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F1 Indian Grand Prix - A booster to Tourism in India

Sports tourism might represent a niche market, yet it is dynamically developing. Why is it so popular? How can communities utilize its sports tourism potential? So What Is Sports Tourism? Sports Tourism is defined as a specific travel outside of the usual environment for either passive or active involvement in competitive sport where sport is the prime motivational reason for travel and the touristic or leisure element may act to reinforce the overall experience. Another definition worth noting explains sport tourism as a combination of sports activities and travel.

F1 Indian Grand Prix - A booster to Tourism in India

Let’s move to top gear to see what F1 racing as to offer for India as Sports Tourism! As Inaugural Indian Formula One Grand Prix was a big hit last year. The tourism industry expects the inaugural Indian Formula One (F1) Grand Prix would bring the world to New Delhi this October too. It hopes the event would be able to attract more crowds from around the world and within India.

Motor racing has been a sport which has been generating interest of the entire world for quite some time. Buddh racing circuit is the first racing circuit in India which is specially made for Formula 1 racing. Why is it that even India could not distance itself from this hugely popular sport and today is the proud event hosts and organizers? Well, there are many gains from hosting this event. These benefits are mostly economic in nature as the event will be a big boost to the country’s economy. Let us see how.

India has been keen to organize the formula 1 racing event as it will put itself directly under the international media glare. Scribes from all over the world would come in droves to capture every second of the event. Players as well as their girlfriends and wives too would generate a lot of interest. This all would put the Indian subcontinent and its hospitality onto the global map.

Formula One - One of the world's most glamorous sports is on the doorstep of India's untapped world and is ready to boost the tourism and hotel industry in India. Already Delhi circuit has been put up in the F1 calendar events and with other states announcing new F1 circuits to be developed we expect a huge fan following for F1 in India and good growth in tourism revenue.  

Owing to the heavy interest in grand prix and motor racing, people would flock to the country to witness the event. This would surely promote the tourism of India. The F1 racing event is a perfect occasion to showcase the best in terms of Indian cuisine, culture, artifacts and traditions. Though India is already on the global map due to the events in the past and technological advancements, but the event such as F1 racing will put the country under the global spotlight. The hotels and hospitality industry in general will greatly benefit from this entire event. 

Indian Tourism Industry - one of the largest services Industry with a contribution of 6.23% to the GDP of India will add more than 100,000 domestic and foreign tourists. Any F1 event attracts an average of up to 1-2 lakh people to watch the game live at the circuit. And such F1event can definitely draw up to 1-2 lakh foreign tourists during the racing period. The racing circuit and all the action will be a treat for the fanatics to watch. People will spend a huge amount in trying to make sure that they are present to witness all the action in front of their eyes. 

Bookings for this year’s F1 event in India, through travel agents and on-line websites have already registered an increase of around 30% as of now. Hotel bookings have also shown a spike of 20-30%. Industry sources said that the budget properties (three and four star) are already sold out while the five start hotels have some room inventory.

India received 4-5 lakh foreign tourists in October 2010 and 2011, six per cent more than a year ago. With the tourist season starting from October, the travel industry is hoping for further buzz around the Grand Prix so that tourist numbers go up significantly. Hope we encash this opportunity to boost tourism industry and development of the country.

Australia vs India Super Eight T20 Match Preview

India vs. Australia Super Eight T20 match is among the most crucial match of this tournament. After the comprehensive victory against England and Harbhajan Singh`s brilliant comeback has raised questions as to what exactly will be a winning combination against George Bailey`s men who have looked good in both their group league matches against Ireland and West Indies respectively. Australia would love to prove to the world that it has not lost its winning touch and that despite being placed at the bottom in Twenty20 world cricket, they have the same flair and touch of invincibility as before.

India, on the other hand will try to come with similar performance they came against England. India won the most convincing match in this tournament against any super-8 team. Indian batting was impeccable and bowling was superb. Even the fielding against England was exceptional and that contributed to a great extent in winning the one-sided tournament.

India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni indicated Thursday that he would be going in with five bowlers against Australia in Friday’s crucial Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 tournament, a move which will mean that India will have one batsman short. India are likely to go in with five specialist bowlers to plug their bowling loopholes when they take on the mighty Australians in its opening `Super Eight` fixture of the ICC World Twenty20 on Friday.

