K  ARUMUGAM

Mere formalities went awry. And huge hurdles turned out to be a cakewalk. This is how the story of reaching Tokyo from New Delhi panned out.

I planned to leave for the airport five hours before the scheduled departure of my flight — a huge departure from my trait of perennially cutting a thin slice when it came to time. I envisaged challenges during clearance, security and other protocol, given the visit to the Japanese capital was without a visa but with a pre-validated card.

But the drivers of Ola and Uber played truant and it cost me an hour!

Loads of pending paperwork added to the anxiety on the day before boarding the flight. This followed a month and a half of technical torture unleashed on me or for that matter anybody aspiring to travel to the Olympics. It seemed unending.

Indian Women’s hockey team at Delhi Airport on the eve of their Tokyo Olympic departure

With a week of RT PCR tests having been done daily, two of them carried out by a lab designated by the Japanese government, I had in my possession almost 10 Covid negative reports!

Air India had already revised my departure twice and I braced for the worst even today. Thankfully, it didn’t occur! Any change in flight schedule would mean additions to my impressive collection of Covid negative reports! After all, I was obliged to monitor myself a week before departure.

Midway through the last day, a general circular from the Indian Olympic Association, and a near ‘go ahead’, and ‘come in any case’ message from the Tokyo Olympic Organising Committee reached my email inbox. What a relief! It lifted my morale which reached its lowest.

Despite the vexation caused by Ola, I reached T3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport with almost three hours left for flying.

What I saw at T3 was overwhelming. There was a separate Olympic gate. The luggage handling went quicker than expected. I spotted table tennis star Manika Batra who was checking in. She and teammates were in blue – the first time I saw this edition’s Olympic national jersey.

In fact, everything was blue, a deep shade at that, including hand baggage, check in suitcases et al.

And there was a pleasant first for me — no security check! And no standing in a queue for immigration clearance either.

I joined former international players, Olympian AB Subbaiah, now in a top position in Air India, and World Cupper Rajesh Chauhan. As we proceeded further, I understood the duo were aware of a function being organized. They straightaway took me there.

About a hundred staff of Spicejet stood in two lines with the Tricolour in their hands, forming a pathway for the impending players’ arrival.

All of a sudden on your left you witnessed a buzz of activity. The group photo session of the men’s hockey team was just over. The players started marching along the pathway laid out by enthusiastic cheer leaders amid the shouting of “jai mata ki jai” and other slogans that rented the air.

The women’s hockey team followed them. It all happened so quickly and I was caught in its spell. I began to cheer too, almost forgetting to capture the moment on video!

Thankfully, I remembered that my job was to record and not cheer…

Then there was Narinder Dhruv Batra, IOA Chief, flanked by Secretary General Rajeev Mehta. Then, of course, there was the new sports minister Anurag Thakur and his deputy Nisith Pramanik, both young and well attired.

Rajeev Mehta started the proceedings. The going was dull but he provided a twist as he said, “Being the president of the IOA, I expect Dr. Batra to announce incentives for winning as motivation.”

But Batra, sharp and smart as always, replied to him in his concluding speech: “Mr Mehta has the knack of putting me in such traps. Thank him for that. I hope you will get more than expected prize money after achieving in Tokyo”.

Junior minister Pramanik, shout and short, in politician’s attire, used high-decibel slogans to ‘motivate’ the players. The expected reference to the 1.3 billion Indian populace was for senior ministers to make. The duo left quickly. Batra was the last to leave after wishing each and player luck as they proceeded to board the flight.

Rupinder Pal reminded me with a line I will always cherish, as we rushed to embark: “You saw me in my first tournament, too.”

A brief chat with PV Sindhu onboard Air India flight

As soon as I boarded the flight, I saw badminton sensation PV Sindhu in the business class. I could no resist meeting her. She was on her cell phone, but, sitting in the next seat, had a brief discussion with her before taking a mandatory selfie.

Once I located and took my seat, I proceeded to post on social media photos and videos that I thought would be breaking news. Nothing of the sort. There were others who got there well before me!

Most players in the hockey team were quicker and were all over the spaces, already drawing four digit likes! Social media queen bee Rani Rampal, of course, was a leader here too.

I spoke with about half-a-dozen players and shot some brief video interviews.

The players were by and large a tired lot. They left Bengaluru in the morning and then waited at a hotel inside T3. Now they were readying for an eight-hour flight. Most of them slipped into deep slumber.

Thankfully, each player was given a three-seat row with a lot of leg room. Most skipped the airliner’s dinner.

Indian Olympic contingent onboard AI flight

On the row behind me was Mandeep Singh. To my was his village-mate and captain Manpreet Singh. To my right was Harmanpreet Singh, focussing on his laptop with specs on. Two rows ahead was a women’s hockey’s star.

It’s been a dream occasion all through. My Olympic journey has made a grand start and in a manner I did not expect.

I never ever thought I would travel with the Olympic contingent. But I did today and it seems like a dream!