Sport - Asian Games   

DD does it again

By Rakesh Rao

NEW DELHI OCT. 7. Now you see it. Now you don't.

Welcome to the coverage of the on-going Busan Asian Games on Doordarshan. From swimming heats to women's football to basketball, one gets to watch them only in bits and pieces. What makes it worse is the commentary given by a team comprising (in)different experts, sitting here in Doordarshan's studio.

From the viewers' point of view, India's interest in the Asian Games is much varied than it is in the Olympic Games. Still, Doordarshan has refrained from sending its full-fledged team to Busan even though seven technicians have made it. They have been assigned to prepare a daily-highlight package. Its quality is not difficult to guess.

Actually, what you watch live is the `feed' coming from the venue. In other words, the viewer in India does not have much of a choice.

That is also the reason why you find our commentators, most of them unintentionally comical, cut short every time a promo is beamed from the Games.

But the question is how could DD not send its crew to cover the events of India's interest? Whether DD acted too late or did not act at all, the Indian viewer is surely at a loss. Only if DD had its team in Busan, one could have watched most of the events where Indians were medal prospects.

On Monday morning, the DD anchor proudly announced that India had retained the kabaddi gold. Even as the kabaddi team was in the process of giving India its third gold medal of these Games, the DD was busy showing an inconsequential volleyball match.

This is bound to happen when DD itself does not know which feed will be dumped on them next. The commentators find it difficult to switch from one discipline to another within a minute's notice.

For inputs, they are largely dependent on the Games' website. DD's team of experts consists of names that have been around for years. Each of these so-called experts `specialises' in more than one discipline. No wonder, the quality of commentary is in keeping with DD's poor reputation.

One Hindi commentator, whose name is not even recommended by Mandi House, has remained an authority on hockey, football, swimming, rowing, taekwondo... on DD. Still, even to this day, he cannot go beyond accha mauka (good opportunity) and khoobsurat pass (beautiful pass) and of course, Bharat ka aakraman (India's attack).

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

Asian Games

• Heart-break for Jaspal Rana
• India takes off on Anju's golden leap
• India moves up three places
• Medal tally
• Ruiping rewrites world records
• DD does it again
• Korea humiliates India
• India makes it a no contest
• Paes-Bhupathi pair back in business
• Palwinder bags bronze
  
  Chess
  
• Stage set for exciting finish
• India gets two more entries
  
  Cricket
  
• Hooper enjoys his new role as skipper
• Ganguly, Dravid & Wright honoured
  
  

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu