Shaiju Damodaran

Last updated

Shaiju Damodaran
Shaiju Damodaran.jpg
Shaiju in March 2016
Born (1973-02-07) 7 February 1973 (age 50)
Aroor, Alappuzha, Kerala, India
Nationality Indian
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Journalist
  • TV commentator
  • TV presenter
SpouseAsha Shaiju
Children2

Shaiju Damodaran (born 7 February 1973) is an Indian sports commentator, sports journalist and columnist who, as of 2022, is the leading Malayalam commentator for Star network (Malayalam) on their Indian Super League (ISL) coverage. As of November 2022, he has commentated on more than 500 ISL games, which is the highest by any commentators in any language in the ISL. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and career

Shaiju Damodaran is the son of A. I. Damodaran and Lalitha Damodaran. He attended high school at Ochanthuruth and completed his pre-degree at The Cochin College, Kochi, then studied for a Bachelor's degree in economics at St. Paul's College, Kalamassery. He later completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in journalism and mass communication at Kerala Media Academy, Kochi. [3]

In 1995, Shaiju started working as a journalist at Mathrubhumi in Kochi, specializing in cricket and football, and later became a senior sub-editor. [4] After working for 20 years, he resigned from Mathrubhumi to work as a special correspondent for Kochi-based firm Mangalam Publications in 2015. [5] As of January 2021, Shaiju works as a sports journalist; he has covered 10 Santosh Trophy National Football Championships, more than 400 ISL games, national and international cricket matches including the Ranji Trophy, Deodhar Trophy and Duleep Trophy. He has also covered all of the One Day International cricket games in Kochi. [6]

Commentary career

Shaiju started his career as a sports commentator in 2012, covering the 2012 Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) season, which he covered for the next two seasons. [7] He was chosen as the leading commentator in Malayalam for the inaugural season of the ISL. [8] Ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Star Network decided to include Malayalam commentary and Shaiju was engaged as the leading commentator. [9] In 2017, he became the first person to complete 200 matches as an ISL commentator. [10]

In the same year, he commentated for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy's final between India and Pakistan. In 2018, Sony ESPN engaged Shaiju as the leading Malayalam commentator for the FIFA World Cup in Russia; it was the first Malayalam commentary of a FIFA World Cup. [11] During the tournament, Shaiju's commentary of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 87th-minute free-kick goal against Spain captured the attention of football fans across the globe and became viral on social media. [12] [13] [14]

In January 2019, Shaiju later did the Malayalam commentary for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, which was held in the UAE. He also commentated for India's numerous friendly football games. [15] In December 2020, he recreated the commentary for Diego Maradona's 'Goal of the Century' in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Malayalam by the request of Victor Hugo Morales, and had aired in Argentina through Radio AM 750. [16] [17]

Commentary style

Shaiju's commentary style consists of energetic phrases peppered with aberrant uses and one-liners. [18] He usually intersperses his commentary with famous dialogue from movies. [19] Shaiju has said his reaction is automatic and he uses a mix of language in his commentary, saying; "It comes naturally to me when the action calls for it. It’s an emotional display rather than a verbal expression. I think people like it". [20]

Fascinated with Shaiju's commentary on Ronaldo's free-kick goal, Mahindra Group executive chairman Anand Mahindra tweeted:

Ok that’s it. I’m switching to this channel with commentary in Malayalam. No, I don’t understand the language but I don’t need to—these guys are so pumped up they make the English & Hindi commentators sound tame! [21]

Controversy

In November 2022, Shaiju Damodaran kissed the foot of Kerala Blasters midfielder Ivan Kalyuzhnyi during an interview and said the kiss was not from him, but from Keralites which sparked a controversy. [22] The incident evoked sharp reactions on social media platforms. [23]

Personal life

Shaiju is married to Asha and the couple lives in Kaloor, Kochi, with their children Abhinov and Adhinov. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diego Maradona</span> Argentine football player and manager (1960–2020)

Diego Armando Maradona was an Argentine professional football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelé</span> Brazilian footballer (1940–2022)

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)</span> Brazilian footballer (born 1976)

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, known as Ronaldo or Ronaldo Nazário, is a Brazilian business owner and president of Segunda Division club Real Valladolid, owner of Brasileiro Série A club Cruzeiro, and a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Nicknamed O Fenômeno and R9, he is considered one of the greatest players of all time. As a multi-functional striker who brought a new dimension to the position, Ronaldo has been an influence for a generation of strikers that have followed. His individual accolades include being named FIFA World Player of the Year three times and winning two Ballon d'Or awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballon d'Or</span> Annual association football award

