe that intense
physical training alone can turn
an average player into a Ronal-
do. Robbie Wilson of the Uni-
versity of Queensland (UQ) set
out to pinpoint factors that go
into making a stellar perfor-
mance in soccer.
imental subjects, and made to
compete against one another in
one-on-one football and tennis
games, which require similar
athletic and skill sets.
The same players were eval-
uated for overall athleticism
and skill in 16 different tasks.
“There was no evidence of any
correlations between maximal

W
onder how star soccer
players like Ronaldo
and Beckham dazzle
fans with their intricate
footwork and amazing ball con-
trol? Their skill is just as impor-
tant, if not more important,
than athletic ability, according
to a recent study.
“Our studies could help to
streamline selection criteria and
efficiency by providing a rank
ordering of individuals based
upon competitive one-on-one
tasks,” said Wilson.
Members of the quasi-profes-
sional UQ Football Club
(UQFC) were recruited as exper-
athletic performance and skill,”
explained Wilson.
“Our studies suggest that skill
is just as important, if not more
important, than athletic ability
in determining performance of
complex traits, such as perfor-
mance on the football field.” ■
IANS

PHOTOS: AFP
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Websites of the day
Get your daily dose of Sudoku here:
www.sudoku.org.uk
Learn facts about the Guinness World
Records here:
www.guinnessworldrecords.com
Downturn creates more
working moms in Asia
T
he economic crisis is turn-
ing more Asian women into
CFOs, or chief family offi-
cers, according to a new sur-
vey, juggling work and childcare
as they try to boost the family
income.
Three in four people in Asia be-
lieve women are capable of jug-
gling work and family
successfully, the massive survey
of 33,000 people in 16 countries
showed.
Asian women have long been
part of the region’s workforce,
but the global economic down-
turn has made having a job a ne-
cessity for most, according to the
“Eye on Asia” poll by global mar-
keting communications firm
Grey Group.
“This, however, has put a lot of
pressure on many women, who
in addition to having a career,
must also take on the role of chief
family officer,” Charu Harish, re-
gional communications planning
director for Grey Group Asia Pa-
cific, said.
“Because of the traditional atti-
tudes, women feel they must be
the picture-perfect wife, mother
Queen orders count of swans
Q uiet please - Queen Elizabeth
is preparing to have her
swans counted.
Buckingham Palace has an-
nounced that the annual Swan
Upping, a tradition dating back
to the 12th century, which in-
volves a census of the swan pop-
ulation on the River Thames,
will be conducted by the
queen’s official Swan Marker
from July 20-24.
“With the assistance of the
Queen’s Swan Warden, Profes-
sor Christopher Perrins of the
University of Oxford, the swans
and young cygnets are also as-
sessed for any signs of injury or
disease,” Buckingham Palace
said in announcing the count.
The process involves the
Swan Marker, David Barber,
rowing up the Thames for five
days with the Swan Warden in
traditional skiffs while wearing
special scarlet uniforms and
counting, weighing and mea-
suring swans and cygnets.
and employee, which puts them
in an unfair, and little recognised
position.”
According to the survey, one of
the largest snapshots of opinions
and trends in the region, nearly
It may seem eccentric, but it
is very important to the Queen.
According to custom, Bri-
tain’s sovereign owns all un-
marked, mute swans in open
water, but the queen now exer-
cises the right only on stretches
of the Thames and its nearby
tributaries.
In medieval times, the Swan
Marker would not only travel up
the river counting the swans,
but would catch as many as pos-
sible as they were sought-after
for banquets and feasts. ■
Reuters
Frogs legs mystery solved
Scientists think they’ve resolved the mystery
surrounding why some frogs are born with only one
leg - the deformed animals are the victims of
dragonfly nymphs that eat the tadpoles legs.
This was
particularly
the case in
the fast-paced
economies
of Taiwan,
Singapore and
Hong Kong,
but less so
in developing
countries
such as
Bangladesh,
Indonesia
and Vietnam
90 per cent said it was necessary Pacific respondents worry about
for mothers to work to contribute their finances and were saving for
to the family income, especially the future.
in the current economic climate. Over three-quarters believed
The same survey found that a women were capable of doing
majority - 86 per cent - of Asia both - taking care of the family
I stare because I care
쒀 A chihuahua named Maggie (R) and an Irish wolfhound named Merlin take part
in a dog show in the northern German city of Hamburg. PHOTO: AFP
07
and having a job at the same time
- even though, given a choice,
many mothers would prefer to
stay at home and watch their
children grow up, Harish said.
Some 81 percent of mothers
surveyed said they felt so busy
these days that they did not
spend enough time with their
children, which Harish said, led
to many moms over-indulging
their children to assuage their
guilt.
“In many ways, women have
evolved, while many men still
maintain a traditional attitude
and do not acknowledge that
they need to take part in the
child-minding and running the
house,” Harish said.
Overall, nearly two-thirds of
Asians said they felt society sup-
ported working mothers, which,
in many cases, meant grandpar-
ents taking care of the children.
The survey polled 33,000 peo-
ple in 16 countries: Australia,
Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong,
India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea,
Malaysia, New Zealand, the Phi-
lippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka,
Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. ■
Reuters
08 SPORT ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Shiv signs off tied eighth

