An India-Pakistan match is a dream encounter anywhere in the world, and when it’s here at home, it’s the icing to the cake, and all you wish for is a fairy-tale ending, so that the cake is compete with the cherry on the top.
The water sprinklers, after having done their bit, had just been turned off, and every single seat had been occupied by people overflowing with enthusiasm, gearing up for an epic encounter.
Back in the dressing room, you could have expected a “60 minute” (insert Chak de India reference adapted to the new FIH rules). International Hockey now has 15-minute quarters as opposed to 35-minute halves, totaling 60 minutes instead of the previous 70.
The excitement in the crowd, the buzz in the atmosphere in the stands, in anticipation of the next hour or so contrasted with the nervousness on the field that was looked onto below. As the players made their way to the center, their faces were an open book. The anxiety coupled with determination could not be mistaken for anything else. Their expressions made it pretty clear that they knew the importance of this match.
Just like coffee with an extra espresso shot, the players today would come out stronger, with an extra shot of passion. Amidst all the drama and tension, it was time for the plot, the first stroke was taken and the match began.
To the utter delight of the crowd gathered in Kalinga Stadium Bhubaneswar, the Indians scored the opening goal in the early minutes of the match. It was scored off a penalty corner by Gujinder; who was sure not to make a mess of it. The crowd erupted as India took the first step towards victory. There was cheering, dancing and celebration. An electric and lively feeling spread across the stadium, as the overwhelmed fans grinned widely.
From here on, however, it was a sea-saw game. At all times, not more than one goal separated the two teams. This small difference on the scoreboard reflected the closeness of the contest: neck-to-neck. The fans in the Indian sub continent were in for a nail-biting finish; a thriller which they had come out to see in large numbers. They sat and watched, with bated breath and crossed fingers as they mouthed little prayers.
With just two minutes left on the clock, the two teams were level at 3-3. What happened next, was to the utter dismay of the 1.2 billion whose eyes were glued to their televisions.
Muhammad Qadir stole the glory in the last few crucial minutes of the match. As the ball left his hockey stick, all around the stadium, people held their breath as their hearts skipped a beat. As the ball hit the back of the net, loud gasps were heard, hopes were shattered and hearts were broken as people’s hand found their way to their foreheads or to even cover their eyes, for they did not want to believe what they just saw.
As the whistle sounded the end of the game, realization came upon the Indians; they had lost a close contest and would not be progressing to the final of the FIH Champions Trophy. They would instead be up against Australia for the bronze medal match (another close match that didn’t quite go their way).
What we didn’t know was that the worst was yet to come, for what happened next was shocking and unacceptable. The Pakistani players took off their shirts and exhibited vulgar actions, taunting the crowd. They displayed objectionable behaviour, and disrespected the very foundation of sportsman spirit. It is true that every India Pakistan match is blown out of proportion. But absolutely nothing can excuse this behaviour. Two players were punished; slapped a match ban.
The match that had been pictured as a clichéd sports encounter, a typical match setting, a scene picked out straight from a movie; didn’t have a happily ever after. Qadir, the protagonist for Pakistan, was the antagonist for India. As the 5000 in the stadium showed themselves out, the blue paint ran down their cheeks.
Not quite the fairy-tale ending we were hoping for, but that’s real life. What would have been different in “reel life” is that the script would have ensured this as the final match and not the semi-final, the Indian fans would have hoped for a different ending to the story, and the believer of sportsman spirit would have changed the final act that the curtains eventually fell down upon.
