FROM A SEPOY TO A MAJOR - DHYAN CHAND'S HOCKEY JOURNEY - PART II

The selection to host the tenth Olympic Games was taken at the 23rd IOC session at Rome in 1923, a good nine years before the event. Los Angeles in United States was given the honour as no other cities made a bid to host the Games. From India's perspective, travelling to Los Angeles would involve twice the cost than it did to travel to Amsterdam.

A lot of critics pointed out since a lot of teams were not taking part at the Olympics, was there any point in sending a hockey team all the way to LA, spending a lot of money? The IHF under the new administration of M. Hayman and Pankaj Gupta were firm in sending a team to LA and to defend the Olympic title.

NO SELECTION TRIAL FOR DHYAN CHAND

A selection trail to select the team bound for LA was organised in Kolkata. Unlike the previous time, Dhyan Chand was not given any permission to take part in the selection trial. He was now part of the Punjab Regiment and the Army sports board felt he should be an automatic choice to play for India. Moreover, the army sports board no longer presided over IHF - it was now down to civilians and this matter of Dhyan Chand did not create any fuss. Dhyan Chand felt he was given a royal treatment and had no choice but to accept the orders while his teammates from the winning squad played in the inter-provincial tournaments for a place to play in LA.

WHAT IS HOCKEY?

One must remember, India was a good decade and a half away from independence. Funds exclusively for sports and for teams touring abroad was uncommon. Back then in 1932, a lot of influential Indians were busy involving themselves in the freedom movement. While IHF was looking for funds, backing from one of these Indians and namely Mahatma Gandhi would spark up the interest and pave the way for receiving funds from banks or donors.

Charles Newham in his capacity as a journalist was asked by IHF to contact Mahatma Gandhi and tell him about the hockey team and their desire to compete at the upcoming Olympics. Mahatma was busy with his political activities and Newham, with great difficulty managed to reach him and explain him the situation from IHF's perspective. All he heard back from Mahatma was - 'What is hockey'?

Mission unsuccessful. a crest-fallen Newham returned back with no success. It was left to Hayman and Pankaj Gupta to convince banks for a loan and they finally managed to get a loan from Punjab National Bank in Kolkata.

AROUND THE WORLD

With IHF left to themselves in arranging for the money, they came with a lot of ideas to generate funds. One such idea was to play a lot of games at selected centres till they reached LA via Pacific Ocean. For their return, Pankaj Gupta came up with an idea and suggested players that few matches will be arranged post the Olympics in the Europe continent which would generate money to pay back the loan.

All players agreed with the idea of playing in Europe and were prepared to forgo their daily non-playing allowances of £2 per week while on tour in Europe. Instead of a simple return fare ticket, all players had round-the-world tickets. Onward via Pacific and return via Atlantic.

WHEN IN TROUBLE, TURN TO BENGAL   

In a repeat of 1928, Bengal was again trusted with the task of creating a financial success out of the 1932 inter-provincial tournament. Ten teams (Bengal, Sindh, Delhi, Gwalior, Mumbai, Rajputana, United Provinces, Bihar & Orissa, Punjab and Railways) as against five in 1928 took part and an exhibition match was held to satisfy the provinces of Bundelkhand and Manavadar which Manavadar won 3-1. Punjab beat Bengal 2-0 in the finals. A further two matches were held and a final decision was made based on these performances. Bengal Hockey Association contributed an amount close to 21,000 INR for the Olympic journey and expenses.

SELECTION WOES

With more teams participating and with Olympic win at stake, each association tried to squeeze in their player. Punjab was represented heavily with seven players while Bengal had just two players with rest coming from either Mumbai, Railways or UP. Along with Dhyan Chand; Richard Allen, Leslie Hammond and Eric Pinniger were the only members who had earlier participated in the 1928 Olympics.

This 15 member squad was headed by Lal Shah Bokhari, a player from Punjab who after partition held an important position in the External Affairs Ministry of Pakistan government and was posted in diplomatic roles in foreign countries. Eric Pinniger who had captained the team at the latter stages in the previous edition was unimpressed with this decision. If not for timely intervention from Charles Newham, Eric Pinniger would not have travelled with the squad.

G.D Sondhi, the then honorary secretary of Indian Olympic Association was chosen as the manager. He alongside his wife travelled separately, stayed separately and left players on their own post Olympics in Europe. Though, Sondhi represented well in social functions, his role as a manager is something I would question, if I were to be present then! Luckily, the team had Pankaj Gupta as their assistant manager. 

       Indian team for the 1932 Olympics, Image Courtesy - Bharatiya Hockey

THE JOURNEY

May 14, 1932 - most of the Olympic bound players assembled in Bhopal. In the next few days, a series of matches were held as a part of fund-raising through gate receipts. Hockey matches were played with the local teams at Bhopal, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Colombo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kobe, Tokyo where the Indian team registered wins in all their matches.

From Yokohama (June 24th 1932) the players left for the Olympics. A lot of Olympic passengers took the same boat (Tatsuta Maru) and the ship resembled a miniature stadium with practice matches on the top deck had Indians playing hockey. 100m running course, swimming pool gave enough athletes some much needed practice during this journey.

In total, India's Olympic contingent had N.C Malik (swimming); Sutton, Venieux and Mehr Chand (Athletics) and the hockey team represented India out of 400 million population! The contingent disembarked in San Pedro, California and then further 10 miles ride to Los Angeles was arranged by the organising committee.

