Tour de Pakistan Cycle Race

For cycle enthusisasts in Pakistan, a wonderful international event is just around the corner. The 13th Tour de Pakistan International Cycling Race, organized by Pakistan Cycling Federation, will be held on March 4-18. The race will start from Quaid’s tomb in Karachi on March 4 and end in Peshawar on March 18, taking the participants through a various cities of Sindh, Punjab and NWPF on the famous Grand Trunk (GT) Road.

This will be among the largest of such events in Asia, covering a distance of 1,648 km in eleven stages with four days of rest en route. This event is being promoted as a part of the Visit Pakistan Year (2007), and is planned to draw an international crowd of cycling enthusiasts to promote a better understanding of the country and to promote tourism.

The event is modeled on the pattern of the well known Tour de France and is expected to include more than 150 domestic and foreign participants, including those from Germany, Canada, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Iran, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. As of last night most of these teams had already arrived in the country.

This race is a fantastic idea and I hope the Federation will succeed in not just promoting the race nationally and internationally, but will also be able to ensure proper arrangements regarding security, lodging, boarding, medical and transport facilities. It is unfortunate that India opted out of the race at the last minute due to security fears after the train incident, but is encouraging to see participants from many other countries involved.

As for Pakistan’s contingent, it is surely hoped that they will put a strong display of skills and team work against their international competitors. Teams from Army, Railways, Wapda and Sui Southern Gas Company, along with teams of the four provinces will be competing for the prize money of Rs 1.2 million. According the PCF, these teams have trained under the supervision of a coach from New Zealand, but even if they do not win, their participation is in itself something to be admired and be joyous about. Go guys!!!

I wish our teams, and the organizers of this event, well in their efforts!

This note was also publishd at ATP

Lahore Marathon

A marathon is more than just another race. Those who train and then run in a marathon develop a mindset that truly distinguishes them from others: its about patience, discipline, strength, and stamina. Marathon runners can focus and by training for a single race, they develop an apreciation for long hard struggles.

No, I am not a marathon runner, but I do seriously admire those who participate in this endurance sport. My partner in business does run the Boston marathon, and I admire his discipline in training. He trains rigorously and steadfastly for months, watches his weight, his heart beat, and his timing leading up to the event itself. On that day I believe he truly sees the fruits of his hard work when passing over the heart-break hill. Truth be told, I am yet to come across a marathon runner who has not felt a positive impact of the sport on their life, and if I had any additional energy left for a physical sport, I would certainly consider taking it on.

I am reminded today of this sport because I read in the news about the Lahore Marathon. In a country like Pakistan, where avenues for physical training and activity are extremely limited, the promotion of an international marathon race, despite idiotic opposition from some religious groups, is a wonderful sign of increased sensibility towards physical and mental health of the people. It was refreshing to see pictures of large numbers of young men and women competing in the marathon. There was even a tricycle race for the disabled (on wheelchairs), a race for the visually impaired, and a special ‘fun race’ for the slightly faint hearted! Not all may have finished the marathon, but for the first-times, this may not have even been about finishing at all - for me it would have been about participating, and training my mind and my body for the strenous race. While Kenyans dominated the winnings, as always, I hope all others competing realized that true virtue of the sport lies equally in beating and exceeding one’s own personal best.

On this occasion, I think it is useful to highlight the message from the President of Pakistan:

This event and the promotion of tourism have helped in creating a soft image of Pakistan. Through this international competition, the people of Pakistan have rejected the extremists, giving them a clear message that they are keen to organise and participate in such healthy sporting activities.

We belong to a moderate country. We are fond of culture, sports and tourism and this is the distinction of a peaceful country. Sports is vital for a healthy society.

This race, and other activities for the youth are a wonderful display of leadership by the organizers. It is a worthwhile endeavor and I hope buisnesses and the government will support them as much as possible. It must have been difficult for the marathon runners to run in the polluted city environment, but one hopes that will also improve over time. If Beijing and Mexico City can start cleaning up their environment, so can Karachi and Lahore. Maybe the thousands of marathon runners will form a lobbying group to promote a cleaner environment - one other positive outcome of this race.

Cricket politics or cricket diplomacy?

This note is also published on ATP

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Pakistani cricket team is not done making waves yet.

The Darrell Hair controversy, which ATP reported on and you commented on (here, here, and here), was barely behind us that a series of resignations have sent additional shock waves reverberating through the system.

The background to new development is the search for a new captain while Inzamam sits out his 4 one-day game suspension. On Thursday, Younis Khan was appointed to take the lead role, but then in a rare show of anger, he abruptly walke dout of a Press Conference, stating that he did not want to be a “dummy captain”. A visibly shocked and angered Sheheryar Khan was seen trying to calm things down for the press and media the same evening.

Honda - partnering through the ages

Though I have never personally owned a Honda engine, I feel like I have been associated with Honda in one form or the other through out my life. Gosh - until now I didn’t even realize that among the Japanese companies that have invaded the internal combustion market globally, I feel so much more associated with Honda than Toyota or anything else. Should I list a few reasons? In no particular order:

