Professional sport is all about sacrifice. To give up something for a cause. And often, such sacrifices go unnoticed. As we celebrate India’s famous win against Kuwait on Thursday night in a crucial World Cup qualifier, it is time to take pause and appreciate Luka Radman, the Indian team’s fitness coach, for his contribution. Radman, it should be pointed out, lost his father just 48 hours before the game. It would have been natural if he had left for Croatia to make arrangements for the funeral. He did not. Radman stayed on to help the team, and this win is as much testament to the unflinching efforts of the backroom staff as it is about the players who starred on the field. India clearly looked the fitter side and even when Kuwait tried to press for an equaliser in the final 15 minutes, not once did India look tired or exhausted.
Radman, who has previously worked with the Croatian national team during the 1998 FIFA World Cup, is also the closest confidante of Igor Stimac, India’s head coach. “He is my best friend and someone I can trust with anything,” said Stimac, munching on a burger at the departure terminal just before boarding the flight back to India in the wee hours of Friday morning. “He has made a telling difference to the team and it was evident to all in the course of the match. But what many don’t know is that he has lost his father and was faced with the toughest choice – between going back for the funeral or staying on for this key game. He decided to stay on. That’s what defines us as a team. Every member of the national team will stand by each other in this campaign. We might face a slew of challenges, but what you will not see is us shying away from a challenge. It is not about one person. Rather, we are a collective with the singular dream of doing well for India.”
For the record, Radman has also worked with the Croatia men’s basketball team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and with the Croatia men’s water polo team at the 1999 European Championships.
With very little time left to board the flight, Stimac summed things up in a hurry. “I hope you will agree with me on the importance of refereeing,” he said, harking back to one of his pet peeves in recent months. “When the decisions are fair, it makes a huge difference. We have been at the receiving end of poor decisions in the last few months, and it has cost us key games like the one against Iraq [at the Kings Cup in Thailand]. Here, it was proper refereeing and no amount of home support could impact decision-making.
“The final thing I want to say is it wasn’t easy to make up for the loss of Anwar Ali, Jeakson and Ashique. But I am pleased with the way the boys stepped up and fought. On the 21st [of November] in Bhubaneshwar, against a very good Qatar side, you will again see fight from us. In front of our fans, we will fight for every ball. I hope the fans will get behind us again.”
Both the team, and unsung heroes like Radman, have earned that support.