Olympic village made its appearance for the first time - temporary cottages with each having two rooms with a small toilet. Community dining hall and common bathrooms with a separate provision for women as they were not allowed to enter this Olympic village.

HOCKEY IS NOT JUST ICE HOCKEY

A lot of Americans had never seen field hockey before. Ice-hockey remained the only knowledge of hockey to most Americans. Wherever little hockey was played, it was due to the presence of Englishmen and women; mostly women players from Philadelphia. A local Los Angeles daily wrote:

"All the colour, glamour and pageantry of Rudyard Kipling's India might well have found its incarnation in the personnel of the Indian hockey team, which is to represent the land of Mahatma Gandhi.

So agile are the members of the team that they can run the full length of the hockey field, juggling a small wooden ball with the flat of a hockey stick. One who knows nothing of the rigours of hockey should take a warning here. Don't get in the line of fire on a hockey field, for the hockey ball, driven by a forehand or a backhand, is almost as deadly and as accurate as a cannon ball.

Should one doubt this, just let them watch the Indian players in their daily practice on the turf of the University."

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

In absence of US President Herbert Hoover, the Games were officially declared open by vice-president Charles Curtis. Indian clothing comprised of brown shoes, white flannel trousers, a light blue blazer coat with Star of India monogram as the crest and Punjabi turban as the headgear got a loud applause from the crowd during the parade of the nations. Lal Shah Bokhari, captain of the hockey team carried the flag for India - a Union Jack flag with the Star of India embossed on it. 

                  At the parade of the nations, Indian contingent at LA 1932 Olympics    Image Courtesy - The Hindu 

THE MATCHES

On August 4 1932, India played their first match against Japan and won it easily 11-1. Yet, they were disappointed with the fact that, they had conceded a goal - a first for India in the Olympics. Dhyan Chand scored 4 goals.

Next up against USA, a week later and it was a goal feast. Indians won the match 24-1 with Dhyan Chand scoring 8 goals and his brother Roop Singh netting 10 goals. The lone goal by America was from Bodlington.

Three teams took part at the Olympics and India by a huge margin won the gold medal and thereby defended their 1928 title. All fifteen players who were selected took part in these two games and a happy contingent was prepared to leave USA on a high note.

A lot of Indians watched the match and some were generous enough to organise funds to the extent of $200 to meet the deficit of the Olympic fund.

RETURN JOURNEY AND MORE HOCKEY

The Indian contingent visited few of the touristic sites in California before they left for New York. During this journey, they relaxed by bathing at some of the famous salt lakes of Salt Lake City, played hockey at Omaha under floodlights and in Philadelphia before stopping at New York. Some more sightseeing before they took the boat 'Mauritania' which carried them to Southampton.

Like I had mentioned before, no interest was taken from the English hockey authorities to field in their team to play India. Instead, German Hockey Association offered generously to meet all the expenses on the Continent. The Indian team had a hectic schedule and played their matches against Holland, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The quality of hockey was much better than the ones played at the Olympics.

While in Prague, the hockey team played a match against a women's team. With Hayman being the umpire, a lot of restrictions were imposed on the Indian team and most notably the Indian team ended up playing left-handed. Dhyan Chand was to excel here as well and a smitten young Czech girl, a hockey enthusiast told him - 'he was an angel' and made many attempts were made by her to kiss him post match. A shy guy that he was refused each time! This incident was also part of the tour report written by Hayman.

From Budapest, the team left for Naples and en route they halted at Vienna, Florence, Rome and finally the team boarded the ship from Naples to Colombo on September 18, 1932.

They played few matches in Colombo before they left for Chennai, then to Mumbai, Delhi and finally to Lahore where they went separate ways on October 16. All these matches were played to repay the expenses of the trip and they still ended up with a deficit of more than 3,000 INR - which was taken care by Hayman.

The team in total played a total of 37 matches in this five-month trip scored 338 goals and conceded just 34 goals. Dhyan Chand alone accounted for 133 goals! It was time for him to go back to this home town, Jhansi where he had series of receptions hosted by his friends and well-wishers.

END NOTE

Hockey was represented poorly at the 1932 Olympics with just three nations taking part. If India would have not done this long journey, would the status of hockey still remained as an Olympic sport or would it have been scrapped by the IOC following a poor turnout?

From Indian point of view, it costed them a lot - but the hockey fraternity internationally benefitted by this tour of India, where they not only saw Indian winning the Olympic gold medal, they also witnessed the demonstration of this skilful sport.

Dhyan Chand was now ranked Naik in the  Indian army and was offered a lucrative civilian job with the railways as Hayman, president of IHF was also a senior member in the railway board. Dhyan Chand was caught in two minds and decided to stick with the army after being assured by the Army General personally that he would be looked after well.

In the next part of the series chronicles the events that Dhyan Chand and the Indian hockey fraternity had to endure in their quest to defend their Olympic title amidst the hoopla of Nazi regime in Berlin. 

FROM A SEPOY TO A MAJOR - DHYAN CHAND'S HOCKEY JOURNEY - PART I

I write this as a memoir to Major Dhyan Chand who remains the best hockey player the sport has ever produced. He was instrumental in India's first three gold medals at field hockey and to capture the hearts of many a fans globally. Be it in New Zealand, or continental Europe, in Americas or in Asia - he played the sport with such talent, it was not surprising India naming hockey as its national sport post independence.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

To begin with, hockey was not a straight forward choice he had to make growing up. In fact, if one thing was certain, it was joining Army and that he did. His father was with the army and so too his elder brother. Growing up, hockey to him was merely a sport which he played outdoors with his friends occasionally as he put it in his autobiography - 'for the fun of it'.

