Gavaskar turns 60: Presenting a portrait and all that

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

NEW DELHI: As Sunil Manohar Gavaskar turns 60 Friday (10 July), my mind raced back to March 1984 when I first met the legendary opening batsman in Lucknow and presented him a self-made portrait on canvas. It was a dream meeting with my childhood hero inside the crowded, makeshift dressing room at the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium that I will never forget.

Since then I have met “Sunny bhai”, as the world addresses him affectionately, a number of times as a working journalist, listening and soaking in the fascinating tales that he always seems to have in abundance. On Friday, when I called him up him at his Mumbai residence, a recorded female voice answered “there’s no one to take your call at the moment”. I know many people would be trying to call him to wish him and he can’t possibly talk to all the callers. But like previous years, I am sending him a birthday wish through e-mail.

I have preserved several anecdotes narrated by Sunny bhai. One interesting thing that he told me several years ago was that he always used to reply to his fan mail, even while playing matches. He disclosed that former India players Raju Kulkarni and Chandrakant Pandit used to help him in sorting out the mail and in replying to his fans, but Gavaskar used to reply in his own handwriting.

Gavaskar also told me that all letter writers did not necessarily praise his batting and that there were a few who were critical in their opinion. He said that one particular writer used to regularly send nasty mails and that he readily recognised as it was always a blue inland letter. But Gavaskar still replied to all his letters. After all, he always had tons of patience and that reflected in ample measure in his batting and general demeanour.

My most thrilling and cherished moment has to be when I met Sunny bhai for the first time, at K.D. Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium in 1984. My admiration for Gavaskar was never hidden from my father and my classmates at Colvin Taluqdars’ College in Lucknow. Two years before I met him, my father had presented me ‘The Record-Breaking Sunil Gavaskar’ by CD Clark, after inscribing these words on the first page of the book: “To, my son who loves Gavaskar”. On that day, 12 December, 1981, I did not expect that 17 years later, I would get the batting great himself to sign the next page. That day, 5 February, 1999, he wrote “to, Qaiser, with every good wish”, before putting down his full signature here in New Delhi.

As I came to know from the newspapers that Gavaskar would be coming to Lucknow to play two exhibition matches – Gavaskar XI vs. Vishwanath XI -- I immediately bought the most expensive pavilion tickets, of Rs 25 each, from my limited pocket money. They were the first two tickets that were sold for those matches!

Since I was going to meet Gavaskar for the first time I decided to present him a gift. It was not difficult to decide what it would be: a canvas portrait of the man himself, since I used to draw well. While making the portrait doubts used to crop up in my mind when my boarding house roommates and other students wondered if I would “actually” be able to present the portrait to the cricketer.

Luckily, one of the organisers helped me present the portrait to Gavaskar. He apparently liked the painting and even asked me a few questions. In those days he had grown a thick moustache and my portrait did not have one. His first question was: “Where is my moustache?” I also got a photo clicked with my Hot Shot camera, but as there was insufficient lighting inside the dressing room the negative did not capture the image, as I discovered to my dismay later. I was, nevertheless, satisfied that I had taken his autograph. Sadly, I lost the autograph book that I had bought especially for Gavaskar’s signature.

A few years later, when my father was preparing to send a copy of 'Gavaskar versus Bradman’, a statistical comparison of the two batting legends’ careers that he has compiled, to Gavaskar, now editor of Sporstweek and Lifestyle weekly, I requested him to ask him if the portrait was still with him. My joy knew no bounds when Gavaskar wrote back: “Please assure your son that the painting is in sound condition and is in good hands.” That letter is still with me and is one of my prized possessions.

A few years later, I met Sunny bhai again, now as a working journalist here in Delhi, I again asked him about the painting and he told me that he still remembered it fondly and it was safe at his father’s place in Pune along with all his other trophies and mementoes etc.