In that case, either opener Virender Sehwag or Yuvraj Singh may have to sit out of the match and Dhoni admitted that it would be a "tough decision". It will be interesting to see what bowling combination Dhoni would prefer for the first `super eight` game and whether he would opt for three spinners or three pacers. On current form, Lakshmipathy Balaji is a better bowler at the death overs than the 33-year-old Zaheer Khan mainly because of the variety of slower deliveries he bowls.

The two key batsmen in the Australian set-up are left-handers David Warner and Mike Hussey. The presence of the duo at the top of the order certainly means that Harbhajan`s inclusion is necessary because of his stupendous record against the left-handers. Ravichandran Ashwin, who was rested against England, will also make a comeback into the playing eleven and Irfan Pathan, who has been providing the team with breakthroughs regularly is certain to play in eleven. The batting, however, bears a much more settled look with the good news being that Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma are back among runs. The only thing to worry will be Yuvraj Singh`s place in batting order. The talented left-hander has been struggling with the bat.

The main threat for India will be all-rounder Shane Watson who is in prime form having won back-to-back MoM awards. Watson has been cleverly used by skipper Bailey as he has proved to be a potent partnership breaker. The Indian batsmen will need to be careful against Watson. Left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc can prove to be a handful but it will be chinaman bowler Brad Hogg who will need to play a big role. The only problem for Australia will be its middle-order which hasn`t been tested in the two matches which were single-handedly won by Watson. The all-rounder has taken full advantage of the Powerplay overs to slaughter the bowlers. With Warner and Hussey for company, the `terrific trio` make up for a superb top-order.

Key players

Australia: Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, David Warner, Brad Hogg, Pat Cummins 

India: Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin.

Follow-on puts India in strong position against New Zealand

Follow-on puts India in strong position against New Zealand

India is in strong position against New Zealand in the first Test match. With almost 6 sessions to go, you can expect a great for India in this Test Match. Indian spinners forced NZ for follow-on in the first innings. Indian spinners picked up nine first innings wickets between them, Ashwin finishing with 6 for 31. Both Ashwin and Ojha used the the dipping length of the floated, spinning ball, slow turn off the track and the uneven bounce on one side of the pitch to keep up their interrogation of New Zealand's fortitude in adverse circumstances.

Earlier, Cheteshwar Pujara cracked a solid 159 and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit 73 which helped India to reach 438. Dhoni and Pujara earlier consolidated India's position with a 127-run stand for the sixth wicket, while Ashwin contributed 37 runs with five boundaries. 

Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara, who replaced retired Rahul Dravid at number three made his first three-figure score only in his fourth Test and sixth innings.

Some years ago, the question would be asked: Was anyone good enough to replace Rahul Dravid in the Indian team? Now, we the answer in the form of Pujara, who had emerged as a run-making machine on the domestic circuit. Here was a batsman born to play Test cricket, technically sound and temperamentally gifted, immune to the rising Twenty20 phenomenon.

Pujara reached the heights of his mastery in domestic cricket when he hammered three triple-centuries in just one month, an almost unheard of feat.

Hoping see India seal this match by end of fourth day !!!

Sports Tourism in India - Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Welcome To Sporting Extravaganza in India

We will be going places around India to see what India has in store to present in Sports arena as a part of Tourism. Come and get enlightened about the places you can visit in India to fill you with some adrenaline. We will be starting our journey from remote island - Andaman & Nicobar Islands.  

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, popularly called Emerald Islands, float in splendid isolation and lie east of the Indian mainland. Once a hill range extending from Myanmar to Indonesia, these undulating islands are covered with dense forests and awesome beaches which makes sporting minds to go crazy.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands are suitable for Adventure water sports like Scuba diving, Skiing, Sailing, Para sailing, Wind surfing, Snorkeling etc. Trekking through the dense evergreen forests and island camping in beach front forests are other adventure activities. Andaman and Nicobar is a cluster of more than 500 islands stacked together neatly. Surrounded by some of the most beautiful lagoons in Asia, these islands provide options for some splendid adventure activities. 

The islands have a hilly terrain with coastal areas of white sand beaches and coral reef. Its pristine shimmering water offers its visitors an excellent water sports adventure. Not only is water sports like Scuba diving and Snorkelling a possibility here, one can also indulge in pulse racing, and at the same time soothing experience of trekking in the lush green hills. The best time to visit these islands for adventure sports is between November and April. December and January are the peak seasons to come here.

The Andaman and Nicobar islands are bestowed with the reputation of housing some of the most delectable and gorgeous islands in this entire planet. Thus it constitute one of the major temptations for the anxious holiday-makers. Basically, these water sports and related activities are most enjoyed by the adrenaline freaks who prefer to take risks. But there are other water sports as well which are suited for the ones who are not so much adventurous.