By the time he was seventeen years of age, he had enrolled himself as a Sepoy with the First Brahmin regiment in Delhi. That was in 1922 and six years separated him and India's first Olympic gold medal. It was a long shot as Summer Olympics had resumed just two years prior (1920 Antwerp Games) after the World War I and Winter Olympics had not even started. Without any formal education he started his career with the Army as a Sepoy and 34 years later he would retire from the services as a 'Major'. And if not for field hockey, he would have been just another 'jawan' whose story would not have seen the light.

HIS FIRST MENTOR

It was by accident Dhyan Chand encountered Bale Tiwari  - who then was a Subdedar-Major in the army and a keen hockey enthusiast. Luck has it, hockey remained the only outdoor sport which was played by the first Brahmin regiment. Bale Tiwari initiated Dhyan Chand into playing this sport and thereby became his first mentor so to speak. There were no restrictions on the play times; they played whenever they found time. An aloof individual who seldom socialised outside the hockey field, Dhyan Chand expressed himself the best with his hockey stick and his play - a trait which remained with him throughout his life. His seniors took good notice of his play and his big break came when he was selected to play for his regiment at the annual military tournament in Delhi.

Dhyan Chand's regiment won and since then his position as a centre-forward never came under threat. Bale Tiwari taught him two important lessons - 'Never to dribble for a long time and keep passing the ball as one has no right to keep the ball to himself' and 'Marksmanship at the goal'. These two advices served him in good stead as he performed remarkably well in the years leading up to 1926 when his first international call came about.

A TRIP ABROAD

Dhyan Chand had restricted himself in playing hockey in army tournaments and his first trip abroad was to New Zealand representing the Indian Army. The tournament was more seen as an extension of military expedition than a friendly tour. He was an 'Other Rank' by then and had many of his mates from the same cadre who accompanied him on the tour.

They played near to flawless games in the three months they spent in New Zealand travelling to many places and leaving a everlasting impression of the way Indian hockey was played. Dhyan Chand emerged out as a champion and was feted in many a places and parties during the tour. In total, the team played 21 matches winning 18 of them, losing just one with the other two games ending in a draw. A total of 192 goals were scored and a mere 24 goals were conceded!

FORMATION OF IHF

At the end of the tour, Dhyan Chand was promoted to the rank of Lance-Naik. Around this time in 1926, an association of hockey was formed in India. The IHF (Indian Hockey Federation) took no time to persuade IOC to reinstate the sport of hockey at the Olympics. Hockey was scrapped for the 1924 Olympics edition and there was uncertainty hovering many enthusiasts if hockey would ever be included at the Olympics. But there were other questions which had to be answered. If India were to send a team to the Olympics, will the civilian team include men from the army? Dhyanchand until then had never played for any civilian team and this he feared - should not play against him when the Olympic team was to be considered. Those initial fears were brushed aside as the president of the IHF happened to be Major Burn-Murdoch.

India's request to participate at the Olympics was accepted by the IOC and thus began a grand process of selecting the team bound for Amsterdam. The IHF had these worries - whom to select from the very few provincial teams that were available? and what would be the manner of selection. In the end, IHF decided to hold selection trials in Kolkata - as the crowd always turned in good numbers be it for any sport. And other reason being, the Bengal Hockey Association remains the oldest hockey association in India established in 1908 and many of the provincial hockey associations only came into existence after 1926.

INTER-PROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT

Five teams namely - Punjab, United Provinces (UP), Bengal, Rajputana and Central Provinces took part in this tournament which also served as a selection trial for the selectors. Kolkata hosted the tournament. Dhyan Chand on the basis of his birth was asked to play for UP and he was as nervous as any player could be for many reasons, with one being; he was playing for a civilian club with many unknown faces.

Going into the first match he was visibly nervous as many selectors eyes were on him and wondered whether an army man would fit into a civilian team? Dhyan Chand played the game the way he knew - displaying the skills of irresistible variety which included dribbling, moving past the opponents with ease, giving prudent passes to his teammates and scoring goals whenever opportunities came along. Then came the finals which the UP team won with ease. The Statesman of Kolkata wrote - "The United Provinces were the most impressive side of the five teams which have taken part in the tournament, and they fully deserved their success. UP won the final virtually in the first seven minutes when they scored two goals."

  

Thus on 16th February 1928, history was created by the United Provinces team as they became the winners of the first national hockey tournament. Few players from the winning team would also be part of the historic team which won the Olympic gold: Dhyan Chand (forward), George Marthins (forward), Frederic Seaman (forward), William Goodsir-Cullen (half-back) and Leslie Hammond (back).

THE FIRST EVER OLYMPIC TEAM  

The difference between players who took part in the inter-provincial tournament were small and often negligible. Yet, there were decisions that had to be made to select a team of players who would represent India at the Olympics. A further two matches were held. IHF XI vs. Central Provinces (as they had been knocked out in the first match) on the same day as the finals. The second game was played on the next day between Probables and Possibles.

Very next day, a provisional Olympic team was supposed to be announced, only to be delayed by another match between Probables and Rest of India. The two selectors Major Burn-Murdoch and Colonel G.P.W. Hill had a tough few days and it was decided that only thirteen players would be chosen from the list of players available.

A few hockey players were already in England studying and representing the university in hockey. Jaipal Singh, a full-back player for Oxford University was a natural choice to captain the side and were to join the squad in England. A. B. Rosser, a founding member of IHF and the secretary of Bengal Hockey was a natural choice for the post of the manager. 

