The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Sharing their wealth of wisdom

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 13, 2006

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Sport - Hockey

Sharing their wealth of wisdom

A. Joseph Antony

HYDERABAD: Last Christmas, Anna Serra visited Morocco in Africa. It proved to be an eye-opener to poverty and life's harsh realities for nomads in torrid desert terrains.

Back home in Spain, Atletic Terrassa Hockey Club mate and international Andreu Enrich was looking for support to share his wealth of hockey wisdom with poor children in Anantapur, south India.

There would be no rewards, at least financially, Serra was sure. Nonetheless, her hand went up, as did that of teammate and international Clara Vancells. The duo joined Enrich and Jordi Barrio, trainer of Terrassa's women's squad.

Temperatures of over forty degrees received them at the Rural Development Trust, an Anantapur NGO that hosted the scheme. So did the local food set them on fire!

Those hurdles surmounted, they were in for a few surprises, many of them not just pleasant, but memorable too.

First, and a lasting one at that, was to see children rise and greet them on their entry into the training camp that began at 6 a.m., an unearthly hour in Europe. Despite the language barriers, children drawn from across Anantapur district carried out instructions to the T, even in complicated training routines. In Spain, Serra and Vancells, who conduct summer camps for kids, have often been told to shut up!

Coaches revered

"The children are so innocent here," observed Vancells, while those back home can be pretty demanding, used to getting what they want. In India, a coach is a hero and looked up to with reverence, she added.

From the rigours of training and tactics, kids revelled in the recreation routine Vancells and Serra had so carefully charted. There was dancing, frolicking with balloons and surprise gifts from Spain. A fortnight flew, by the end of which many of the little ones made these women from a distant land their confidantes. "Secrets should remain secrets," said Serra, staving off probing queries.

"It took these foreigners to see the potential for hockey here," said triple Olympian Mukesh Kumar at the camp's valedictory function. "To me, Andreu is a role model, who although only 22 years of age, showed concern in sponsoring the upbringing of two children here. It takes effort to raise resources and expertise to organise this camp," he added in tribute to the wiry Spanish left-back.

"We drank in the sights and sounds of India, to which we wish to return whenever we can," said Serra and Vancells. "From these children, we've learnt our lessons — to give without expecting returns and to be grateful for everyday in life," they reflected in parting.

The campers were reluctant to leave the tent as they sang in farewell a Spanish song the coaching quartet had taught them. Requests for photographs with the Spaniards seemed never-ending, as coaches and PETs, women, children and even photographers themselves, wanted to be `framed' with them.

This was one closing function many hoped wouldn't end.

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