HOCKEY GREATS MK KAUSHIK, RAVINDER PAL SUCCUMB TO COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS
LUCKNOW : It turned out to be a “tragic day” for hockey as two former India players MK Kaushik and Ravinder Pal Singh died due to Covid-19 complications. Both were members of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Kaushik, who had scored a goal in India’s 4-3 win against Spain in the final at the Moscow Olympics, breathed his last in New Delhi on Saturday evening after battling the dreaded virus, whereas Singh succumbed in Lucknow on Saturday morning.
Kaushik, who is survived by his wife and two sons, had coached both the senior men and women’s teams. Under his tutelage, the India men’s team had won the Asian Games gold medal in Bangkok in 1998.
Kaushik’s teammate Ravinder Pal Singh was admitted to a Lucknow hospital since April 25.
He was 61 and is survived by his niece Pragya Yadav. He was the third player from Uttar Pradesh in the 1980 hockey squad after Mohd Shahid and Zafar Iqbal.
It is a very sad day for Indian hockey, both MK Kaushik Sir and Ravinder Pal Singh Sir have made great contributions to the game.
I cried a lot when I got the news from Harendra Singh about Kaushik sir. He was a thorough gentleman, down to earth, very humble. It was shocking because I remember Dec 19, 1998, the way he was enjoying the victory; he ran with us holding the Indian flag.
He was a person who understood a player more than anyone else. He gave freedom to senior players in the 1998 Asian Games—goalkeeper Ashish Ballal, full back Dilip Tirkey, Mohd Riaz, Sabu Varkey, Baljit Singh Saini, in the forwardline Mukesh and I were handling.
He had a lot of faith in players. And also in 1998 some players were in decline, like me, Ashish Balal, Mukesh. He fought with the Indian Hockey Federation that “I need all these players if you want the gold medal”.
I remember, during the preparation camp senior players and coaches used to have a meeting every night at 9 pm at MP Ganesh’s house in Bangalore. Ganesh was deputy director at SAI, Bangalore; after dinner we would plan for the next day, what kind of practice we need to do, how to beat South Korea, Pakistan, Japan.
Special victory
It was a very special victory because after 32 years we won the Asian Games. In the same city (Bangkok) we won again, where we had won in 1966. It was special for Kaushik sir and for the senior players. It brought so much confidence in the senior players that we can play till 2002, we can play the 2000 Sydney Olympics also.
I enjoyed that Asian Games more because there were no likes or dislikes in the team. He handled it very well, we had a lot of fun.
Another important decision he made was to invite Merwyn Fernandes for the national camp. They had played together, Merwyn was right-in, Kaushik bhai was right-out. He knew Merwyn had a lot of ideas, lot of game planning. We benefitted a lot from that also.
Sharing knowledge
He never used to keep knowledge with him, he would always share that. Never spoke harshly with anybody, always soft-spoken. He would boost the confidence of the players. I have seen him in 1986-87 in Mumbai when he was playing for Tata Sports Club.
My elder brother, Ramesh used to give me his example because I started playing as a right-out.
I had speed, but at that time dodge-wodge utna nahin tha
(didn’t have top-class dribbling skills), when I had newly come to Bombay.
My brother used to tell me,
“Dhan, Kaushik bhai ka match jab Bombay mein hota hai toh jaake dekha kar” (when Kaushik is playing in Mumbai, you go and watch his game). How he plays, he runs outside the line but how he keeps the ball inside and runs. I have all these memories of him.
‘We were crying’
In the Asian Games, I spent a lot of time talking to him. When I used to go to Delhi, I used to meet him; we used to speak on the phone also.
For the last three-four days, I was in touch with Harendra, who was in touch with Kaushik
bhai’s son.
Harendra only gave me the sad news in the evening. We both were crying… this Covid has taken away so many of our people.
Ravindra Pal bhai was also a lovely person, very soft-spoken. He was a fine player. In the 1980 Moscow Olympics he had done a great job.
But I met him only once in Lucknow. I did not get to meet him more because he rarely came for the matches. But what I have heard from MM Somaya sir, Joaquim Carvalho sir, Marcelus Gomes, he was a five player and very humble; he would stick to his game.
Really, really sad day for Indian hockey fraternity. We are all in mourning.