It’s not easy being an Indian at the Olympics. The obvious question ‘‘How many medals?’’ chases you till the closing ceremony. Well, it’s still early days and the Games are warming up, and you can breathe easy. But a walk through the Olympic Green Tennis Centre on Sunday evening and a chance meeting with a Dutch journalist-friend made one nostalgic and melancholic.
‘‘What are you covering, tennis? Your hockey team is not here. Aren’t you missing your team?’’ he asked.
‘‘Well, came to see Sania Mirza’s practice session. She’s playing her first game on Monday. She didn’t turn up due to the rain. I’m following the Indian contingent shooters, shuttlers, athletes, all of them. And yes, I’m missing our hockey team. It’s not a pleasant feeling,’’ you tell him.
‘‘Honestly, everyone will miss Indian hockey here. It’s not good for the sport. Well your Mr Gill did well to destroy the game in your country. And you people chased away Ric Charlesworth too. Do you know that he’s going to replace Barry Dancer as the Australian men’s team coach?’’
‘‘Good for the doc (Ric),’’ you tell him and suddenly turn towards the Olympic Green Hockey Centre. You walk in and see the South Koreans warming up. Soon the New Zealand team enters the stadium. You are tempted to stay on. You want to see the ‘Hakka’, the traditional Maori dance which the New Zealanders perform before every match.
You look around and see unfamiliar faces and suddenly it hits you. Where are the men in blue? Where’s the Indian triclour? You turn back hurriedly and walk away. This is no time to get emotional but then, it’s not always easy being an Indian at the Olympics.