CHENNAI: Not many people in India know who Jack van Gelder is. It was during the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Netherlands were playing Argentina in the quarterfinals. With the match tied 1-1, Dennis Bergkamp produced a moment of genius in the 90th minute that sealed victory for the Dutch. While that goal is regarded as one of the greatest in history, it also gave birth to one of the best moments behind the mic. Van Gelder’s cries of “DENNIS BERGKAMP!DENNIS BERGKAMP! DENNIS BERGKAMP!” with the final shriek becoming iconic and celebrated all over the world.
Sports commentary is not easy. One needs to be funny as well as informative in connecting with today’s audience. Hindi is the most popular when it comes to commentary in India. But on Sunday, the first ever Tamil sports channel was launched. Starting with the Champions Trophy, a fully dedicated Tamil commentary team including experts and former cricketers like K Srikkanth, Subramaniam Badrinath and Hemang Badani will be available to the audience. Speaking to Express, Badrinath, who is doing it for the first time, said that he was not facing much trouble. “Commentary is definitely easier than playing. Plus it’s my mother tongue. I’m a Tamil Brahmin. So I don’t have much of an issue. Since this is my first time, I came here two days back so that I can get the whole feel of the studio set-up. I’m enjoying it,” said the former Tamil Nadu skipper.
It makes sense to have Hindi commentary since most people are familiar with the language. But that is not the case with Tamil. However, the number of audience from the state is more than enough to start such an initiative. “When there was a plan to start a Tamil channel, I asked them the same question. They (channel officials) told me that there is a lot of audience from our state. They are also very educated and know their game better,” said the 36-year-old.
His colleague, Srikkanth also voiced the same. “The amount of knowledge people in Chennai and Tamil Nadu have about cricket and other sports is great. With TNPL and Pro Kabaddi League set to start in the coming months, this will be a huge success. Also, Tamil’s are there all over the world. And it’s nice to hear about your favourite game in your own language,” Srikanth added.
Having said that, it will not be entirely Tamil. There is a substitute for almost every English word. But it will be a mix of both (English and Tamil) here. “Cricketing terms and key words will remain the same. Though there are words to describe them, it is rarely used these days. The idea is to make it entertaining and with people like RJ Balaji around, I don’t think it will be an issue,” concluded Srikanth.
vimalsankar@newindianexpress.com