                                           The Indian hockey team selected for the 1928 Olympics                      Image Courtesy: The Hindu

FUNDS SHORTAGE

Owing to funds shortage, only eleven players were guaranteed to take the boat. Bombay, Madras and Burma all turned a deaf ear when an appeal was made to raise the funds. The entourage needed 15,000 INR and two players namely Shaukat Ali of Bengal and R.A Norris of CP were sidelined as a result of it. Bengal Hockey Association stepped in again and ensured funds were raised and the team of thirteen players were set to make their journey.

Also before embarking on this historic journey, the top governors from IHF had a meeting with the players taking their points of view on continuing the national championship event. Players were encouraged to give their views and this resulted in having a national championship tournament every two years at a different venue. The second edition was decided to be held in Lahore. When compared to today's situation, administrators seldom interact with current hockey players which explains the pathetic state the sport is in at the moment when compared with the golden years of Indian hockey.

QUIET SEND-OFF

The team selected for the Olympics assembled in Mumbai on March 8th 1928. They played a match against Bombay XI - which they lost. Not a good omen for their long journey ahead, however no issues were created. On board the P&O Kaiser-i-Hind, the players were given a quiet send-off. 

Just three persons bid them god-speed at the Ballard Pier which included the IHF President and Vice-President and a journalist S. Bhattacharjee. 

Major Burn-Murdoch, a pioneer who will be remembered for his work to promote hockey in India was responsible for Indian hockey's first overseas tour in 1926, formation of IHF and for sending the team to Amsterdam for the Olympics. Charles. E. Newham, the Vice-President was a journalist by profession and was the President of Punjab Hockey Association. He was also the editor of Military Gazette, Lahore and later edited 'The Pioneer' in Allahabad.

THE LONG JOURNEY

The journey which started from Mumbai had to pass many places en route to London. The voyage passing through Aden, Port Said through the Red Sea and through the Suez Canal. The weather changes from the tropical zone to the temperate zone was foreign to most players. Then came the Bay of Biscay, rounding the Cape of Gibraltar - known for this rough seas affected these players with sea sickness. Dhyan Chand kept a serious watch on his colleagues throughout the journey. On March 30th, 1928 the ship dropped anchor at Tilbury Docks, London.

It was beginning of the spring season in London, so it was still wet and cold - a different kind of weather something which Indian players were unaccustomed to. Barring few representatives from Britain's hockey fraternity there were hardly many members from the press. After all, this was the hockey team from India, how relevant were they?

PRACTICE GAMES IN ENGLAND

Indian team played 11 matches in England. The first match was played on a soggy ground as a result of heavy rains and Indian players had no footwear to cope with the English conditions. They lost their first game against Combined Services team 1-2. The next ten matches featured teams which at the best were second best. The British hockey authorities repeatedly refused to field in their international team and by the way Indians started scoring and winning - the refusal to field an international team became firmer. 

At the Folkestone Festival, Indian team played Hockey Association XI (included 9 international players) which they won 4-0 comfortably. In fact, after the Folkestone defeat, many rumours persisted that England was scared of losing to India and hence withdrew from the Olympic event.

And the legend goes, as long as India remained a colony of Britain, they never participated in the Olympic hockey event or played any international hockey match.

Dhyan Chand never had an opportunity to play against the colonial masters, who were responsible to create the culture of hockey in India!

So after losing the first match, the rest of the ten matches yielded in nine victories and one draw. The Indian team and in particular Dhyan Chand was at the receiving end of some praise and kind words from the English press and some even went on to call him the 'Hockey Wizard' and 'human eel'.

Jaipal Singh, S M Yusuf and Nawab of Pataudi. Sr played few games with the Indian team with the former two joining the squad for the Olympics.

   

PRE-OLYMPIC PRACTICE

Bye bye London and hello Amsterdam. The hockey team landed the shores of Holland on 24th April 1928. The first match was scheduled for 17th May and in between they managed to play four practice games in Netherlands, two in Germany and one in Belgium. The party travelled from Amsterdam to Arnheim and then to Hague winning each of the matches by a margin in excess of seven goals.

Then they travelled to Hannover in Germany and won the game 10-0 and defeated Berlin XI in Berlin 5-1. And while on their way back to Amsterdam, they stopped at Brussels, played a game against a Brussels team and won by a score of 10-2. These games not only provided the team much required match practice - but also provided enough time for all the players to get used to the continental conditions.

The grass on the turf was also not properly trimmed which provided with few set of challenges as the ball slowed to the flick and push play of the Indians as compared to the hit and run technique of their opponents.

OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS

Finally, the day had arrived when the entire Indian team could go and realise their dreams of winning the Olympic gold. The first step was to win the round games and then the semi-finals and in the end, the finals.

Who would have give these Indians as favourites except for the teams who watched them play? The first game was against Austria. India winning 6-0 with Dhyan Chand scoring 4 goals. Next up was Belgium, the very next day and quite comfortably Indian won that game 9-0. In the next match against Denmark, the goals continued to flourish from the sticks of the Indian forwards as they won 5-0 and a place in the semi-finals. Switzerland was swept away 6-0 by India and thereby stormed their way into the finals.

The crowd gathered in huge numbers as the hosts were the other finalist. Indians had few players missing, the likes of Feroze Khan, Shaukat Ali and Kher Singh who were sick and Jaipal Singh was removed as the captain for the finals owing to political and with hints of racism. Eric Pinniger, the vice-captain filled the mantle to lead the side.  Yes, the team manager was bullied by ex- Indian Army men in England from the beginning of the tour and they might have had a big role in this sudden ouster of Jaipal Singh.

