S.Kannan in Hangzhou
India versus Pakistan, damn, how many times has that theme played, over and over again. We never get tired of it, India versus Pakistan in the sporting arena.
Being an Indian in Hangzhou, China, as an Asian Games fan first and then a professional sports writer, it is not easy to be cold like ice. You cannot remain inert to emotions. For, sport minus emotion is like injury without pain.
Sport makes you laugh, cry, roar, weep and sink. On Saturday evening and then night in Hangzhou, a city which has seen the Chinese put on their best show as the hosts, it was Indian flavour all over.
The theme of a 100 plus medals this time in the Asian Games has been mocked, scoffed at by the cynics back home. Unless one gets into Asian Games mode, feel the pulse in various arenas, you cannot see the adrenaline rush.
Boy oh boy, did some of the Indians in Hangzhou and also back home need something to soothe nerves, calm down the pulse rate. Drama, tears, excitement, suspense, everything was there in it. No, this was not of Chak De variety, made famous by the one and only Shahrukh Khan.
To borrow a Punjabi phrase, this was “Chak de phatte” which translates roughly into, “Just Do It.” Let me make it clear, this “Just Do It” is not to borrow a sports brand theme. This is a real theme, one of doing it for the nation, the country, to see the tricolour go up and then the national anthem play.
We have brave soldiers guarding our frontiers way up North of India, on either side, The Army men and the Para forces stand vigil in harshest of conditions. After all, guarding the border and standing vigil is no longer traditional combat alone. Technology, GPS and much more comes into play in these wars on the borders.
Well, the border or frontier which India scaled on Saturday night from the squash courts to the hockey turf offered a brilliant flavour, beat Pakistan. Nobody is trying to promote hatred between the two nations. There is friendship of sorts, it is not like North and South Korea nor is it like spit and abuse between crickets arch rivals England and Australia in the Ashes.
India versus Pakistan can never be a friendly. There has to be fire, or, at least embers. It could be a flicker, then flash and eventually holy smoke. Yes, it was smoke and curtains for Tricky Pakis in squash, a win which was never scripted even by the most fictitious writers. Was it real, or was it surreal!
Was this an Indian squash team in full cry against the battle hardened masters of squash from across the border. Squash is a crazy sport, it’s so fast, you can burn in it. The speed, artistry, reflexes and energy in it behind the glass back walls makes it engrossing.
Enter the brave men from India, Saurav Ghosal, Abhay Singh, Mahesh Mangaonkar and Harinder Pal Sandhu. Everyone knows Saurav has hung around for so long, his longevity defies the very existence in sport. What is that keeps this man going? One word defines it: Passion. He has done it over and over again for Indian squash.
The biggest theatre for squash has been the Asian Games. To borrow a word from movie theatre lingo, the win against Pakistan was a box-office hit. The way Abhay Singh competed, he was very much the wounded fighter. Staring at a wipe out, down match points, Abhay found that energy, that josh. Fight back, no it was like the final round in a heavyweight bout. Just stand and deliver the knockout punch.
Abhay did that, had the crowd roaring, stomping their feet. To script anther “Escape To Victory” was full of sweat, tears. The most important ingredient, self-belief. Well, Abhay had Noor Zaman on the floor, literally. Celebration minus the bubbly, India flag up, Pakistan squashed, this was a historic moment, a landmark day, A lot will be written about Indian squash, a sport which gets noticed most at the Asian Games. It has craved for Olympic recognition and being included. Never happened nor does it seem like.
Anyway, at the Asian Games, the way Indian squash has peaked is like setting the highest benchmark. This was a bull run, to borrow a stock market lingo. Hopefully, these men will get recognised by the government even better and attract corporate sponsors. Squash is a fantastic sport to stay fit and this Indian bunch showed they are the supremos.
“Thank you to everyone for being there. As much as it was quiet and haunting to be down for most of the match, all the shouting and the India cheering just pushed me to go. This one is for all the billion-plus of us — we come here, forget about ourselves, fighting for our flag. There was a lot of noise when we lost to Pakistan three nights ago, I am pretty sure I won’t hear any of that tonight,” said Abhay after the brilliant triumph.
If squash was ecstasy, the win against Pakistan in hockey by a 10-2 margin was of Richter scale proportion. You do feel sad for Pakistan their hockey has been buried. How many in this generation know the two Asian giants with the pyramid formation of 5-3-2-1 were a treat to watch. More on it another day.
For the moment, Indians squash has to be the biggest thrill. Replay, relive, reload.
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