I am sure everybody must have already started fancying their favourite teams’ chances in the season to come. My favourite team this time around, will be again – “The Rajastan Royals”.
This team emerged the undisputable champions in the first ever version of the IPL. Along with the emergence of this team, there was emergence of another name. It was Swapnil Asnodkar – a 25 year old, aggressive and hard-hitting opening batsmen, hailing from Goa!
He was not so tall… But his achievements in IPL-I stood tall. He chipped in with very quick 60s and 70s along with his other opening partner, Graeme Smith. This diminutive opener, with his aggressive and attacking batting helped Rajastan Royals with flying starts, which ripped apart the opponents bowling attack! It made him a big name throughout India no doubt, but he created tremors in his state Goa! Suddenly he was appearing in interviews on local satellite channels. On one such interview, which was aired by a local channel, I noticed that this super-star had mild stammering. On many occasions his stutter was quite evident. And yet he was talking very confidently to the interviewer. He sometimes got excited with his speech, but then was quick enough to get in control of the same. He repeated words when he stuttered… but he never got carried away with these speech interruptions. He never looked nervous when the speech interruptions came. It was really inspiring to see him talk to the interviewer and watch him manage his stutter and concentrating on communicating his message, rather then on his stutter. Much like his fearless style of batting, with his speech too, he was fearless!
Hence, Swapnil Asnodkar, is my cricketing hero not only because he hails from Goa, but also because of the great spirit and confidence he shows, despite his mild stammering. Yet another example, that stammering can never stop us from achieving our dreams!
So this time, in IPL III, it’s 3 cheers to Rajastan Royals, and 3 cheers to Swapnil Asnodkar! Good luck to him, and I am despirately hoping to see him in the playing 11 of Rajastan Royals in this season.
5 thoughts on “3 Cheers to Rajastan Royals!”
Sachin
(January 25, 2010 - 3:26 am)Hey Harry- anyway of getting a video of this interview? Can any reader help? I love to use such real life videos as training material, while discussing and analysing disfluency in our self help group..
Harish- I totally agree with your perception.. As with batting, so with speech! Fearless.
admin
(January 25, 2010 - 10:51 am)wow ! that's inspiring and a solid revelation. hitherto unheard of, I am sure Swapnil is going to make it big in this endearing sport 🙂
admin
(January 25, 2010 - 2:54 pm)Sachin Sir, I couldnt get the video of the program that i was talking about in the post, but i got anoother video of Swapnil Asnodkar's interview.. here too his stammerin can be noticed at many occasions … Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVRqTbJw0_E
Sachin
(January 26, 2010 - 4:02 am)I saw the vid. Yes, he stammers- but without struggle, without embarrassment, without too many secondary behaviours. This certainly is a better way of stammering and communicating. He needs no "speech therapy". He just needs to keep batting away and talking about it!
Also, it must be said that his interviewer too is a perfect partner. He is not interrupting him, hurrying him and maintaining a comfortable pace..If society could behave like this most of our problems would be over- There will be no more fluency disorder called "stammering". So lesson is- PWS should learn from Swapnil two things
1) excelling at something in life
2) stammering effortlessly, openly, without struggle and shame..
AND SOCIETY should also improve its communication skills and learn to talk the way it is shown in these videos by the interviewer ..
Lastly, people selling "fluency cure" should go for some other game ! :-))
admin
(January 26, 2010 - 10:56 am)Thank u Sachin Sir for such a detailed insight… Indeed, we can learn a better way of stammering from Swapnil. All PWS should take note of the lessons that you pointed out to be learned from the interview.
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