Players are some of the most written about and sought after of people. Histories of contemporary societies can never be complete without an appraisal of sportspersons who are national obsessions, driving millions to ecstasy and fury.

And among these special men and women there are some who defy laws of science and in the process prove that raw determination, more than anything else, still reigns. These icons are special for they continue to inspire and, to top it all, win laurels for their nation. Sourav Ganguly is one such. And here he is in elite company with legends like Andre Agassi, Lance Armstrong and the like.

It is established that Ganguly is no Sachin Tendulkar. He wasn't born with greatness and, unlike Sachin, he is dispensable on occasions. When he was indeed dispensed with during Greg Chappell's tenure, only Bengal mourned for him.

Yet he stuck it out in domestic cricket and forced his way back into the Indian team. Agassi, similarly, was never a Roger Federer or even a Pete Sampras. Yet when Agassi played Federer, entire stadiums were seen praying for a miracle. Agassi, unlike Federer, had the unique distinction of plummeting to 140 or so in the world rankings and then staging a miraculous comeback.

It is the stories of these fairy-tale comebacks, full of romance and passion as they are, that make these sports-persons special, often more so in comparison to their more illustrious counterparts. Zinedine Zidane is another such icon. He had to face serious flak when France were knocked out in the preliminary stages of the 2002 World Cup. However, like Ganguly and Agassi, he proved the entire soccer fraternity wrong when he guided France to the final of the last World Cup.

What is most significant in these sports stars are their intriguing abilities to uniquely combine talent and discipline and triumph over modern registers of science and technology considered central to modern sport. Ask anyone why India doesn't win more Olympic medals and prompt comes the answer, "We lack the infrastructure".

Yet when it comes to Ganguly, who is nearing 35, is a rank bad fielder and has a weakness against the rising ball, top opposition like the South Africans, English and Pakistanis could exploit none of these in the past one year. Unparalleled determination coupled with grit and talent has seen him through, something Indian Olympic athletes at Beijing 2008 would do well to emulate.

It is time to come to terms with the fact that in nations like ours infrastructure will always be lacking. At the same time, we will have models like Ganguly in front of us to inspire and motivate.

Statistics will demonstrate that Ganguly has already amassed 1,000 runs in this calendar year. As he waits his turn to play his 100th Test match on Boxing Day in Melbourne — yet another elite echelon — there's little doubt that he stands tall among a relatively non-sporting race.

Just as Bengal is an also-ran in the Indian sporting pantheon, India is similarly placed in the global sporting hierarchy. But if a Ganguly can come out of Bengal, India can still dream of that elusive Olympic gold in Beijing.

And when Ganguly finally retires, nothing can take away certain truths. Even at the cost of sounding a biased provincial, it could be suggested that he will continue to be one of the most awe-inspiring Indian sporting icons.

Without being in the Sachin masterclass, he turned the tables on Australia in 2003-04 with an amazing century in Brisbane. Without being blessed with Rahul Dravid's technique, he saved India the blushes at Bangalore against Pakistan.

He could confidently say before the last tour of Australia, "Most people see an Australia tour as pressure. For me a tour Down Under lifts me up". Ganguly's comeback mocks the notion that modern sport is only for the young and that 30-plus players are discards.

What it proves is that part of modern sport continues to be played in the heart and in this passionate realm nothing is impossible. Not even an Indian victory in Australia.