CHENNAI: The position is not very prominent. It takes a detour off the main road to get there. But once past Chepauk railway station, it’s difficult to miss MJ Gopalan gate on the right. One of the entrances to MA Chidambaram Stadium, the gate is named after the Tamil Nadu stalwart, who represented India in cricket and hockey in the 1930s. Leading towards Anna Pavilion, it’s mostly used by officials everyday and players during matches. If you happen to be there these days, don’t be surprised by the sight of the Gopalan plaque missing from the gate.
The entrance has been redone to comply with fire-services requirements. It is wider and a few steps inside the stadium complex. Colour, design remain unchanged. Just that the metal plate bearing the former player’s name is not there anymore. Officials say this arrangement is temporary and it will be back soon. “Sometime before the Tamil Nadu Premier League this year, that part was renovated. That’s when the name plate was removed. Because association officials and the staff were busy with the competition, it has not been put back in place.
But it will soon be back. It was and will continue to be a part of the stadium,” Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) secretary RI Palani told Express. The TNPL got over on August 20. Gopalan was a medium pacer credited with bowling the first ball in Ranji Trophy. He played 78 first-class matches and a solitary Test. One of the handful of India cricketers to have represented the country in another sport, he was part of the hockey team that toured New Zealand in 1935. It got him into the squad for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but he chose to travel to England with the cricket team. Ironically, he didn’t get a chance to play in the Tests on that trip.
While one does come across stadium gates or stands named after former players in places like Mumbai or Hyderabad, it’s not the practice everywhere. Eden Gardens or Feroz Shah Kotla has nothing of this sort. Other than a wall named after Rahul Dravid, Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium has nothing either. The MA Chidambaram Stadium is among the few places in India that honour past greats in this manner. According to TNCA officials, the Gopalan gate has been there for decades. “To meet fire-services requirements, the gate had to be widened. That’s why the Gopalan plate was removed. It will be back and there is nothing to be worried about,” assured another official. One hopes that’s how it turns out, and the Gopalan gate doesn’t suffer the fate of the Gopalan Trophy, the annual fixture between a Sri Lanka XI and Chennai XI that has become defunct.
atreyo@newindianexpress.com