1. After Vespa, the motorcycle best designed (not really) to carry two kids in front with the parents on the main seat was the old Honda 50. That little red-colored bucket in front could carry everything, from groceries to school bags to kids.
2. Honda CD-70 ads are etched in my memory from my growing up in Pakistan days. The motorcycle is ubiquitous in Pakistan - ofcourse it helps that it runs 70 kms on 1 liter of petrol. Pakistanis would recognize “Mein to Honda hee lain saan” (I will only buy a Honda).
3. If you are rich in Pakistan today, you probably want to be driving a Honda Accord. My uncle had one decades ago in Lahore. Boy, was I impressed!
4. L owned a Honda (accord) and despite the plum color, it was a beauty to ride in. Took many rides in it from Kendall Square (MIT) to Harvard Square.
5. While Toyota Prius is all the rage in hybrid cars, it is the Honda Civic Hybrid that i think delivers the optimum power, comfort , aesthetic and fuel economy benefits.
6. When I joined BCG, I learnt that Honda was among the early clients of the company’s Japan office. The company, and the business cases written on it, still carry tremendous importance in the BCG corridors.
7. Ever since I joined GEO2, I have learnt that while Toyota is killing Ford and GM, it is Honda which should be watched closely for technology innovations. They are a small & nimble ccompany, and extremely interested in incorporating disruptive technologies into their signature products.
8. Even though I own a sporty BMW, a Honda S2000 sports car that parked next to mine in the lot still made me envious. The owner obviously got a better deal than I did, and stole the looks too!
9. Honda isn’t just the choice car for value shoppers. It is also the hippest car on planet, extremely popular with street racers and garage pimp-daddies :).
10. What versatility in products!: from motorcycles and cars to trucks, off-road bikes, all terrain vehicles, motorboats, racing cars…
11. They have some of the most amazing ads for their vehicles. Watch them on youtube and Google Video.

On the last note, here’s the inspiration for this post. Check out the ad! It makes one fall in love with motors all over again!

Cricket fiasco between Pakistan and England

Not sure how many readers of this blog watch or follow cricket. Some probably have never heard much about it, except that its a game that vaguely resembles baseball, and that the British somehow invented it.

This post is not going to try and explain cricket. Maybe I will do that later. But like almost all other Pakistanis, I am a big fan of cricket. Even though field hockey, called just hockey because there ain’t no ice hockey in my part of the world, is the official nationalsport, it is fast becoming more of a legacy sport. Cricket reigns supreme. When cricket matches are on, and yes - they do last for days and days on end, everything else slows down just so people can get an earful of the commentary on the game.

Pakistan is currently in England, playing a series of test matches (this is the name given to the game that lasts 5 days straight). And a fiasco is evolving there. Pakistan, arguably one of the best bowling sides in the world, was blamed by the umpires for tampering with the ball, and the team in a mark of protest decided not to come out until after a delay. When they did come out to play, the Umpires decided they had had it, and walked off the field. Their refusal has thrown the game into a mess, and the latest news is that it has been awarded to England.

This is a total disaster, for many reasons. Just today I was talking to an English friend of mine who was commenting how these games are going while several pakistanis have been arrested for reportedly planning a terrorist atack from London. Clearly the two nations are watching intently…and this stupidity by the umpires. This is gonna be bad.

There is an excellent discussion going on about this topic at All Things Pakistan. check it out. You can tell by reading the comments how Pakistanis are tied to this sport!

Picture(s) of the day: Why did Zidane do it?

By now I assume most of my friends have seen, discussed, read and then re-assessed the Zinedine Zidane head-butting incident during the World Cup Finals . Being in Siwtzerland during the finals, I can tell you this is probably the hottest topic on the streets.

Zidane, captain of the French soccer team and a soccer legend, played his last game in professional soccer at the…guess what?..the WORLD CUP FINALS. Howver, one minor glitch! He finished the game by getting kicked out on a red card for literally head-butting an Italian player (Marco Materazzi) in the chest. All those who watched the match were naturally shocked to see the incident; and the match had not even ended that the internet chat rooms were abuzz with discussion on why he soccer legend do what he did? Why would a world class player, in probably one of his most important games, do something so stupid and nasty? What was it that the Italian player said to him to provoke him to the point that he let go of his emotions and responded so physically? A lot of viewers were disturbed, even disgusted, by his act and questioned how would he ever redeem himself?

Well - there are obviously lots of theories floating around on why he did what he did. I am quite interested in finding out the truth myself. Some people have charged that Zidane has always had a bad temperament (as he has seen red cards before), and that he just lost his cool and professionalism in a stupid argument. But, I somehow don’t buy that. There are others who are digging deeper into this, and are employing rather sophisticated techniques to crack this puzzle. Below is an excerpt from Times Online (UK) that did invetigation on its own. The report suggests that zidane was called the son of a “terrorist whore” - and as an Algerian immigrant he took the slur rather personally. If he really did react this way in response to a racial/religious slur, whether he redeems himself in the eyes of the European audience or not, he will surely become a hero in the Muslim world. Would this justify his action? No. But the reality is that as European muslims struggle to find their place in the societies, such incidents allow them to remember that the prejudice can sometimes run deep and can show up in the least expected places. The truth in this case, I hope, will come out itself in a few days when Zidane may speak himself. Let me know if you find out what happened first….

Times Online: (www.timesonline.co.uk)
As L’Equipe summed up the moment of madness with a headline of “Regrets Éternels”, a day of endless questioning began. With many conflicting versions of events circling on the internet and in the world’s media, The Times enlisted the help of an expert lip reader, Jessica Rees, to determine the precise nature of the dialogue that caused Zidane to react in such a manner.

After an exhaustive study of the match video, and with the help of an Italian translator, Rees claimed that Materazzi called Zidane “the son of a terrorist whore” before adding “so just f*** off” for good measure, supporting the natural assumption that the Frenchman must have been grievously insulted.

As the son of two Algerian immigrants, the 34-year-old is proud of his North African roots, dedicating France’s 1998 World Cup win to “all Algerians who are proud of their flag and all those who have made sacrifices for their family but who have never abandoned their own culture”, so such a slur would certainly explain, if not justify, his violent response.

When asked about the allegations on his return to Rome, Materazzi issued a vehement denial, while sources close to the player emphasised that he had not been accused of racism before, pointing to his close friendship with Obafemi Martins, the Nigeria and Inter Milan striker.