IndianRenegade Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 World Cup trophy lifted by Team India is a fake It was a moment cherished by a billion Indians on Saturday. The moment India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni lifted the glittering ICC World Cup, ending a 28-year drought of World one-day championship wins for a cricket mad nation. But that moment may be irreparably tarnished, not just for Team India, but all Indian fans. Because the trophy that captain Dhoni and his teammates so passionately kissed, hugged and adored - and millions of fans worldwide cheered - was a fake. A mere replica, not the original. This has never happened in the 36-year history of the cricket World Cup. Did the Indian players know that the cup that Sharad Pawar, president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and India's agriculture minister, presented to them, the gold-and-silver trophy that President Pratibha Patil lovingly touched at a reception on Sunday, was not the real one? Interestingly, a day before the final, Dhoni and his Sri Lankan counterpart Kumar Sangakkara had customarily posed with the same replica. And whether their teammates were aware of that? Chances are they were not. The real trophy, valued at about $130,000 in money terms, but priceless for any cricket lover, was not at the Wankhede stadium, as the world had been led to believe. It was rotting at a secure government godown, having been seized by the Mumbai Customs on its arrival from Colombo after the Sri Lanka-New Zealand semifinals on March 29. The reason: The trophy, according to India's Byzantine customs rules, was not eligible for exemption from import duty! And a combination of bumbling babudom, and the ICC's bungling, ensured that it stayed under lock and key at the airport. Now, it will be flying back to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Dubai headquarters on Monday - without having once being actually touched by the team which had fought so hard to win it. A top official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and an ICC official confirmed that the trophy was going back to the ICC headquarters. "The trophy is being taken back to Dubai," said Suru Naik, World Cup tournament director (India). An ICC official confirmed: "The trophy is returning to Dubai on Monday." The ICC, meanwhile, is getting in a tangle of mis-statements as it tries to desperately cover up its bungling. The ICC spokesperson insisted that the real trophy is never presented to the winning team, and that only the replica is presented to the winners. But photographs of Australia captains Steve Waugh (1999) and Ricky Ponting (2003, 2007) receiving the original trophy, which was instituted in 1999, prove otherwise. "ICC officials told us that that this trophy has no commercial value as it is used for promotions only. However, when examined by a valuer, the trophy was estimated to be worth Rs 60 lakh or so, made of pure silver and gold. The payable customs duty is about Rs15 lakh. If it is a replica, then does it have to be exactly of the same value as the supposed trophy? Moreover, the ICC letter that the official was carrying said that it was the World Cup trophy. Nowhere did the letter say that The base of the original trophy has names of all the winners since 1975 engraved on it while the one presented to Dhoni at the Wankhede Stadium had a blank black base. A customs official at Mumbai's Chhatrapati International Airport confirmed the shocking development, and added a fresh twist to the sorry tale. "The ICC has been insisting that the trophy which came on the flight from Colombo (after the Sri Lanka-New Zealand semi-finals on March 29) is a replica of the original World Cup trophy that is already at the Wankhede Stadium," he said on Sunday. So, if the original trophy was indeed at the Wankhede Stadium, then why were ICC officials desperate to have the 'replica' released from the customs. What would they have done with it by taking it inside the city? And if the real trophy was at the Wankhede, why wasn't it presented to Dhoni? These questions remain unanswered. it was a replica and it should be let out," the official said. Interestingly, the department of revenue of the finance ministry had issued, "in the public interest", a notification (No. 7/2011-Customs) on February 9, 2011, to allow certain items to be imported. It listed five broad categories with specific conditions, but there is no mention of the 'World Cup trophy' in the list. It includes "sport equipments; medical instruments; photographic and audio-visual equipment and supplies; broadcast equipment and supplies; computer and other office equipment". While BCCI and ICC officials are trying to play down the issue, government officials blame the BCCI for all the confusion. "It is clearly a lapse on the part of the ICC or BCCI. They should have added the words 'World Cup trophy' while applying to the government for customs exemption," a senior tax official said. "Moreover," he added, "why couldn't ICC and BCCI, which are extremely rich, pay the customs duty? The duty would be peanuts for them." The Prudential Cup was the trophy that was presented in the first editions, from 1975 to 1983, when the Kapil Dev-led Indian team won it. In 1987, it was called the Reliance Cup after the sponsors, as the tournament moved out of Britain for the first time . In 1992, a crystal trophy was presented to Pakistan captain Imran Khan. In 1996, it became the Wills Trophy and in 1999, the ICC instituted a permanent trophy. Link What the F#ck? :omg::omg: If this is true. Shame on you Mr. Pawar. You can steal hundreds of crores as tax exception for the cash rich ICC, stealing what is right fully ours, by using all your clout. But can't pay customs or use your clout to get the World cup released. Though this doesn't take away anything from Team India. This is a real shame!
