I stay in Cuttack and I needed to be there in Kolkata to cheer the team in Red and Gold. I quickly booked a train ticket using Tatkal quota and reached Kolkata by the evening of 13th March. Next day I met the other mighty 14 members and Anisha, the community manager at RCB fan club at ITC Sonar, Kolkata. Then we met Aneesh, chief blogger, RCB, who took out some of his time to spend with us and to show us ITC Sonar as our guide. We saw while we are moving though corridors of the hotel, we saw many good lounges, coffee house, restaurant, swimming pool and the gym. And there was a nice pool with lilies waiting to blossom. While roaming around the hotel, we saw many players. I saw Charl Langeveldt moving in the corridors and looking too cool. Murali Karthik was having breakfast in the restaurant area. Also I saw many other players there.

Then we moved out of the hotel to plan our strategy. We went to a coffee shop inside near by Science City. We prepared our strategy over a coffee. All plans set, then we returned back to the hotel for the rest of the process. While we are waiting in the lobby to meet players of RCB, we saw some other players. I even saw Dada (Sourav Ganguly) walking in the corridor while we were sitting in a lounge. Then Kartina checked in and most of the guests of the hotel rushed towards the entrance to have a look at her. Then we see many players including Ishant Sharma and KKR coach Dav Whatmore. He (Dav) was talking with a team official of KKR and looking very polite. Then we went near RCB conference room to meet the team. We saw Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Jack Kallis, Steyn, Coach Ray Jennings and other playes. Rahul and Anil were looking very gentle and genuine. We also saw, Sid, the junior Mallya. After the meeting gets over, Manish Pandye and Dilllon Du Preez handed over our jerseys. I was standing at the extreme left, so I was the first guy to get the jersey. Manish handed me the jersey and had a hand shake. He said me “Cheer well for us”. The the team headed over for the match. We put the jersey on and had a small photo shoot. Then we started to leave the hotel and move to the Eden Gardens. I noticed, when we 14 all dressed with the read and gold RCB jersey, some guests of ITC were looking at us with curiosity on their face. This was amazing.

Then we started moving to the Eden Gardens. As we were feeling hungry, decided to take some snacks or fast food. We stopped near a small fast food shop and ordered chicken roll. The preparation of chicken roll is different there. They put 3 or 4 small chicken cubes with some onion, green chili, tomato sauce and lemon juice inside a paratha and roll it. Whatever be the preparation process, the taste was good. While they were preparing chiken roll for us, I was watching trams moving on the road. And we had the bite and reached at the Eden Gardens. We rushed into the block and took our seats.

We were just fifteen, Mighty 14 and Anisha, and KKR supporters were around fifty thousands. If we assume there were other RCB fans in the stadium, the number is not going to pass hundred. Anyways we started rocking the stand, when RCB fired few 4s and 6s. Unfortunately RCB was loosing wickets in some intervals, but Kallis was standing strong at the other end. When he scored 50, all KKR fans admitted his legendary and clapped for him. RCB finished with an easy target for KKR. The openers batted really well and put 100 runs without losing any wicket. We decided to leave the stadium in the 19th over to avoid rush. I was bit disappointed as we were losing the match. I was thinking it could have bit better, if the match could come to the 20th over. And it took few time to hear the final roar. This is because RCB bowlers bowled quite good at the end and brought the match to the 20th over. When we were leaving the stand, few KKR fans were laughing at us, few were acting like they were saying all the best for the next games. One guy patted my shoulder and showed me ‘thumbs up’.

Among us Anisha (read what she says at RCB Fan Club blog) was cheering a lot and looking very excited when the guys in red were hitting a four or a six. And the cheer leaders were amazing, they were doing very hard work to cheer all the people. While I was disappointed with this loss, feeling good after the win at Bangalore on 16th March. I was thinking, if this could have happened at Kolkata! Anyways I saw photos of Mighty 14 Bangalore and they are looking quite good, with good photos. Finally, I was watching the match highlights of KKR vs RCB today morning. I saw ourselves clearly twice in that. I guess we appeared for more time in the live. And after all these happened, who says RC is not a religion?

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Hockey – the national game of India. But how many Indians know it? Ask a random Indian, “What is our national game?”. If you hear “Cricket” from them, don’t feel amazed (However I never asked anyone). It’s something like when you ask “What is our national flower?” and people answering “Rose” (I had asked few people and got that answer. Once one friend was praising Indian National Congress for being secular and choosing Hand as their electoral sign as Hand and criticizing BJP for choosing Lotus as their electoral sign and supporting Hindutva (Hinduness). It did not came to my mind at that time, but I think she does not know Lotus is our national flower.). Similarly, I have seen people answering, that Vande Matarm is our National Anthem (Vande Matarm is our national song and Jana Gana Mana is our national anthem). Hockey was chosen as our national game, because at that time in India, people were loving this game and was one of the most popular games, similar to football. Cricket was not that much popular in India. But now the wind has changed. Now cricket is the most popular game of India. And if someone forgot anything about hockey or does not like hockey, then we should not blame them.

