The Hindu : Sport : Names provide fodder for thought

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Names provide fodder for thought

Beijing: From bone-ticklers to eyebrow-raisers and almost everything in between, dead serious athletes, converging here chasing global bragging rights, are unwittingly providing some comic relief to the Beijing Olympic Games.

A glance at the names of more than 10,500 athletes provides ample fodder for thought for those trying to find some fun even in the dead serious job of medal chasing and some of the names and surnames are quite thought-provoking.

For instance, quite a few of the athletes look clearly in wrong professions. To start with, the list boasts of at least seven ‘Cooks,’ even though organisers believe they are not numerous enough to spoil the Olympic broth.

Similarly, there are at least six ‘Clarks’ among the athletes, but they are here strictly to corner Olympic glory and not to do paperwork.

The athletes’ village so far has been an abode of peace despite having inmates who respond by names like Tim Don and Pippa Savage.

It probably has something to do with the fact that some of the other residents go by the names of Iztok Cop, Brandon Knight, Christine Marshall and Jesse Sergent, a French version of Sergeant.

And talking about being in the wrong profession Fiona Butler, Virginia Farmer, Mike Mason, Carole Peon, Stacey Porter, Stephen Stewart, Andrew Hunter and finally Jarrod Shoemaker sound anything but professional athletes.

But it’s not that all of them are misnomers and the exceptions go by the names Tshomlee Go, Russell Mark, Yolande Speedy and Melaine Walker.

While all of them have added sheen to the Games, Alex White, Steven Brown, Mathew Gray and Anna Green would not be far from truth if they claim to have added colour to the occasion.

In fact, Beijing indeed has lived up to its promise of Green Olympics with four athletes sharing the surname.

Incidentally, avian surnames too seem in the vogue and standing testimony to the fact are Istvan Bee, Sue Bird, Kim Crow, Dexter Fowler, David Martin and Isabel Swan.

Then there are names that speak more about human physique than family roots at least so suggest Chin Eei Huim, Rehan Butt, Aaron Armstong, Tim Lips and Sooji Shin.

Influence of nature and elements is also obvious in names like Debby Flood, Tairia Flowers, Clinton Hill, Philhee Moon, Youkio Mine, Chanyong Park, Anna Rice, Michael Rock, Shamar Sands and Chao Sun, while the state of the mind or physical description also find expression in Tarryn Bright, Kevin Light, Ellena Little, Judy Long, John Moody, Gisela Moron, Steven Old and Rob Short.

For those with religious bent of mind, there are a Moses, umpteen Mohammads and a Jesus to boot.

Though the Beijing Games so far look flawless, there seems a couple of apparent spelling mistakes — like Vincent Kompany or Anja Hitzler besides an oxymoron in Mary King. — PTI

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