straight.drive Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 There were reports that customs department demanded tickets from ICC. Well our nation has an arrogant class of irresponsible elite which think that they have divinity in the blood, and they have to be respected and put on pedestal. Sad, but pretty true....
IndianRenegade Posted April 4, 2011 Author Posted April 4, 2011 There were reports that customs department demanded tickets from ICC. Well our nation has an arrogant class of irresponsible elite which think that they have divinity in the blood, and they have to be respected and put on pedestal. Sad, but pretty true.... Hardly a convincing reason. Who heads ICC? Mr. Sharad Pawar? If he and his govt. can't handle our own countries customs, then god(if he exists) save india!
Prakat Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Hardly a convincing reason. Who heads ICC? Mr. Sharad Pawar? If he and his govt. can't handle our own countries customs' date= then god(if he exists) save india! Handle??? But yeah, the ICC won't pay because it'll expect the host nation(s) to do it - "if they want it they can pay for it or we're more than happy to send them a replica". The BCCI wouldn't have paid because they'll reason we don't even know if India will make it to the finals. So I guess between everybody who could have done something about it, nobody figured it mattered if the real thing was on the stage or if a replica was in its place.
anish233 Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 does it matter?... ya its sad and ridiculous? but **** it INDIA ARE THE WORLD CHAMPS. ALL THIS CRAP DONT MATTER....
yoda Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 somehow I find it hard to believe that Sharad Pawar couldn't get a trophy released from some lowly custom officials.
straight.drive Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Hardly a convincing reason. Who heads ICC? Mr. Sharad Pawar? If he and his govt. can't handle our own countries customs' date= then god(if he exists) save india! Must be. I saw these "reports" on NewsX..But i will not be surprised if that turns out to be true, and most of the country would not be either...
IndianRenegade Posted April 4, 2011 Author Posted April 4, 2011 Handle??? But yeah, the ICC won't pay because it'll expect the host nation(s) to do it - "if they want it they can pay for it or we're more than happy to send them a replica". The BCCI wouldn't have paid because they'll reason we don't even know if India will make it to the finals. So I guess between everybody who could have done something about it, nobody figured it mattered if the real thing was on the stage or if a replica was in its place. ICC is headed by Pawar and his clout in BBCI is well known. And who is talking about paying for the trophy? When he can get 100s of crores for ICC in Tax exception when majority of his ministerial colleagues opposed the idea, he can't get tax exception for the would Cup?
Prakat Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 :giggle: well..what a phaggot customs rules we have then...we are one of the host nations' date=' WC FINAL was to be played in Mumbai regardless of who the finalists would be...then why all this drama :winky:[/quote'] Also did a quick search and found this on the wikipedia entry for the trophy - "The actual trophy is kept by the International Cricket Council but a replica, which is identical in all aspects apart from the inscription of the previous champions, is awarded to the winning team and remains in their possession." I'm not sure how kosher that report is now.
Roshanrocks Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 who cares about the actual cup? What are the players going to do with it? We are world champions, that should matter most!!!! What matters is WHO the CEO of the company is... not the chair he sits in :P
yoda Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 I think the title needs to be changed. Just because some random article refers to it as fake, doesn't mean we need a thread calling it the same. Pls rename it to "replica".