But the promotion by Hero Honda really worked well. When I knew ICC World Cup will be played in 2011 in Asia since 3 years, I came to know about FIH Word Cup via this ad campaign. I watched when India was playing its first match of the tournament with Pakistan. India played really well. I really enjoyed it and millions of other Indians too. Indian players were playing with great confidence, which was visible from their body languages. This was because millions of Indians supported them. That was a free trial of the product (Indin Hockey) for a new customer (Indian supporter) and the result was quite good. So the supporter will love to watch the next match. And I will sure watch the next match tomorrow. All the best for my team India.

Hockey, when I was a kid

When I was a kid, I saw people playing cricket and football. And we kids play games like hide and seek, thief and police, our own version of basket ball (where we have 7 pieces of small tiles piled up, called as basket, one guy hits those with a ball and opposing team players need to place them correctly. The basket breaker team will throw the ball to hit basket keeper team player, and if the ball hits, then you can’t touch the baskets.. blah blah…) and some other country games. When I grow up by some years, we friends tried to play some real game, and we have two options, cricket or football. We could play anything and anywhere. Normally we played on the side spaces of a main field where people play cricket or football, or some open spaces inside colony or some open spaces near the non busy street. We needed some stuff to play. To play football, arrange some waste papers, poly bags and some threads, if available. Prepare a ball big enough to hit that by our foot. We studied in school that our former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri was playing hockey with these type of ball and some normal stick to use as hockey stick. But I don’t think we have taken the idea from the book. We knew this art before. And for cricket we have used any stick or wood board which can be substituted as bat or own footwear as bat, buy a rubber or plastic ball, or prepare a paper ball(sometimes I played with ripen brinjals too). For wicket draw it on wall with small piece of brick or break some small trees to get stick for the wickets. Similarly, we tried to play hockey with a plastic ball and sticks just twice. Well, actually I want to say that we got enough opportunity to play cricket. Then some football, but no hockey. This is happening with hockey. However it’s our national game, but no one is getting much opportunity of play hockey at the entry level. Our Govt is not promoting this at school level. They should supply enough kit to every school. If they are unable to do it, then think over to change our national game to cricket.

When did I watch Hockey?

Titan Cup 1997 – I was in class seven. I started to watch cricket at that time. I was watching football matches live near my home in annual tournament since I was in class 2 to class 8. But I watched a hockey match quite late. It’s 31st July, 2002, when Indian Women’s Hockey team was playing to South Africa in Commonwealth Games, Manchester quarter final. South Africans were playing good and were leading with three goals. Just before the time finishes, Indians played really well and scored three goals to force extra time. And a golden goal by Jyoti Sunita Kullu and India won that match to enter semifinal. The match was trilling and you can compare the thrill with any thrilling cricket match. I watched the semifinal and the final with England. India played well in those matches too. The final was exciting too. And a personal note: “Many English players were beautiful too .”. After that I have watched one match in a IPL type tournament, where Orissa Steelers was playing with some other team. I never got chance to watch it since 2010 world cup.

Why cricket is popular and there is a lot of money?

The game of cricket is designed in such a way that it takes lot of time to complete, this means it wastes lot of time. As the game is slower than football or hockey. So you have enough time to understand the game. There is enough time to view replays, if you are watching it on TV. But hockey and football are for 70 minutes and 90 minutes respectively. The game is fast and exiting. So you may not understand the game when you watch it for the first time. But watch it for few more times, you will understand it and love it. I have learned basics of tennis by watching a match for 30 minutes. You try and you will understand and love.

Similarly, there is lot of money in cricket. Take an example of TV relays. In between every over, you can show one or two ads. When player gets out, you will have a commercial break. And if it is drinks, then few more ads in that commercial break. If one player got injured, then some ads. Also you will find some ads on screen when the play is going on, as siders (I don’t know what to tell them). So, there is enough time to show ads and earn money. But in hockey, before start of match, 3 or 4 ads. At the time of half time, 3 or 4 ads. Before second half starts 2 or 3 ads. And no ad after the match. No ad after the goal. No ad when there is an injury for foul or accident. Don’t ask me how to increase ad spots in a hockey match relay. If you do, I will say, do differed live and put some ads at exiting points. Or if you want to telecast live, then ask the players to take test for a minute after few minutes and then resume the game form that point. I know, these will never work, otherwise the game will lose the excitement.

Also, largest cricket stadium of India can hold 82,000 spectators in it, where largest hockey stadium of India can hold 25,000 people.

So there is more money is cricket, so the game is improving, gaining popularity. Companies are more interested to sponsor an event in cricket, so why they should waste their money here in hockey? So, Govt. of India has to do everything to promote hockey.

I need a good suitable photo to use in this post, but unable to find a good suitable one. Please send me a good suitable photo. I also pray for Indian hockey team and at last I will say Dhak Dhak Goal

Image credit: Fickr – dev null – heart-on-a-stick

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