‘Hockey in India is still of very high quality’

BHARAT SUNDARESAN

It’s only the administrators who have left the country’s national sport fighting a battle for survival, says veteran player Anthony Dias

FOR most people, pension plans and post-retirement options start dominating the thoughts, as they near the 50year milestone. But Anthony Dias likes to live life on his own terms and believes in celebrating such landmarks a little differently. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hockey-custodian spent his 52nd birthday last week sweating it out in preparation for his team’s MHA league encounter, before conducting his routine coaching session for the young boys, who are part of his beloved Borivali Youngsters football team in the evening. The supremely fit Dias also managed to sneak in some time to get himself a swanky new hairdo.

“A number of people are shocked when I reveal my age to them. I have always believed in positive thinking and it has helped me a lot in maintaining my fitness. Even today the opposition goalkeeper came and touched my feet and appreciated my effort at this age,” says the Borivali resident. Going to a gym to workout is absolutely not a necessity, adds Dias, who believes more in sticking to a balanced and healthy diet to remain fit even after crossing the 50mark.

“I wake up at 6 in the morning everyday and get on with my normal chores. But I make sure that I keep a watch on the fat content in my food, which is the secret of my fitness. I even advise my boys to do basic exercises at home, rather than wasting too much money by going to a gym,” insists Dias.

He reveals that his interest in sport was instilled at an early age because of his late father, who used to regularly take him to the BHA stadium and Cooperage to watch hockey and football matches. “I remember going for a Rovers Cup game with him, and loved the atmosphere there, with Goans and the Bengalis cheering on vociferously from their respective cor ners in the stands,” reminisces Dias. He started out as a goalkeeper for his school football team, and was picked up by the Shipping Corporation outfit when he was in his 10th standard, which kicked off his fledgling career.

“I played three years with them. But my real interest in hockey started once I went to the Gulf, where I spent 25 years working in the hotel and bank industries,” he says. Dias adds that he played for a number of local teams in the Middle East, including a long stint for the Emirates Airlines team. “I travelled to different parts of the world with the team playing hockey, and also played a number of 7-a-side football tournaments in Europe,” reveals Dias. He also helped the Brazilian coaches, who had come to train the under-17 UAE football squad and found communication as a major difficulty, during his stay in Dubai.

He insists that the hockey in India is still very much of very high quality, and it is only the administration of the sport that has left the country’s national sport fighting a proverbial battle for survival. “Indian hockey is considered to be like Brazilian football – full of class. And the Europeans still do not find anything wrong with the style of hockey played by our team. But even they realize that the sport is not run in a professional manner over here,” says an almost irate Dias. He is impressed by the stick-skills that are displayed by the young hockey players on show in the local leagues. And is adamant that with proper monitoring these boys could bring back the lost glory of Mumbai hockey, which has been taken over by the plethora of youngsters, who mi grate from the north-eastern states.

Ever since his return to India in the early 2000s, Dias has taken to coaching school teams in the city, and is the head football coach at the Billabong High School. The vivacious sports-nut will travel to Bangalore for a five-day trip later this month, for a ‘coaching the coaches’ program. “And once I get the certificate I can apply for a level-2 coaching role at the AFC level, and can even be in-charge of a national under-17 team,” reveals Dias.

Not many kids would get inspired by a 52-year-old’s hairstyle, but Dias insists that a number of his boys want to ape him in whatever he does. “When you are coaching kids, you need to become one of them in order to enjoy a certain comfort level with them. I always make it a point to look and dress up as a youngster, and it really helps, as they often ask me about where a certain T-shirt or wrist-band was bought from,” he explains.

The gregarious Dias, who calls himself a freelancer in the hockey circuit, has no plans for calling it a day anytime soon, and plans to keep fighting it out on the astro-turf. “I pray that I play till my final day. I have dedicated the rest of my life to sport, and want to help as many kids as I can to achieve some amount of success,” says Dias, who admits that in spite of his immense love for hockey, football is his primary sport.

He says that his siblings are fed up with his sporting commitments, and they often complain about him not spending time with them. “Even on my wedding day, I played a match in the morning, before getting married in the evening, and my mom thought I was crazy,” says Dias.

It is often said that age is just like a number in the mind, and it is certain with the unrelenting attitude that he possesses, Dias will remain young forever.