Shiv Kapur (65) and SSP Chowrasia (68) turned in their best cards
of the week to sign off tied eighth and tied 21st respectively at
the BMW International golf tournament. While Shiv totalled
16-under 272 overall, Chowrasia ended with a four-round score
of 11-under 277.

Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva (centre) jokes with

teammates after winning the Fifa Confederations Cup
final match against United States at the Ellis Park
Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP

Samba boys triumph again

Brazil comes from two goals down to win Confederations Cup

F
ive-time world cham-
pions Brazil came from
two goals down to defeat
the United States 3-2 in
the final of the Confederations
Cup in Johannesburg.
Captain Lucio headed an
84th-minute winner after two
second-half goals by Luis Fa-
biano on Sunday to ensure a
successful title defence for Bra-
zil, who had been stunned by
first-half goals for the United
States from Clint Dempsey and
Landon Donovan. The US
came close to a first title in a
senior Fifa competition, after
taking a two-goal lead, but Bra-
zil were rewarded for second-
half pressure with Fabiano’s
goals in the 46th and 74th min-
utes taking his tally to five for
the tournament.
Bayern Munich defender Lu-
cio then rose at the far post to
head in a corner from substi-
tute Elano to wreck US dreams
and give the Selecao a third
Confederations Cup title after
wins in 1997 and 2005.
“This means everything to
me,” Lucio said. “When Brazil
wins then I thank God. God is
the only one who knows, I
thank God for having the op-
portunity to give joy to the
country.”
American captain Carlos Bo-
canegra said that their side had
simply run out of steam. “I
think after putting in such a
terrific first half performance,
we simply ran out of steam in
the second,” he said. “The Bra-
zilians just came at us and that
is why they are some of the
best players in the world. It is
very difficult to withstand that
kind of pressure.”
A capacity crowd in Johan-
nesburg’s Ellis Park stadium
saw Brazil begin strongly, but
then go behind in the 10th
minute when Fulham midfiel-
der Dempsey opened the scor-
ing as he neatly glanced in a
cross from Jonathan Spector
for his third goal of the tourna-
ment. Donovan then stunned
the favourites with a fine sec-
ond on the break in the 27th
minute, in which he fed Char-
lie Davies on the left on a run
from inside his own half, took
the return and cut inside Ra-
mires before hitting a left foot
shot past Julio Cesar in goal.
At the other end goalkeeper
Tim Howard kept the US ahead
with a series of fine saves as
Brazil desperately tried to get
back in the game.
Robinho, Felipe Melo, Mai-
con and Andre Santos were all
foiled by Howard, but the Ever-
ton keeper could do nothing to
prevent Luis Fabiano getting
Brazil back in the game in the
46th minute.
Despite the close attention
of Jay DeMerit, the striker swi-
velled on the edge of the area
to find enough room to fire a
shot past Howard into the cor-
ner of the net.
Howard again came to the
rescue when he dived to stop a
Lucio header from a corner,
but was fortunate when a Kaka
header deflected off the keep-
er’s gloves onto the underside
of the bar. Kaka appealed for a
goal and television replays
showed the ball had crossed
the line before Howard got to it
but Swedish referee Martin
Hansson waved play on.
After Kaka’s effort, there was
some desperate defending by
the US as the Brazilians began
to dominate, but the Ameri-
cans enjoyed a brief spell of
possession midway through
the half and first Donovan and
then Dempsey tested Julio Ce-
sar with shots from outside the
area.
