My First National Exposure or Experience

Seeing the title, don't come into any early conclusions or judgments. Because, i am here to share my happiness on meeting national players, whom i had and has seen only in TV. From a child who used to play and worship hockey and then from playing hockey to watching hockey, my life has changed a lot in the past years. This change doesn't change one thing that is my love for the game. My passion or love has grown only bigger and better year by year. The only name I heard or know about hockey during my childhood days (Before Sixth standard) was Mr. Dhanraj Pillay. When I boarded a residential school for my sixth standard, I get connected and came to know more about the game. Once, after I started to play the game seriously, I have begun to know and learn more about it. It was all fun and great but like every journey it also needs to end at some point and mine ended where it all begun (My school). Then there is no way to play the game in my college days as there was no team in my college (but in the prospectus they said they had hockey team). I switched the gear and started to write sports articles about the other sports (Special thanks to former Justice Markanday Katju). And after writing few more articles I went out of ideas. Actually, out there to know the purpose of writing and to whom and why I am writing (I still can't find the answer). Then I said to myself may be I am done with this and let's stick to the usual things. But before the Rio Olympics again my heart felt that I should write a team preview of our hockey team, so I returned to write a preview after three years, which I did successfully. But, the article was rejected by the editorial team of the famous online sports journal (where I was a contributing writer) and they said that the flow of the article is imbalanced and standards were not up to mark and they decided to scrap that one for good. It was more like a tight slap but I knew that would happen and my confidant encouraged to post that piece in my personal blog which got few hundred reads and likes. I honestly want the feedback (very few compared to the likes) than liking because it can only state where I am standing. And after a month's time Olympics topics got over and I returned to my normal days. But the reason for stating the above things is whatever happens or happened my life and love was all sports and sports persons. To be honest, I never had the chance to meet or saw an Olympian or Indian team representing players (Thanks to ISL, I saw a few from a distance including My heroes Sachin and Baichung). When I came to know that MCC led Murguppa Hockey will held from September 1, I promised myself that I would watch any one of the matches. The promise became a reality yesterday and I went to the stadium. Initially I went there to know the ticket price because I am unaware of the free entry.  After entering the field, all of a sudden it became a dream again, because I was sitting just behind the player’s cabin and wondering is it real or day dream. When the players are lined up I got my wish lists ticked, as I had witnessed the presence and performance of multiple Olympians like Raghunath, Kothajith, and S.K.Uthappa. With a 40 to 50 feet distance, I am seeing them and I doubted that whether I can take a picture or not. And to my bad the match got over and next match also started. In the second match, I witnessed the India represented young players like Affan Yousuf, Jasjit sigh, Talwinder and once the match got over I went down and stood near the cabin and eagerly waiting to talk to the players. But the nerves of meeting national players caught me in rapid pace and I was standing still at the place for nearly ten minutes. During this time the players even went and came back after their warm down routine. I was still standing with a shock, fear or nervousness. But after seeing the ball boys (sports hostel kids) fun time with the players, I braced myself and went straight to the Affan Yousuf and congratulated him for his brace against Karnataka and he thanked me for my nice words and almost I got fainted. Then I turned my attention to Malak singh and eventually got a selfie with him, but I  was so nervous to ask for a second selfie since the first one was not a clear one. Then, with  a goose bumps I went to Talwinder singh (who was on his way to the hotel) and took a selfie and even had a second one as the previous one was not clear. While clicking selfie with Talwinder, some one from back teased him, I looked back and it was Jasjit Singh and I requested him for a selfie and he obliged and took a photo with me. On his way out I had a small chat with Jasjit Singh and I thanked him and left the stadium. Here, the writings can't express my feelings easily but it was like rumble in the jungle because words are not coming out of my mouth and those coming out are in a semi and incomplete and I was rushing like I need to catch a plane or train. But the happiness of meeting them is yet to be sink in and I was like "nejamavae adhu nama thana" feeling moment. This write up may look like childish or crap but everyone agrees with me that meeting the persons (Heroes) who make and made us proud globally is always a fruitful and a life worth moment.