FUNDAMENTALS
SENJAM RAJ SEKHAR
As sports stars from 71 nations across the erstwhile British Empire compete at Gold Coast, find out how much you know about the glorious traditions of the Commonwealth Games. Write in with your suggestions, questions (with answers) to senjam@gmail.com
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
1. What is the contribution of a little known sportsperson named Rashid Anwar to Commonwealth Games history? 2. During the parade at the opening ceremony of all the games, as per tradition the host nation marches last. Who is the first nation to march at the parade? 3. Till the 1998 Kuala Lumpur edition, only a particular type of competition was allowed in Commonwealth Games. What changed in KL? 4. Only two cities have hosted the Commonwealth Games twice. Which ones? 5. This one is easily workable — which nation made its last appearance in the 1994 Commonwealth Games, never to take part again? 6. Don Quarrie has won the maximum number of gold medals in athletics at the Commonwealth Games (5) in 100 and 200 metres. Which country is he from? 7. What is common to Keyano, Matilda, Mac, Goldie, Klee Wyck, Wira, Kit, Karak, Klyde and Borobi with reference to the Commonwealth Games? 8. The 5th edition of the Games in 1954 at Vancouver was televised live for the first time across the world. The 1,500 metres was dubbed the ‘Miracle Mile’ as both the gold and silver medalists broke the four minutes barrier. Identify both the athletes. 9. In 1994, it was engraved with images of wolf, raven and an eagle with a frog in its mouth. In 1998, it was built in the shape of a Gobek, a Malay areca nut pounder. What are we talking about? 10. Event: 440 yards race. Bronze: Terry Tobacco (Canada) Silver: Malcolm Spence (South Africa). Who won the gold?
ANYTHING GOES
1. Indian origin Anshu Jain was the high profile CEO of Deutsche Bank. After he quit the German bank, which US-based financial services is he now serving as CEO? (Adithya Jeevan, Thiruvananthapuram) 2. Time magazine came up with a cover story in July 1976 titled ‘Asia’s Frenetic Film Scene’. Who did they put on the cover of the magazine? (Dr Megha Krishnan, CMC, Vellore) 3. According to the Vedas I am treated as an Asura, while the Puranas treat me as a Devata, who am I? (Commander G.R. Balakrishnan (Retd), Chennai) 4. What term first used by
Washington Post in 1997, refers to an upscale and largely self-contained suburb or town with a large population of hightech workers employed in nearby office parks that are dominated by hightech industries; any large collection of nerds? (Dee Surendranath, Hyderabad) 5. This former cricketer appeared in 71 Test matches for his country. He is considered the first acknowledged aboriginal person to become a Test cricketer. His mother was of Greek descent. He created a record in Test cricket in the year 2006, which has not been equaled so far. Who are we talking about and what record did he establish? (BK Harinath, Mysuru) 6. For the last several years, Piplantri village panchayat in Rajasthan has been saving girl children and increasing the green cover in and around it at the same time. Here, villagers and the community do a special deed whenever a girl child is born.What is it? (Philip Joshua, Secunderabad) 7. They earned the nickname ‘Magarmach’ (crocodile) but the terrorists call them ‘dadiwala fauj’ and their motto is ‘The few the fearless’. Which unit of the Indian Navy is being referred here? (Partha Sarkar, Kolkata)