By Nandakumar Marar

MUMBAI: Sparkling smile lighting up his face, neatly attired on and off the hockey pitch and a knack of dealing with people earned the late M K Kaushik the title of “Kaushik Shining” in Mumbai sporting
circles. The winger shone for Tatas Sports Club in the local and all-India tournaments first before making a mark representing Mumbai at the Senior Nationals. The India forward and national coach passed
away in New Delhi on Saturday due to health issues, leaving teammates and players mentored by him shocked.

Indian hockey Olympic gold medallist M K Kaushik heading for a match at Mahindra Stadium, Mumbai

Mumbai and India teammate, Joaquim Carvalho, traces the background behind the grand description of a down-to-earth person. “Kaushik shone in many aspects, hence the title coined by Louis Gabriel, teammate at Tatas,” explained the World Cupper and Mahindras midfielder. “We played against each other in the Mumbai league and major tournaments, but the rivalry was restricted to the ground. As a senior, he took care of us from Mumbai at national camps and international tournaments.”

Carvalho adds: “Kaushik shone in the way he looked, carried himself and played. When he smiled showing sparkling teeth to forehead shining due to receding hairline, the way he dressed for hockey and away from the game, he was always shining. As a rival and later as a senior during India camps, he set an example about how to deal with people and became popular wherever he went. Tatas teammate Gabriel called him “Shining” which was later modified into “Kaushik Shining” and it fitted him.”

The India winger, member of the 1980 Moscow Olympics gold winning squad, shifted from Delhi to take up a job offer from Tatas SC and adapted himself, hockey and otherwise, to a new city. “He came from
Delhi to play the Bombay Gold Cup for Tatas. His play on the wing was mesmerising, the way he hit those crisp centres along the carpet. For us youngsters watching, he left a deep impression. From then on, we played together for Mumbai at the Senior Nationals, later were in India camps together.”

Mumbai’s special displays against hockey heavyweights during the Nationals earned many city players a call to join the India camp. “He was senior, but never did he make us feel like juniors. When we
travelled for our first camp in Patiala, he helped us (Somaya and me) adjust and made sure we did not get overawed by the sight of some of India’s best players. Players from certain states dominated, he gave us confidence to play our game against the big names,” revealed Carvalho, later excelling under noted coach Balkishen Singh.

Moscow Olympic gold medalist MK Kaushik

Carvalho explains the circumstances for Kaushik earning respect, beyond hockey. “Players from Mumbai were like a family at nationals camps… Kaushik, me, Somaya, Mervyn Fernandes, Mir Ranjan Negi, Marcellus Gomes. When a camp ended and in case one of us was not picked, reaching home from camp venues was tough. Kaushik used his contacts to arrange reservations, so that we could travel to Mumbai in better condition,” said the midfielder, later on representing India at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Kaushik’s ability to take people along, the understanding to look at players as individuals who need to be handled differently, came to the fore in subsequent career as India coach of men and women teams.
Carvalho looks back: “I am sure his man-management made an impact on India winning the Asian Games men’s gold at Bangkok in 1998. Our team at major tournaments, men or women, has many experienced players. There is no need to tell them what to do, a successful coach is one who can carry them along. He was an expert on getting the best out of players in his squad.”

India women won the 2003 Afro-Asian Games gold and the 2006 Asian Games bronze under his guidance. “I came to know from girls who played in those years about Kaushik as the coach totally focussed with the task,” said India women team winger, Eliza Nelson, recalling the awe watching him in action at the Moscow Olympics. “The women team went to watch India men’s matches and he was too fit, one moment he would be on the flank, next moment he would have fallen back to help the defence. Kaushik made such an impact that he was taken for dope tests many times.”

The Mumbai-based women international, later to lead India at the 1982 Asian Games, recalled giggling in the stands when the winger’s full name was announced at the Moscow stadium. “The announcer would say Maharaj Kishen Kaushik, reading out the India line-up and we found it funny.” She feels that as a person, he was always smiling and focussed, in contrast to his grand name and the reason for results when in charge of women’s teams. He also made an effort to instill love for hockey in the kids at Tata Colony in suburban Mumbai where he stayed, via dribbling demos on the small ground where kids assembled for their own fun and games.