Will 'Brexit' lead to Scotout too.. !!

Nothing of that would cut the ice – the only news that is being flashed everywhere is the withdrawal of British from the European Union, often shortened to Brexit (a portmanteau of "British" or "Britain" and "exit”).  United Kingdom (UK) joined the precursor of the European Union (EU) in 1973. Withdrawal from the European Union has been a right of EU member states since 2007 under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union.  On 23^rd  June 2016, in a referendum on the country's membership, 51.9% voted in support of an exit (17,410,742 votes) and 48.1% (16,141,241 votes) to remain with a turnout of 72.2% and 26,033 rejected ballots.

Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom (UK) and occupies the northern third of Great Britain. Scotland’s mainland shares a border with England to the south. It is home to almost 800 small islands, including the northern isles of Shetland and Orkney, the Hebrides, Arran and Skye.Scotland’s location is to the mid-west of Europe and is surrounded by several different seas - North Sea, Atlantic Ocean. Edinburgh, the country's capital and second-largest city, was the hub of the Scottish enlightenment of the 18^th century, which transformed Scotland. Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European Union that gives Aberdeen, the third-largest city in Scotland, the title of Europe's oil capital.

Scotland's legal system has remained separate from those of England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and Scotland constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in public and private law. Following a referendum in 1997, a Scottish Parliament was re-established, this time as a devolved legislature with authority over many areas of domestic policy. Scotland is a member nation of the British–Irish Council, and the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Scotland is currently represented in the European Union and the European Parliament by six MEPs. Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon is the fifth and current First Minister of Scotland and the leader of the Scottish National Party, in office since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. 

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would travel to Brussels on Wednesday for talks to defend Scotland's place in the EU following a vote by Britain to leave the bloc. Sturgeon told an emergency session of Scotland's parliament on Tuesday.  She claimed that she is utterly determined to preserve Scotland's relationship and place within the EU.  She said she was asking the regional parliament to give her a formal mandate to conduct direct talks with the European Union institutions in Brussels.Sturgeon also said that she was drawing up legislation for a new independence referendum to ensure it could be held within the timeframe of Britain's expected negotiations on departing from the European Union.

Scotland voted against independence in a 2014 referendum but Sturgeon on Tuesday said there had been "a very real and material change to Scotland's circumstances" since then.As she spoke, hundreds of pro-EU campaigners rallied outside the parliament building, wanting to give a message to Brussels that they want to stay.  Nicola Sturgeon will now meet Jean-Claude Juncker during her visit to Brussels today to discuss Scotland keeping its EU status but she suffered another major blow after receiving short shrift from Germany.The pair were not originally expected to meet thanks to MrJuncker's full diary but talks have been scheduled for this evening.She is also meeting Martin Shulz, president of the European Parliament but Donald Tusk, the president of the powerful European Council comprising the heads of member states, has refused an invitation for talks.It also emerged today that a series of member state governments have indicated they will not hold direct talks with the SNP about protecting Scotland's status in the EU.

The German government told the Glasgow Herald this was an "internal" British issue and declined to comment further when asked if it would engage directly with the Scottish Government.Denmark said its minister for foreign affairs "will not intervene in the internal UK discussions following the referendum last week". The Czech government said it was "premature to address the question of an independent Scotland and its relation to the EU."The Estonian Foreign Affairs Ministry did not wish to engage in "speculation" but its Slovakian counterpart opened the door to bilateral talks, saying its appreciated Scotland's pro-EU attitude.Her Brussels visit marks the start of a public relations blitz on the European stage in which Ms Sturgeon will attempt to carve out her own foreign policy based on Scotland having made a “different choice” from the UK in last week’s referendum.But the refusal by member states, especially Germany, to stage bilateral talks is significant as all member states would have to unanimously agree to any special deal for Scotland, whether it was independent or not.

As it emerges,  Northern Ireland and Scotland are the UK’s most pro-EU regions with almost 62% of people in Scotland and 55% in Northern Ireland voting to remain. The decision Brexit has raised new questions about independence in Scotland and could force Scots to consider whether they want to be in the British union or the European union.Nicola Sturgeon has thrown the future of the United Kingdom into doubt by saying a second independence referendum is “highly likely” in the next two-and-a-half years following UK’s vote to leave the EU.She claimed in a press conference at Bute House, her official residence in Edinburgh, where she was flanked by the Saltire and the EU flag, that it was "democratically unacceptable" for Scotland to be taken out of the EU against its will.

Brexit has brought in more complexities .. .. …

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

29^th June 2016.

