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Dream around the corner
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Sandeep Michael is the man of the moment. His strike in the hockey match against Pakistan played a crucial role in India's triumph.
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Sandeep Michael (extreme right) with his parents and brother. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash.
SANDEEP MICHAEL — the name rings several bells now, at least to those who follow Indian hockey. For, he is the new sensation with an uncanny knack of getting goals when the chips are down.
True, many have donned that role before. But with Indian hockey on an upswing, with the recent triumphs (be it at Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur last week or in the three-nation series in Australia in June), it was Sandeep who rose like a phoenix to rattle up the goals and pave the way for the Indian victories. Isolating one player in a team game like hockey would be foolhardy. But then, like Ignace Tirkey puncturing the Pakistani defence to score the all-important goal in the Asia Cup final, it's the man of the moment who gets noticed while the team on the whole gets the bouquets.
Sandeep cut his teeth, so to say, in hockey at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium in the BEL Colony, where his parents — both of whom are employed in BEL — stayed. But the gravel pitch at his home turf was only a stepping stone. It was at the artificial turf at the KSHA that Sandeep honed his skills with the Sports Authority of India (SAI). But the call just did not materialise. One remembers the November 1999 days when a disheartened Sandeep, not having made the State team for the Junior Nationals at Bangalore, would brood in silence. The boy was, however, determined.
The move from SAI onto the Centre of Excellence (CoE) provided an ideal platform. Turning up for the Centre in the State league saw Sandeep blossoming with his uncanny knack for knocking in the goals with a dash and a dive. And he made it all count.
It was in October that Sandeep, deprived of State selection, found his name making the rounds in the Indian Development Team's Four Nation Tour to Egypt. The scorer did not score. And again, in February 2003, Sandeep did make the team, again to Egypt, and found himself making the Starting Eleven, as four others reported sick. He was not going to make the same mistake twice. And the result was a hatrick in the first match there.
Sandeep had arrived, but his golden moment came later, and against a tougher opponent. Coach Rajinder Singh, as an experiment, rested Dhanraj Pillai and handed over the spearhead role to Sandeep in the match against Australia A. Sandeep not only struck two brilliant goals, including the match-winner in India's 4-3 victory, but won rave reviews from none other than his captain, Dhanraj, for the second goal. "It was a beauty... well executed and the finishing was precise," said Dhanraj on his return, and praised the youngster for his effort, which marked India's revival of fortunes. "The advice and tips from Baljeet Dhillon and Dhanraj himself was a great boost... It pepped me up immensely," was Sandeep's reaction on his goals.
Bad luck did haunt the youngster at the doorsteps of a major opportunity, though. In the camp for the Champions Trophy in Amsterdam, Sandeep suffered a bout of jaundice, and bitter days seemed to loom large. But not quite. Rested and refreshed, thanks to the break, he returned to the camp for the Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur and as they say, rest is history. Adjudged the most promising player of the tournament, Sandeep now carries the expectations of millions on his young shoulders.
That he has come through the grind was obvious in the couple of matches that he turned up for his employers, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), in the just-concluded Deccan Herald Super Division Hockey League conducted by KSHA. The body feints and searing runs that stood out were for all to see. And the numbers of fans are increasing by the day!
For parents — John Michael, a State-level volleyball player, and mother Alumelu, a versatile athlete and state level kho-kho player — the pains and sacrifices have finally paid off. "We knew he had it in him. Now it's up to him to seize the chances that come his way. But I'm confident he will do it,'' said the mother, pride writ large on her smiling face. "Hope he makes it to the Olympics. That will be the final answer to our prayers." Brother Vineet is following in his elder sibbling's footsteps, having donned the State colours in the sub-junior ranks. "I want to play at least one Olympics, one Champions Trophy, and one Asian Games... Dream is just round the corner!"
AVINASH NAIR
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