Dhyan Chand was running with high temperature which persisted throughout the game. But he was an army man, brought up in tougher conditions. He was a soldier and he was playing for his country and the manager had just one simple message - Do or Die.

Indian team victorious by three goals to nil against the hosts thereby winning their first Olympic gold medal. Richard Allen, the goal keeper did not concede a single goal in the entire five matches which saw the Indian team rake up 29 goals out of which Dhyan Chand contributed 14 goals including the hatrick in the finals.

Two days later on 28th May, the team was felicitated with the Olympic gold medals. It was a pity the hockey games were held in May - a good two months prior to the Olympic opening ceremony and other events. Notably, the Olympic atmosphere was missing and India's win provided just the right start for the 1928 edition.

GRAND WELCOME

If there were three who waved goodbyes in March, there were sea of heads welcoming their heroes on their return. A triumphant homecoming for the deserving champions given by the Mumbai hockey fraternity which dispelled all the apprehensions team had.

Mayor of Mumbai Dr. G.V Deshmukh and along with representatives of Indian political circles were among the cream guests which received the team. This grand reception was ended by a hockey match against Western Hockey Association XI (which had won just before the departure). This time the scenario was different, the Olympic team was oozing with confidence. They were not just the Indian Olympic team, they were the current Olympic champions. The Indian team won 6-1 and aptly avenged their defeat of March 4th match which was held before they left for Amsterdam.

END NOTE

The win was possible with the help of many people at many junctures in the past few years leading to and during the tournament. One name was highlighted repeatedly for being the glue for binding the rest of the team in winning those games quite comfortably. 

Dhyan Chand would continue his remarkable journey with Indian hockey as he was instrumental once again for India's gold at the next edition in Los Angeles - which is covered in my next article.  

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER AT SPA - MEMORIES FROM THE PAST

Michael Schumacher making his debut in 1991 Belgian GP 

If there is one place I wish to be this weekend, it has to be Spa in Belgium. The Formula One post the summer break commences here and one of my dreams is yet to be fulfilled. Maybe, next year!

My favourite circuit in F1 and my favourite driver had many tales; with each race being a chapter of a romantic book. Every race had something to offer for the fans and there was never a dull moment when Schumacher was driving around Spa.

Growing up this circuit provided some of the outstanding races I had witnessed or read. The one that comes to my mind is the overtaking of Mika Hakkinen over Michael Schumacher with Ricardo Zonta in between. That was a breathtaking manoeuvre!

People who have followed F1 since twenty years will remember a young German making his debut in 1991 with Jordan. To put it simply, he was lucky to have got the drive at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix. It was possible due to the untimely arrest of the then Jordan driver Bertrand Gachot - who was taken over by the London police for spraying CS gas after an altercation with the cab driver. This paved the way for Michael Schumacher. He never raced at Spa before and all he managed to do was cycle around the circuit before the qualifying and started the race from seventh! and that said it all.

To manage a seventh place in a circuit which demands skill, concentration and talent, it was clearly evident Michael Schumacher was here to stay. He was not that lucky to complete a lap in the race and had to retire owing to a clutch failure. But he had done enough to secure a seat with Benetton from the very next race. And the rest is...... 

1st of his 91 victories - 1992 Belgian GP 

A year's wait and finally he was on the top step of the podium. The 1992 Belgian GP turned out be his 1st of 91 victories in F1. He came agonisingly close to finish on top in 1993; in 1994 he was disqualified for gaining an illegal aerodynamic advantage after having finished 1st. The post race scrutiny went against and he was stripped off the victory as his Benetton was found to have excessive wear on the car's skid block.

94 Belgian GP - His first place was stripped

A 10mm wooden plank was placed to the underside of every car to reduce ground effect advantages, whilst also forcing an increase in ride height. The wear on the plank up to 1mm was permitted by the end of the race. Quite simply, Michael Schumacher's Benetton had wear in excess of 1 mm. For F1 enthusiasts, it is interesting to note that - this rule is applicable even today.

1995 Belgian GP 

The romance with the circuit would continue as he claimed three more victories in a row from 1995 to 1997.

1996 Belgian GP 

In 1998, he looked set to claim his 5th Belgian GP title. In extreme wet weather conditions, he and David Coulthard had a contact which damaged Michael Schumacher's car and had to retire from the race. He was furious and was made to sit down with DC for close to two hours before they were seen shaking hands in public and for Michael Schumacher to move on.

Post the collision with DC at the 1998 Belgian GP 

And the miss - Michael Schumacher missed the bulk of second half of the 1999 season after he crashed rather nastily at the Becketts Complex corner in Silverstone. And this meant, he did not start the 1999 edition at Spa-Francorchamps. Mika Hakkinen and his McLaren took the first place in 2000 in which Michael Schumacher had to settle for second. 

Stunning overtake by Mika Hakkinen at 2000 Belgian GP

With having his 4th World Championships at the 2001 Hungarian GP, the next race at Belgium was eagerly expected by all to see if he would break Alain Prost's record.

World Record - 2001 Belgian GP

Ferrari was unstoppable in those times and his victory, the 52nd was a world record and by winning those 10 points he also moved past Alain Prost to record most points by an F1 driver (769 at the end of the race). This was Schumacher's fifth win at Spa and he would add one more to the tally in 2002. 

