I belong to a generation for which the real India-Pakistan sporting rivalry was about hockey, not cricket. I was told by my father about the great victory in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, when we beat Pakistan 1-0 in the final. I remember our huge defeat against the same country in the 1982 Asian Games.
I recall the goal scored by Govinda to give India a 1-0 win over Pakistan in Amsterdam in the second World Cup in 1973. I was taking tuitions when the entire mohalla broke into a loud cheer on hearing the news on radio. I immediately knew we had scored a goal. I pleaded with my tutor to leave early. And he did. I recall college students bursting crackers that evening.
I also remember getting up in the morning a few days later only to be told that we had lost the final against Holland on penalties. I learnt later that we had missed a penalty stroke during the sudden death period. How cruel can life be?
Two years later I was at school when I came to know that we had won the World Cup this time. India had beaten Pakistan 2-1; hockey wizard Dhyanchand’s son, Ashok Kumar, scoring the winning goal. No corporate-induced fake IPL frenzy can ever match that genuine national euphoria which was evident everywhere through the week: in schools, colleges, street corners, railway stations. Everywhere.
Aslam Sher Khan’s penalty corner strike against Malaysia in the semifinal became the most talked-about moment in Indian hockey for decades to come. How he kissed the "tabeez" and slammed home a penalty corner in the dying seconds for India to level the scores 2-2. India scored another goal in extra time to win that match.
On Sunday, after many years, watching a game of hockey gave me the same sense of thrill and pleasure. 4-1 was a truly emphatic win. It was great watching Indians play with such a sense of purpose and commitment. Penalty corner specialist Sandeep Singh, Gurbaz, Prabhjot, Vikram Pillay – all were superb.
In the 1970s, penalty corner used to be our weakness, now it is our strength. What is obvious, though, is that we have lost our dribbling skills to a large extent. That’s sad.
It was also great to see a packed house. Their "India, India" chants turned the stadium into a theatre of emotions.
So hard luck, Pakistan. And Chak de! India. Let us enjoy this happy sporting moment. What a great Holi gift for the nation. After all, the triumph comes on the biggest of all sporting stages: the World Cup.
But let us not forget that beating Pakistan is just the means to an end. We should aim for higher goals in the championship. Sunday’s win is not the end; it is simply the beginning.
Source: http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Addictions/entry/chak-de-india-hockey-s
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