Agassi's Plea

Former world number one tennis player Andre Agassi recently admitted to taking crystal meth during his playing days. The tennis world was stunned; former and current tennis players have expressed their shock and disgust at the revelation. Agassi has been stung by the response and has asked for compassion and leniency.

Reacting to Martina Navratilova’s comment, who said she was shocked and stunned by the fact that he lied to ATP about his drug use, Agassi said, "It's what you don't want to hear," Agassi said. "I would hope along with that would come some compassion that maybe this person doesn't need condemnation. Maybe this person could stand a little help. Because that was at a time in my life when I needed help.”

Responding to rumours that he may have played under the influence of meth, Agassi said that he has never played while doped. According to him it would be physically impossible to play tennis while doped as dehydration coupled with extremely high heart-rate would not let anyone last even a set.

Agassi is facing flak from all quarters with players like Marat Safin even asking him to return all his grand-slams and money he earned. In an interview with Spiegel Online Agassi denied having any regrets on this revelation. He said he wrote the book because he felt he had something to tell people. He wanted to come out in the open as he felt wretched about having lied. He expressed hope that his book might help other people like sports-persons or teenagers who have similar kinds of problems. According to him sportspersons testing positive for recreational drugs should not be condemned for it because they might actually be suffering and in need of help.

The main reason Agassi stated for coming out with the book was to give hope and inspiration to people who are forced to lead lives they have not chosen or are trapped in marriages they do not want to be in. He expressed hope that book can offer some ray of light to people who are in similar dark places in life as he was. The loss of reputation and tarnished image would be of no significance to him if the book could serve this purpose

Agassi has written about his unhappy childhood. He has written about his father’s violent streak and how he had forced Agassi to play tennis though he hated the game. He has written about his insecurities regarding his game and life. He was so conscious that when he started losing hair at a young age he started using fake hair and was always worried of moving on court because his hairpiece might come off.

The biggest regret Agassi has is lying about his drug usage. He said that lying cannot be justified and he was ashamed of it. He flatly denied any intentions of making a comeback and said he was finally at peace with himself and his life. His wife Steffi Graf and two children have provided him stability and he feels blessed to live a privileged life with them.

SUPER-BIKE MANIA GRIPS INDIA

Bikes have always been objects of desire for the male population. Bikes are synonymous with speed and a devil may care attitude - therein lies the appeal of bikes. Bikes provide adrenalin rush and a sense of freedom that no other vehicle can match. There are several bike manufacturers making different models of sports bikes known as super-bikes that are pushing the envelope of performance further and further. Some production bikes can easily reach speeds of 300 km/hr.

India has associated largely with 100 CC commuter bikes. Majority of Indian consumers were concerned with fuel efficiency rather than performance and speed. So, Indian bikers were deprived of all these mean machines. With economic development, however, there was a change in the scenario, people had more money in their pockets and they started demanding better bikes. The past decade has seen a bunch of bikes being launched in the 150-200 CC segment. After getting the taste of these machines, bikers want to move on to real power-bikes.

Bike manufacturers have come to appreciate the untapped potential of the Indian bike market and most of them are geared to make an entry. Everyone from Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, BMW, Honda to Harley Davidson wants a piece of the pie and is ready to fight it out. Image of biking in India is all set to change and bikers have never had it so good. Some of these manufacturers have even entered the market. Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda have introduced some models in the market. Hefty price tags have not discouraged buyers and apparently these bikes – all with engine capacity well above 1000CC – are faring as per expectations of their respective companies, Suzuki has sold 100 high-end bikes since launch and seems to be well on way of fulfilling its target of selling 300 such bikes by year end. Yamaha is also satisfied with its performance and has sold 125 units of YZF R1 and MT O1. These companies have tried to seize the initiative but others are not to be left behind either.

Kawasaki is soon entering the market with its Ninja 250R, a 250CC sports bike. They will be selling the bikes through Bajaj pro-biking showrooms. They are testing the waters with this model as the Ninja series has models going up to 1400CC capacity. BMW’s entry in the Indian market 13 years ago was a major disaster but now the company is all set to re-enter the market with its premium bikes. Legendary American Cruiser manufacturer Harley Davidson has also decided to make its presence felt on Indian roads. The company plans to start selling bikes by 2010.

This is the most exciting time in Indian biking industry. Bikers are getting spoilt for choice. However, whether the market is big enough for all these giants is yet to be seen. Premium bike segment in India is still a niche one. High prices coupled with lack of infrastructure i.e. proper roads for these high capacity beasts, is a major issue that can derail the ambitious plans of these companies. Still, biking in India has come of age and Indians do not have to make do with poor substitutes of these power bikes.

Happy riding, everyone.

FALL OF A LEGEND

Former world number one Andre Agassi stunned the world by admitting to drug use during his playing days. Agassi in his upcoming autobiography ‘Open’ admits to using crystal meth in 1997.

A tennis legend, Agassi is the winner of eight grand-slams. He was renowned for his stunning returns, flowing blond locks and colourful outfits. His career nose-dived soon after his marriage to actress Brooke Shields in the mid 90’s, a troubled phase when he got hooked on methadone.

Agassi writes that his assistant, referred to only as ‘Slim’ in the book, introduced him to the drug. He even failed a blood test conducted by ATP, facing the prospect of being banned for a few months for meth was on the ATP’s list of banned substances. Agassi describes how he got out the sticky situation, “My name, my career, everything is now on the line. Whatever I've achieved, whatever I've worked for might soon mean nothing. Days later I sit in a hard-backed chair, a legal pad in my lap, and write a letter to the ATP. It's filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth." "I say Slim, whom I've since fired, is a known drug user, and that he often spikes his sodas with meth - which is true. Then I come to the central lie of the letter. I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim's spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: sincerely.” ATP accepted his version of the story and he was not suspended.

Agassi was one of the most successful and popular tennis players and the excerpts from his book have been released to create a buzz in the market. However, his disclosure has stunned the tennis fraternity and fans alike. Agassi admitted taking drugs when his career and personal life were in shambles, with his singles ranking plummeting to 141 in 1997. In 1998 he cleaned up his act and ended the year ranked number six, the highest jump into the top ten in a single year. By winning the French Open the following year, he became only the fifth male player to have won all the grand-slams and ended the year as the top ranked player in the world. His revelation has reignited the debate regarding drug usage in sports. His announcement was a bomb-shell dropped on the world of tennis; current players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as well as former players like Martina Navratilova have expressed their displeasure over Agrassi’s revelation.

Time and again the problem of drug usage among sport persons has come to public attention. In Agassi’s case, the shocking aspect is how ATP bought his lie and took no action against him. The confession has tarnished Agassi’s reputation and pulled him down from the pedestal of a great champion.

WANDERER..............................