The Belgian Grand Prix was removed from the 2003 season (still cannot understand, how they allowed it to happen!) and finished second at the 2004 season as a result of which he claimed his seventh and his last World Championship.

The 2005 season was a nightmare for Ferrari especially after having dominated the scene for six years in a row. Michael Schumacher ended his race - his last for Ferrari at Spa was a DNF (Did Not Finish) as the Spa-Francorchamps did not feature in 2006.

In the last three races in 2010, 2011 and 2012 with Mercedes, Michael Schumacher only managed to finish 7th, 5th and 7th respectively.

2011 Belgian GP with Eddy Merckx 

Spa as a circuit has a special place in every F1 enthusiast's heart. Ask anyone who has a decent knowledge in F1 about his favourite three circuits, I would be surprised if Spa doesn't get a mention. A public road in the off-season, this 7.004 km circuit (longest in F1 currently) is best known for its corners of varying speeds. Be it the Eau-Rouge, the erstwhile chicane called 'Bus Stop', the fastest corner in F1 Blanchimont, Les Combes, La Source, Stavelot and it goes on. The Ardennes region on the Eastern part of Belgium is also famous for its unpredictable weather conditions which always added its own flavour on the racing Sundays.

Along with the old Nürburgring circuit, Spa Francorchamps has always tested the drivers and is often seen as a ground in which the men are separated from the boys and the race has been part of the calendar since 1950 (barring few races in other circuits and few cancellations). It is no wonder, only a World champion has won this event more than once. And no surprises to see the top two drivers who lead the pack are Michael Schumacher (6) and Ayrton Senna (5).

Someday I will visit the track and relive all those memories that are dear to me and till then........... 

A HARD JOURNEY TO FAME - MARY KOM´S LIFE SO FAR

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. (1 Corinthians 9:24) - this being one of the inspirational quotes which has served as a source of strength through all the challenges in Mary Kom´s career. And what a career it has been so far? 

HUMBLE BEGINNING

Born as Mangte Chungneijang on 24th November 1982, her birth name was derived from her grandmother ´Chungthem´- a traditional in their family to name the children after the elders. Chung (high), nei (wealthy) and jang (agile) - little did her family know that she would fullfil all of it in years to come. A landless farmer - Mangte Tonpa Kom (Mary s father) and his wife Anu led a life where every day counted. They led her simplest of lives in a place called ´Kangathei´ - the adopted village in which Mary Kom and her two younger siblings grew up.

WORK, WORK, WORK

With rudimentary education, Tonpa Kom and Anu believed their lack of education was one of the reasons for their situation. Determined their children would get better facilities, both toiled day after day to ensure the kids had good foundation. With costs inflating each year and with additional member in the family, the young Chungneijang started helping her parents early in the morning, taking care of her siblings while at school and finishing up the daily chores at night. There was no time to play unlike her peers - a fact which she was envy of. And whenever she did find little time, she played with her friends. Inspite of many hands doing work, there was just not enough money. They somehow found a way, each day through hard work. At home, after the school the only food available was the left over from the day's lunch and most times not even that. Mary often satisfied her hunger with the seasonal fruits that grew in the village. While the six days each week was strictly work - the family enjoyed a well-deserved break every Sunday. They mostly engaged themselves with the church visits which played an important role in the life of Mary - to overcome the state of penury, deprivation and not to lose faith. Her diminutive stature connected well with the Biblical story of David and Goliath - an inspiration which has been a constant in her life. 

INCLINATION TOWARDS SPORTS

Her childhood interests were playing marbles, hide and seek and watch action packed martial art films. She was a winner when it came to marbles and this competitive spirit was extended when she took part in every sports event at her school´s annual sports meet. Though she did not win any money - the gifts in the form of plates, cups, tiffin boxes and other household items gave delight to her family. Her fascination towards sports was spotted by the principal of her school and he suggested her parents to take her to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Imphal, the capital city of Manipur. The financial condition of the family did not allow such expenses to focus on her sports activities and besides Mary s father believed in getting her a good education. Time passed while Mary s fierce passion for sports only strengthened. Mangte Kom looked for ways in which Mary could enhance her sports potential while not disturbing her studies. Her aim was to excel in sports just enough to secure a good government job under sports quota and thereby end her family miseries. At the age of sixteen, she ventured out with her family´s permission to get a seat at SAI. She was unsure what was ahead and worried the extra load on her parents to earn a living in order to sponsor her. Was she being selfish, with her parents having to do all the work including the share she took care of? But then, she was a teenager with hopes and dreams of making it big in sports - at least progress in that path to secure a job for her and her family. 

BOXING

Anu´s nephew lived in Imphal and he helped Mary to ease herself in a relatively bigger place than her village. Mary was trying her luck without any concrete confirmation from SAI. She was admitted to a government school and from there she would visit SAI twice a day to train with the coaches. This went on for two years before she was able to afford a tiny place to rent near the training centre. In the beginning, she tried her hand in every sport barring boxing. With time, she realised she needed an individual sport to focus and that´s when her attention went towards boxing. Women s boxing was at its nascent stages in India and Mary began to make enquires about boxing and finally landed at the SAI boxing training centre. Oja Ibomcha, the head coach was a strict disciplinarian and conducted two three hours training session (morning and evening) each day but for Sunday. Apart from technical skills, Mary focussed on getting fitter and did a lot of endurance training. Boxing is a sport which tests both your strength and stamina. If you have the stamina, you can go the distance and the vice versa of having great technical skills without stamina will hardly take you far. And so, after few hits and runs, Mary finally found a sport which she could connect to, dedicate and to live for.