US resistance was finally
broken in the 74th minute
when Fabiano headed in after
Robinho had turned a Kaka
cross from the left onto the un-
derside of the bar for his fifth
goal of the tournament. With
six minutes remaining, Brazil
clinched victory when substi-
tute Elano swung in a corner
from the right and Lucio rose
to head powerfully just inside
the far post. ■
DPA
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
‘‘
I love Origin football and for me, with Origin football comes a few beers. I was
wrapped up in watching football and then when I got back (from the pub) I
knew then (my career was over).
Languishing nowhere
AIFF fails to mend its ways as football in India suffers time and again
AYON SENGUPTA
ayon@goergo.in
N
othing’s going to change for the
better in Indian football. The irre-
sponsible All-India Football Feder-
ation running the show in the
same lackadaisical way for the last many
years has again failed to hold on to an
olive branch dangled by a sympathetic
corporate.
Bharti Enterprise had promised to
pump in investment worth Rs. 100 crore
for a modern football academy for the
federation in Goa a year ago. But infight-
ing between AIFF officials and their in-
ability to acquire land had already
landed the project in doldrums. And
now, if officials from Bharti are to be
believed, the project has been complete-
ly scrapped.
“At this point we are focused on roll-
ing out the Satya Bharti School Program
through the Bharti Foundation, the phil-
anthropic arm of Bharti group. Under
this programme we are providing free
quality education to underprivileged
Indian players celebrate their AFC
Challenge Cup win, which gave them
a ticket to the main round of the
Asia Cup in 2011. PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA
Andrew Symonds
children in rural India,” a statement from
the group read. “Given our deep com-
mitment to the education programme,
we have decided to put the football a-
cademy project on hold for now.”
The proposed academy, which had al-
so drawn interest from Manchester Unit-
ed on a technical level, had run into
rough weather at the very beginning. A
tussle between Goan football chiefs and
also state ministers made it virtually im-
possible for the AIFF to take possession
of the land. A decision to move the acad-
emy, first to Tamil Nadu and then Harya-
na, also bore no fruit. While no suitable
land was found in Tamil Nadu, the Ha-
ryana Football Association headed by
the state Chief Minister’s son Deepender
Singh Hooda (a Lok Sabha member) also
failed to allocate any land, months after
they made a proposal to AIFF and Bharti.
“It’s a big setback for us. The academy
would have solved a lot of our problems
and set an agenda for future growth,”
an AIFF official said on condition of ano-
nymity. “But we haven’t given up all
hope. Our acting president Praful Patel is
set to meet Sunil Mittal, chairman and
CEO of Bharti Enterprises, to sort out the
issues.”
09
The federation, still headed by former
Union Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi,
who has been in coma for almost a year
now, has also failed to appoint a CEO for
its “professional” I-League. “A profes-
sional League needs a CEO and we have
passed a resolution in this regard but we
are yet to finalise a choice. We also dis-
cussed it in our last executive committee
meeting in early June,” AIFF vice-presi-
dent Subrata Dutta said. “We will sort it
out soon.”
Even the club licensing system, neces-
sary for AFC Champions League partici-
pation, has not been followed
thoroughly. According to AFC criteria,
clubs in India have to be separate legal
and commercial entities. But interesting-
