Before action started
I always wonder why touring journalists write dairies. Probably they want to squeeze in so many things that otherwise they could not, in the main core stories. Secondly, they have many things personal which can no way get editor’s nod. If you believe the second point is right, then go ahead and read the following paragraph. Otherwise jump to next one.
For me the first hurdle I come across in any foreign tour is, getting a right eating place. Strictly speaking that should not be a problem for any visitor, as every country on the globe is visitor friendly, at least this is how they all want to be. My problem arises because of being choosy. I need vegetarian stuff all the time, whose definition varies country to country, and also within country. So am happy I could locate one sooner than expected, within a walking distance from the Bukit Jalil stadium. Its name is Ahimsa, a Chinese owned but Indian named. Ahimsa, as you all know, is an Indian world meaning non-violence. You need not ask anyone why this joint, on the second floor of Carrefour mall, Sri Petaling, is Ahimsa. It is a vegetarian eating joint, and just not content with that, propagates the concept of vegetarianism also. Some of the sayings displayed in big billboards inside the sprawling hall endorse this: Bernard Shaw: ‘I am a friend of animals, and I cannot eat my friends’. Famous cyclist Robert Millar: ‘A vegetarian diet is a winning diet, for health, for sports, for life. It gives me maximum energy and vitality – in fact everything I need to keep me at peak of physical fitness and compete with the best’. Abraham Lincon: ‘Am in favour of animal rights as well as human rights’. And of course, there is a big portrait of Mahatma Gandhi with his well known sayings on the subject. I am really happy on two counts. First to get access to a eating joint so near to a stadium, of my choice, and then to know am in the company of so many big people who are also as intelligent or fool as I am.
Now the hockey stuff. One thing about hockey is its family is so small, it appears. You meet almost same people in all global meets. KL is no different. Whether it is the FIH team here, or the media men from across the globe, you identify most of them. It certainly gives a warm feelings and you don’t feel you are alone in an another country. Another good thing about big tournaments is, you just walk across great former players. One I met on the first day was Pakistan’s Mansoor Ahmed, the daring goalkeeper of 90s. He led Pakistan in the 1996 Champions Trophy in Chennai and he was the member of then reigning World Cup champions. He jokes, mingles with every one and is here on a business trip, what else, sports equipment. I and some other friends shared a discussion for about two hours in the dinner session that meandered into late night.
Kuhan Shanmuganathan, my former columnist, was also with us. Kuhan feels good he is back into the national team. He speaks high of India’s Premier Hockey League. He was part of Bangalore Lions and Chennai Veerans. “One thing I admire is the talent pool that India has. Lot of good players in the PHL”, says he. He also remembers how on a personal trip to Bangalore from Chennai, availing the non playing days in the second PHL, he saw two groups fighting each other. He came to know that was between Tamils and Kannadigas on the question of Cauvery water Dispute. “I for the first time saw people beating others in such a scale.” Luckily for him, others in the train warned him not to speak in Tamil there, but before anything could happen his good friend Len Aiyappa came and picked him from the station. Kuhan visits India at least twice in a year, and has got life time visa too.