1. Andaman Water Sports Complex

Situated in Port Blair, Andaman Water Sports Complex has become one of the major attractions of the town. It offers safe water sports such as Rowing Boats, Paddleboat, Kayaks and bumper boats. Besides this, the complex also facilitates adventure through Water-skiing, Water scooters, Gemini boats, Para-sailing, Sailboats, Wind-surfers, Speedboats, Glass-bottom boats, etc. Boating from this complex  up to the Ross Island is really an exciting experience. 

 

2. Snorkeling

Snorkelling is among the most popular adventure activities in the lagoons of Andaman Islands. This is one sport which does not require you to be a trained and is as much fun for novice as it is for professionals. However, it is advised that if you are a starter, indulge in snorkelling only with the support of a trained professional. The best places for Snorkeling in the Andaman Islands are the Wandoor National Park-Jolly Bouy and the Red Skin Islands. With splendid coral life, Clique islands is also a highly favored islands for snorkelling.

Snorkeling is an adventure activity which is very popular off the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. One can enjoy the under-water marine life and view the rarest varieties of corals by Snorkeling in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Snorkeling is an exciting sport that lets you rub shoulders with some unique marine species. Underwater, a kaleidoscope of coral colours showcase a variety of reef fishes, turtles, sharks and  rays. Many visitors, never having seen fish in such densities before, are bewildered by the sheer numbers of the fish in the vast shoals that populate the reefs.

The best snorkelling site in Andaman & Nicobar Islands is at Havelock Islands. The sea around Havelock Islands, display an incredible density and diversity of marine life in seas that sometimes seem to almost boil with fish. The other best places for Snorkeling in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park  near Wandoor, Jolly Bouy and the Red Skin Islands. Cinque Island is another location with some fantastic coral.  Snorkeling is also possible off Port Blair at the Andaman Water Sports Complex. The under water corals in Andaman island beaches are extremely colourful. One can experience the live corals at Jolly buoy, red skin, North bay etc.,  People who do not know swimming also can experience the underwater marine world as they will be escorted by experienced person.

It is possible to snorkel in Andaman & Nicobar Islands throughout the year. However, these Islands are subject to monsoons, which bring with them heavy rains and strong winds, so it's a good idea to make a note of the seasons and so avoid the Islands that are subject to the bad weather. We will take you to all of the best snorkelling spots in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.






3. Scuba Diving  

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are brimming with its rich under-water treasures. The best way to explore great diversities of its marine life, of resplendent fishes and unique coral reefs, is to indulge in scuba diving. There are many institutes run by government that organize Scuba diving in the crystalline lagoons of Andaman and Nicobar. There are also certified private divers who assist you in taking up this sport.

Scuba diving is the biggest activity on the Andaman & Nicobar Islands other than lying around and eating seafood. The best season for diving in Andaman & Nicobar Islands is from December to April. The exciting experience of Scuba diving is a major tourist attraction. One can see the fascinating marine life among the world of amazing water bodies, colourful fishes and amazing corals. One can explore the wonders of scuba diving and can get the rare experience mixed with adventure. However, Diving in Andaman & Nicobar Islands is still in its infancy.

The Indian government takes a serious approach to protecting its marine resources. As a result, marine life populations are robust, and divers are often surrounded by fish. At places like Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park in Wandoor, clouds of surgeons and barracuda gather in mid-water, snapper and sweetlips swarm over the rocky reef, and big fish like Giant Trevally and Bumphead Parrotfish are seen on nearly every dive. Giant Grouper and schooling Mobula Rays also make regular appearances. Many sites are home to endemic species like Andaman Damselfish, Andaman Sweetlips, and the distinctive Indian-Ocean Spinecheek Anemonefish.

The Scuba Diving centres has all the facilities and necessary equipments for a great experience of scuba diving. Adding to this there are many skilled trainers who can help the tourist in getting into the deep of the sea.  



4. Trekking 

Andaman and Nicobar Islands has some splendid hills that are perfect for beginners as well as trained. One can go trekking through the nature trail from Mt. Harriet to Kalapathar and enjoy the rare forest life, flora and fauna. There are other trekking routes also at places like Chidiya Tapu.