hatja_tau Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 World Cup with Indian team is original, says ICC MUMBAI: The ICC on Monday rejected reports that the World Cup with the Indian team is a replica and maintained that it is the original trophy after controversy broke out over news that that it was a fake that was presented to the team on Saturday. Media reports said that the Cup given to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team was a fake and that the original was lying with the customs in Mumbai over non-payment of duties. Several former cricketers expressed dismay over the alleged goofup by the ICC and the BCCI. Following these reports, the ICC came out with a statement this morning saying that the trophy presented to the Indian cricket team is original. "Contrary to some erroneous and mischievous media reports, the ICC can confirm that the trophy presented to India at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday was the original ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 trophy and the one that was always intended to be presented to the winner of the event," the ICC statement read. "There is no question that this was a replica. The trophy presented to India indeed carries the specific event logo of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and has always been the cup that the 14 teams were playing for," it added. The ICC said the Cup in the customs' custody is the "perpetual trophy" which is used for promotional purposes. "The trophy seized by Mumbai customs is the promotional, perpetual trophy which remains in the keeping of ICC at its headquarters in Dubai. It carries the generic ICC corporate logo rather than the logo specific to the 2011 event. That trophy will be reclaimed on Monday and will travel back to Dubai with ICC staff as was always intended," the governing body said. Customs sources also admitted that they did not know whether the trophy with them is the original or not. "We don't know whether it is the original Cup or a replica. But we will release it after payment of 35 per cent customs duty," sources said. The Cup has been in the forefront of the celebrations by the entire Indian nation with players even posing with it along with President Pratibha Patil at the Raj Bhavan on Sunday. Dhoni has been photographed and caught on television cameras carrying the replica to the iconic Gateway of India opposite the team hotel on Sunday. Man of the Tournament, Yuvraj Singh, has been kissing the replica repeatedly in delight. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/news/World-Cup-with-Indian-team-is-original-says-ICC/articleshow/7863727.cms
Sachin=GOD Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Whatever the ICC or the BCCI says, it usually happens in most sports that the trophy given at the time of the presentation is a replica and not the original because in the euphoria of winning the WC, the players sometimes, unintentionally, manhandle the trophy and there's a risk of it being broken - happened with the Football WC winning Italian side when they got back home, in all the celebrations and handing over the trophy from one person to another, a small part of the trophy was broken and there was a large hue and cry over it. Its better to use the replica for things like the photo shoot they had yesterday or for the victory parade etc and then finally when its time to put the trophy in the cabinet, they should put the original one.
IndianRenegade Posted April 4, 2011 Author Posted April 4, 2011 Remember Dean Jones on NDTV saying the players to go low on Alcohol. And remembers how the Aussies manhandled the trophy which lead to the globe falling off and had to pay for fixing it. Wonder ether it was the original one or the replica?
akshayxyz Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 I always thought they always give replica at the time of winning for the reasons of safety and security. Also - as someone said, it would be news of the century (bigger than winning WC) that Pawar could not get clearance from customs.
Aaku Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Trophy not a replica, clarifies ICC Mumbai: Contrary to some media reports, the ICC has confirmed that the trophy presented to India at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday was the original ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 trophy and the one that was always intended to be presented to the winner of the event. "There is no question that this was a replica. The trophy presented to India indeed carries the specific event logo of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and has always been the cup that the 14 teams were playing for," the ICC said in its press release. "The trophy seized by Mumbai customs is the promotional, perpetual trophy which remains in the keeping of ICC at its headquarters in Dubai. "It carries the generic ICC corporate logo rather than the logo specific to the 2011 event. That trophy will be reclaimed today and will travel back to Dubai with ICC staff as was always intended," the ICC added. Earlier, there were reports doing the rounds that the trophy presented to the Indian team was actually a replica as the original was still with the custom officials after being seized in Mumbai. The Cup, meanwhile, has been in the forefront of the celebrations by the entire Indian nation with players even posing with it along with President Pratibha Patil at the Raj Bhavan on Sunday. Man of the Tournament, Yuvraj Singh, has been kissing the trophy repeatedly in delight. http://sports.ndtv.com/world-cup-2011/news/item/171619-trophy-not-a-replica-clarifies-icc :two_thumbs_up:
Precambrian Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Who the **** cares whether it was made out of gold or goldplated or copper or even coal. Too much read into this.
phaedrus Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 well, the tournament was real. th win was real. couldnt care less about this piece of news really
ganeshran Posted April 4, 2011 Posted April 4, 2011 Who cares? the trophy was symbolic, the title real: we are the world champions!!
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