Despite some whingeing, one should raise a toast to Messi because he is a consummate team man. Unlike the narcissistic Ronaldo, he revels in the success of his team-mates. Period. Messi’s endorsement isn’t enough for Suarez to win his maiden Ballon d’Or. Maybe Fifa should contemplate changing the definition of the award, which only determines the best forward these days. In fact, a template has been set for future awards. The former Ajax player didn’t even figure in Fifa’s team of the year! Messi himself has graciously admitted that the Uruguayan is the best forward in the world at the moment. It should be awarded for a single season. But he stood no chance against the might of Messi and Ronaldo. Luis Suarez’s tally wasn’t as impressive as Messi’s but his goals were more decisive for Barcelona last season. Germany and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer should have got the award last year after he had helped his country win the 2014 World Cup with a heroic performance. What worked against Ronaldo, who scored 57 in all, was his failure to win a trophy. The process is democratic but not flawless by any means.Taking the total goals into consideration is not a sound idea either. That is why the Argentine is liked more all over the world. Messi has a part in Auto Control Cables for BENZ the stupendous form of Neymar and Suarez.The Ballon d’Or dominance of Messi and Ronaldo buttresses the truism that football is all about goals and goal scorers. Scoring is surely the most difficult job on a football field but one must spare a thought for goalkeepers who are only bookmarked by their mistakes.

It appears that the persons who are eligible to vote in the Ballon d’Or poll — national team coaches, captains and select journalists — are hardwired not to look beyond the two. For instance, Neuer wouldn’t be able to break the duopoly of Messi and Ronaldo even if he inspires Bayern to the Champions League and Germany to Euro titles this year. Another absurdity of Ballon d’Or is it inexplicably encompasses two seasons. There is nothing to separate Messi and Ronaldo except the former’s ability to gel well in a team. In the era of Messi and Ronaldo, defenders can forget about making the Ballon d’Or shortlist, leave alone the small matter of going all the way. The ability of Suarez to deliver in big matches is unmatched and he would be the front-runner next year if he is solely judged on his football prowess. More important, he won five trophies with Barcelona including the one that matters most — the Champions League. This term it’s the turn of Messi who scooped his fifth. It’s only worth a first-choice vote in the poll because Messi is the captain of Argentina.Despite some whingeing, one should raise a toast to Messi because he is a consummate team man. The battle has only been between the two in the last five years and the duo made a 1-2 finish their own in seven of the last eight years. It won’t be the Argentine’s last because he is only 28. Ronaldo, on the other hand, is only obsessed with his performance.. Unlike the narcissistic Ronaldo, he revels in the success of his team-matesFifa calls it Ballon d’Or but the award has effectively been a duel between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to decide the best football player on the planet. The numbers are incontestably in favour of Messi who scored 52 goals and provided 26 assists in 61 games for club and country in 2015. And, football is still a team sport. Maybe the German, who is not a mug outside the penalty box, should start scoring a lot of goals to be able to challenge the status quo.

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Apparently, the US has again offered the F-18 and F-16 fighter jets under the "Make in India" programme. India has, of course, reciprocated by agreeing with Japan (and the United States) about freedom of navigation in South China Sea, permanent participation of Japan in the annual Indo-US Malabar naval exercises and offering visa on arrival to all Japanese citizens with effect from March 1, 2016.India has been quick to react to the changing global threat scenario and defence minister Manohar Parrikar visited the US, where he was also taken onboard an American nuclear aircraft carrier (USS Nimitz) to show how the latest electro-magnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) works. Nonetheless, since the SCS-FONP would be a long-drawn affair, it would be wise to enhance Indian naval strength with "off-the-shelf transfers" to India of operational American warships and Japanese conventional submarines, so that India can in next three-four years begin to participate independently in SCS-FONP. This same system has been offered to India for its planned 65,000-tonnne aircraft carrier. While not joining any military alliance, India needs to participate wisely and decisively were its national interests are concerned. Keeping in mind that sending ground combat troops would result in heavy casualties (and "body bags" coming back with adverse public reaction", India should avoid sending "boots on the ground" unless the major nations (the US, China, Russia, France and the UK) also agree. Media reports also indicate American willingness to participate in the "Make in India" initiative. India must join the global war against the ISIS, but only under the UN flag. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to India led to agreements on defence and a memorandum of understanding on peaceful use of civil nuclear energy.

