Sports Stars (Prose)

Unit 1 – Prose

Lesson: Sports Stars

Warm-up

Mirroring

• The teacher selects three pairs.
• Pairs stand facing each other.
• The teacher whispers a game to each pair.
• One person makes a movement; the other mirrors it exactly.
• Roles are swapped.
• Finally, both move simultaneously so the class guesses the sport.
  Examples: passing the ball, karate kicks, bowling, batting, etc.

Section I – Reading

Diary of a School-boy

Each day is a new beginning. It has so much to unfold and I had the best day at school today.
Cricket is something that I love.

Today my teacher told us that we would be learning about a cricketer. I thought of Sachin, Virat Kohli and many other male players in the Indian cricket team but she introduced Mithali Dorai Raj, an Indian cricketer and the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team in Tests and One Day Internationals (ODIs).

I never thought a woman could play cricket so well. It was why I have never let my little sister play cricket with me. I would tell her, “It is not for you; you had better play with girls.”

However, I was taken by surprise when I learnt that Mithali started to play the game at the age of 10, and that she was selected for the Indian team at the age of 17.

Mithali lives in Hyderabad. I was interested to learn that her mother tongue is Tamil. I felt very proud that she has been widely recognised and acknowledged.

• Highest run scorer in Women’s International Cricket
• Only woman cricketer to surpass the 6,000-run mark in ODIs
• First player to score seven consecutive 50s
• Nicknamed “Tendulkar of Indian women’s cricket”

Mithali said:

“On the one hand, being compared to Sachin is an absolute privilege. I do not think I have achieved even half of what he did for the country. On the other, being a woman cricketer, I want people to know me for my own identity. I would rather not be compared to a male cricketer.”

She indeed is an inspiration to all of us. She actually started playing cricket with her brother. When she was young, she used to go with her father to the grounds where he practised. She used to stand outside the ground and returned the ball when it came her way. Though it was a humble start, she managed to secure a name and a place for herself.

Many of us think cricket is for men; however, she broke the traditional barriers and proved that women are on par with men in every field. The Government of India, in recognition of her contribution to cricket, conferred on her the Padma Shri Award.

And I forgot to mention the recent achievement of our Indian women cricket team. Mithali Raj and another woman player Smriti Mandhana hit stylish half centuries and India cruised to a comfortable nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the second women’s T20 International on 23 February 2018. Mithali anchored the innings to perfection with an unbeaten 76.

Now that I am inspired by her and my attitude has changed, I certainly will be happy when my little sister follows her passion…

Check Your Understanding

Put √ for correct and x for incorrect statements.
1. A school-going girl writes the diary account.
2. The boy was so inspired by Mithali that he was happy for his sister to play cricket.
3. Mithali Raj is happy to be recognised as Tendulkar of Indian Women’s Cricket.
4. Women should not be compared with men in cricket, says Mithali.
5. Mithali Raj was not encouraged to play cricket by her family members.
6. Mithali is one of the women players to score seven consecutive 50s.
7. Mithali’s mother tongue is Telugu.

Glossary

• recognised – known
• acknowledged – accepted
• privilege – honour
• consecutive – one after another
• identity – who/what a person is
• inspiration – role model
• passion – desire

Section II – Read the Report on Usha Rani

Usha Rani, cop-cum-champion, rose from shanty town of Subedarpalaya in Yeshwanthpur near Bengaluru, Karnataka. Armed with her mother’s unfulfilled dream to become an athlete, she was determined and practised kabaddi at the Kanteerava Stadium every morning rain or shine.

As a school child, she grew up watching kabaddi at a club in front of her house and soon joined the club and started playing kabaddi at National level in sub-junior category.

Whenever she was not playing, she was the source of support to her parents and others at home. She used to sell flowers for her daily living and she had to struggle all through her life until she got a job in the Karnataka State Police Force.

She was selected as a police person for her excellence in sports and was the youngest in the Karnataka State Police women Kabaddi team.

She was just 29 years old when she won a Gold Medal in kabaddi. She is much acclaimed for her raiding skills in kabaddi.

E. S. Sumanth, sports officer at Karnataka State Police Sports Promotion Board says:

“Despite a well-paid job, Usha participated in national events every year without a miss. She is an expert in giving leads, raiding opponents and consistently playing a prominent role in the Indian kabaddi team.”

Usha Rani is now working hard and practising every day to win the Gold medal at the Asian Games in 2018. She has also become a role model to her brothers and sisters at home and other fellow sports persons.