ly, I-League side Air India still hasn’t ful-
filled the criterion of being an
independent commercial entity and is
still a government-owned club with AIFF
acting president Praful Patel as its head.
With problems on every side, the AIFF
is desperately trying to find a silver lin-
ing, banking on the senior national
team’s success at the 2011 Asia Cup. But
with little government grants and practi-
cally no corporate support that too looks
a distant dream right now. ■
10 FLICK
‘Both Kareena and
Katrina are really good’
Akshay Kumar on Kambakkht Ishq and his oft-repeated female leads
A
fter a dull response to
his previous releases
8X10 Tasveer and
Chandni Chowk to
China, Akshay Kumar is
looking forward to Kam-
bakkht Ishq to turn the tide.
The film releases this Friday
and stars Kareena Kapoor
opposite him.
Ask Akshay to compare
Kareena with Katrina Kaif,
his other favourite co-star,
and he says, “Both Kareena
and Katrina are really good
but who is the better among
them depends on their roles
in the films. Otherwise, both
of them have sexy bodies
and are absolutely wonder-
ful actresses,” says Akshay.
Akshay has done four
films with Katrina, including
Namastey London and Singh
Is Kinng, while he has
worked with Kareena in five
that include hits Ajnabee
and Aitraaz.
“In Kambakkht Ishq, Ka-
reena has performed very
well. Her character required
to answer back at me and be
strong and she has por-
trayed it in a powerful, yet
lovable way. On the other
hand, even Katrina was real-
ly good in Namastey Lon-
don. So it’s not really about
my choice... it all depends
on their roles,” the actor
says.
Akshay, who has spent
more than 18 years in the
Hindi film industry, says
acting with a new league of
actresses is a learning expe-
rience.
“As a senior actor, I don’t
always have to give out tips
to the younger ones. In fact,
I feel I can learn a lot from
the younger generation be-
cause they have new ways of
acting and a different ap-
proach to work.
I cannot particularly point
ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Anurag Basu to make film on his own life
Anurag Basu, director of films like Gangster: A Love Story and Life In A... Metro, wants to
make a film on his own life. “I’ve lots to say about my life… Maybe now it’s my own turn.
There’s so much about my life to be told,” Basu said. His next directorial venture is the
much talked-about Kites, which stars Hrithik Roshan and Mexican actress Barbara Mori.
out what I have learnt from
them (Kareena and Katrina)
yet, but yes, working with
them was a learning experi-
ence,” says the actor, who
has also teamed up with Pri-
yanka Chopra, Deepika Pa-
dukone and Ayesha Takia.
Akshay plays a Hollywood
stuntman in Kambakkht
Ishq, which also boasts of
big Hollywood names like
Sylvester Stallone, Denise
Richards and Brandon
Routh – working with whom
has been a “dream come
true” for the actor.
In the film, Akshay has
done what he is best at – ac-
tion and daredevilry – so-
mething that had taken a
backseat in his career for a
while.
“I decided to stop doing
stunts till Aarav (son) turns
at least six. Now I’m back at
it again. In Blue, which is an
action thriller, I have done
some death-defying stunts,
like the one where I had to
swim 150 feet underwater
with 30-40 sharks. But I will
talk about it sometime lat-
er,” he said.
At the moment, the 41-
year-old actor is pinning
hopes on Sajid Nadiadwa-
la’s Kambakkht Ishq. “I’m
expecting great response for
this film. Though I had
worked very hard in Chand-
ni Chowk... , the response
didn’t turn out to be as ex-
pected. Some people and
critics didn’t like it and 8X10
Tasveer was more like an art
