ROAD TO BEIJING

Indian-origin athletes realise Olympic dreams in other colours

INDIAN PLAYERS HOPE TO SCORE FOR CANADA IN HOCKEY

Chandigarh

FOR THE first time in 80 years, the Indian hockey team won’t feature in the Olympics. But ironically a group , of home-bred players will be dribbling for Canada at Beijing.
Even as a nation of 100 million searches for an athlete who will shine on the Olympic stage, Indianorigin gymnasts, wrestlers and hockey players have been providing fans something to cheer about.

Indian-origin gymnast Mohini Bhardwaj won the silver for United States at the 2004 Athens Games. Alexi Grewal, a cyclist with roots in Punjab, won the gold in the 1984 Los Angles Olympics. And, Kulbir Singh, a Punjabi settled in London, was part of the British team that bagged the hockey gold in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Even as India was losing face in hockey six Indian-origin players , Sukhwinder Singh, Ranjeev Deol, Ravi Kahlon, Bindi Singh Kullar, Wayne Fernandes and Ken Pereira made it to Canada’s Olympic squad.

Except for Sukhwinder and Ranjeev Deol, who were born in India and Kenya, respectively, the other four were raised in Canada. “We are happy that Canada is back in Olympics after 2000, but we will be missing India. We all have roots in India and its absence is disappointing for every member of the community here,” said Kahlon.

Wrestler Sandeep Kumar will represent Australia in the 84-kg class. “I’ll realise my Olympic dream in Beijing,” he told HT from Melbourne. Sandeep migrated to Australia from Sonepat’s Dhanana village in 2004 for better prospects. “I drive a taxi for a living. My day starts at 5 a.m. and after two hours of training, I drive a cab. In the evening I again get into the ring. But for the past month, I’ve been focusing only on wrestling.”