Bangalore: Carving a niche of her own

Carving a niche of her own

ASIANAGE

By Maxin Mathew

Bengaluru

An effervescent smile and a bubbly “Hi” greets one at the KSHA hockey stadium. Still unsure whether this is the person to meet, an introduction evokes a strong handshake that lays rest to any misconception. If it’s true that looks can deceive, then Pachimanda Shivappa Anupama is a classic example of the adage.

An international female umpire in the gritty world of field hockey, Anupama has carved a niche of her own.

Standing at just about 5 foot 5 inches, in a Melbourne Commonwealth Games sweatshirt, Anupama pictures herself as coy and reserved. But all this undergoes a major metamorphosis once she’s on the field. “Shy? Me?” She laughs. “I guess you have to see me more in action during my matches,” the 28-year-old said.

Born and brought up in Coorg, a cradle of Indian hockey, Anupama is an ardent fan of the sport, thanks to her encouraging parents. “Women in sports itself is a big thing to get support for. Umpiring in gruelling sports such as hockey takes on a whole new dimension.

“It’s all because of my parents’ constant support that I have reached this stage and been able to do which other women couldn’t,” she adds.

An attacking mid-fielder, Anupama represented Karnataka in the sub-junior and the senior women’s National hockey championships. She also played for Mangalore University at the All-India Inter-University championships.

It was during these occasions that she began noticing the umpires. “Apart from being fascinated, I was curious as to how they handle the game. After a few chats with them I became interested in taking up umpiring.”

In 2001, she took the KSHA umpiring exam which she cleared with flying colours. And soon thereafter, Anupama was officiating her first match at the Cheppudira family tournament. “It was my first match and I was extremely nervous. It took me a few matches to get more focussed and controlled,” she recalls.

The biggest break in her career came when she was shortlisted by the International Hockey Federation as the youngest umpire among the top ten men and women in the world.

“It took me some time before I could come to terms with what I had achieved. Thrilling, exciting, exhilarating… it was a dream.”

Her international stint took shape in 2004, when she was selected to officiate the first Takamadonomiya Four-Nation Hockey tournament at Giffu, Japan.

The Korean Television six-nation hockey tournament at Seoul (2005), the Junior World Cup at Chile (2005), the East Asian Games at Macaw (2005), the Commonwealth Games at Melbourne (2006) and the Central American and Carribbean Games in the Dominican Republic (2006) are among the several international tournaments she has stood as an umpire. “Melbourne was really special. It’s a big event with renowned sportspersons. It was simply great.”