Interview with Mayanti Langer on WSJ blog
ESPN’s Mayanti Langer on World Cup 2010
Search India Real Time
By Paul Beckett
In the past three weeks, Mayanti Langer has brought a bit of something – actually, quite a lot of something – to ESPN’s India broadcasts of the FIFA World Cup 2010 which otherwise are dominated by the usual rather pasty line-up of western male sporting commentators. (No offense John Dykes, you are a king of football presentation.)
Mayanti Langer: ESPN’s female face of the World Cup
The 25-year-old Delhi-based presenter spoke to India Real Time from Singapore on a day off before the quarter finals that start tonight with Brazil versus the Netherlands and Uruguay versus Ghana. We are down to the last eight games of the whole tournament, which culminates July 11 in the final.
First, tonight’s games: Ms. Langer predicts some of the best football of the tournament so far after teams that were cautious in the opening rounds realize it’s definitely do or tie time. “The teams are suddenly getting better and better,” she said.
She professes not to be supporting any particular side. But Brazil, she said “should be able to get past the Netherlands.” In Spain versus Paraguay Saturday, she expects Spain to advance to the semifinals. She’s looking for Uruguay over Ghana, especially as Ghana has had a “problem finishing in front of goal.”
Argentina versus Germany on Saturday? Too tough to call. Argentina has let in some late goals “and I really like the way Germany is playing football,” Ms. Langer says, adding that striker Miroslav Klose will be gunning for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament’s top scorer. (He won it in 2006.) “I wouldn’t rule out Germany,” Ms. Langer says.
Still, Argentina – complete with the antics of manager Diego Maradona – have impressed her. Like the rest of us, Ms. Langer is bemused by Mr. Maradona’s peculiar facial hair.
But in a World Cup where few star goalscorers have lived up to their billing (Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo, to name three), she notes that Mr. Maradona’s hogging of the camera and the media’s attention has taken the focus away from the team and “let them play their football.”
Otherwise, the World Cup, she says, has been a great one for stories. The African teams have been “kind of disappointing” because only Ghana got past the first round despite high hopes for the first World Cup played on the African continent.
It’s been a “shocking one” for Europe, she says, with England, France and Italy all boarding planes before round two. And it’s been an impressive tournament for Asia, with both Japan and South Korea advancing to the second round before being knocked out (by Paraguay and Uruguay, respectively.)
And, of course, there are the controversial decisions, especially Frank Lampard’s non-goal goal against Germany. Is it time for goal line technology? “I think it’s something that needs to be done,” says Ms. Langer. “However, with some strict guidelines so that it doesn’t change the game too much.”
Ms. Langer’s interest in football started when she lived in New York as a pre-teen when her father, an army general, worked at the United Nations. Not that football is a major U.S. sport, despite the USA’s respectable showing in South Africa. But her parents took advantage of organized weekend activities, including soccer. Ms. Langer played defender given her height (that also made her a competitive swimmer.)
For three years at Delhi University’s Hindu College, she ran a girl’s weekend football league. She began presenting when she was 20. She’s hosted Indian football broadcasts on Zee Sports as well as coverage of Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A.
When will India play in the World Cup? “I have no idea,” she says. “Before we start about conquering the world and the World Cup, let’s think about Asia.” India is one of 16 teams that qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2011 to be played in Qatar in January.
One final question: Who chooses her clothes, since she appears for each broadcast as if she were attending a cocktail party at a Delhi five-star hotel?
“It does look like that,” she says. “I don’t have a stylist. I just decided to try my luck.”
Search India Real Time
By Paul Beckett
In the past three weeks, Mayanti Langer has brought a bit of something – actually, quite a lot of something – to ESPN’s India broadcasts of the FIFA World Cup 2010 which otherwise are dominated by the usual rather pasty line-up of western male sporting commentators. (No offense John Dykes, you are a king of football presentation.)
Mayanti Langer: ESPN’s female face of the World Cup
The 25-year-old Delhi-based presenter spoke to India Real Time from Singapore on a day off before the quarter finals that start tonight with Brazil versus the Netherlands and Uruguay versus Ghana. We are down to the last eight games of the whole tournament, which culminates July 11 in the final.
First, tonight’s games: Ms. Langer predicts some of the best football of the tournament so far after teams that were cautious in the opening rounds realize it’s definitely do or tie time. “The teams are suddenly getting better and better,” she said.
She professes not to be supporting any particular side. But Brazil, she said “should be able to get past the Netherlands.” In Spain versus Paraguay Saturday, she expects Spain to advance to the semifinals. She’s looking for Uruguay over Ghana, especially as Ghana has had a “problem finishing in front of goal.”
Argentina versus Germany on Saturday? Too tough to call. Argentina has let in some late goals “and I really like the way Germany is playing football,” Ms. Langer says, adding that striker Miroslav Klose will be gunning for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament’s top scorer. (He won it in 2006.) “I wouldn’t rule out Germany,” Ms. Langer says.
Still, Argentina – complete with the antics of manager Diego Maradona – have impressed her. Like the rest of us, Ms. Langer is bemused by Mr. Maradona’s peculiar facial hair.
But in a World Cup where few star goalscorers have lived up to their billing (Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo, to name three), she notes that Mr. Maradona’s hogging of the camera and the media’s attention has taken the focus away from the team and “let them play their football.”
Otherwise, the World Cup, she says, has been a great one for stories. The African teams have been “kind of disappointing” because only Ghana got past the first round despite high hopes for the first World Cup played on the African continent.
It’s been a “shocking one” for Europe, she says, with England, France and Italy all boarding planes before round two. And it’s been an impressive tournament for Asia, with both Japan and South Korea advancing to the second round before being knocked out (by Paraguay and Uruguay, respectively.)
And, of course, there are the controversial decisions, especially Frank Lampard’s non-goal goal against Germany. Is it time for goal line technology? “I think it’s something that needs to be done,” says Ms. Langer. “However, with some strict guidelines so that it doesn’t change the game too much.”
Ms. Langer’s interest in football started when she lived in New York as a pre-teen when her father, an army general, worked at the United Nations. Not that football is a major U.S. sport, despite the USA’s respectable showing in South Africa. But her parents took advantage of organized weekend activities, including soccer. Ms. Langer played defender given her height (that also made her a competitive swimmer.)
For three years at Delhi University’s Hindu College, she ran a girl’s weekend football league. She began presenting when she was 20. She’s hosted Indian football broadcasts on Zee Sports as well as coverage of Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A.
When will India play in the World Cup? “I have no idea,” she says. “Before we start about conquering the world and the World Cup, let’s think about Asia.” India is one of 16 teams that qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2011 to be played in Qatar in January.
One final question: Who chooses her clothes, since she appears for each broadcast as if she were attending a cocktail party at a Delhi five-star hotel?
“It does look like that,” she says. “I don’t have a stylist. I just decided to try my luck.”
Comments