GROWTH INSPITE OF POLITICS

Indians and politics cannot be separated. At each layer in every aspect of life one encounters politics of different magnitudes. And it need not involve money. There are mega battles of mind which can stall growth or accelerate depending on where you are and with whom. SAI at Imphal funded by the central Government had good technical coaches to train the boxers. However two other organisations namely: state run - Youth Affairs and Sports (YAS) boxing club and Manipur Amateur Boxing Association (MABA) controlled the boxing at the state level and this included the matters over selection. There was a tension between SAI and these two clubs which resulted in many students dropping out of SAI to further their boxing ambitions. Mary Kom too, threaded the safe path. She quit SAI in order to be eligible for inter-state tournaments and during the off-season she trained at SAI. She was juggling clubs to move forward and at one such club called Konjung-Hazari Youth Development Committee Club, Mary Kom first participated as a boxer. At times it was frustrating for Mary to get involved in matters not concerning sport - yet she carried on and established herself as a boxer in her weight category of 45-48 kg.

FAME AND GROWTH

It was in 2001, she took part in a major tournament and this was at the 1st National Women´s Boxing Championships at Chennai. She won a gold. Very soon she made her first trip abroad to Bangkok for the inaugural Women´s Asian boxing championships. In spite of losing out before the medal stages, she was confident for the upcoming World championships to be held in USA. She won a silver and she had now arrived at the world stage. The silver medal brought her fame but it was still a long way to go. It was just the beginning. Reminds me of the line - When opportunity knocks your door, make sure you are ready to work twice as hard. 

MARRIAGE

It was in 2000 at New Delhi, Mary met Onler - a law student at that time. They belonged to the same place and there was instant connection. Mary by now was used to being away from family, missed a connection to her roots. She was after all a human and like all human beings, one needs a friend, a soul-mate or just a person whom you can open up and talk without thinking. Onler provided that support as a friend and with time they became more than just friends. Mary and her family feared marriage would stall her ambitions to grow in the sport - a fact which Onler was concerned too. Onler grew uneasy about the proposals which Mary´s parents repeatedly received for their daughter´s hand. Those feelings of Onler were genuine as he felt in the interests of Mary s boxing career and her personal life - no one understood better than he did. Few awkward moments gave time to introspect to both Onler and Mary. Mary did finally agree to his proposal and all she needed was her father´s approval. Mangte Kom was hesitant and repeatedly declined Onler and his family whenever they approached him with the matter of marriage. A face to face honest conversation with her father made Mangte realise where her daughter's happiness was. All he hoped was for Onler to support her career. By this time she had won gold medals at World championships, an Arjuna award and looked set for more. After months of hesitation and repeated declines, the Manipuri tradition of groom´s family boiling the pot of tea and the bride´s family drinking the same signalled the good times for Mary and Onler. The couple finally had their way and a lovely church wedding was held on 12th March 2005. 

BOXING POST MARRIAGE AND BIRTH OF TWINS

All, who had suspicions about her career coming to an end post marriage had to start worrying about something else. Her wins had earned her a position in the state police force. If anything, she was now assured of constant source of income. In 2005 after the second gold medal at the world championships, she was given the role of a sub-inspector. In 2006, at the 4th International Women s Boxing championships in New Delhi, she won a gold - three times in a row. All this fame was shadowed by the death of her father-in-law who was killed by militants for no reason. Manipur since the beginning of the previous decade was controlled by various militant groups inspite of the presence of an active Government. A very upset Onler threatened to take an eye for an eye and looked set to embrace his dark side. The news of him being pregnant quietened him and he became the Onler, Mary was familiar with. On August 5th 2007, Mary and Onler were proud parents of twin boys. Due to the complications during delivery, she underwent a C-section which casted doubts about furthering her boxing career.

SUCCESS CONTINUES

After a gap of two years and a year after her surgery, Mary Kom was ready for action on the boxing ring. She struggled initially to get to her fitness levels required to compete and had to fight for her spot even at the national selection camps. She won a silver medal at the Asian championships in 2008 and followed up with a fourth gold medal at the World championships later that year. She was promoted to the post of inspector. Besides success, she now had new found issues like being away from her kids and Onler - which constantly took her focus away from the ring. It was Onler´s constant assurance which kept Mary going. He sacrificed his career and ambitions just that Mary could keep going in the world of boxing. She did not let him down in that aspect and whenever she was home, she made sure of taking on the domestic responsibilities so that he could catch up on sleep and finish his work. In 2009, she received the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award from Government of India - the highest honour in sports along with Padma Shri - the fourth highest civilian award which she had received in 2006. These awards ensured she received individual sponsorship deals and also an agency to manage her sporting career. Yes, she had come a long way from the village pastures of Kangathei. With all such accolades, she still had a dream which was to be fulfilled - an Olympic gold medal. With the inclusion of Women´s boxing for the 2012 London Olympics, she felt there was still some distance to go. Having won her fifth world gold medal in 2010, all she wanted was that elusive Olympic gold - a feat which only one Indian had managed previously in the individual category.

