Zidane...genius!!! (a disgraced hero ??)

Last night stage was set for grand farewell to genius that goes by name of Zinedine Zidane. Malouda earned a penalty in early stages and genius stepped up to take the penalty, sends Buffon scurrying to his left, hits the ball, ball hits the cross bar's inside and comes crashing down and lands just a feet inside the goal line. Commentators went gaga over the genius of Zidane who so coolly slotted near perfect penalty.

But I am sure all French hearts would have come out in their mouth when the ball hit the cross bar.
Even genius would have had fleeting black thoughts, though he never looked in doubt.

Almost all went along as a grand farewell would have been scripted. Zidane came close to scoring with a fierce header which Buffon managed to tip over the goal. Teams were like spent horses by the end of regular time. Then came extra time. French team was doing its best to close the deal before penalty shootouts came. They were almost like the satellite launching rockets which drop the boosters one after the other. Out went Viera who was for me the most committed and inspirational of the French team in this tournament, then went Ribbery who has established himself as the worthy star for future and then went out Henry too.

There was Zidane still toiling it out but,then came 111th minute and the demons fogged the genius's head. In replays one could see Zidane calm as ever jogging away from Materazi and then some words and next thing you see Zidane walking back, equally calmly, and thudding his head into the chest of Materazi !!!

I am still wondering what would have provoked a man of this caliber on one of the biggest nights of his career when hopes of millionswere riding on his every move, to head butt a player in the glare of thousands of cameras. If Maradona came to be known by his infamous of hand of god, I think Zidane would go into history maybe as head of devil.

It was really sad end to the night, what with Trezguet trying to emulate the master and ending up on the wrong side of the line after hitting the ill fated cross bar!!

It was just not to be a musketeers' night!!

Come to think of it Materazi and Zidane were involved in this match at all crucial stages. It was Materazi's tackle that got french penalty , it was Zidane who converted it. Then came the Materazi header to equalize for Azzuri and it was Zidane's header into Materazi chest that sealed french fate.

the sun has this head butt sequence

Free Tibet....???

For many years I had always explained about my native place as area near Indo-Nepal and Indo-Tibet border. The fact that we have organization called ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police) and we have given Tibetan exiles a place in our country and our hearts too, we Indians by and large support Free Tibet cause.

But last few years of India shining and change of world order in terms of wild fire spread of free market economy Tibet's cause had got sidelined in some way. From the front pages it has been denigrated to some editorials alone. Like Green Peace activists, Tibetan activists also have been forced to do some extreme stunts to draw attention of people.

Free Tibet has been reduced to faded print on some old t-shirts from our college days maybe. For many Delhi-ites Tibet's mention is some cheap chhang, steamy momos and Tibetan market only.

Till date I also didn't know that there was a Free Tibet day. It seems this year it had been slated for 6th July. A day too late am I ? But isn't the whole world few years too late for the cause?

As China's economy booms every year and it wields more and more influence on world politics, who will get Tibet's freedom ?? Is Free Tibet relevant to world of Free market economics anymore ? World's super power doesn't mention it in its world view, UN has no strategy on it, India has given in to Chinese pressure on its previous stand.....that leaves just a few romantics and rest of Tibetan population !!!

Free Tibet ? Yes!!! But HOW ???