Boria Majumdar in Paris
I was sitting in the Main Press Centre (MPC) and getting ready for the live show when a voice came up from behind me and said, “Bhai jaan, kaise hain [Brother, how are you]?” I had seen him somewhere, but was not able to recognise him immediately. Seeing my blank expression, he said: “Tokyo bhul gaye [You’ve forgotten Tokyo]?”. And all of a sudden, it came back. He is one of the best photographers in the business and we had struck up a very close friendship in Tokyo, when he would come every day to photograph PV Sindhu and the Indian badminton contingent.
“Sindhu hai kya is baar [Is Sindhu there this time]?” was the first question. And immediately, we hit it off again. I asked him to keep an eye on Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya [Sen] and [HS] Prannoy. “How many medals are you expecting from badminton?” was his response. When I said I am not sure of Sindhu this time round, his response was startling. “If she can beat [Akane] Yamaguchi in Japan, she can beat anyone here. You should be optimistic, and I will see you at the badminton on the 27th. Need to send you some more great pictures of Sindhu and your men’s doubles team.”
So will you be at badminton all through, I asked? He said yes, before adding: “Bhai jaan, don’t miss badminton. We were lucky for India in Tokyo. We will be lucky for India in Paris as well. If you are saying your men’s doubles team is that good, let’s both cheer for them to win gold here.”
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And that was when Pullela Gopichand’s name flashed on my phone. It just seemed surreal, to say the least. Gopi was returning a call, and the first question I asked him was: “I hope everyone is fit and there are no real concerns with anyone?”
Gopi, as usual, took his time. After a momentary pause, I could hear a chuckle. “Everything is fine, and there is nothing to worry about,” he said. “No news is good news.” We promised to catch up on the 27th. I looked at my photographer friend and asked if he would be at the badminton hall on the 27th for the first men’s doubles match featuring Satwik and Chirag. Was it superstition, or something else? In Tokyo, he was present for every Sindhu match and it ended up in a second Olympic medal for her. Each one of us here will not take a chance, and will do everything we can to add to team India’s campaign.
By then, my friend had company. His colleague had joined him and seemed amused by the conversation we had just had. “So you two know each other from Tokyo?” he asked. “No, just that bhai jaan and I watched India’s badminton medal together and will do so again here,” said my friend before giving me a hug and leaving for the day. That’s when it dawned. I did not remember his name. In fact, I had never asked. Nor did he, for that matter.
But we are friends and have a very special bond. The Olympic bond. Even after three years, we could connect very easily with each other. We will both be there on the 27th to cheer for Sat-Chi and Lakshya. And needless to say, we will be there for Sindhu on the 28th. This is what the Olympics is all about – a human symbol of harmony and peace. It allows people to come together and forge a bond and stands testimony to all that is good about our society. In all honesty, I want my friend to be there, to take some more amazing photographs and back India to win another historic medal.
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