CHAK DE! OLD CHAP!

CHAK DE! OLD CHAP!

(A TOAST TO MY HOCKEY COACH!)

by JACQUELINE COLACO

     At age ninety four, he is still a person to be respected, regarded and recognized as someone special. I speak of Mr. V.V. Naidu, the Mysore State Women team’s hockey coach during the sixties. This was the decade when our team led by Elvera Britto ( of no less renown herself), snapped up every trophy in the tournaments in which we participated, right upto the National Championships, a coveted title which we won continuously from 1960 upto1967.

     Mr. Naidu, also an international men’s coach and umpire simultaneously, was there to guide us with his sense of spotting our individual talents on the hockey field, and moulding them into gaining victory for our team. He was a disciplined and disciplining man. For him principles came first, and punctuality and good behaviour was paramount, complemented by neat grooming and smartness both on and off the field. Turned out in impeccable whites himself, Mr. Naidu or ‘Venky’ as he was fondly called by his peers (though we girls dared not go beyond a respectful ‘Sir’), trained by our side. He would not just shout out instructions, but actually demonstrated moves and tactics, cajoling at times, and thundering at others when he felt we were not doing our best. He ran the endless rounds of warming up alongside us and did the exercises too. He would  emphasise that our foolishness or selfishness could lose us a game, and therefore responsibility and teamwork in our every move was the only sure ‘shot’ to winning a match. No flimsy excuses for lapses would be acceptable. “And remember“, he’d instruct”, the umpire’s decision is final, so definitely no arguments on this score”.

     When we won a tournament, Naidu was not one to go overboard in saluting our victory, as it seemed it was the least he expected of his team. Celebrations were kept to the minimum – a party thrown by our President, Mrs. Gool Tarapore at her residence, or an outing to ‘Hotel Breeze’ on Brigade Road, for a masala dosai and coffee. The winning cup would be filled with beer and passed around to each player for a sip. Coach Naidu’s appreciation though, showed itself in other more important ways. He gave us that sense of being able to depend on him to do what was good for us, a fatherly figure despite his strictness, especially to a few of us who were still schoolgirls when we represented the State. When we would often travel back unreserved by train, from stations up north, and in the chill of winter, Mr. Naidu would do his utmost to get us what berths he could, so we’d be able to take turns to snatch some sleep on the long journeys home. As we huddled around a ‘chulha’ on these stations, awaiting our train at odd hours of the night, Naidu would first look disapproving, and then quietly turn the other way when he caught us passing a cigarette or two around, to gain some imaginary warmth. He realized I guess, that this was all a passing phase of behaving ‘adult’, and no harm done.

    Home again, and it was back to the routine early morning and evening practice. I myself cycled to and from Fraser Town daily with another trip to college in between.

     Mr. Naidu and captain Elvera Britto, along with the wise elder ladies and gents who managed the Mysore State Women’s Hockey Association, were instrumental in teaching us to play the game of hockey for just the love of it. Even when representing the State, all we were given was one pair of shorts and a shirt, and perhaps a stick. God help if we had to play matches on consecutive days – our clothes would be starched with perspiration. If a stick broke, hopefully one of the substitutes would lend hers. Yet no one cribbed and we enjoyed ourselves in this sports discipline. There were no exciting thrills and frills for us – no money nor endorsements. Yet, what I learned from those days and imbibed from coach ‘sir’, has stood me in good stead through life –

To be a leader as well as a member of a team

To be competitive but not cut throat

To be sporting and gracious both on and off the job

To play the game of life for the sheer challenge of it!

     A bunch of us former players met Mr. Naidu a couple of years ago. He graced the occasion of the launch of  my autobiography in 2010. Still commanding centre stage among ‘his girls’ team’, he captivatingly goes on to recognize each one and reminisce about our special traits. This man who leads us by a mile today with his still fit condition and zest for life, goes on to humbly and finally concede, “How can I forget you girls who made me so proud”!