2021 has been a year like no other. There were days when sports lost its relevance and then there were times when its importance could not be overstated. Stadiums will be turned into COVID wards, quarantine zones or vaccination centres. The pandemic had at one point wiped the sport out of public consciousness. Then came back. The wave will subside and the athletes will reclaim their positions. But not for nothing are sports stars revered as gods, even some gods. They will make sure we have happy memories from this pandemic year as well.
The Tokyo Games were delayed, but will deliver amusing drama. For Olympians they undergo endless swab testing and strict social distancing Protocols will be worth the trouble when medals hang around their necks. It will be a feast for the dry eyes of the fans.
IPL Part 2, World T20 and one-on-one international matches will leave cricketers groaning about life in a bio-bubble, but they will look anything but bored or tired at the central square. Last year there was a cricket theatre. There was also a daily soap for when one got tired of discussing the epics in Gabba and Centurion Virat Kohli,
In this hectic and eventful sporting year, there are a few momentary highs it couldn’t make to the memory bank. Listing forgotten pictures that need to be revisited and enjoyed.
Mirabai Chanu On the phone with his mother after winning the silver
Neeraj Chopra’s golden glow was so dazzling that the importance of Chanu’s silver became sad. It remained an important occasion for the ardent followers of the Olympic Games. What the medal meant for the champion lifter and his mother can be seen from the emotional conversation between the two – captured on camera by Tokyo Games broadcasters – minutes after receiving the medal.
Growing up, Chanu was a strong little girl, mother’s pet, whose shoulders were strong enough to lift the family’s weekly big pile of firewood. Four years ago at the Rio Games, after a disastrous performance, Chanu wanted to quit. She couldn’t take it anymore. At that time, the mother had lifted some heavy things. It was the mother-daughter chat that set her back on track. Now Rajat, and after some felicitation ceremonies and VIP meet-and-greets, Chanu was in a hurry to fly to her village outside Imphal.
his house was so far away that we Indian Express Couldn’t video call with him for conversation with our Idea Exchange as the telephone signals were too weak. But the brightness of his voice spoke of the happiness within. As expected the mother would be mentioned. “She has been my pillar. She once said that I can’t feed you properly but I will try my best to take you to the top. If I had a bad day, or not a good day, he would have known by my voice. She knows when I am sad or not feeling well,” Chanu would say.
Queen smiles as Australian girls stare in disbelief
Australian girls go by the intimidating collective noun hockeyrose. What all blacks are to men’s rugby, hockeyroo are to women’s hockey. They have won everything many times and sports best capture the spirit of the nation. He is also a symbol of gender equality in sports. The same cannot be said about the Indian girls from inner India who defeated them in the Olympic quarterfinals.
The girls from Shahbad, Sonipat, Hesel, Lulkidihi, Kurukshetra, Amritsar and Jodhka – years after being leaders in their social strata – made hockey history. He missed out on a medal but was welcomed back home like a champion. Adding a variety of colors to this rainbow team was Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne. She was the neutral voice of reason and conviction that held the girls together during the tough days of quarantine ahead of the Tokyo Games.
In another idea exchange, Marijne will make a touching comment about how the Games aren’t always about medals and podiums. He said, ‘I never dreamed of winning a medal. I never dreamed about what people say, about prizes and money. I only dreamed about one thing. And he is doing something no one has done before and creating a legacy for which you will always be remembered. That’s why I will always be associated with India for the rest of my life.” Pandemic or not, India will never forget the incredible girls and their coaches.
Washington Beautifuldon’t see six
There is a lovely charm about him. On the pitch he looks like a strange teenager who has been called to the meeting to say hello to the guests. At the Gabba, in his debut Test, he had a swagger about him in his batting. And he bowled well too. Rishabh Pantthe courageous and Ajinkya RahaneK’s stubborn leadership will grab the limelight and Sundar will not be remembered as a GABA hero. Despite taking this wicket Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Nathan Lyon and David Warner and scored 62 and 22.
Washington has two shots that have stayed with me. One was his six from Pat Cummins. Both feet in the air, the left-hander swings in the air to send Australia’s No. 1 bowler over the fence. It was an important shot in terms of the game. It was then that the Aussies conceded defeat, it was only when they realized that they were not treating the IPL kids as the world knew them. He was a battle-hardened first-class cricketer in every sense of the word. Actually, they should have known. In the first innings when Washington hit another audacious six. It was a stroke that Clint Eastwood would have played as a batsman. After his full swing off a length ball from off-spinner Lyon, he looked down the pitch, not bothering to look at the rising ball. The sound of the bat was enough. He knew it was off the ground. We knew he was the real deal.
Remember Djokovic won three slams
The world has been very hard on Djokovic. He has won the Surface Slam – clay, grass and hard court – but they keep reminding him of his Olympic and US Open defeats. This was the year he settled the GOAT debate once and for all. He is tied with Federer and Nadal on the all-time slam list, but still they don’t justify him. And when he talks about missing the Australian Open in 2022, he talks about missing it. Respect the old lady.
Foot Note
Calling in to review a documentary doesn’t take a reporter’s pulse. This time it turned out different. The other day I wrote about a film about the 1948 Hockey Olympians from India and Pakistan and it was an uplifting experience. There was nostalgia, betrayal, anger and friendship in the work of documentary maker Bani. It was the story of a champion hockey team being divided by the partition of India, but the bond failed to break. Tang, who was craving in Punjabi, touched a raga. It also reminded of the robustness of the Indo-Pak hyphen that refuses to break despite the bitterness of the present and the uncomfortable past.
It was the perfect end of the year story to do. stay safe send feedback sandeep.dwivedi@indianexpress.com
Sandeep Dwivedi
National Sports Editor
Indian Express
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