A LOOK AT INDIAN SQUAD FOR NZ HOME SERIES AND T20 WORLD CUP

Indian Cricket Squad for NZ Home Series and upcoming T20 World Cup has been declared. The most-awaited name was Yuvraj Singh, who earned Indian fans heart and man of the series in World Cup 2011 and his famous six sixes of Stuart Board are still lively in fans mind. So, finally Yuvraj Singh is fit and ready to come-back from cancer treatment. Yuvraj Singh seems to be getting fitter and leaner as his first international outing approaches. 

Yuvraj is back to cricket with T20 World Cup

Yuvraj has been picked to play in the two T20 matches against New Zealand next month and the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka that follows. The fans are overwhelmed with the comeback of Yuvraj Singh. The Man of the tournament of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 has played the role of an all-rounder in crucial tournaments and he would be desperate to be among the runs on the Lankan soil. The dashing southpaw underwent chemotherapy in the United States before returning to India in April and was included in India's preliminary 30-man squad for the Sept 18-Oct 7 tournament in Sri Lanka.

Our very own fab-four veteran batsman VVS Laxman retained his place in the Indian Test squad for the two-match series against New Zealand, starting August 23 in Hyderabad despite his poor show in the last eight Tests in England and Australia. Sachin Tendulkar will be back in action after his two-month break, having skipped the limited overs series in Sri Lanka recently, while young batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has predictably got the nod as replacement for the retired Rahul Dravid in the longer version.

The most surprising pick has been Piyush Chawla's inclusion in T20 World Cup squad. The surprise pick certainly is leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who last played for India in the 2011 World Cup and since then has been confined to the sidelines. Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh are the seven players who were a part of the Indian squad that won the maiden T20 World Cup organised in Johannesburg in 2007.

The announcement would have come as a huge relief for two players-Harbhajan Singh and Rohit Sharma. Bhajji went into hibernation after his struggle in the Indian Premier League where he failed both as the Mumbai Indians' skipper and as a spin bowler. The ‘Turbanator’ had earlier failed to impress in the away series in England and thus the selectors had no other choice but to drop him.

Rohit Sharma, despite his failures, has once again retained his place which could have been given to the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu. Sharma’s body language these days is enough to suggest the kind of form he is in. The selectors could have easily replaced him with Rahane, who was the highlight of IPL 2012.

Manoj Tiwary has capitalised the few opportunities which have come his way and has been rewarded for his patience as well as consistency. While the selectors should be hailed for their decision to prioritise Tiwary over Yusuf, one might wonder if they have missed a trick by not including Ambati Rayudu. The right-hander who has been consistent for the Mumbai Indians in IPL was in contention for a place in the shorter format of the game.

But the biggest shocker has come with the selection of Piyush Chawla. One can understand that the selectors wanted a leg-spinner to add variety, but for that purpose Pragyan Ojha would have been a better choice.

Indian Cricket Team in new T20 Jersey

 First Indian Cricket will take on New Zealand as the first home series of the season - against New Zealand - beginning with the Test match at Hyderabad on August 23. The visitors will play one more Test at Bangalore before ending their tour with two T20 Internationals at Vizag and Chennai. This will be followed by the ICC World T20 Championship in Sri Lanka from September 18 to October 7. The season will continue with the visit by England and Australia before the IPL.

India Test squad: MS Dhoni (c), Virender  Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane, Piyush Chawla, Ishant Sharma, Suresh Raina

India T20 squad: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Irfan Pathan, R Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, L Balaji, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Dinda.

Best Sports Movies of Bollywood

In India, only two are discussed more than anything else these are - Movies and Sports especially Cricket. Even if our national game is called Hockey, but we have always been attracted to cricket, which as become synonyms for Sports in India. Bollywood produces over three hundred films a year. Most of these are action or romantic films that star many big banner heroes and heroines. And while sport is the only other big thing in India, there are not many movies that have sports based themes. 

Right now, we are producing like 2-3 sports movies in year. Seeing the condition of Sports, apart from Cricket and they we performed at London Olympics. Bollywood can motivate next gen of India through realistic sports movies. Bollywood can be the most inspiring element of Indian society and going by this fact, the movie makers should dish out more and more meaningful movies on sports as history has it records that sports and Bollywood is a great combination and is certain to influence the Indian folks.

Check out this list of some awesome Sports movies from Bollywood :-

Ferrari ki Sawaari

Ferrari Ki Sawari is a simple rise-of-the-underdog story of a talented boy who dreams of making it big in the world of cricket. What makes the narrative interesting is its less-taken route (through a Ferrari) and the ensuing eventful journey. The slick sports car gives that additional momentum to the movie thereby ensuring a roller-coaster ride.