Last year, I took my 10-year-old son Ammaar to Feroze Shah Kotla on 2 November – which also happened to be the last day of Test cricket for Anil Kumble. I helped my cricket crazy son get Sunny bhai’s autograph that made him immensely excited. Gavaskar not only signed his book and the miniature bat, but also gave him some sincere advice after asking him whether he bats or bowls.

“To open the innings one needs to have a big heart, a brave heart,” he said matter-of-factly with a smile, pointing his finger to his heart. “Opening batsmen face the blows from fast bowlers all over their body, especially on the chest, but the credit goes to the middle order batsmen. So, you should bat in the middle order.” My son listened to him quietly; he would probably grasp a huge point that Gavaskar made when he grows up.
(This tribute first appeared on www.SportzPower.com)

Hockey India must be democratic, transparent setup: MS Gill
(Part II of Exclusive Interview)

By Qaiser Mohammd Ali

New Delhi: One unique aspect of Union Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill’s working is that he frankly shares his views and information with the media, something that was lacking with his predecessors. But, quite strangely, the 73-year-old career bureaucrat has not yet spoken in his usual, forceful manner on the prolonged and acrimonious tussle between various groups to get hold of hockey administration. The infighting has crippled the game, which is incidentally called India’s national sport.

After the disaffiliation of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) last year, because of corruption charges against its secretary Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and India’s failure to qualify for the first time for the Olympic Games, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed an ad hoc committee to run the men’s game. Then, following the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) instructions, IOA in May formed Hockey India, a joint body that will administer the men’s and women’s game, in line with the rest of the world. FIH had threatened that if Hockey India was not formed soon, the 2010 World Cup would be taken away from New Delhi and India would not be allowed to take part in any international tournament.

Before forming Hockey India, IOA dissolved IHF and the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (IWHF). A faction led by Bengal Hockey Association president JB Roy and former IWHF secretary Amrit Bose are demanding “democratic election” to pick Hockey India office bearers. IOA had assured everyone that election would be held within six months of the formation of Hockey India. The deadline, as per the promise made by IOA president Suresh Kalmadi, is 20 November.

In the second and and concluding part of an extensive interview at his residence with Qaiser Mohammd Ali, Gill, while describing the current developments in hockey as an “evolving situation”, declined to give his vote to any particular group, except saying that his officers are in a dialogue with the fighting factions.

On the current infighting in hockey:

The position is very simple. FIH president Mr Leandro Negre came to Delhi two months ago and met Kalmadi and the ad hoc committee, which is [was] also under him, and also met me. He said that everywhere in the world they have joint bodies for men and women. So we also have to do it. In exceptional circumstances, they had to appoint an ad hoc committee. Next March, India is to hold the World Cup.

My officers have been in an intensive dialogue with Suresh and other people. I see what is going on. I don’t want to say much on it because it’s an evolving situation. I will not comment on it because every possibility is there on the horizon. I certainly take full interest in what is going on, my officers do, and keep ourselves informed.

All I know is -- and I made it clear to everybody – that we have to deliver a single body with an elected management and we have to do it within a time frame. Of course, the bottom line is that India is a democratic country. Therefore, whatever mechanism they choose, howsoever the election or democratic process is carried through, it has to be transparent, clear and it has to provide a new management that is seen as satisfactory to India and its people. Ultimately, they are the masters of hockey.

On the impending crisis of Sports Authority of India (SAI) coaches, many of whom are set to retire next year; on the lack of scientific staff at SAI; and on shortage of staff at new SAI centres at Lucknow, Sonepat and Bhopal:

I looked at all the areas of SAI very intensively when I joined the ministry. It’s a bit of a sad story that long ago the SAI had 1,800 coaches and the games that were being serviced then were less than what they are now. Many new games have been added and some of them have got recognition. Therefore, the burden on the authority is more and the need is more. After 10-20 years, we might need 2,500 or even 3,000 coaches. It’s a big country. The unfortunate thing is that 1,800 coaches have been reduced to 1,300 by attrition… retirement, death, whatever. And this was very worrying to me.

