Lord of the `Olympic Rings’

Firoz Mirza

Don’t be surprised if you see most Indian hockey players sporting a tattoo of the Olympic Rings in the London Olympics.

The players have decided to get the tattoo done to mark their presence in the 2012 Olympics in case the team qualifies for the mega event.

There’s a bit of history behind the decision. Just before the Beijing Olympics, a few players had decided to go into the Olympics with the tattoo. While ace drag flicker Sandeep Singh got it done in Canada prior to the Olympics, others could not go ahead as the team failed to qualify for the extravaganza, leaving the players and hockey fans across the country dejected. This was for the first time since 1928 that men’s hockey team had failed to qualify for the Olympics.

With London Olympics around the corner, players have got another chance to realize their dream. Two of them, Sandeep Singh and midfielder Sardar Singh, see the tattoo as the reminder of the humiliation of not making it to the Beijing Olympics and, at the same time, as an inspiration to make the cut this time.

“I got a zip-lock inscribed on my shoulder in Mumbai. We plan to get the Olympic Rings marked on our body after qualifying for London Olympics,“ said Sardar Singh.

While the Olympic Rings tattoo may take a while, many are already sporting other tattoos at the Senior National Championship in Bhopal.