In
Forbes Highest paid athletes list of 2016 – the 100 athletes earned a total of $3.15 billion
over the last 12 months, a slight decrease from previous year’s earnings of
$3.2 billion, which received a boost from the historic $460 million earned by
boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo,
with earnings of $88 million, takes the top spot for the first time. That was the first time since 2000 that
someone besides Mayweather or Tiger Woods has held the top spot. The list of elite athletes consisted of
players from ten different sports. Baseball with 26 players, basketball with
18, football with 21 and soccer with 12 dominated the
list. There are no hockey players on the list for a fifth straight year. There are 23 countries represented on the
Highest-Paid Athletes list, with Americans (65) the most prevalent thanks to
soaring salaries in baseball, basketball and football. Five Brits landed in the
top 100, led by F1 driver Lewis Hamilton at No. 11 with $46 million. Three
athletes each made the cut from Argentina, Germany and the Dominican Republic.
It is
pretty scientific study as Forbes earnings figures include all salaries and
bonuses earned between June 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016. Winnings for golfers and
tennis players represent their prize money over that period. Endorsement
incomes are an estimate of sponsorship deals, appearance fees and licensing
income for the 12 months through June 1 based on conversations with dozens of
industry insiders. The golfers’ income includes course design work. - and Forbes list only includes athletes active during the
last 12 months.
Back home,
at Pune – Sanju Samson made a belligerent 102 off mere 63taking Delhi Daredevils to 205.The biggest purchase of IPL – Ben Stokes for
RPS at 14.5 crore – had figures of 4-0-41-0.He had been bought more than seven times his base price - to make him
the costliest overseas player in IPL history and the second most overall,
behind Yuvraj Singh who went to Royal Challengers Bangalore for 16 crore in
2015.This season, Tymal Mills was
bought by RCB for 12 crore; South African pacer Kagiso Rabada for 5 crore;
Trent Boult for 5 crore – Pat Cummins for 4.5 crores – the list would tail more
and for obvious reasons stopping with top 5 as the essence of the post is
something else.
Do you
know or have heard of : Appa Rao; Lazar, Dilli, Radhakrishnan, Nagsen Etambe, RM Shankara, .. Maria Irudayam
and more …. Some of legendary players of
an enticing game ! ~ the Carrom board.
By some accounts
the game is played here since 18th century - the game of Majarajas and was popular
during 1st World War ? It is
increasingly becoming popular all over the world and is played in about 50
countries. At international level this game is controlled and supervised by the
International Carrom Federation and respective continental Federations. It was (and perhaps is) popular in PSU, where
every Branch would have a Sports club and a carom board at that !
A game that can be
played with a min of 2 and max of 4 – Red (Queen) at the centre, surrounded in
a formation by White and Black. The opener starts with a hit trying to pocket
Whites while the opponent will have Black to dispense with. In doubles, four persons comprising two
teams, sit opposite to each other, occupying all the four sides. At the end of
each board, a player gets one point for each carrommen of the opponent left on
the board and 3 points for the Queen if already pocketed and covered by him.
The player / team who reaches 25 points
first wins the game. There are further
rules too – each set to be decided on the basis of a maximum of 8 boards or 25
points whichever is earlier and there are time limits too.
The most
popular Indian sportsperson Sachin Tendulkar got nominated to Rajya Sabha. He reportedly has attended 23 of the 348 days
since his nomination in 2012, the actress Rekha has attended 18. According to a data, while Rekha attended the
least number of days compared to those who were nominated along with her, the
expenditure incurred on her is the highest till date: Rs 65 lakh as salary and
expenses. Expenditure incurred on Tendulkar is Rs 58.8 lakh, according to the
data.
The official recognition for a Carrom player
came only once, in the form of A Maria Irudayam, Two World title and 9 national
crown winner getting Arjuna award. Now read
excerpts from the article titled ‘Right strikes
from small pockets’ in The New Indian Express, Chennai edition of date. It is all about
the struggle of Stalin Edward, a star Carrom player struggling to make ends
meet.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
11th Apr 2017.