Amongst all achievements of George W Bush during his tenure as the US President, the most ‘impactful’ & unforgettable one would definitely be his contribution towards conception of a brand new sport– yes, the fine art of ‘shoe-throwing’!! I’d say the credit entirely goes to Bush as opposed to Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi Journalist who can be conferred the distinction of being the first-ever participant!
It is hardly 2 months since its inception on 15 Dec 2008, and we’ve already had 2 more high profile games; the targets – Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and the Israeli Ambassador Benny Dagan (in Sweden). Unlike other high-profile sports that have a gestation period before they reach the shores of India, this one has already arrived here; and the target - Kerala’s CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan (in Kerala)!
It is hardly 2 months since its inception on 15 Dec 2008, and we’ve already had 2 more high profile games; the targets – Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and the Israeli Ambassador Benny Dagan (in Sweden). Unlike other high-profile sports that have a gestation period before they reach the shores of India, this one has already arrived here; and the target - Kerala’s CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan (in Kerala)!
In an uncanny similarity, all the participant’s missiles have missed their respective targets. Apparently here are some ‘ground’ rules for this sport – a) participant must use something worn on the feet as a missile, (even a chappal would qualify), b) mouth a slogan for posterity, something that would ring-on even after the arrests are made. One must wait to see how this sport would evolve with time and how popular it would get. But the prospects sure look promising!