It would be ideal if the ground combat troops are sent by the 24 Islamic nations group announced by Saudi Arabia, while India could send a field military hospital with some combat troops to provide security to our hospital staff. In this fast-changing world, where India faces multiple challenges on the security and economic front, the good old days of fence sitting and doing nothing are over. It is understood that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Russia shortly, and apart from signing agreements on defence (making 200 light helicopters of the KA-226 type to replace the obsolete Chetak and Cheetah helicopters used by the Indian military), he would definitely discuss the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria with President Vladimir Putin.Most importantly, Japan which took 50 years to build bullet trains representing 2,175 km, has offered an unprecedented 50 year-long-term $12 billion loan at the simple interest of 0. The fight against the ISIS and the SCS-FONP are two such scenarios. Recently, Mr Parrikar announced that India could join the fight against the ISIS if the UN passed a resolution, and Indian forces operated under the UN flag. After losing out to Japan to build India’s first bullet train network, China — which has $4 trillion to spare for foreign investment — said it has still kept its options open to pursue cooperation with India in the high-speed rail sector as it is carrying out feasibility studies in two different corridors.

The past few days have been good for Indian diplomacy as there were attempts to enhance economic growth.1 per cent to build the 600-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train. Given the well-known differences between Russia and the West, Mr Modi needs to use all his diplomatic skills to ensure that India’s need for nuclear submarines and stealth aircraft (SSN type and fifth generation stealth fighter aircraft, which only Russia is willing to supply) are met. The UN climate talks in Paris have ended with an agreement between 195 countries to tackle global warming with most of India’s concerns being met. This could unlock the doors for building American, French and Japanese civil reactors in India, since some Japanese-built components are essential for the American and French plants. Obviously, there are "no free lunches" in the world of realpolitik and all this cooperation will not come free. Standard operating procedures would need to be worked out with combat forces of other nations to avoid mutual interference. The US, who is unwilling to put "boots on the ground" (Army land forces) in the fight against the ISIS, has "requested" India to join this campaign which has America, the UK, France and Russia using airpower to destroy and degrade ISIS. India is not member of any military alliance and hence it must act within its known present military capabilities and limitations. I had written in china control cable manufacturers my last article (Indian Navy’s blue water quest, December 4), that while India should support the SCS-FONP, its Navy simply does not have the capability for sustained long-range blue water operations in areas where the Chinese Navy would have overwhelming naval and air superiority. India’s military participation should ideally be limited to airstrikes by the Indian Navy’s MiG-29K fighter aircraft operating from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and shore-based IAF fighter aircraft provided the IAF can get an operating base in a friendly country like Oman or Egypt. Similarly, India will come under increasing pressure from the US and possibly Japan to participate in the South China Sea Freedom of Navigation Patrols (SCS-FONP), which are being conducted in the disputed Chinese built artificial islands by US Navy warships and Australian Air Force maritime patrol aircraft. The recent Saudi announcement that a 24-nation Islamic group has been formed to combat the ISIS indicates the seriousness of this threat. It has offered to jointly upgrade the F-414 jet engine (already planned for the indigenous fighter aircraft LCA MK2) to make it compatible with the needs of the futuristic Indian-designed and Indian-built AMCA (advanced medium combat aircraft) stealth fighter aircraft. Indian naval hospital ships (escorted by warships) could also be sailed to a Syrian and Iraqi port to provide additional medical facilities.

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