BENGALURU: Though we live in a country where India-Pakistan clashes — irrespective of the sport — are accorded maximum mileage, a recent one went under the radar.The Indian netball team recently won gold after edging out Pakistan 51-50 in the second Asian Men’s Netball Championship in Malaysia, but not many took notice. Apart from a congratulatory tweet from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the win didn’t really set social media abuzz. The fact that some dailies in Pakistan allocated space for the event is quite the contrast, indeed.
Post-victory recognition notwithstanding, the contingent had to overcome quite a few other obstacles, including the disruption of their preparatory camp in Delhi courtesy smog. “Our coach didn’t permit us to practise for a few days as it was not healthy,”said Chethan C, a member of the team. “Our sport is mainly an indoor one. But we got an outdoor court. Due to the cold weather, we were not able to practise in the morning. Plus lack of warm up can lead to injuries.”
If that wasn’t enough, lack of government support further compounded their woes. Travel allowances and accommodation weren’t allocated till a few days ago. “There’s no support from government or the corporate sector. We’re managing on our own. But even when our state association is trying hard to support us, lack of financial security is not helping our cause at all,” said vice-captain Nithin. The association of the state he hails from — Karnataka — is currently not able to afford practice courts.
The summit-clash triumph, coincidentally, came after a crushing 41-70 loss at the hands of the same opponents in the round-robin stage. “We weren’t that confident. Against a taller, stronger Pakistan, we thought that we didn’t stand a chance. But in the final, our coach told us to be brave, and we told ourselves that we can’t go back home without gold. We fought back after trailing, and defeated them,” said captain Aman Dahiya.
The win has worked as a morale-booster, with Aman eyeing further glory at the SAFF Netball Championship next year. The 22-year-old from Haryana also hopes that things will be different under current Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.“If he hears our problems, things will be better. What we can do is keep on winning medals at the international level. Perhaps people will notice then. As for our state government, they have scholarship programmes for athletes, and I hope they will support us,” Aman remarked.
krishnendu@newindianexpress.com