K ARUMUGAM
As Rekha Mundphan-Bhide watches the action at the FIH Women’s World Cup, memories of another World Cup inevitably come flooding back—Mandelieu, France, 1974. It was the first-ever Women’s Hockey World Cup, and India announced its arrival on the world stage by finishing fourth. To this day, that remains India’s best finish in the Women’s World Cup.
For Rekha, however, the memories of Mandelieu are decidedly bittersweet. None more so than those of India’s semi-final against Argentina—a match that ended in extraordinary circumstances, somewhere between comedy and tragedy.
70s hockey star Rekha Mundhpan-Bhide
Rekha was only 18 when India lost the semi-final 0-1 to Argentina in sudden-death extra time.
“It was a gruelling semi-final, a real test of strength and stamina,” Rekha recalls. “The turf in France was grassy and we fought hard against a highly-rated Argentine side. But as the match wore on, we were exhausted.”
The tournament itself was unlike anything players experience today. Several matches were being played simultaneously on a huge open field, with spectators moving around freely and watching games from just beyond the sidelines.
“It was strange that a tournament was conducted in such a manner,” Rekha recalls from her hometown, Pune.
Points table 1974 Women’s World Cup when India topped the pool ahead of Netherlands
Usually deployed in the pivotal centre-half position, Rekha remembers vividly how the semi-final unfolded.
“The match ended goalless and we went into extra time—two halves of 15 minutes each. When neither side scored, we entered two halves of sudden-death extra time of seven-and-a-half minutes each.
“We were heavy-legged after playing on the grassy surface, but we kept fighting. With three minutes left before the match would have gone to penalty strokes, our supporters among the spectators kept reminding us of it and urging us to hold on.
“We fancied our chances in penalty strokes because we felt we had an edge over Argentina in that department.”
However, we ended losing in the sudden death extra time. This goal was scored when our goalkeeper was slightly distracted with a fan-photographer!!
The goal ended India’s spirited challenge in the most cruel fashion imaginable.
“It was a tragic way to lose after such a spirited performance, not just in the semi-final but throughout the tournament,” Rekha says.
India’s coach, the renowned Balkishen Singh, was in tears.
“Exhausted and deflated, we played West Germany in the bronze-medal playoff but lost 0-2. It was a sad end to our campaign.”
Yet the fourth-place finish was a remarkable achievement for a team competing in the inaugural World Cup.
India had lost 0-2 to Belgium in the opening phase but bounced back spectacularly, defeating eventual champions the Netherlands 1-0. They subsequently beat Mexico 3-0 and Spain 4-1 to top their pool and qualify for the semi-finals.
The achievement came despite conditions that would seem almost unimaginable to today’s players.
“Food was a major problem,” Rekha recalls. “We virtually lived on bread and butter because most of the girls were vegetarian.”
One incident remains particularly vivid.
“I remember going to a restaurant where a non-vegetarian member ordered fish. The fish was served whole on the table. A vegetarian teammate sitting beside her shrieked in horror at the sight of it!”
There were none of the modern support systems that today’s international players take for granted.
“There was no such thing as a sports diet or sports drinks for us in those days. Physiotherapy to aid recovery and sports psychology were non-existent.
“We had no scientific regimen for physical training either. To build our stamina, we were simply made to run like horses. But, for all that, we managed pretty well—as the results show.”
From athletics to hockey
Rekha’s journey to international hockey was itself unexpected.
Growing up in Pune, she was an accomplished sprinter. A freak heel injury forced her to give up athletics and led her towards hockey. She displayed a natural aptitude for the sport and was encouraged by her coaches to pursue it seriously.
She represented Maharashtra as a teenager and was part of the state’s National championship-winning side in Kolkata in 1969, aged just 13. Her international debut came in 1973, when she was only 16.
Her development was greatly influenced by the renowned Pune coach Minoo Golakhari, one of the most respected coaches of his generation.
Rekha went on to become a mainstay of the Indian team until her retirement in 1981. She eventually captained India and emerged as a leading figure for Indian Railways. An Arjuna Award recipient, she later moved into hockey administration.
She served as president of her state association, vice-president of Hockey India and a national selector.
Known for her forthrightness and uncompromising approach, Rekha never hesitated to speak out against what she regarded as wrongdoing in hockey administration. Fair play, she believed, extended beyond the playing field.
More than five decades after Mandelieu, the memories remain vivid—the exhausting matches, primitive preparation, bread-and-butter meals, the joy of beating the eventual champions, and, above all, that extraordinary semi-final against Argentina.
For Rekha, Mandelieu 1974 was much more than India’s first Women’s World Cup.
It was the tournament that announced Indian women’s hockey to the world—and gave an 18-year-old centre-half memories that have lasted a lifetime.