I am pushing very hard. Government systems are very complicated; everybody knows it and I have worked in it. But I am trying to find any means outside the normal system also to add to the coaches. I am only projecting my intentions; I can’t give you a number. But I am determined to try and add to them as quickly as I can.

Second, I was even more horrified that in a lifetime, since joining service, people were still at the same level after 20 or 25 years. No promotion. Now, if you don’t get any promotion with what heart are you going to do any job for anybody, coaching or an office job. Again, I really had to slog through the system, their records, documents and rules. And about 300 people last year, or three-four months ago, were promoted.

I will give you only one example, because I remember it. Boxing coach Gurbux Singh Sandhu had got no promotion ever and he is an old man now. We promoted him and pushed up others. I am determined to improve their conditions.

I have done many other things for contract coaches, like increasing their salary form Rs.10,000 to Rs.15,000 and Rs.20,000. Their numbers must be increased and promotions/incentives must be given. Then only I can fully staff the centres.

My focus is very much on SAI. It has to be made better if Indian sport is to be lifted. I have brought in two joint secretary level officers to assist the SAI director general, to strengthen the top management. One of them is in-charge of coaching and I worry him more than the [sports] secretary or his boss. We have engaged a number of retired champions and great athletes or hockey players on contracts.

On whether any move is afoot to have sport-specific infrastructure:

In this country, so much more is needed. There is no argument about that. In hockey, for example, I am trying to set up 20 training turfs, which are half [length] turfs. All the [former India] captains tell me that we don’t need full turfs everywhere. They can play six-a-side hockey and also train on these half turfs. At other, big centres, I am trying to place full turfs on which you can have tournaments.

There used to be a scheme where we [sports ministry] gave 75 percent and states 25 percent [for developing infrastructure]. Unfortunately, it was stopped and moved to the states in 2005, long before I came in. There were some Rs.66 crores worth of unfinished [infrastructure money due to states]. I fought with the government and managed to give it to the states because at places they were left with the roof not done. I said it was unfair; you have to complete your commitment. I will fight in the future to revive this scheme because everybody wants it. But till I get it through the government I can’t do much.

The one scheme I’d like to mention is the Rs.1,500 crore rural sports promotion scheme called Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan. Rs.300 crore is earmarked for a year for the whole plan. Punjab, for instance, got Rs.12 crore last year 1,200 or 1,300 villages. And I am anxious to go on pushing this to give more and more money. Under this scheme, we help a village with Rs. 1 lakh for playground, kit, equipment and tournament at a modest level. We do the same for block and district tournaments. We are going to push this more and more because, ultimately, our gold medallists will come from these six lakh villages, not from just urban people who live in the conditions they do.

On steps being taken on setting up the drug testing laboratory:

A major thing in world sports is drugs, as in other walks of life. In his opening speech at the Beijing Olympic, International Olympic Council president Jacques Rogge talked of the drug problems. Last year we set up National Drug Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in a brand new building near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. It is a big achievement for India that NDTL has been recognised by World Anti Doping Agency (WADA). Our quality of testing is such that instead of going out for tests, Sweden and other countries are sending hundreds of samples for tests that they trust.

The second thing: if you are caught out for doping there is a tribunal. When I came they were all packed with officers. I know nothing of these things, nor do the secretaries or deputy secretaries. I have changed all that. The president of the tribunal is a sessions judge, carefully chosen. WADA recommends legal, medical and pharmacological minds.

And the higher tribunal for appeal has a very fine retired Delhi High Court judge as chairman and the same kind of qualified people. It’s because I have to protect the sportspeople also. They can be ruined by a wrong test result or a delayed judgement. I have made sure that athletes will be tested frequently, nobody can quibble and no federation dare challenge this. We will test when we want – frequently, suddenly. And there is a judge to decide on issues promptly and fairly and a High Court judge to decide your final appeal. My message to athletes is: don’t go on this route [of doping], and I think my message is getting through

(This interview first appeared on www.SportzPower.com)