Slazenger Tennis balls at Wimbledon ~ and the bat Kapil used in June 1983

For long, it used to be the costliest buy and one which would be crowd-funded – all team members would put in few paise, go jointly to the shop, experience the toughness and bounce and then buy one happily – many a matches would stop abruptly either because the ball was lost or was torn / lost the air inside – it is the tennis ball Cricket played at streets of Triplicane or in the inner roads of Marina beach – the ball was indeed a valued possession !

Now, it is premium brand .. engineered to deliver the consistent performance characteristics demanded by the world's most prestigious tournament. The premium woven cloth is specially designed for championship play, using the finest wool to achieve a tighter weave giving increased durability and responsiveness.  It uses an exclusive Ultra Vis dye and patented application process, creating a ball that has optimum visibility for players and spectators. Using  patented Hydroguard technology,  the brand owners have developed a cloth that repels up to 70% more water than a standard ball.

Statistically, 54,250 are used during the Championships period.  They are stored at 68 deg F.  New balls are given after first seven games (to allow for warm-up), then after every 9 games.  The yellow coloured ones are in use from 1986.  At start of the day, 48 tins are taken onto Centre and No.1 Courts.   Now the brand used is Slazenger. Slazenger,  is a British sporting goods manufacturer which concentrates on racket sports including tennis, golf, cricket and hockey. Founded in 1881,  it is today one of the oldest surviving sporting brand names. It also holds the distinction of having the longest sporting sponsorship in world history thanks to its association with the Wimbledon Tennis Championship, providing Tennis balls for the tournament since 1902.   In 1940, its factory reportedly was bombed. 

Last year (2015) there were reports that the tennis balls used at Wimbledon were made with New Zealand wool which travels 40,000km around the world before being served up and hit at Wimbledon grass courts.  Another report stated that the official ball flies 80,000kms between 11 countries and across four continents before being manufactured in Bataan in the Philippines and then travelling back to Wimbledon. After their marathon journey, they are smashed around the courts for just nine games before being ditched as too old, soft and fluffy for the top players.

Warwick Business School in England studied the supply chain, and found clay was shipped from South Carolina in the US, silica from Greece, magnesium carbonate from Japan, zinc oxide from Thailand, sulphur from South Korea and rubber from Malaysia to Bataan, where the rubber is vulcanised - a chemical process that makes the rubber more durable. New Zealand Wool Services (WSI), which is the country's largest wool exporter, provides the wool used in top-line tennis balls. Wool then travels from New Zealand to Stroud in Gloucestershire, where it is turned into felt and then sent back to Bataan. Petroleum naphthalene from Zibo in China and glue from the Philippines are brought to Bataan where Slazenger, which was bought by Sports Direct in 2004, manufacture the balls. Finally, tins are shipped in from Indonesia and once the balls have been packaged they are sent to Wimbledon.

The researcher is quoted as sayint - “It is one of the longest journeys I have seen for a product. On the face of it, travelling more than 50,000 miles to make a tennis ball does seem fairly ludicrous, but it just shows the global nature of production these days, and in the end, this will be the most cost-effective way of making tennis balls.  The ball provides perfect synchronisation of materials produced at a very low cost near to the manufacturing labour in the Philippines. 

In 1983 World Cup, which in our young days, we so crazily followed in Sportsstar magazine and all media; and on TV [only Semi finals and Finals were broadcast] – rest were aired.  When there were more than a match, every 15 minutes or so, commentary would be from a different ground of that match, and we anxiously waited to hear the fortunes of India.  Slazenger and Symonds were the bats most endorsed those days.  Viv Richards used V12 and later Duncan Fearnley.  On June 18, 1983, at Royal Turnbridge Wells, against Zimbabwe,  Indians were pinned to the mat, reeling at 17/5 when Kapil Dev played one of the finest innings, scoring  a magnificent 175 not out.  He reportedly played with a Slazenger V12 bat. That bat was handed to Krishnamachari Srikkanth who inturn gave it to his Ranji-mate – CS Suresh Kumar. Suresh lived in TP Koil Street, Triplicane and we made a beeline to his house, seeing the bat and touching it with awe inspiration and regard.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

29^th June 2016.

News & photo : Wimbledon.com; Nzherald.co.nz; Kapil photo : www.scoopwhoop.com~ may  not be of that match - but shows Slazenger V 12!

Mr K Chandrasekhar Rao to protest on issue of High Court of Hyderabad

A few decades ago, entering Court as a litigant was considered disgraceful. We have read about the recent agitations by lawyers  and resultant enforced conditions in Madras High Court ~ peculiarly, the Court itself is becoming the broiling legal tangle instead of people going to Court on an issue.