film, which has a niche mar-
ket in India. Kambakkht
Ishq is a complete entertain-
er and I hope the audience
appreciates it,” he says.
Apart from Kambakkht
Ishq, Akshay will also be
seen in Blue, De Dana Dan
and Action Replay. ■
IANS
Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor pose during a promotional event of Kambakkht Ishq in Mumbai recently. PTI PHOTO
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Russell Crowe leaves 600-pound tip
Russell Crowe left behind a 600-pound tip during a recent trip to a
small bar in South Wales. He also gave a pleasant surprise to the
people present by playing several songs on his guitar with his friends.
The Gladiator star had gone with co-stars to Carew Inn near Tenby for
a toast from his side.
‘Jennifer Aniston’s
simply
a friend’
B
radley Cooper has dismissed ru-
mours that he’s dating Jennifer An-
iston and requested the media to
stop spreading baseless news.
He said in a press conference in Paris,
France: “She’s a friend of mine.
Simply, simply, just a friend.
In America, it’s not like it
is here. She’s someone
who is super, super
known. Famous,” the
Daily Star reports.
Apart from regular
gossips on the net,
speculations of an af-
fair between the two
gained ground after
they were spotted to-
gether at the romantic
New York Italian res-
taurant, Cantinori.
However, he insist-
ed that there is noth-
ing happening,
adding: “If someone
says ‘hello’ to her, it’s
given that he’s fallen in
love with her. So, no.
No. She’s a very, very in-
teresting woman, but
she’s simply a friend.”
The actor, who shared
frame with Aniston in He’s
Just Not That Into You, fur-
ther explained: “We made a
film together but we didn’t
have any scenes together. I
got hired in at the beginning of
the casting, and my part was
solely with Scarlett Johansson
and Jennifer Connelly. Which
isn’t bad at all.”
Bradley Cooper was last
seen in The Hangover. ■
ANI
GETTY IMAGES
11
Family plans to bury
Jackson in Neverland
T he family of Michael Jackson is planning to bury
the late ‘King of Pop’ at his fantasy themed abode,
Neverland, on Wednesday.
The family had earlier held a meeting to plan the pop
icon’s last rites and they want to bury Jackson at the
California ranch, a family member told British tabloid
Sun.
“We are making the arrangements now, we are not
finished with it but we are gonna have it,” Jackson’s
father Joe Jackson had told reporters.
The Thriller legend’s brother Tito (55) had also earlier
said that the clan had spent all afternoon deciding
the arrangements.
They met in the Los Angeles home of Jackson and
plan to hold an intimate ceremony along with a
public memorial.
Family lawyer Brian Oxman told Jackson’s global
legions of followers, “I can’t imagine that the fans
would be excluded.” ■
PTI
Jacko wanted to star in
‘Phantom Of The Opera’
T heatre impresario Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has
revealed that Michael Jackson wanted to star in the
movie version of the hit
musical Phantom of the
Opera.
After watching the show,
which debuted in 1988,
numerous times the King
of Pop discussed seriously
with Lloyd about starring
as ‘The Phantom’ in a big
screen adaptation of the
hit musical.
However, when the
helmer did make the
movie in 2004, he cast
Gerard Butler.
“The story got to him. I
think he had a
connection with the
lonely, tortured musician. He found the idea of
somebody working through music and having a girl
as a muse very intriguing – and he loved that there
was illusion in the show,” Contactmusic quoted
Webber as saying. ■
ANI
12 ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Today’s Query: C.S.Karthikeyan

