To Kanpur and back: My three days with 25 school hockey kids and more

It was a bold decision, though for many to term it so might look silly. The task was to take a team of 18 boys under 14 age to Kanpur, engage them in a test series with another school where hockey was promoted by my NGO One Thousand Hockey legs.

Where the boldness comes in to what look like a small trip is, when assumed the role of manager, decided to accompany them. Though on one occasion, I traveled with boys from Puducherry to Chennai by train to play my NGO’s first exchange series, there most of things were managed by my Project Officers concerned, I was only a honoured guest, others taking care of everything.

Here in Delhi I did everything. First difficulty was size of the squad. We organized a Delhi OTHL Cup in November and selected 18 boys for this trip. However, our invitation to some public schools did not bring any response, so we took six boys who were in the standbye list.

We have taken first permission from the parents to travel, and with that also written consent from the schools heads.

Hardly a day left for our onward journey three schools sent in their consent, and I am not expected to deny the boys any joy just because their school has messed up dates.

I did not have enough courage to tell the substitute players to stay at home, after evoking interest in them.

Rail reservation was always a problem in summer, and our constant companion in this task, punctual and perfect volunteer in Shashank Gupta managed tickets, but many of them were wait-listed.

A student’s father volunteered to get some reserved seats, and it’s a big relief.

Exactly, three hours before our departure a school principal called in panic tone. He wanted copies of parents consents which did not receive till then. Luckily, ,I had the copies, rushed to his school, and provided him what he wanted, lest he threatened recall of boys!

The journey time was 7 hours from Delhi to reach Kanpur central.

Fathers dropped half a dozen boys at my home, and it was left to me to take them through Metro to the New Delhi station. About a dozen boys directly reached New Delhi station, where one of our coaches, Rohit received them and took them to the correct platform.

At platform No.8 many parents waited with their wards, surprisingly all of them from Public Schools. One of them offered every student Frooti, a packaged soft drink, another one thrust a Rs.500 note to serve similar drinks during the match. He was so persuasive I could not refuse.

Only one parent reached with his son one hour late, perhaps he knew the train is an hour late. Later we found he was traveling in the same train to take care of his ‘only’ son.

Yes, our onward journey was marked by Railways’ wonted delay.

What believed to be officially a 7-hour journey extended to 12 hours. The train supposed to reach evening 8 ‘0’ clock reached midnight (1.30 hrs).

It was chair car type train, we had difficulty in getting seat for all the boys, but they were cooperative to adjust, sat on rotation. Their smile and mischief never faded all through the journey.

Thankfully, though landed midnight, we got two Vikrams (a light motor vehicle that can accommodate about 8 adults, but always runs packed with double the numbers) to carry the boys to Kanpur’s international cricket stadium, where we booked dormitory, though at the double rate.

So, we slept hardly four hours before morning set in, and we were in a hurry to get ready to play our first test against Kanpur DPS school, which is located almost 15 kms from our place of stay.

Our hosts in the Green Park stadium were courteous, and got breakfast organized, though they were helpless when the motor failed and the tapes run dry.

We walked about one and half km, as if some procession, to get Vikram to journey to playing school. One passenger commented, “where this vanar sena is going?”, evoking some angry protest from our kids.

We set of in two Vikrams and landed at Kalyanpur to a warm welcome. We were pleasantly surprised to spot a banner welcoming us. Physical education head Ramesh Mishra was very kind to meet all our expectations.

The ground was green, and the boys were ready.

We drew the first match played between junior teams. The hosts team defeated us in the senior division (1-2).

Delhi’s problem was their goalkeeper designate did not bother to bring his kit! Delhi could not organize a new set as there was hardly any time left, as they kept cursing the train delay.

The boys on their return, again by Vikram ride, were all over the Greenpark stadium, without showing any signs of tiredness. There was a day night cricket match going on between two corporate teams, they had the opportunity to witness a cricket match on floodlights.

At the same time, hockey players running here and there sporting One Thousand Hockey Legs, caught the eyes of many journalists who came there to cover the cricket match.

Most of them turned up for Sunday’s match we planned on the Greenpark stadium, it is a multi sport complex with facility for most sports.

I and the coach slept in the dormitory amidst shoe stinks and some inescapable mosquitoes. Nothing mattered as we were too much tired.

When we started OTHL in Kanpur two years ago, there used to be goal cages on the ground, which now disappeared. Indicator the diminishing interest of sport in the city.

Regional Sports Officer Bula Ganguly was kind enough to make grounds ready for us with goal cages.

We got two neutral umpires to officiate and it proved good, though at one occasion DPS team threatened to walk out, leaving me to persuade calm.

Boys were fighting hard, Delhi OTHL Juniors thumped their rivals for a 3-0 victory, while they had to struggle a lot to hold seniors 1-1.

We took the boys to a market round in the evening, to entertain them.

Without our knowledge the boys burst into cricket ground and started playing hockey on the cricket ground beyond the boundary line. It was a sight to see hockey played on an international cricket ground.

Who can stop these boys!

This day, we faced a tragedy too.

One of our boys sitting on the sidelines, watching the junior match, accidentally got hurt Some one from outside the compound wall seemed to have pelted a stone to rescue something struck at the banyan tree under whose shadow our team was watching, and the stone hit him hard. Our umpires took him on the motor cycle and got proper treatment.

Most of the boys from our team and Kanpur told that they liked the Test Series compared to tournament format.

Both Test Series (Jr and Sr.s) were still wide open. Delhi seniors needed a clear 2-0 goal margin to win their, while the host team’s junior wanted an outright victory for theirs.

Both teams achieved their target, on third day at the hosts ground.

The school management was kind enough to release many boys and girls to witness the match. I am personally did not like the senior’s match, because it was physical and aggressive, and the umpiring was left much to be desired.

School Principal Archana Nigam witnessed the progress their team had made and gave away the winners trophy, she was delighted at the series getting so much publicity in the media.

Now we had better train to return, all berths, and most seats reserved for us, thanks against to the same parent.

While most of them slept, at least six boys were so excited and told clearly they won’t sleep entire night, and it was so. They engaged me in good discussion on all matters that are trivial for others but dear to them.

The return journey was a wonderful treat for me, as we discussed everything and there was no tension of anything unlike the opposite scene when we left three days ago.

A couple of boys who tried to be a different class in the beginnings were the most enjoyed of the lot, and it was a matter of satisfaction the tour has removed their unwanted class consciousness.

We reached Tuesday early morning 6 ‘0’ clock.

We felt bad for bidding adieu.

I was tame tired.

Perhaps after long time, I slept 16 of the next 24 hours to my own astonishment.

Happy to be so.

Next day, I woke up to a call from our Puducherry Project Officer. He said the stage is well set for the two-day meet of 8 of our OTHL schools.

Another day, another city, another hockey activity.

My NGO is flourishing, as I keep smiling, and smiling.

Photo Caption from top

Mothers turn up at the railway station to see off their wards

A quick nap, in cluster of course

A Vikram trip, a packed but joyful ride.

This boy Nitin Pachuri is always cheerful

Having a good break fast

Boys walking on a big street to catch a transport, its sight to see

Delhi boys assemble before the Delhi Public School in Kanpur

DPS Kalyanpur accord visiting Delhi team a warm welcome, a nice gesture.

Delhi boy Anil Butt is injured accidentally, he was brave enough to play within half an hour from the accident.

Relaxing time with Carrom board

Once when we faced transport problem, this truck turned up to help, just a five minutes journey but full of fun.

Boys boarding the train, return journey.

A rare sight: Hockey on a lush green cricket outfield, that too on floodlights