Two years after he secured the state of Telangana after a 13-year-long struggle, Mr K Chandrasekhar Rao is turning a protester once again. The CM of Telangana now plans to do an Arvind Kejriwal by sitting on a dharna in the country's capital, to protest against the delay in bifurcation of the High court of Hyderabad. After the division of Andhra Pradesh, the High court of Andhra Pradesh was rechristened as High court of Hyderabad and it serves as the top judicial body for both Telugu states.

Since 6^th  June, barring the High court, all courts in Telangana are on strike. The judges of the new state are upset that posts in Telangana are being filled with judicial officers from Andhra Pradesh. Voices of `Andhra judges, go back' are being heard all over again. In one instance, effigies of Andhra judges were burnt at a court complex in Nizamabad. Two lawyers have attempted suicide in the last two days, bringing back memories of the emotionally charged up Telangana agitation. Not many imagined that Judiciary would become the battleground, but it did as the release of list of provisional allotment of judges to lower courts in both states.    That threw the courts into turmoil.

Agitated lawyers asked -  "Is this why we fought for a separate Telangana state?" The dictum that "Telangana is for Telanganites" where those from Andhra should not get a piece of the cake' is once again gaining ground, surprisingly in the judiciary. The AP Reorganisation Act provides for a separate court for Telangana but work on it has been extremely tardy. On Sunday, Hyderabad saw something that had not happened ever before. About 130 `Honourable' judges - district and civil judges from all ten districts of Telangana - hit the roads, marching up to Raj Bhavan, to submit a memorandum to the Governor. On display was Judiciary vs Judiciary, with the presiding officers of the lower courts calling the High court "untrustworthy", claiming they have lost trust in the higher judiciary to deliver unbiased justice. They threatened to resign en masse, protesting against what they called "stepmotherly treatment".

Adding to the sordid tale of woes, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti has come out in support, realising the mood in the legal fraternity and gauging the political benefits in riding on this issue.  Every party is blaming the other for the mess !

That takes to the moot Q – can an elected State Govt and its executive head protest against the Central Govt; is there point in writing letters on burning issues and making them public – does that really solve any problem or a simple gimmick to let know the masses, that they try, but nothing is happening !

The man immediately remembered is Arvind Kejriwal for the protests that he orchestrates.  Protests erupted in Karnataka, supported by State Government  after the Central Government endorsed a gazette notification of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's (CWDT) final award.  Way back in 1988,  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao decided to upstage the four-month-long agitation of the Rayalaseema Joint Action Committee. On November 1, the 33^rd  birthday of the state, Rama Rao took the protestors by surprise when he joined them at 11.20 a.m. in blocking entry to the state secretariat - by lying flat on the road.

In West Bengal, Bejoy Kumar Banerjee Hall did that in 1967 – with  no party having won a clear majority in the assembly election,  Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee, leader of a group of Congress defectors, joined hands with the Marxists to form the United Front. It was at this point that Speaker Bejoy Kumar Banerjee entered the picture. The Speaker refused to recognise the new regime, ruling it was the exclusive power of the House to make and unmake ministries. In 2008, Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and his  ministers staged a dharna before Parliament amidst criticism from the Opposition Congress that the CPI(M) was using public money to stage "political stunts in the capital."

Tamil Nadu is no stranger to protesting chief ministers. It has had three who resorted to public protest while in the hot seat.  Mr M.G. Ramachandran, Ms J  Jayalalithaa & Mr M  Karunanidhi have all sat on hunger strike as chief ministers, although for different reasons. In 1982, MGR abruptly announced in the Assembly that he would fast for a day to protest the Indira Gandhi regime’s refusal to allocate more rice to his state from the central pool.  In 1993, Jayalalithaa went on a similarly dramatic fast at the MGR samadhi,  demanding that Centre  should appoint a monitoring committee to oversee implementation of the Cauvery tribunal’s interim award of 205 TMC water by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu. Mr M Karunanidhi, at  the height of Sri Lanka’s offensive against the Tamil Tigers,  went on a fast at the Anna samadhi to demand that Delhi pressure Colombo to halt the war immediately. DMK was part of UPA-I, which was backing Lanka’s war.  As he reached the venue around 6 am, perplexed party leaders and anxious family members gathered around him. However, the fast was called off by noon,  saying that then home minister P. Chidambaram had informed him that Lanka had assured India it would cease hostilities using heavy weapons.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

29^th June 2016.