CLOSE TO BITING THE MEDAL  

Mary Kom had few hurdles in the months leading to the Olympics. First she had to increase her weight to ensure she could qualify for the 51 kg category. Asian Games 2010 was her first tryst with her new weight category and she came back with the bronze medal. She later underwent training under the supervision of English coach Charles Atkinson - who trained her from May 2011 up until the time of London Olympics 2012. Around this time, with the backing of Sports Ministry and ably aided by Olympic Gold Quest, she was provided with the facilities with which she could compete at the Olympics and get the gold medal. She was few months shy of turning 30 when she participated at the qualifiers for the Olympics. She lost the semi-final bout to the eventual winner Nicola Adams. Mary Kom qualified for the 51 kg category Olympics as a lucky loser of the semi-finals. Now, the stage was set for Mary Kom to realise her dream. Three rounds and three wins and Mary Kom was two wins away from the Gold Medal. She encountered a bigger and stronger Nicola Adams who had reduced her weight in order to be eligible for the 51-kg category. Her long reach prevented Mary to defend her punches and while Mary did all the attacking, Adams was defending enough to secure a victory. In fighter´s spirit - this was not a match, but as a strategy Adams used her stature perfectly. Mary Kom lost to Adams 6-11. Her dream of winning the gold medal was shattered; however she would not return empty-handed. She won a bronze medal. 

LIFE AFTER OLYMPICS

If anything, she has achieved more fame, financial rewards and accolades. She was awarded 75 lakhs from the state Government of Manipur, promoted to the rank of Superintendent of Police (Sports) and was allotted 3 acres of land to run the M.C. Mary Kom Boxing Academy. She was also awarded with Padma Bhushan - third highest civilian award in India and in May 2013 she gave birth to another baby boy. A Bollywood movie starring Priyanka Chopra will be released this September and will be premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in a few days time. 

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE

I believe personally when a company puts up a slogan such as Nothing is Impossible - it often becomes difficult to connect with. When associated with an athlete or a person, it is much easier to connect to. Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom (M C Mary Kom) is still busy preparing for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Her dreams of winning the Olympic Gold has not faded in spite of her divided attention at home. Two years is a long time and if past is any indicator, I am pretty sure she would be the last person to give up. In the meantime, along with training she also trains kids for free at her academy and teaches self-defence courses for young women. 

TO END IT….

I am inspired by the life of Mary Kom. More so touched by reading her own words she used to pen her autobiography which was released in December 2013. Her recent pregnancy provided her with ample time to look back at her struggles, her journey and her tryst with success - Unbreakable, chronicles the lives of her kith and kin, their sacrifices which contributed in becoming the Mary Kom - one of the most successful women boxers the world has witnessed in the recent times and she is not finished yet. 

Who says winner takes it all?

The winner dominates the headlines, receives all the accolades and of course the gold medal. What about the athlete who finishes last? Two laps down and a good five minutes after the winner touched the crossing line. She did not win any medals - but she would take the standing applause from the Zürich crowd which witnessed this tremendous attitude. I was also part of the crowd standing and applauding this athlete, the 24-year old Norwegian Runa Falch. 

Twenty-five athletes took to the track in what was going to be a see-saw battle for the top places. The leader positions swung like a pendulum before the field settled in for the final three laps. There.. at that precise moment in about 800 metres to go saw the real heros emerging out of the pack or leaving rest of the pack behind. It was close between the first and second placed coming on to the last lap and in the final turn to the finish line - the winner was from Great Britain, the bronze medallist from the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in the 5000 metres. The crowd hailed to the endurance of Jo Pavey as she managed to get hold of the Union Jack flag from the spectators area. The runners-up, the duo from France finished close to Pavey but came short to take the top spot. 

Ok, this is usual right. Every race ends up having a winner, a runner-up and a second runner-up who then become the focus and leave rest of the athletes behind until the time when they all gather to compete another day. The way I saw - that particular race was all about the two athletes. The winner and the final finisher. The race, the approach, the struggles, the accolades, the time and even the age were all strikingly contrast with these two athletes. 

A gap of close to six minutes and a gap of 17 years separated Jo Pavey and Runa Falch. Jo Pavey who turns 41 next month is also a mother of two children - a inspirational run saw her take the first place and thereby scripting one of the success stories of this year´s European championships and in athletics. While Pavey´s achievements were in a league of her own, very few could connect with what she achieved yesterday. An outstanding achievement and something I was very fortunate to witness it live. How many such instances do you see in today´s world of sports? It is a dream… which many aspire and a handful of them go on to live it. 

                        Jo Pavey proudly displaying her colours on and off the track           Image Courtesy - Telegraph UK                                         

What about Runa Falch? Just as the presenter was interviewing Pavey on her spectacular win, Falch had just began her 25th lap - the final lap. She trailed right from the start and yet she went on and on and on. It was no surprise to see the crowd standing up and applauding Runa Falch when she ran her final 100 m. To me that said it all.

Who says winner takes it all?

Runa Falch all by herself about to complete her race and being cheered by the crowd.             Image Courtesy - nrk.no

It was theatrical and if finishing 24th would have hurt her, the strong sound of the crowd would have soothed all the pain she endured in order to finish the race. This run from Falch to me was more close to the spectators present than Pavey´s. To me personally, these two athletes demonstrated a great example. There is no age limit to winning and if you do need to win and share the same experience as Pavey did, then one has to be prepared to run many such runs like Falch did. It was one of those days when you lose steam, lose sense of purpose or even direction. Luckily for Falch - she lost her momentum on the running track and there after all she did was to follow her instincts; absorbing the pain, agony, running all by herself and completed the race. In sports or in any field, there is no prize for finishing last. It all comes down to perspectives. And my view is that - ´she is now a finisher and not a quitter´. 

        Runa Falch after completing the race.             Image Courtesy - nrk.no