Can you believe it? We can't. We're talking of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi actually winning the Wimbledon double crown. Not only that, Leander also grabbed the Mixed Doubles.

All we can say is that the Paes-Hesh duo has managed to overcome that basic Indian obstacle, of wallowing in mediocrity, at least when it comes to sports and politics.

In fact, that is where the two actually come together. No, not Leander and Mahesh, but sport and politics. Their illegitimate marriage provides its own bastard offspring in the form of pathetic performances.

That's something Leander and Mahesh have simply overcome, mostly because Indian tennis, as an exception, has still to circumvent the tendrils of our netas.

Other sports haven't. The results are there to see. Football, for instance. At one time, we made the semi-finals of the Olympics. Now, we wax eloquent when Bhaichung Bhutia is called upon for play a couple of trial exhibition matches for a First Division, definitely not Premiership, club, like Fulham. As for the national team, it remains notional. There's actually patting of abcks when we manage to salvage a 0-2 defeat against the Thais. Wow!! And guess where the rot started? Once the likes of former Congress Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi decided to play footsy with soccer.

Then there's hockey, not quite the politik syndrome, but worse. Asiad gold medallists like Dhanraj Pillay, the best player in the country during the last decade, keeper Ashish Ballal, who saved crucial penalties in winning us the honour, and Mukesh Kumar, are summarily benched. Not even benched but booted out. By KPS Gill, the ex-policeman and bottom pincher, who has given a new meaning to the term bully off when applied to Indian hockey. So, instead, we get a group of players who trip over their sticks and have difficulty in beating Belgium!!

That's not all. As shooter Jaspal Rana comes closer to the Sanghis, his form drops off disastrously. From a marksman who could have been vying for an international medal, he's become one who would find problems potting sitting ducks,

There's more. Take archery as another example. During the '80s we suddenly discovered this crop of eminently talented tribal archers like Limba Ram. He's become more or less limbo Ram as the archery association's wonderful ways have done wonders for his morale and for that of others of his ilk. And guess who heads the archery association. A certain BJP MP called Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

Then again, we were so taken with the athletic performances of the likes of Milkha Singh and PT Usha, even though their peak came with fourth position finishes at the Olympics. That's the depths to which our aspirations can sink to. But then, at least, we were an Asian powerhouse on the track. Now, with Suresh Kalmadi doing his bit, we find it difficult to keep up with the Qataris and the Sri Lankans!!

That's the story. There are exceptions. Tennis, as we mentioned is one. Vishwanathan Anand, the chess grandmaster, is another since he didn't have to depend on governmental doles. Or billiards, where Michael Ferreira and Geet Sethi have blazed their way across the baize.

But, as we said, they're the exception. Cricket, of course, is another story altogether.