The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year and known as the FIFA Ballon d'Or. That partnership ended in 2016, and the award reverted to the Ballon d'Or, while FIFA also reverted to its own separate annual award The Best FIFA Men's Player. The recipients of the joint FIFA Ballon d'Or are considered as winners by both award organisations. The Ballon d’Or is generally regarded as football’s most prestigious and valuable individual award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronaldinho</span> Brazilian footballer (born 1980)

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder, but was also deployed as a winger. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d'Or. He is the only player ever to have won a World Cup, a Copa América, a Confederations Cup, a Champions League, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d'Or. A global icon of the sport, Ronaldinho was renowned for his technical skills, creativity, dribbling ability and accuracy from free-kicks, his use of tricks, feints, no-look passes and overhead kicks, as well as his ability to score and create goals, all prominent characteristics of his early-age background playing futsal. He is known by the nickname "O Bruxo".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriel Batistuta</span> Argentine footballer

Gabriel Omar Batistuta is an Argentine former professional footballer. During his playing career, Batistuta was nicknamed Batigol as well as El Ángel Gabriel. Regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, noted in particular for powerful strikes from volleys or from distance while on the run, in 1999, Batistuta placed third for the FIFA World Player of the Year award. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cristiano Ronaldo</span> Portuguese footballer (born 1985)

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Portugal national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards, a record three UEFA Best Player in Europe, and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player. He has won 33 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League. Ronaldo holds the records for most appearances (183), goals (140) and assists (42) in the Champions League, goals in the European Championship (14), international goals (123) and international appearances (200). He is one of the few players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances, and has scored over 800 official senior career goals for club and country, making him the highest goalscorer of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Motson</span> English football commentator (1945–2023)

John Walker Motson was an English football commentator. Beginning as a television commentator with the BBC in 1971, he commentated on over 2000 games on television and radio. From the late 1970s to 2008, Motson was the dominant football commentary figure at the BBC, apart from a brief spell in the mid-1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lionel Messi</span> Argentine footballer (born 1987)

Lionel Andrés Messi, also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards and a record six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 he was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and the UEFA Champions League four times. With his country, he won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (eight), and most assists in La Liga (192) and the Copa América (17). He also has the most international goals by a South American male (103). Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club (672).

Mark Charles Jefford Nicholas is an English cricket commentator and former cricketer and broadcaster. He played for Hampshire from 1978 to 1995, captaining them from 1985 to his retirement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi)</span> Multi-purpose stadium in Ernakulam, Kochi, Kerala, India

The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, also known as Kaloor Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Ernakulam Kochi, Kerala, India. Since the 2017 renovation, the stadium has a seating capacity of 40,000. Previously, it used to have capacity of 80,000 spectators, that was limited to 41,000 for Indian Super League matches due to various security reasons. It is the home ground of the Indian Super League Club Kerala Blasters FC. The stadium is widely touted to have hosted one of the loudest audiences for association football matches in the world.

Clive Tyldesley is an English television sports broadcaster. He was ITV's senior football commentator from 1998 until 2020. In that role, he has led the ITV commentary team at four World Cups and four European Championships and been lead commentator on seventeen UEFA Champions League finals and a commentator on nine FA Cup finals for ITV. He won the prestigious Royal Television Society Sports Commentator of the Year in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2005, and was voted the Sony Radio Awards' Sports Broadcaster of the Year in 1983.

Peter Drury is a British sports commentator who currently works for Sky Sports and NBC Sports as the lead commentator for its Premier League coverage.

Kerala Media Academy, is an academy of journalists in Kerala. The academy was established on 19 March 1979. It is a joint venture of the Government of Kerala, Kerala Union of Working Journalists and Indian Newspaper Society. The head office of Kerala Press Academy is located at Kakkanad, Kochi, Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Maradona</span> Title given to Argentine football players

New Maradona or New Diego was a title given by the press and public to promising Argentine football players in reference to Diego Maradona as a benchmark. Since Maradona retired, people had been anticipating someone to lead the Argentina national team to a World Cup final, like Maradona did in 1986 and 1990. As a consequence, very talented youngsters were quickly labeled as the New Maradona, sometimes without any similarity in playing style. The New Maradonas were predominantly players in attacking or advanced playmaking roles — forwards, wingers, or attacking midfielders. The term gradually fell out of use after Lionel Messi successfully managed to lead Argentina to World Cup finals in 2014 and 2022, winning it in the latter, arguably emulating and surpassing Maradona to become the most successful Argentine footballer ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Super League</span> Top division association football league in India

