Somaya visit gives campers shot in the arm

"How can I miss an Olympic training camp?” he asked. "It seems like being transported 20 years back in time watching these boys play. My first Olympic captain (Baskaran at the 1980 Moscow Games) is the coach of the team today; the boy who made his national debut under my captaincy (Dhanraj Pillay at the New Delhi Nationals in 1989) is the star of the team; aren’t these reasons enough for me visit the camp?” he asked.

"I only hope they achieve what I did in my first Olympics (win the gold medal),” were his prayers for the team.

As if invigorated by Somaya’s presence, the players dished out an enthusiastic and energetic fare in the match between the dark blues and the light blues. That the match, essentially to test the progress made by the campers, ended in a 1-all draw with Baljit Singh Dhillon nullifying the lead Prabhjot Singh gave the light blues, spake of the keenness with which it was contested.