Postcard from a camp

For Shivendra there is enough technology to keep him connected to the outside world. His mobile phone and his laptop are engaged when he is not training or recuperating. Staying connected removes some of the monotony that can set in at times.

This early morning is gloomy. Large,dark clouds hang over the sports complex. India’s top hockey players step on to the turf. A downpour is forecast. For the players,a heavy workout is scheduled. This is an important period for Indian hockey. A medal at the Commonwealth Games,the Asian Games and then a ticket to the Olympics is what these players are striving for.

Shivendra used to be a scrawny rookie in Gwalior. After his goal-saluting celebrations during the last World Cup in New Delhi,he has grown into one of the instantly recognisable faces of India hockey.

The Indian forward will return to the stage of his success — the Dhyan Chand National Stadium — later this month. But till then there’s much plotting to do on Pune’s outskirts.

6:45 am: One ring of the alarm set on his mobile phone is enough to wake up Shivendra. After a long yawn,he turns his entire attention to his bed stand; on top of which a saffron cloth,a rudraksh and a small picture of his deity are placed.

Counting the prayer beads,Shivendra begins his chant. His gratitude is uttered in whispers. Shivendra’s father,the sole bread-winner of his family,was a salesman in the local suiting shop in Gwalior. Life was hard and there was just enough to go around. “I have never been a very religious person. But for all that I have received and achieved,I am thankful to God,” Shivendra says.

The phone call is from team doctor Col Nayak,a reminder to strap-up the ankle which was injured during the tour of Europe. Shivendra calls on Adrian D’Souza for a round of tea and bananas. A five-minute walk from the hostel leads to the playing area.

The changing room is resounding with catchy Punjabi songs. His team mates are humming away. Shivendra joins in the chorus,the only time he lets his hair down. He drops his introvert-self when national coach Harendra Singh blows the whistle. The turf is where he expresses himself.

8:30 am: The shrill whistle also marks the end of the practice session for local players. They are rather excited about making way for their idols. Chief coach Jose Brasa makes his entry. “Bahut Accha,” the Spaniard shouts when he is pleased with the drills the boys have completed. The two goalkeepers, Adrian D’Souza and Bharat Chhetri,try to stop the ball-spitting machine from scoring past them.

10:30 am: After rigorous practice,the mess is the next stop for the players. Protein-crazy Shivendra fills his plate with a three-egg omlette,a boiled egg,cornflakes,medu wada and a banana. He washes his food down with a glass of milk. “We run so much throughout the the day,we can never have enough energy,” he explains in between bites.

11:00 am: Shivendra then heads back to his hostel room to unwind. It involves checking his mail,logging on to facebook and chatting with his fiancé — his girlfriend of eight years. Nishi Chauhan is an international hockey player too. He demands his privacy when talking to Nishi. Not even his close mates are welcome in the room. “Thodi private baatein karni hain,bhai,” he says while blushing.

Nishi,who he met during his stint with the Western Railway in 2002,is his pillar of support.

He has inked a portrait of her face on his left shoulder. “Being a hockey player herself,she understands me well. Whenever I miss her I just look at her tattoo in the mirror.”

She loves telling him that he has Akshay Kumar-like features. “She calls me the hockey khiladi.”

12 noon:Shivendra kits up again,this time for a 45-minute running session. He straps on his heart-rate-monitor. He completes 20 rounds of the field and then cools down in the pool.

1:30 pm: Shivendra gobbles down four chapattis and some chicken. He indulges in some dal and rice; a combination that evokes memories of his mother’s cooking. He then drops in at the medical centre to tend to some niggles. A fleeting glimpse of Roger Federer at the US Open on television steals his attention away from everything else. “I love tennis,especially Federer because of his humility in spite being the best player around,” he said. Adrian,Sreejesh and he play tennis when they have some extra energy to burn.

3:00 pm: It is difficult to draw Shivendra away from the television when Federer is playing. But it is his siesta time,something he tries not to miss. For the evening practice session can be equally draining too.

4:15 pm: Although the man is never spotted without his headband, most famously when he struck his three goals at the World Cup,there is no sign of him pulling it out of his kit bag.

He wears a Tirupati Balaji necklace,his good luck charm. “The bandana is just a match thing. I feel incomplete without it when I play matches,” he said.

Songs blare in the dressing room. But any thoughts the players harbour about a laid-back training session are banished when the coach’s whistle goes off. The focus of this session is man-marking and perfecting strategy on the field of play.

6:45 pm: The sun sets. The flood lights slowly brighten up the turf. Shortly,a practice match begins. Then Brasa calls an end to the day’s play. After stretching,the players head back to their hostel. Shivendra freshens up. After checking his mail and sending Nishi an SMS,he heads for dinner. He cuts down on the chapattis but is generous in his helpings of dal-rice.

Next is a call to his brother Shailendra,who introduced him to the sport at the age of nine.

The streets of Tansen Nagar,where Shivendra grew up,were not a breeding ground for hockey. To fulfill his dream,Shailendra enrolled in the Sports Authority of India hostel in Lucknow. Shivendra pestered his elder brother to teach him the basics of the game.

A local coach spotted the youngster’s enthusiasm for the game. Shailendra had taught Shivendra well. The coaches were impressed and it was Shivendra who ultimately wore national colours.

“I learnt everything from my brother. That is why I call him up every night before I sleep to tell him about my day,” Shivendra says.

11 pm: It’s lights out for Shivendra. His dreams begin and end on a podium with an Olympic gold medal around his neck.

The highway falls silent as Shivendra begins painting vibrant images of glory in his head.