The Indian Super League (ISL) is the men's highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the league currently comprises 12 clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerala Blasters FC</span> Indian association football club

Kerala Blasters Football Club, commonly referred to as The Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of football in India. The club was established in May 2014 during the inaugural season of the Indian Super League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messi–Ronaldo rivalry</span> Football rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

The Messi–Ronaldo rivalry, or Ronaldo–Messi rivalry, is a sporting rivalry in football propelled by the media and fans that involves Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, mainly for being contemporaries and for their similar records and sporting success. They spent nine seasons in the prime of their careers facing off regularly while playing for rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manjappada</span> Supporters group of Kerala Blasters Football Club

Manjappada are an organised supporters' group of the Kochi based professional football club Kerala Blasters FC, which competes in Indian Super League, the top-tier league of Indian football. One of the largest and most active fan groups in the country, Manjappada received the Indian Sports Honours Fan Club of the Year award two times, in 2017 and 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahal Abdul Samad</span> Indian association football player (born 1997)

Sahal Abdul Samad is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan SG and the India national team.

References

  1. ↑ "Shaiju Damodaran 300th- match as isl commentator special interview". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). 6 November 2019. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  2. ↑ Panappuzha, Vipin (19 November 2020). "isl 2020 21 Shaiju Damodaran reveals secrets in commentary box". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  3. ↑ "You see this..the King of Commentary is here". www.metrovaartha.com (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "Why People Around the Globe Are Tuning in to This Man's Malayalam World Cup Commentary". News18. 18 June 2018. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  5. ↑ "Shaiju Damodaran, the commentator who touched the world". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  6. ↑ Vasudevan, Shyam (23 June 2018). "Shaiju Damodaran, the man whose commentary went viral". Sportstar. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  7. ↑ "Those who wants to kill in defeat are fools; Says Shaiju Damodaran". Janmabhumi (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  8. ↑ Mohandas, Vandana (20 June 2018). "The Shaiju goalgasm!". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "The 'Singham' Commentator Reveals His Commentary Style". NDTVSports.com. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  10. ↑ "ISL football commentator Shaiju Damodaran break records today". malayalam.samayam.com (in Malayalam). 9 February 2018. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  11. ↑ Bhatt, Shephali (14 July 2018). "FIFA World Cup 2018: Meet the commentators who add local flavour to the beautiful game". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  12. ↑ Rakesh, K.M. (18 June 2018). "Universal language: Ronaldo da". Telegraph India. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  13. ↑ Viswanath, Chandrakanth (18 June 2018). "Why People Around the Globe Are Tuning in to This Man's Malayalam World Cup Commentary". News18. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  14. ↑ Pandey, Aditya (26 January 2020). "Malayalam Commentator, Shaiju Damodaran On What It Takes To Be Great Behind The Microphone". www.mensxp.com. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  15. ↑ "Kerala 'outside the Blasters; Malayalee players in ISL 7th season": Shaiju Damodaran Analysis". www.manoramaonline.com. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  16. ↑ Biju E Paul (25 December 2020). "Victor Hugo Morales' commentary on Maradona goal recreated in Malayalam". www.newindianexpress.com. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  17. ↑ "listen to yourself malayalam sound for maradona goal". Madhyamam (in Malayalam). 25 December 2020. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  18. ↑ Sanketh, Aakanksh (25 June 2018). "Indian commentator becomes viral sensation after Cristiano Ronaldo's goal". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  19. ↑ V, Vijay Krishna C. (18 June 2018). ""Ronaldooo" – Super Energetic Malayalam Commentator – Shaiju Damodaran – Malayala Karayude Romanjam". PAC Talks. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  20. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 2018: Meet Malayalam commentator Shaiju Damodaran, whose high-octane style has made him a global sensation". Firstpost. 19 June 2018. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  21. ↑ "The Shaiju Damodaran moment: The Malayalam football commentator India is raving about". The News Minute. 18 June 2018. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  22. ↑ "Commentator Shaiju Damodaran slammed for kissing footballer's foot - The Week". www.theweek.in. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  23. ↑ "Shaiju Damodaran kisses Ivan Kalyuzhnyi's foot". English.Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  24. ↑ Shaiju Damodaran (19 December 2020). "Nine goals scored in the match: Shaiju Damodaran writes". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.