Road to India - 21 days to go [Soccer]

August 3. Barcelona vs. Chivas. Sun life stadium, Miami. Of course, it is a great chance to witness one of the best teams of all time. Best thing? I have two tickets in my pocket right now. But these were bought in start of June, when I was still waiting for my visa extension papers and there were no plans to travel to India in near future. We heard that all the Barca players would be coming except the magician as he would be busy performing national duty in colors of Argentina. I was excited so as my wife to see the magic from some of the greats. Even a red t-shirt was selected with a picture of football and Spain written in it.

Things have changed in last 3 weeks and now I’m visiting the country of Sachin. A country where East Bengal and Mohan Bagan are the Barca and Real. A country where kids play football only in the rainy season. A country where I doubt anybody knows that India once qualified for world cup in 1950, though didn’t participate due to some comical reasons. A country where people wouldn’t know name of their own football players except Baichung Bhutia. A country where Cricket rules. A country where Sachin rules.

Like all other Indian kids, I’ve been involved in some gully style football (aha, let’s not mention gully cricket for now). That gully style football has a different meaning in hilly areas. You have the first figure out a decent plain place where 6 to 10 kids can play at the same time. 25 by 25 footsteps would be good enough. Anything more that that is a bonus and an actual size field is a luxury. Well, needless to say that I haven’t had such luxury for most of my life. Only once I got that privilege when I was in 8th class. There was a selection going on for the school team, so I also thought of trying my foot.

On the match day, I reached the Dev Singh field in Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) in time dressed in my new white t-shirt, which was having collars. I thought I will get a chance to play for my class 8th ‘A’ with my friends. That was a match against 8th ‘B’. But as it turned out, there were too many friends who wanted to be part of the team and my small and thin frame was not a good match. But still I played that day, not as an extra, but as the starting player. It’s not a matter of shame that they gave me chance to play for 7th ‘A’ against 7th ‘B’. Well, I played as a defender for most of the game. Fell into mud couple of times, got some bruises on face and scratches on knees and hands. All in all, a rough one hour. I don’t remember who won that game, but yes, that was an experience. The happiness to have that luxury for the first and the last time in my life.

Let’s come back to present. This Aug 3, I would be in those hilly areas, and you know the best thing, it would be a rainy season and it rains a lot in Nainital, almost non-stop. So I shall witness again some kids playing in the rain, running in those 25 into 25 foot step areas with their hearts pumping, with their restless energy and with the unending spark. They are no Messi, but even they do posses the magic. The magic of life in the magical rain. May be I shall also get a chance to kick the football in that magical rain!

- Neeraj Mathpal
June 30, 2011

Road to India - 22 days to go [Fixed]

When the long awaited moment is about to come, have I started feeling the same excitement? Not yet. There is little bit of ‘it’, but there is more of ‘that’.

‘It’ being the ‘excitement’, ‘that’ being the ‘exhaustion’. Why so? Do I need to tell again about the waste policies of the two governments? Actually, not just two, all the governments, who ruled these two nations in last 31 years, are responsible for this, and yes, if that is not enough, there are constraints all around put on you by holiday calendar, by festival calendar, by life events, by yourself, by family, by employer, by income, even by your pets.

Basically, we are controlled by too many external factors. Are there any exceptions? Oh, yes, I have heard of those great stories of great people and not so great people. But show me one who has no impact of these external factors. Aren’t they hiding somewhere?

Do I need to tell about where ‘do joon ki roti’ can take you? It can take you to different corners of your nations. What more? It can even take you to different corners of the world. It can take you to the sky; it can take you to the bottom of the sea. Is that ‘roti’ not overrated? As some sage has said,” When you feel hungry, may be you are just thirsty. So have some water, then see if you are still hungry”. Water is definitely not overrated! But, then what fun? ‘Roti’ takes you to places. It shows you how different are things in this world. It shows you the soul of human is still the same, whatever form it takes when it crosses the mountains, and the oceans, and the soil, and the jungles.

Well, honestly, the best time of the year is right around the corner. It is about time to stop enjoying the great services of ‘vonage’ for few weeks, and to say ‘pranam’, ‘namaskar’, ‘hello’ face to face. Does anybody need facebook?

- Neeraj Mathpal
June 29, 2011