Six feet over

Their tall frames may have played a large factor in bringing together Indias netball side for the Games,but their bonding on and off the court cannot be measured with a tape. <b>G.S.Vivek</b>meets the towering family.

For the last few months,the late evening stragglers at a Noida mall have been amused by an unusual sight. Smiles have crossed most faces after spotting a large group of 6 feet plus girls,towering over the crowd of shoppers. In a country where the average female height happens to be 5 1,the evening outings of the tall Commonwealth Games netball girls has made heads turn with consistency.

While most of the girls say that they have grown up feeling awkward and embarrassed about being the focus of attention where ever they go because of their stand-out frame,being in the company of fellow 6 plus girls makes them comfortable. The bonding that Neha Bajaj 62,Ramandeep 61,Kiranjeet 61,Prachi Tehlan 6,Megha Chaudhary 6 and Neha Kansal 6 have developed off-the-court has gone a long way in their on-court understanding.

Quite obviously,height has played an important role in them coming together to represent the country in a sport that stretches the vertical limit of players. And as is expected,height happens to be most-uttered word among the campers.

While they formulate strategies to tackle the world-class teams with players who will be several inches taller than them,these girls also spend their free time in exchanging notes about a few common tall girls problem. Besides,the mundane ones of finding shoes and clothes that fit them,the girly talk is mostly about finding men who are taller than them.

Captain Prachi jokes that being really tall isnt an advantage for girls when it comes to the marriage market. Its a worry for our families,our height is sometimes intimidating and finding a partner might be a problem, she says. Neha Kansal rolls her eyes and jumps in the conversation. If I dont get a tall guy for myself,thoda adjust kar loongi, she says. Muted giggles in the background prove that its an old joke in the tightly knit bunch. Having spent all their practice and free time together,the camaraderie is more family like than anything else.

The smiles though quickly disappear when asked about their future plans. Coach Panchali Tatke knows that the family is due to break up once the Games comes to an end. Some will pursue studies,some will get married but preparing for the Games will be the most memorable period of their lives. When the time comes to split and take our different routes,tears will be shed and hearts will be broken. But we have promised that all will meet again and not let our special connection fade away, says Tatke.

Basketball happens to be another common connection for the group. Virtually everyone in the squad got initiated to netball because of their familiarity with the more popular hoop game. To avoid the long explanation about the intricacies of netball,the girls at times say that they are basketball players. Tatke has a ready example. We were at a mall together and a group of guys were gawking at us. One of them asked who we were,to which Neha retorted,we are from this planet. We all burst out laughing, she says.

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Prachi talks about the futility of explaining to a lay person the complexity of netball rules. Most of the time we give up,so I tell people that we are basketball players. Once they hear that,our height doesnt intimidate them, she says.

Playing netball has been an unusual choice for the girls. Many of them had more conventional and tempting career choices early in life. Prachis tall athletic frame and pleasant face gave her an option of entering the world of fashion. Some of my friends posted my photos to a modeling agency and they liked it. I got a few offers but because of the Games,I didnt give it a thought, she says.

But as the sport is not quite as popular as they would like it to be in the country,it seems unlikely that there will be enough incentives and opportunities in the future for the group to stick to netball. Most of the squad members have kept their life on hold to just be part of the Games,since a podium finish is way beyond them.

Neha Bajaj took a break from her engineering course to represent India while team member Deepali has been away from her three-year-old son for the last two years to be present at the preparation camp. Even the team physio,Suruchi Satija,joined the camp days after getting married. Due to the circumstances,coach Tatke believes that the side has transformed into a family. Even when the girls get a small break and are at home,they constantly call each other up. All they want to know is when the camp will start again. We even celebrate our festivals here,instead of going back home, says Tatke.

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Although temporary,the bonding between Indias netball girls is more than just their unusually tall frames.