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Journalism of Courage
The last time the stadium was packed to capacity was when the Great Khali, the WWE superstar, performed a few years ago, says a beaming Rashika Siddiqui, deputy director sports.
Siddiqui, a senior official, is shuttling between the two busy venues in Golapar, the swimming complex and the cricket stadium that is hosting packed-to-the-rafters football matches. On Sunday night, home team Uttarakhand were trailing Bengal 0-2 in the dying minutes of the women’s game, but within the stadium so loud were the spectators that one had to shout to be heard.
The football pitch is pristine green. Winter ryegrass brought in from Europe was planted three months ago when the cricket pitch made way for a full-sized football ground, Siddiqui said. The temporary switch from leather ball to football for the 38th National Games is a hit at Golapar’s Indira Gandhi Sports complex. Inaugurated in 2016, the arena, across the railway tracks and the Gola river on the outskirts of Haldwani, got a major makeover for the games.
The C-shaped spectator stand allows for an uncluttered view of the Gaula range. It’s free-entry, shared auto-rickshaw drivers are making a killing and those who can’t find a seat are happy to walk across the bridge over the parched river to watch the biggest sports show in these parts. After sunset, the smart orange fabric panel facade and the newly-installed floodlights make the stadium glow like a diamond.
“The floodlights have been installed for the national games. Now, we can have night games too. The sports infrastructure in Haldwani has got a boost because of the Games. The swimming pool can function year-round as a new heating system is operational for the National Games. Earlier, the pool was closed for six months. The diving pool and the practice pool were added for the games and we got touchpads too for the swimming pool,” Siddiqui said.
Mahender Singh Bora, an assistant coach for swimming, believes the heated pool will spur Uttarakhand swimmers to clock faster times. “Because the pool used to be shut during the winter months, at certain national competitions our swimmers have had to participate with minimal practice sessions. The heating system will change that,” Bora said.
More sports are being added with a hockey astro-turf and a 10 metre shooting range to be thrown open in April. Nothing was left to chance. For the games, a dedicated feeder line was added for uninterrupted electricity supply and an additional tube well dug for water supply to the newer pools, Siddiqui says, trying to make herself heard over the resounding chants.
The group of boys in matching blue jerseys bring the roof down, blaring music through a portable speaker and grooving to the beats of a popular Kumaoni number. They are from the football academy in Haldwani to support the Uttarakhand’s women’s team.
“This festive atmosphere is wonderful… songs, dance, the cool weather and football. Almost like a carnival. Watching football played under floodlights is a spectacle,” Abhay Bhandari, a goalkeeper said.
Academy kids from local football clubs with I-League aspirations are also here. There are six bus loads of teenage footballers, Viru Kalakoti, the coach of Bithoriya United, says. BUFC, established in 2010, runs three academies in the city and has over 500 players on its rolls. “Though only a handful of academies in Haldwani are registered, the total number is increasing every year. BUFC plays in the state league, we were second last year. I have brought my trainees to watch the National Games so they get inspired. From Golapar we don’t get kids who want to join the club, the village and surrounding areas have cricket academies,” Kalakoti said.
Samrul Islam, a medical shop owner, from Golapar, and his eight-year-old son Mohammad Hammad, have walked from their home to the sports complex. They watched football and swimming. Hammad is hoping to be an all-rounder. He joined the sports department’s cricket training centre a year back and dreams of playing in a blue jersey one day. Father is thinking ahead. He wants to exchange phone numbers. “One day his name will be in the newspapers,” Islam hopes.
The aquatics venue is jam-packed too. The crowds flock to see the swimming finals in the evening, school kids brought by school buses pack the stands in the morning. Teachers accompanying the children have a tough time keeping them seated.
“It’s a half-day for schools. For the first time the state is hosting such a big sports event. We will make up for the missed classes,” a teacher said.
In the stands two teenagers argue about the age of Dhinidhi Desinghu, the 14-year-old making waves in the pool with multiple gold medals, before they do a search on their smartphone. “Can’t believe she went to Paris and is now in Golapar,” they tell their mother. A few minutes later, awe-struck and happy, they head home with tales to tell their neighbours and a promise to return the next day.