Answer Briefly

1. When did Usha Rani start playing Kabaddi?
2. What did she sell to support her family?
3. Find out the idiom that relates to ‘whatever the circumstances’, from the first paragraph.

Glossary

• shanty town – a poor area
• unfulfilled – unrealised
• prominent – noticeable
• determined – will-powered

Section III – Biography of P. V. Sindhu

The word will instantly bring P. V. Sindhu in everyone’s mind. Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is one of the two Indian badminton players to ever win a silver medal in 2016 Olympics – the other being Saina Nehwal who has won a bronze medal in 2012 Olympics.

Sindhu came to international attention when she broke into the top 20 of the BWF (Badminton World Federation) in September 2012 at the age of 17. She is one of the top five shuttlers in the women’s singles category.

She started playing badminton at the age of eight. Though her parents were professional volleyball players, Sindhu chose badminton over volleyball because she drew inspiration from the success of Pullela Gopichand, the 2001 All England Open Badminton Champion.

Sindhu first learned the basics of the sport with the guidance of Mehboob Ali. She then joined Pullela Gopichand’s ‘Gopichand Badminton Academy.’

While profiling Sindhu’s career, a correspondent with The Hindu wrote:

“The fact that she reports on time at the coaching camps daily, travelling a distance of 56 km from her residence, is perhaps a reflection of her willingness to fulfil her desire to be a good badminton player with the required hard work and commitment.”

Gopichand seconded this opinion:

“The most striking feature in Sindhu’s game is her attitude and the never-say-die spirit.”

Despite P. V. Sindhu being busy with her training schedules and International tournaments, she managed to attend regular school until class 9, after which all her classes were through correspondence. She did balance both her passion as well as her academics and she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (B.Com).

After joining Gopichand’s badminton academy, Sindhu won several titles. She has won many awards as well as cash grants for her contribution and among them, these three awards were conferred on her by the Indian government:

• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the highest sporting honour of India (2016)
• Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India (2015)
• Arjuna Award (2013)

Mind Map

P. V. Sindhu
- She is the first Indian woman to win ____.
- She learned the ____, _____ and basics of the sport ____ made her fulfil her desire.
- From __.
- Gopichand observed ____ spirit in her.
- Her inspiration was _.

Glossary

• correspondent – reporter
• commitment – dedication
• never-say-die – don’t stop trying
• civilian – ordinary people

Read and Understand

I. Identify the sports and the sports personalities from the lesson and fill in the table.

| Name of the player & Field of sports | Sports | Awards |

II. Tick the appropriate boxes.

1. Who won the Olympic 2016 silver medal in badminton?
2. Who is the role model for her siblings?
3. Whose mother tongue is Tamil?
4. Whose attitude is ‘never-say-die spirit’?
5. Which player works in the Police Department?
6. Which player holds the record for the highest individual score in cricket?

III. Think and answer.

1. Women/ Men can achieve anything, provided they put their heart and soul into it. Discuss in the class. Do you think being a man or a woman makes a difference?
2. How can you balance your academic goals and your passion for sports or arts?

Vocabulary

A. Match the sport and the equipment.

Example: Cricket – Bat
1. Football –
2. Tennis –
3. Golf –
4. Volleyball –
5. Archery –

B. Find the names of twelve sports and games from the grid.

A K A B A D D I T S I V W O I M C A D T E N N I S E B F E C H E S S S L G F A O R I W K E O L R C E U I A T L Y R K L T M T E F I O E A W M I N P N M Y Y D I N N P G P J R T N G I Y T S U M O G R S 

C. Tick the meaning of the italicised word.

1. Being compared to Sachin is an absolute privilege.
   a. honour b. right c. favour d. disadvantage
2. The boy was taken by surprise when he learnt about Mithali Dorai Raj.
   a. affected b. moved c. amazed d. upset
3. Usha Rani had to struggle all through her life.
   a. fight b. duel c. fun d. work hard
4. Usha Rani is an expert at giving leads.
   a. clumsy b. sharp c. skilled d. bad
5. No opponent is too big to defeat.
   a. competitor b. rival c. helper d. enemy

D. Fill in the blanks with the opposites of the words given in brackets.

1. We should learn from our __ (success).
2. Children don’t like to read __ (interesting) books.
3. Be __ (general) when you are telling us what you need.
4. The teacher asked the children to __ (start) talking.
5. The new boss decided to __ (appoint) the lazy workers.

Listening

E. Listen to your teacher and number the pictures accordingly.

a. _
b.
c. _
d.

