Syed Ahsan Ali

No matter what higher officials of Pakistan Hockey Federation and coach of Pakistan’s national hockey team say about the chances of Pakistan in upcoming Beijing Olympics 2008, unfortunately things are not looking too rosy. It has been a long while since we did anything memorable in the Olympics. To be specific, it was Barcelona Olympics 1992 where our national hockey team touched the podium when they got the bronze medal in the event. Los Angeles Olympics 1984 was the last occasion when Pakistan grabbed gold medal for the event.

Since then it is all downhill slide for our hockey. For the first few years, we held Astroturf responsible for our debacle but when all major countries started getting equipped to play on the new surface then our lame excuses looked more lame and tired.

Raza Rumi

I grew up watching an amaltas (Cassia fistula) grow in our side-garden in Lahore. Each spring would bring flowers on the creepers and shortly thereafter the Amaltas would start blooming with yellow flowers setting fire to the little garden adjacent to my room. Lahore’s roads would also glow in the summer adding much zest to a loveable, hot summer.

Heat would make one yearn for the rains. So the cycle of seasons would continue with Amaltas at the centre of transitions and unforgettable for the colour and unfathomable beauty.

Mast Qalandar

What is common between President Pervez Musharraf, Imran Khan, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry?” Even a schoolboy knows the answer: They are all members of the Kala Kola Klub.

So writes Khalid Hasan in a delightful column last week in Daily Times.

Khalid Hasan has a knack of coining interesting names – Kala Kola Klub – which are not only descriptive but also stick. (If you didn’t know, he also coined the name ‘Shortcut’ for you know who.)