Lingerie Football League: BC Angels Kick Off In Abbotsford Saturday
August 26, 2012 by admin
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Kick-off’s tonight.
No, not the NFL; that starts Wednesday. Tonight’s the first game for the BC Angels, one of four Canadian teams marking their inaugural seasons in the Lingerie Football League.
They make their debut at home against the Regina Rager at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre. Kickoff is at 8 p.m.
The Huffington Post B.C. caught up with Angels running back Stephanie Manou before the team kicks off its season.
How does it feel to get the season going?
I’m really excited to finally get the season going, we’ve been practicing for five months now, we’re anxious to get to put our skills to use. We’re very excited, very confident going into this game, and looking forward to a big win for B.C.
What kind of football experience do you have?
Playing experience? I actually played flag football in high school, so that’s about the extent of my playing experience, but I’m a rugby player, I played for UBC, played for their team and their league team as well, I do come from a contact background, but a bit different than playing rugby and transferring over to football.
How did you get into the Lingerie Football League?
I learned about the league about a year and a half ago. For me, it’s kind of the perfect combination of who I am, you know, I’m an athlete, I like to push myself, but I’m also a fitness model, so it kind of combined the two aspects of who I was perfectly.
A lot of the girls that have come out for the team are along the same lines, they have the athletic background, they have the drive to play at an elite level, we’re also representing that healthy, female image that I myself also exude, so it was great to meet other women like myself who have the same interests and hobbies.
How physically demanding is the game?
It’s full contact with less padding. I’m a rugby player, it’s not that much of a challenge, it’s more of a challenge to wear the equipment. Physically, this sport, going into it, I didn’t think it was going to be this physically challenging.
I played an elite level sport before, I played for a university, I can honestly say I’ve never been in better shape than I’m in right now. It has been a great road that we’ve gone on and the amount that we’ve had to learn, and our bodies have had to change to adapt to the physical contact, with the pads, the style of football. A lot of these girls have never played contact sports before, it’s a huge adjustment.
I’ll be playing with a broken nose, but it doesn’t stop me, so I’m just pushing through.
How have you had to adapt yourself?
Well your body adapts to any sport that you take on, going to the gym normally I’d just do a lot of isolated exercises for general fitness, but I’ve had to change my training program to be more functional and a lot of speed and agility and power work. Like I’ll go through doing hurdles, functional exercises I’ve never had to do before.
I’m a personal trainer, I get to see these little changes in my body, some muscles are growing that I never knew I could change!
I now have a sprinter’s butt and I’m really proud of that. My body’s adapting, it’s a really, really neat feeling and as I mentioned, it’s the best shape I’ve ever been in, and as a trainer that says a lot.
How do you respond to the criticism that the Lingerie Football League is an exploitative sport?
Well, I think for most of the team, and I can speak for them, they just see it as a football team. What we actually have to wear, we just put it on. You just want to get out there and play the game, we’re not worried about that, no matter what you do, there’s going to be people who have a negative opinion of something, not everyone’s going to love what you do.
You try to focus on the positive aspects of the game. Our coaching staff has been great. Coming in, they made it clear this is 100 per cent about the football, the league can dress it up however they need to, but on the field it is real football, not lingerie models, but athletes.
We just hope that people get to come and see what the game’s really about, and then they can make a judgment and decide for themselves after that.
What is the most stinging criticism you’ve heard?
Honestly we’ve received a lot more praise than we have criticisms. I know people keep focusing on the critical part of it, but we’ve really received such a warm welcome to Abbotsford and sports in general and everyone’s been pretty positive. When it was first announced is when we had the most criticism. The more reports and media we speak to, the better response we get.
I’ll give you the personal example, I’ve heard of people claiming that it was against all women’s rights, the feminists were very upset about it. It’s silly to me because in my opinion, this is taking a step in the right direction, I think people just need to look at the bigger picture and not just focus on one uniform and not just focus on money. We’re not getting paid but we’re getting a fantastic opportunity we would not get doing anything else.
The people who have been coming to games are the people that want to see the sport, we sold tickets to lots of flag football teams, a lot other sports teams are supporting us. They want to see what it’s all about, we’ve had an overwhelming response from the community in a positive way, in my opinion more than the negative.
Check out our slideshow of the BC Angels Football
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WBRi Movie Review: Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012) – a middle-aged …
August 26, 2012 by admin
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Kolkata, August 25, 2012 (Washington Bangla Radio / Penning Creations) Romantic characters have been as inspiring over time as they have been eternal. So here is a warm recommendation for all those who are in love with Love – do yourself a favor and catch Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012), an Indian Bollywood romance comedy story with a difference. This film directed by Bela Bhansali Sehgal has much to surprise you.
Lingerie Salesman Farhad Pastakiya (Boman Irani) turns 45 dealing with bras and panties but never getting close to a woman. He is hopeful though that someday, a celluloid-style love affair will happen to him too. Shirin Fugawala (Farah Khan) is a forty year old single, vibrant Parsi lady. Busy in her daily worldly affairs, she never quite had the time to think about love. Destiny brings her to Farhad and his lovelorn imagination begins working in right earnest. But does Shirin co-operate with him to initiate ‘action’ and turn this into an unconventional love story? How do they cross the hurdle Farhad’s mother brings into their way of love? Warm answers will pop up as you occupy a seat in the theatres with a cup full of warm popcorns!
Successful choreographer cum filmmaker Farah Khan turns lead actress with this film. (Farah Khan will also be seen in Akshay Kumar – Sonakshi Sinha starrer Joker (Hindi, 2012) releasing next week). Not surprisingly, she surpasses all her previous images with her new introduction as a film’s heroine. Farah is super confident in the tailor-made role of Shirin. Not for a single second will you think she is actually acting – such is her spontaneity! Farah is so natural an actor and has a lovely screen presence too.
A better choice than Boman to portray the desperately love-seeking, middle aged Farhad’s role would be difficult to come by. His dialogue delivery hits you right in your heart and his poise and silence touch you even deeper. He is convincingly confused and very earnestly confident as the ageing lover.
Watch Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012) Trailer Online
Actors Kavin Dave, Shammi, Kurush Deboo and Daisy Irani suit their respective roles perfectly and support the leads to move through the reels smoothly.
Bela Bhansali Sehgal proves to be a director with remarkable aesthetic sense as she readied the story and script of the quirky and sweet Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi. Having its own spirit of ageless romance, it’s indeed an interesting unconventional love story that sweetens your heart.
Jeet Ganguly does the musical scores with Shreya Ghosal, KK, Neeraj Shreedhar and other leading singers coming up with some hummable numbers. Cinematographer Mahesh Aney and editors Rajesh Pandey and the director of the flick, Bela Bhansali Sehgal, do a job that is difficult to find flaws with.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s sibling Bela Bhansali Sehgal joins the strong brigade of promising contemporary lady directors in the league of Reema Kagti, Farah Khan and Zoya Akhtar. Being an editor herself and with a close connection with cinema for a long period, Bela is well informed about the way to portray her work in the best possible manner. Intelligent pickup scenes from old super hit films to represent the dreamy love world only show her expertise and flair for situational comedy.
With this thoroughly entertaining desi rom-com film, Bela has surely taken a super step towards becoming a show-(wo)man!