NTR photo credit : southreport.com

the grass courts of Wimbledon ~ woes of Women players with Nike dress

Heard of ~ Roscoe Tanner – a left hander from America, known for his big serve.   In 1979 he reached the Finals of Wimbledon, eventually losing to the ice-cool Bjorn Borg in five sets.  Those days, it was Bjorn Borg Vs someone else !   Wimbledon, the grass court tournament is most famous among the Grandslam events.  Not sure whether Tanner – Borg  match was telecast but in the next year, we did see a new angry leftie throwing tantrums but stretching Borg no ends – that was John McEnroe; next year in 1981 he lifted the title – many of us, by now getting addicted to Borg’s winning ways, could not digest that win.  In the following years, it was Jimmy Connors; John McEnroe; McEnroe; young Boris Becker in 1985; again Becker, Pat Cash, Stefan Edberg, Becker, Edberg, Michael Stitch …………. and slowly we started losing track… when Agassi, Samparas and others started winning… in between, I craved to see Ivan Lendl winning [which never happened]; those were the days, when I would not even read the newspaper on the day next when Lendl lost…….  When Ivan Lendl missed Wimbledon in 1982, he uttered what was to  become a famous  cliché: "Grass is for the cows."

It is not all easy ~  Wimbledon, the only tournament played on grass takes place over two weeks in late June and early July, culminating with the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles Final, scheduled always for the second Saturday and Sunday respectively. Wimbledon traditions include a strict dress code for competitors, the eating of strawberries and cream by the spectators, and Royal patronage. The tournament is also notable for the absence of sponsor advertising around the courts. In 2009, Wimbledon's Centre Court was fitted with a retractable roof to lessen the loss of playing time due to rain.

Wimbledon.com (photo credit & news credit too) reveals that it takes around 15 months to prepare a  Championships’ standard court before it can be played on.  The grass seeded in April is  cut once the new grass reaches 15mm, and then cut three times a week in May to keep at 15mm.  During The Championships the height of grass will be 8mm, it will be cut every day.  The grass plant itself has to survive in dry soil. Expert research has  shown that a cut height of 8mm (since 1995) is the optimum for present day play and survival. Courts are sown with 100 per cent Perennial Ryegrass (since 2001) to improve durability and strengthen the sward to withstand better the increasing wear of the modern game.

Perceived speed of a court is affected by a number of factors such as the general compacting of the soil over time, as well as the weather before and during the event. The ball will seem heavier and slower on a cold damp day and conversely lighter and faster on a warm dry day. Contrary to popular belief, the  amount a ball bounces is largely determined by the soil, not the grass. The soil must be hard and dry to allow 13 days of play without damage to the court sub-surface.  Technically, the Singles Court length is  23.77m (78’) x width 8.23m (27’); while that of the Doubles is  length 23.77m (78’) x width 10.97m (36’).

Of the many news, Roger Federer admits that he is “intrigued” by the back story of Britain’s Marcus Willis, his second-round opponent and the new darling of Wimbledon. After making hard work of disposing of Guido Pella 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 on Centre Court, Federer will face Willis in perhaps one of the biggest mismatches in recent Wimbledon history. Their backgrounds could not be more diverse with Willis pocketing £258 prize money this season compared to Federer’s $98,148,225 career earnings. Federer has 88 titles in his locker compared to Willis’ solitary Great Britain F14 Futures triumph in 2013.  But in Tennis, like many other Sports, it is not the reputation or seeding that always matter ~ it is the player who plays better on that day !

In every tournaments players including top seeds do tumble – as there would be winners and losers.  Some reports suggests that  Katie Swan's Nike dress was to blame for her Wimbledon defeat as the Player, aged 17, admits she had to tuck revealing 'nightie' Serena Williams refused to wear into her shorts.  Katie, 17, was beaten 6-2 6-3 by Hungary's Timea Babo and reports suggest that she  was visibly struggling with her £75 Nike dress.   A controversial tennis dress that is so flimsy it's been dubbed the Nike 'nightie' caused a stir in the opening matches at Wimbledon after players wearing it were left revealing a little too much flesh  ~ then there are suggestions that the £75 tennis dress is to blame for Brit star Katie Swan losing her match on Tuesday.

Katie, was visibly struggling with her dress and was forced to tuck the white garment into the bottom of her shorts at one point. Katie, who lost her match at Wimbledon, was wearing the floating Nike dress that has been slammed on social media for being too revealing and impractical.  The dress has made headlines this week after it was slammed for being too revealing. The strict SW19 dress code for players states that 'common standards of decency are required at all times' but it appears the sports kit giant is pushing the boundaries with the 'Premier Slam' dress for female competitors.  Katie is not alone as Czech star Lucie Safarova's midriff was also constantly on display during her first round victory against Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Germany's Sabine Lisicki said she refused to wear the skimpy dress because it was so flimsy. She instead wore a skirt and vest top as she cruised to victory in her first round match.  Although sponsored by Nike, defending champion Serena Williams didn't wear the dress on Centre Court. She's been weating a version especially designed for her called the 'Nike Women's Premier Wimbledon Serena SW19 Dress'.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

29^th June 2016.