Cricket is the most common sport, Ferrari is the most uncommon car and together they make for a lethal combo in debutante Rajesh Mapuskar's film. The sport is something that everyone can relate to and the sports car is something that every other person dreams of. At a broader level, the Ferrari also stands as a metaphor for that larger-than-life aspiration of any individual that might seem unachievable at the outset but isn't entirely impossible.

Chak De 

Starring the reigning king of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, this film is acknowledged to be one of the best films on Sports movies. Chak De! India explores many issues like attitudes towards women, religious bigotry, the after effects of Partition, and the dominance of cricket over other sports in India, with a sensitivity that is particularly heart warming. The title song of the movie “Chak De India” seemed to have become the second national anthem for India, with the song being played on almost every occasion the Indian players register a win in the International arena. The songs picked at India's maiden T20 World Cup win year 2007, with India celebrating world cup triumph after 24 years.

The story of this movie is about a former hockey player Kabir Khan (played by Superstar Shahrukh Khan) who was demonised as a traitor when India lost a hockey match against Pakistan due to Kabir’s mistake. He later comes back and assumes the position of the coach of the national women hockey team. The women team was neglected always despite having a talented bunch of players. Kabir after assuming the post tries to bring discipline in the team. His efforts to uplift the team’s performance works as the team finally wins gold medal at the commonwealth games.

Iqbal

Iqbal, a movie that released in 2005, the story of undying faith and commitment of a young man , who is challenged by his senses, is a treat to watch. Iqbal , a village boy who is deaf and dumb , aspires to get selected to the Indian cricket team and his industrious efforts and never -say -die attitude makes him live his dream.was the endearing and gritty story of an eighteen year old deaf and mute boy who dreams of playing cricket for his country. The film had Shreyas Talpade playing the protagonist, while Naseeruddin Shah played local drunkard Mohit, who, as Iqbal’s coach and helped the realisation of the boy’s dreams.

After getting rejected by a famous cricket academy, Iqbal seeks the help of Mohit (Nasseruddin Shah) who was once a great cricketer. Mohit trains Iqbal and Iqbal gets a chance to play for a weak Ranji team. The team finally manages to win the Ranji Trophy riding on the magnificent bowling of Iqbal. Iqbal overcomes all the hurdles and gets selected for the national team.

Lagaan

A classic Bollywood movie which will always be remembered as one of the best movies made in India. It was a huge hit in 2001 when it was released. It was also in the race for an OSCAR award in the ‘Best movie in Foreign Language’ category. Directed by Ashutosh Gowriker , the movie is considered by many to be the best Indian sport based movie made ever. It is the story of resilience and perseverance of British ruled rural India. The movie showed how a group of villager agrees to play a match of cricket with the British rulers to save their village from the exorbitant taxes imposed on them. The uneducated group emerges victorious despite not having any knowledge of the game.

The villagers had no knowledge of the game cricket but were helped by the sister of a powerful British officer. She decided to help as she was impressed by Bhuvan’s courage to take on the British in their own game. The match was a nail biting affair and the match went down to the wire. The villagers won the match at the end when Bhuvan hit the last ball for a six.

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander

This story of love, revenge, hard work, determination and self belief is built around a popular cycle race event in the town of Dehradun. Winning this annual event is a matter of pride for the colleges of Dehradun. Aamir Khan (in the lead role) is forced to participate in the race representing the Modern college when his elder brother, a potential winner of the race, gets injured due to the evil intentions of his opponents. Another stellar performance from Aamir Khan came in the year 1992, in the movie Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander. The movie was directed by Mansoor Khan and was a huge box office success.

Aamir, a carefree youngster, rises up to the occasion and practices hard to win the race for his college and most importantly for his brother. On the day of race, his opponent from an elite college called Rajput College tries every trick to strike Aamir off the race but thanks to sheer determination, Aamir wins the race at the end. The movie was a huge success and people still remember the movie for its brilliant story, performances of the actors and great sound tracks.

List of other Sports movies from Bollywood :- 

Awaal Number , Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, Rok Sako To Rok Lo, Patiala House, Dil Bole Hadiappa, Paan Singh Tomar,  Hip Hip Hurray ,  Boxer , All Rounder , Kabhi Ajnabee The ,  Maalamaal  , Stumped , Awwal Number , Chamatkar , Chain Kulii ki Main Kulii , Hattrick , Say Salaam India , Ta Ra Rum Pum , Apne .