The Tribune

Chandigarh, August 25

There are men who fight the demons, hostile rivals, fierce challenges and win laurels and trophies for the country. These are extraordinary men, who are mobbed on the roads, adored in the hearts and worshipped during battle. But then why is that these fearless sporting warriors are afraid of getting tied up into a relation that is celebrated across the globe? Why is that so many top sportsmen from Punjab (Harbhajan, Rajpal, Reetinder Sodhi, Anwar Ali, Yuvraj, Abhinav Bindra.. to name a few) have not chosen their partners ?

“You have to wait for the right time and the right person. Sportsmen have a busy schedule and whoever comes into our lives has to be able to cope with this,” feels India’s ace spinner Harbhajan Singh. “I don’t have an ideal person in my mind. I have just two conditions, one that she has to be a girl and second ….she should be playing my ‘doosra’ and not bowling them to me,” he adds with a smile.

For star Indian hockey player Rajpal Singh, who has just returned from the European tour, the uncertainty is forced as Indian hockey goes into it’s biggest year. “We have the Commonwealth Games and World Cup in New Delhi next year, right now marriage is not really the hot topic. It is important, yes, but after the WC and CWG, maybe, there can be more on this,” he says.

Former India cricketer Reetinder Sodhi also believes that one has to be careful about a decision like this. “At times when you are batting on 99, it’s hard to decide whether to go for a patient single or a thumping six. A lot depends on this one call. For the thrill of a six now, do you want to take chances with the excitement of a hundred? ….It’s the same with marriage I guess. Let’s see how I get there.”

Busy with the ongoing Nehru Cup, India defender Anwar Ali, is not fielding questions on marriage, therefore, he is taken totally off guard. “Marriage? I thought you would ask about the Sri Lanka game,” he laughs. But like any eligible bachelor, he has to be talking marriage soon. “Right now I am concentrating on my career only. This is the time to think about things on a priority basis and marriage, (laughs) unfortunately will be taking a backseat.”