SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2001

WE LOST ONE EDITION OF INDIRA CUP WHEN BOMBAY WAS BOMBED by evil terrorists

When I shifted my base in the early 90s from a city in central part of India to Delhi in North India – a good distance of about 1200 kms – due to a transfer in my profession, I was in deed happy. One prime reason for that was I need not travel hereafter either to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh or New Delhi to witness the annual Indira Gandhi International Gold Cup, then construed as India’s answer to Champions Trophy. Those days the Sultan Azlan Cup used to be a bi-annual affair and hence the Indira Cup was the only annual event of this magnitude in whole of Asia.

But unfortunately, the 1993 edition of the Indira Cup was shifted from the traditional venues of Delhi and Lucknow to Mumbai, which meant I had to again travel a good one thousand kms. I rued my fate as the city I lived hitherto was close to Mumbai than New Delhi. The reason for the unexpected shifting of the venue was due to a tobacco ban promulgated by the government of Delhi. That meant cigarette advertisements could not be displayed in government buildings and properties. As the both stadia in Delhi belong to government agencies, the organizers who were based Lucknow, had to reluctantly look for other venue. The Bombay Hockey Association laid a new synthetic surface on its Churchgate stadium very recently and it provided them a relief.

So when I set out my train journey on 12th March, I did not have any inkling of what was waiting to happen. The scourge of terrorism had its ugly head. The Mumbai city was shocked by a chain of bomb blasts which rocked down many buildings and killed about 300 innocent lives. The devastation that caused to human and properties were on hitherto unheard of levels in India.

First thing I did after landing Mumbai was to get to know whether the tournament was on. I was disappointed it had been postponed indefinitely. At the same time, the English team with the indomitable coach David Whitekar was already in town and was rumours even the hotel they were lodged in were affected by a bomb. I was thrilled to know the presence of Whitekar, who took the British to dizzy heights in the Seoul Olympics and after missing the Barcelona number was back in the business. I decided not to miss him come what may, having come all the way.

After dumping my luggage in my friend’s house and despite their warnings, I rushed to the same hotel in order to do something on hockey in my urge to make the trip someway useful. My information proved correct – the hotel that housed the English team was hit by a bomb.

It was difficult to enter the Sea Rock Sheraton Hotel, one of the 11 places that witnessed bomb blasts as a host of security agency personnel had thrown a cordon and would not oblige me. I was a freelancer without any press accredition at that time and it made my things very difficult till one gentleman in the Police force relented and allowed me to go in.

Contrary to my expectation, the English team was cool and collected, taking rest alongside the swimming pool. I introduced myself to one player there, who told me Whitekar had gone to British embassy and the whole team was in the process of return once the return flights were confirmed. “That might happen in a few hours or in a few days,” he shrugged. If my memory is correct, he was Wyatt Jr then making his first visit to India. I also spoke to Howard Hoskin and Peter Gibbins, two of the brimming youngsters in the ill-fated team. (Wyatt and his journalist father came to India again in 1995 for the same Indira Cup).

Only official available to me was affable Lt. Col. Alan Walker, the manager of the visiting team. His room on the 11th floor too bore the brunt of the explosion that went off just two floors below. Broken glasses were still strewn around when I met him. He received me with usual English warmth and had a wonderful chat for about two hours on whole range of hockey matters. He was seemingly not ruffled on explosions and all panic that went with it. “For a moment I thought NRA is here too”, he told with a broad laugh.

Walker belongs to Havant Hockey Club in Hampshire, played for Combined Services and was unlucky not to represent his country. He worked for World Navy School of Physical Training in England. He was also the Hampshire Development Officer under the national Hockey Development Scheme as well as the Hockey Association Staff coach.

By then my host had received many frantic calls from my family back in Delhi and they booked my return ticket without my knowledge on my wife’s advice! That did not prevent me from making a trip to Churchgate grounds where temporarily erected stands awaited me. The turf was lush green and a few officials there were grim-faced. Venkatachalam, who was to officiate in his maiden international tournament, spotted me and rued how he was misfortune to miss his major milest