‘Olympics is special’: Former hockey stars recall sporting tales – The Hindu

It’s six months into 2024. India has gained a cricket World Cup, Spain has been topped soccer champs within the Europian Championship, and a younger Carlos Alcarez has bagged yet one more Wimbledon title.

Come July 26, the world’s sporting neighborhood will eagerly tune in to the happenings at Paris, which can host the Olympics. Metroplus goes down reminiscence lane with three former hockey Olympians, who shall be felicitated by the Chennai-based firm, SharonPly, subsequent week. Excerpts from the dialog:

V Baskaran
| Photograph Credit score:
V RAMAMURTHI

Vasudevan Baskaran

Baskaran is not any stranger to the Olympics. On the 1980 Summer season Olympics in Moscow, Baskaran captained the Indian aspect to a historic gold medal, a proud second for all the sporting neighborhood within the nation.

It’s throughout his time on the Olympics village that he ran into standard boxer Muhammad Ali and sprinter Carl Lewis. “Aside from taking part in within the highest stage, it is a place the place you meet the who’s who of each sport. There’s nothing just like the Olympics,” he says.

Which is why Baskaran is headed to Paris subsequent week, making it his tenth time on the Olympics. He’ll catch a couple of video games stay – Baskaran has already booked tickets for the essential video games in hockey and soccer – and hopes so as to add to his wealthy repository of the Olympics expertise. “India will hopefully attain double digit figures within the medal tally,” he says.

He remembers the time when he was chosen because the Indian hockey staff captain by All India Council of Sport, then headed by Sam Manekshaw. “We struggled with restricted sources, in comparison with different groups. We didn’t have superior video evaluation, however tailored by finding out out there footage and strategising. Regardless of being underdogs, we used our strengths successfully to succeed,” remembers Baskaran.

Baskaran grew up in Chennai and hails from a household that inspired sports activities – 4 of his brothers performed for India, and his father was a pole vault champion. “After I was in class, each child getting on the college bus carried a hockey keep on with him. I will need to have performed hockey in about 5, 000 villages throughout India, and that helped form my sporting tradition and self-discipline. Hockey – and sport itself – is all about speaking successfully.”

The State Financial institution of India hockey
| Photograph Credit score:
The Hindu Archives

Muneer Sait

The Olympics bronze medal finds pleasure of place in Muneer Sait’s home in Chennai. It was a medal he gained again in 1968, on the Mexico Metropolis Olympics, throughout which he was the goalkeeper of the staff.

He feels a tad disillusioned that they missed out on the gold – hockey followers will recall how India fielded two captains for the 1968 Olympics as a consequence of an inside rift – however Muneer was among the many heroes of these instances, having stopped a whopping 12 penalty corners towards Spain. All this when the sport was performed with out face masks or chest pads. “The usual of the sport was so excessive within the sixties that every place had nearly ten gamers vying for a similar spot,” remembers Muneer, “In reality, I retired after the Olympics, as a result of I felt that my dream had come true.”

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The bronze medal continues to be a draw amongst sports activities followers. “It’s distinctive. I play a number of squash now and wherever I am going, individuals wish to see the bronze medal. Its worth has gone up tremendously now and it feels treasured,” he beams.

The 84-year-old, who retains himself energetic by taking part in squash, is unperturbed with cricket’s huge following within the nation. “It (cricket) is nicely administered, not like hockey that’s riddled with politics. We have been fortunate these days to be managed by individuals who devoted time for the sport. Once we performed the Rangaswamy Cup, the stands was filled with supporters, with greater than 20,000 individuals cheering the gamers. Throughout the Bombay Gold Cup, movie stars like Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Padmini used to attend our matches. Immediately, hockey has largely misplaced its appeal,” says Muneer. He charges the present hockey staff’s health extremely, one thing that augurs nicely for it in Paris 2024.

Charles Cornelius
| Photograph Credit score:
Thamodharan B

Charles Cornelius

Competitors is nothing new for Charles Cornelius.

His early years have been in Sansarpur, a village in Jalandhar district (Punjab) recognized for its sporting heroes. “Everybody was an Olympian there. I used to be the one South Indian in a spot crammed with sardarjis, and it was initially very tough.”

However Charles’ abilities on the hockey area grabbed the eye of many. He grew to become a goalkeeper by alternative as that was the one approach he might discover a spot within the Punjab hockey staff.

There was no trying again. “A goalkeeper’s main job is to cease the ball. Within the worldwide stage, nevertheless, simply stopping the ball won’t suffice as it’d find yourself being a go to the opponent.”

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He considers the bronze medal within the 1972 Munich Olympic Video games amongst his most memorable sporting moments. “The hardest recreation to play is not the finals. It’s the recreation for the third place, which occurs after now we have misplaced the race to the highest spot. We gained the bronze that 12 months, however that was not sufficient for lots of people. A number of gamers from the staff truly stayed elsewhere in a buddy’s place, as they might not face their family and friends again in Jalandhar who anticipated us to win gold,” chuckles Charles, “I bear in mind going out on the streets with a cap and protecting my face. For six months, I couldn’t step out in public, as a result of everybody would disgrace me for getting only a bronze medal and never the gold.”

Charles is hopeful of the present hockey staff faring nicely in Paris 2024 however is, nevertheless, downbeat about children taking over out of doors sports activities significantly. “Immediately, nobody needs to play sports activities that require energy, endurance and pace. Everybody needs to take up chess, archery and taking pictures. Sadly, nobody needs to run.”

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