It’s a big day for me, says Tushar Khandkar.
Star spearhead Tuhar Khandkar is an joyous individual in the current hockey team, away from controversies, all the time cheerful, only business is to play the game and enjoy the times blessed to be in the national team.
He is role model in hockey, and this role model met his role model. This made him happier nowadays on the eve of Indian team readying for the Asian Challenge.
Tushar, on the other day, had his moments of joy. He even goes on to describe the last Saturday as the ‘Big Day of my life’.
The big day is a big bash in Mumbai where Sahara Pariwar organized a gala sports awards function.
Tushar was among the four players from men’s hockey team to be invited for the function, and he seemed to have grabbed the occasion to the fullest. And his moments in Mumbai, was when he walked up to cricketer Rahul Dravid.
“I am a big fan of Sachin and Dravid. I always enjoy their actions on the field. It is childhood dream to meet them. So, I got the chance to meet Dravid, I went up to him and introduced myself.
“He was graceful, and acknowledged fully, and said he knew me. I was really glad to know my star knows me. And it was not mere words. Dravid told me he has seen lot matches in which I played, and even praised, “You score lot of goals, and best wishes for the CWG Silver”.
“Dravid and Sachin are big stars. I always wanted to meet them, talk to them, talk about sports. Now I have met Dravid. Am really happy, all the more because he is also aware of my game”.
Rahul Dravid had been a hockey player himself in his College days; he had stints of hockey with Sandeep Somesh and Anil Aldrin, hockey stars of the late 90s. Even as late as this year, Rahul played hockey along side other Karnataka State players in aid of a charity run by another fellow player Jude Felix.
“I am myself a sportsman, but I am thrilled to be in the big company that day, where besides these two cricket giants, all other Indian sports fraternity, present and past, were there”, Tushar said.
“Sachin was sitting very upfront, no chance of meeting him”.
On the course of long conversation, Tushar told Dravid that he is looking forward to watch the Royal Challengers, Bangalore and Mumbai Indians play in the coming season, “as I am the fan of you and Sanchin, both will play against each in the Indian Premier League.
To this, as a gesture, Dravid even assured him of invitation to the match, and asked Tushar to be in touch with him and call him whenever ‘you feel so’.
“He was such a simpleton that he, for all the time I was with him, won my heart much more”, Tushar said heartily.
Tushar is hockey’s enduring player, going all guns for almost 8 years in the senior side, over all 13 years if one takes into account of his under-18 stints.
Rahul is a pillar of Indian cricket, full of game for the last 15 years.
The two giants met, and exchanged their views, had their own moments.
It is our moment of joy as well, though it is a ‘big day’ for toofani Tushar.