Michael Phelps

Today is India’s 61st Independence Day, and despite the fomenting trouble in Jammu and Kashmir it feels great to see my country storming into the ‘men’s group’ of Asia’s football 2 days back after 24 years in wilderness.

But should feeling great have a nationalistic hue…especially when sitting in my worktable I can hear patriotic songs wafting in from distant loudspeakers?

If so then why must I suffer from bottled-up emotions each time my mind recalls watching Michael Phelps on the TV breaking one world record after another in Beijing?

The answer perhaps is Phelps is not an ordinary human being. The ease of his superhuman effort is telling on my limited power of imagination, leaving me groping for parallels that are so few.

Yet you may ask how great Phelps is?

To that my quick riposte is here, a Simon Barnes’ comment in The Times, London of which he is the chief sportswriter.

Phelps has established himself as one of the great names in sport. If you find that boring, you are recommended to abandon sport and seek something smaller, something that is more your size. I believe many television channels offer things called soap operas. Those who yawn when they look at one of the greatest athletes to draw breath will find them just the ticket. Meanwhile, I'll stick with greatness.

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