A PLEASANT ‘CHAK DE ….’ EXPERIENCE FOR ALL

‘REEL LIFE’ ENACTED IN ‘REAL LIFE’ - 11.01.2010

‘CITIZEN’ EXPERIENCE FROM SBLC, NUNGAMBAKKAM. CHENNAI


We all have seen the Shah Ruk Khan starrer ‘Chak De India’ movie and enjoyed and learnt lots of lessons from it in the areas of Leadership, Mentoring, Patriotism etc.

When the ‘Citizen Inner Fullness’ sharing started in the programme which commenced on 11th Jan, 2010 at SBLC, Nungambakkam all the participants were in for a pleasant surprise. Shri. Kandaline Christopher, a participant from TFCPC, Chennai started narrating his experience, which his group had chosen as the best sharing and built the ‘Tree of Fulfillment’ based on this experience. Shri. Christopher’s narration went like this…….

“I am a hockey player and have been playing for SBI since I joined the Bank. In fact, I was selected under sports quota and am presently working in TFCPC, Chennai. I have captained SBI, Chennai Circle’s hockey team in the past and also played for All India State Bank Hockey Team. I was also a former Captain of Tamil Nadu Hockey Team. I am now sharing the most unforgettable moment of my assignment as a coach for the Sri Lankan Hockey Team.

I was woken up after midnight one day in early 2006 to be told that I am being deputed as foreign coach for the Sri Lankan Team who were preparing for the ensuing South Asian Games. As I was still sleepy in the night, I couldn’t believe the news and thought that it could be a dream. But as the news was told to me in detail (without allowing me any further sleep) I could visualize the enormity of the task.

First of all our neighbouring country was really war torn during that period with non-stop fight between LTTE and the Sri Lankan troops. Even the capital city of Colombo was not safe as there were frequent bomb blasts and assassination attempts. Even though being selected as a foreign coach for the Sri Lankan Team was a great challenging moment in my life, my family members were really not willing to send me there - not only because there were security threats in the island nation but also due to the fact that our family had lost one of my brothers in a tragic bomb blast that occurred at Meenambakkam Airport in Chennai in 1983 killing around 33 people, presumably triggered off by the Tamil Eelam fighters. The family didn’t want a second tragedy to strike them.

I had to first win over my family members quoting my love for the game as well as the recognition to my talents through the assignment of this role as a foreign coach. With great difficulty I convinced them and landed in Colombo to take up the assignment.

Armed with the bare essentials and my expertise of around 37 years in the game, I took up this challenge. On reaching I found that there wasn’t even a proper National Hockey Team in Sri Lanka and the atmosphere was rife with politics and under currents. My first step was to eliminate undesirable elements and put together a ‘team’. I had a great advantage and that was the enthusiasm of the fresh youngsters in the team – some of whom barely knew the intricacies of the game.

Having won their confidence, I proceeded to coach them first by increasing their endurance and then honing their skills. Those of you who have seen the Hindi movie ‘Chak De India’ can imagine what I had to do – but that was only the tip of the iceberg.

I worked for two to four sessions a day – covering endurance, fitness, notions of the game, strategies of other foreign teams, etc. I had frequent discussions with the team members and provided them with sound mental frame work to face international standards. The icing on the cake was that this team would have to play both India and Pakistan – two giants of field hockey whose game is unmatched even by the best in the world despite statistical victories of the European teams. In earlier matches against these two giants, the Sri Lankan team used to concede 20 to 25 goals and score ‘nil’ for them thereby becoming an easy meat for the stalwarts.

I started motivating the boys to work towards a medal in hockey (which has been eluding them in the past). I wanted every Sri Lankan player to dream big and visualize themselves as if they are standing on the podium lifting the winners cup. With this spirit we moved towards a game plan that helped the team to look up and beyond their frailties. The team was in many senses impoverished for they did not even have practice sessions with opponent teams. However the team spirit compensated all else and the boys moved ahead.

They beat Bangladesh and even scored goals against India and Pakistan contrary to expectations. Even though they lost to these two giants, the win - loss margin was very creditable unlike in the past. Playing wonderful hockey against other opponents Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Maldives, the island nation won the ‘Bronze’ medal - a first of its kind achievement in international hockey for Sri Lanka.

Forty strenuous days and nights of my association as foreign coach helped the Sri Lankan Team to pull off the medal deciding match in style and over night these little known boys became heroes in their own country. A most gratifying and satisfying moment for me as a coach, mentor and guide. Needless to say my family was overwhelmed with joy at my success as a coach of a foreign team against all odds.”

Like an ‘evolving citizen’ Shri. Christopher converted the big hurdle (opposition from the family members and the war torn situation in Sri Lanka) into a great opportunity with his tireless and creative brain and made a group of ‘no-hopers’ into a wonderful team of ‘medal winners’. A reel life drama converted into a real life experience, indeed!



Contributed by S R Raghunath, Facilitator (Chennai Circle)
statebankraghu@gmail.com
16.01.2010