The Hindu: Igniting hockey spirit

By T. Saravanan

Untiringly producing national and state-level players for over four decades, Reserve Line Sports Club has become a good breeding ground for aspiring hockey players.

Three years from now, one of the oldest clubs in the city, Reserve Line Sports Club (RLSC), will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee. At a time when sports recruitment by State departments is hard to come by, RLSC managed to get its players placed in various Government Departments. From Customs and Central Excise to State Police, from banks to Indian Coach Factory, there are more than 100 RLSC players working in several departments across the country.

“We have imbibed a strong culture in our players,” says V. Kannan, secretary of the club. “Wherever they are here they visit our club during the tournament time. It is a kind of home coming for them as they celebrate it as a family get-together,” he says.

Started in 1969 by four like-minded friends, Marisamy and Karuppiah, head constables, Kannan and Pitchai Ambalam, college students, RLSC then was formed for the wards of policemen working in Madurai Urban, Madurai North and Ramanathapuram Reserve Line. The club enrolled members who were mostly school and college students and derived its name from the ground where the members went for their regular practice. “We did not have uniform then. We stitched shorts with khaki pants of our parents and dyed it black and the vests red. From then on red vests and black shorts became our uniform,” he says.

But then, the club needed no special step to attract players as hockey was popular at that time. “Hockey was what cricket is today for the youngsters. India was eight-time Olympic champion and every second person preferred hockey. We immediately struck a chord with players as they were also interested,” says Kannan.

RLSC had a formidable team that won many trophies. “In 1972, our boys participated in several tournaments and won eight trophies which also included the all India tournament in Tirupati where we edged out Indian Tobacco team 1-0 in the final. The highlight of the tournament was from nowhere suddenly we were up against India international Roger Mahi.

Wherever they went RLSC made a mark and their indomitable spirit became the talking point. Having tasted success in several state and national level tournaments, RLSC stepped on to the next level by organising all-India tournament in commemoration of the club’s silver jubilee celebrations in 1994.

Soon the tournament grabbed the attention of clubs from all over the country for its attractive prize money and hospitality. Players who donned Indian colours such as Adam Sinclair, Mohamed Riaz, Thirumavalavan and Dinesh Naik showed keen interest to participate in this tournament. “Our members rubbed shoulders with international players and it gave them invaluable exposure. Soon our players started to fare well and got selected in State and national team,” says Kannan.

A. Sivabalan is a classic case. He was a raw talent when he arrived at the club. His skills were personally groomed by Kannan and coach Murugan, who is now the District Sports Officer in Madurai. Soon Sivabalan converted promise to results and booked a berth in State team and then went on to represent the country in the Junior Asia Cup in Dhaka. His good interception skills as full back earned him a place in the Indian senior side that defeated France 2-1 in a hockey test series. “But for RLSC’s skilful training I would not have been in this position today,” says Sivabalan, who is now a Sub-Inspector of Police.

Sivabalan’s exemplary skills saw him earn a place in the Chennai Veerans team in the Hockey India League, where he played along side V.R. Raghunath, who is at present doing national duty at the Rio Olympics. “Had Sivabalan continued in the same vein, he too would have been playing in the Olympics,” says Kannan.

All these days, the club was operating from the Armed Reserve Police grounds but now has moved to the Race Course stadium, where they practice on the astro turf. Even today boys and girls flock to the stadium to get trained by the hockey veteran Kannan. The club which started with 50 members is now 200-member strong who liberally contribute for the successful conduct of the tournament.

Kannan wants to organise the Golden Jubilee year tournament under the floodlights. “It costs nothing less than Rs.20,000 for a match. If not for all the matches at least for the semi-finals and finals I would like to do it under floodlights,” says Kannan with childlike enthusiasm.