Write T if the statement is True and F if the statement is False.
1. Himachal Pradesh is an ideal place for paragliding.
2. Skiing offers opportunities to delve into oceans.
3. Paragliding is also a recreational adventure sport.
4. Scuba Diving has a huge following all over the world.
5. The most suitable period for Skiing is from March to June.

Text for listening is in page 139

Speaking

F. Look at these images of different kinds of sports. Identify and name as many as you can with your partner.

Describe any one of them to your partner.
- Name of the sport.
- What equipment is used to play the sport?
- What kind of area/ground/field it is played in?
- How is it played?

Present your sport to the class in four to five sentences.

Helpful phrases:
- I like to play _.
- I play regularly with my friends.
- is an indoor/outdoor game.
- _ game requires players.
- _ has these equipments.
- _ generally played in a court/ground.
- I enjoy playing ____ game.

Picto Grammar

Adjective: A word that describes a noun.
- Hot tea
- Beautiful flower
- Two dice
- Tired man
- Bald head
- Young graduate

G. Look at the picture and fill in the blanks with suitable words.

1. There is a _______ ground in my school.
2. The _______ sky looks beautiful at night.
3. The tray has _______ vegetables.
4. It is a _______ day.
5. The girl gave her friend a _______ smile.

H. When there are two or more adjectives together, they appear in the following order.

Quantity – Quality/Opinion – Size – Age – Colour

Put the words in correct order and rewrite each sentence.
1. They have a post-box. (Red, Small, Rectangular)
2. I have sticks. (Long, Two, Brown)
3. Find me brushes. (New, Five, Yellow)
4. Mahesh is a boy. (Thin, Tall, Clever)
5. It is a plate. (Round, Pink, Small)

I. Refer to a dictionary for the meanings and circle the odd one.

1. Tiny – Small, Enormous, Little, Puny.
2. Ample – Great, Plentiful, Generous, Restricted.
3. Kind – Harsh, Concerned, Charitable, Gentle.
4. Honest – Reliable, Trusty, Sincere, Deceitful.
5. Cheerful – Bright, Low, Gay, Contented.

Writing

J. Imagine that you are the School Pupil Leader. Write a formal letter inviting the chief guest for the school's Annual Day. Give details of the time and place of the event.

School Name
Address
February 15, 2018

Name of the Chief Guest
(Designation)
Address

Respected Madam,

I am writing this letter on behalf of school. Our school is going to conduct its Annual Day on 20th of February. In this connection, we cordially invite you to our 23rd Annual Day to be the chief guest and address the gathering. We are sure the students will benefit from your ideas and words. We will be privileged to have you in our school on this special day.

We look forward to receiving your acceptance.

Yours sincerely,
(Signature)
School Pupil Leader

Imagine that you are the sports captain of your school. Write a formal letter to the sports captain of another school inviting her/his team for a friendly match. You may choose any sport. Give details of time and place.

(Note: Follow the format of the letter given above.)

Creative Writing

K. Make a diary entry on the impact of a sports personality who is an inspiration to you.

Note:
- Date your entry.
- Write naturally and truthfully.
- Use first person. (I read about Mithali, I like her playing style, etc.)
- Make your entry informal and expressive.
- Use words that express feelings and write what you feel about it.

Language Check Point

Incorrect	Correct	Rule
Kovai is further from Chennai than Trichy.	Kovai is farther from Chennai than Trichy.	Further means ‘additional’. Farther is used to talk about distance.
Sheeba is more stronger than Sinduja.	Sheeba is stronger than Sinduja.	Avoid double comparatives. Adjectives of one syllable usually form their comparatives by adding -er to the positive. Adjectives with more than two syllables take more.
My elder sister is six feet high.	My elder sister is six feet tall.	We generally use tall with people, and it’s the opposite of short. Use high when referring to trees, buildings, mountains, and it’s the opposite of low.

Practice Practice Exercises

We should learn from our (success).

Children don’t like to read (interesting) books.

Be (general) when you are telling us what you need.

The teacher asked the children to (start) talking.

The new boss decided to (appoint) the lazy workers.

a.

b.

c.

d.

1.There is a ground in my school.

2.The sky looks beautiful at night.

3.The tray has vegetables.

4.It is a day.

5.The girl gave her friend a smile.

1.

2.

3.

4.

She is the first Indian woman to win .

, and made her fulfil her desire.

Her inspiration was .

Gopichand observed spirit in her.

She learned the basics of the sport from .