from Verizon has
nominated his
If you would relate friends as Partners
in Crime. This pic
yourself to a comic was clicked at
Munnar during
character who would it their team trip.

be and why?
■ Superman: to save this world from
evils.
Rajeshkumar D.
Allsec Technologies

■ Spiderman because he had

different type of journey in his life
Sengunther Balaji
Allsec Technologies

■ Scrat (ice age) bcoz I’m always

risking my life while driving
Saravanan TCS

■ Poppy the sailor he s really funny Jayaraj from

but clever too Sutherland Global
K.Sivaramakrishnan Allsec, Services has
Shajahan IBM nominated his
friends as Partners
■ Pink panther in Crime. This
Sai Wipro picture was clicked
from Topslip.
■ Olive bcoz I’m so lean
Rani TCS-serve

■ Tom n Jerry
Arun Baskar Allsec,
CP.Rajesh

■ Calvin bcoz I’m funny and

imaginative
Aravind Pandian
Sutherland

■ Johnny bravo ena enaku girls

mathilae avlo craze
D.Ajay Kumar TCS

■ Kanni theevu laila Naresh Kumar.K

Kalpana from TCS e-Serve
Wipro Technologies Limited has
nominated his
■ Azhagiya Cinderella team as Partners in
Dhivya Prabha Crime. With a
Wipro Technologies special mention
about Janaki, the
■ He-man I’m big like him girl in the middle,
Mohan Sridharan, TCS she has been
nominated as
criminal of all
Today’s Query: criminals. This
photo was clicked
What excuses would at Yelagiri during
their trip.
you give if you forget
your friend’s birthday?
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Senthil Babu, Team Manager of HCL
Technologies has been nominated as
Office Angel by Ilangovan and his team.
He is jovial and generous to all. It is
very difficult to find such an easy going
person in our life. He is known for
optimistic, helping and masti in our team.
His mantra is “Be happy; Take things
easily” He is simply the best!
Amal Kuriakose
from Wipro
Technologies
doodled this.
1.Teacher: Maria, go to the map and find North America .
Maria : Here it is!
Teacher : Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
Class : Maria!
2.Teacher : Why are you late, Frank?
Frank : Because of the sign.
Teacher : What sign
Frank : The one that says, "School Ahead, Go Slow."
Prem Kumar,
HCL Technologies
13
■ Dear (Hexaware Tester) Saravana &
(Vetti aapicer) Nattu,
Wish you a very happy birthday :-)
May god bless you forever and shower you
guys with loads of happiness and
tonnes of love.
Wish you a happy & prosperous life ahead.
Let your drmz
atleast love from any of your girl friends )
come true very soon !! :-)
Have a bashing day ahead machissss !
Enjoy !! ** Note ** : Dont forget to give a
treat today @ Rain forest Luving fnd,
Karthik A, Polaris
■ Dear Reva,
Wish You Many More Happy Returns of
the Day !
Wishing you a lot of happiness and good
health in the year ahead !!
Keep smiling :)
Lots of Luv ,
Ranjani, Revathy.G, Sowmya,
Srividya, Samata Regards Ranjani.S
Wipro Technologies
■ Dear Nagaraj,
Hope your Birthday gently breezes into
your life all the choicest of things and
all that your heart holds as you step into
the next part of your life.
Let this day be very special to you and
I wish you not only happiness and love,
but all success in everything you do.
May your life be even brighter as each
birthday comes and goes!
Have A Fun Filled HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Warmest greetings from
C. Anantharaman,
Kumaran Systems Pvt. Ltd.,
Tidel Park.
■ Hello friend (Joamy naye)
Its a nice feeling when you know that
someone likes you,
someone thinks about you,
someone needs you;
but it feels much better when you know
that someone never ever forgets your
birthday.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY’’ dear. (marapoma
treat kidaikumla)
For u we are always here to stay, each
year to wish Joamy (MP) happiest b day
With Lots of wishes from,
Krishna Priya, Sridhar Ganesan
and from D/O Jeeva (kavitha)
■ Dear Deeps,
"The journey is the reward."
May the journey of your life be filled with
adventures to thrill you,
new roads to explore,
new horizons to reach and may you
achieve SUCCESS in whatever you do!
With Cheers,
Mahesh, HCL Technologies.
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

$150K worth art found in attic

A widower found $150,000 worth of art work in his
attic in England after forgetting the items were there.

sudoku

Naru Bangi
from TCS shot
this picture at
Tampa, FL in
US using
CANON S3 IS
camera
Hobbies:
Outting with
friends,
Photography

So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the
KAKURO
platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit.
E-mail: clickpick@goergo.in

TEAM
Editor: Karthik Subramanian
karthik@goergo.in

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar

Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan
Illustrator: R. Venugopal

Technical Support:
V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy
N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES:
Contact: 2857 5757
E-mail: ads@goergo.in
Website: www.goergo.in

Head of Circulation:
M.G.M. Sharief
copies@goergo.in

SNAIL MAIL
859/860, Anna Salai,
Chennai - 600 002
mail your feedback to
feedback@goergo.in
FAX 2857 6691

Printed and Published by S. Karthik on behalf of

KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7,
CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar,
Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin:
603209 & at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860,
Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik
(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Couple wed and split up on same day
A Polish couple in Germany got married - only to decide to split
up and asked for an annulment on the same day.
15
World Dwarf Games in N Ireland
The World Dwarf Games will be held in Northern Ireland. More
than 200 ’little’ people from 15 countries will compete.

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

With a practical attitude, you will speedily
accomplish the routine tasks. Even if there is
additional work, you should be able to finish it
before the day ends. Your beloved may want you to
express your love in a better manner.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

Today’s astral configuration gives you confidence. So
you will be able to make quick decisions, which will
help you finish your routine tasks in advance. In
matters related to heart, you will be hard-headed.
Letters can help you get your message across.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Personal life may become a bit demanding today.
BORN LOSER Your pragmatic approach will help you handle issues
with perfect ease. You steadfastly follow all the
office rules, but you will refuse to work overtime.
Avoid any confrontation with your superiors.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
Activities related to Research and Development may
captivate your interest. As your mind will be full of
creative ideas, Ganesha suggests you to note them
down for future use. With so many activities on
your agenda, your love life will take a backseat.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
The planets are focused on your vocal abilities. You
may tend to be a little liberal while imparting your
advice. But ensure that you don’t hurt anyone’s
feelings. On the love front, your partner is likely to
get upset by your unrelenting jabber.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
You are likely to plan a schedule. Ganesha suggests
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT that you strictly adhere to it. Proper time
management will not only help you finish work but
also give you ample time to spend with your
sweetheart. Lovers may find the day very positive.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Today, your analytical skills will make a handy
troubleshooter at workplace. However, don’t get
disheartened for failing to solve a couple of
problems. Though you are romantic, you may not
find enough time to share with your beloved.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
You will be able to complete your routine tasks
with ease. The cooperation of colleagues will be
invaluable. Support from superiors may also
encourage you work on pending issues. And let
your beloved pick the spot for today’s outing.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
Your pending folder will be full and you need to be
exceptionally pragmatic to meet the work deadline.
Your love life will be demanding and you won’t be
able to pay enough attention to it. Think of the
different ways to appease your partner.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
You may rely on your luck today. You are likely to
lend an ear to other’s opinions and ideas. Meetings
might keep you occupied throughout the day. On
the love front, the time and attention you devote to
your lover will bring happiness to your relationship.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS You’ll not only need to make a list of obligations
but also fulfil them. At the workplace, you may try
ISSUE’S to find a solution to a pending issue by discussing it
with others. Be wary of colleagues who envy your
SOLUTIONS efficiency. Love life will be uneventful.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
You will be quite receptive to others’ views. You are
slightly more emotional than others and tend to
take things to your heart. But today try to take
criticism constructively. You will be on cloud nine
with tender loving care showered by your lover.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A two-month-old baby wearing a T-shirt with a picture of

late US pop icon Michael Jackson is held by his father in
front of Jackson’s house in Los Angeles, California. PHOTO: AFP

A man performs a bungee jump from the top of a thermal

power plant, closed 11 years ago, in Soweto. PHOTO: AFP

A participant in a soapbox derby race competes in Berlin.

A Pakistani youth cools off in a canal during a heat wave in The race takes place in Berlin for the 50th time. PHOTO: AFP
Lahore. PHOTO: AFP