MM Somaya
By the time I returned from my morning walk that day (Oct 28), our neighbours in Bengaluru had called my wife to inform her about a break-in at our place. Because those were the only precious items which I felt we had left at home, my first thought was about my medals, especially the 1980 Moscow Olympics gold,. Because i cherished them so much; they carried so many good memories and sentiments, and to me, they will always be priceless, the empty boxes of medals made me feel very sad and disappointed. Because they were the only prize we received for winning and participating in the Olympics at Moscow, and that would have been a big blow. Because of the loss, despite the sinking feeling, I immediately began running other scenarios through my mind – whether I could apply to the International Olympic Committee for a replacement medal. Because the police had given me their assurance, at the same time, there was that smidgen of hope that lingered. Because that was my first time playing for India, join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines I thought back with gratitude.
The day we won the medal, Zafar Iqbal and I were taken for a dope test immediately after the medal ceremony.
The medal boxes were there, they said, but the medals were missing. As I have said before, I thought the people who took it away likely didn’t know its sporting value. That week we were in our home in Kodagu, a little away from Madikeri town. As my wife drove us to Bengaluru, I spent much of the journey calling my niece and then the police, who put me at ease by telling me not to panic. As the police worked on collecting fingerprints and other forensic evidence, I kept asking my family who had gone in what they could actually see. I hoped they were under the pile of clothes those people had strewn and left behind. My heart sank when I walked into the house. First, at all the clothes all around the place, then at the broken cupboard lock. I remember when I came back from Moscow, people often asked about the medal. But over time, fewer people asked to see it. Maybe the importance of Olympic sports had declined as other sports took over, but somehow, all that didn’t matter at this moment. My worst fear was losing the medals and never seeing them again. I felt a great dread that I wouldn’t get them back and that they wouldn’t be recovered. For me, it was priceless, for them, it was gold. It could end up at a pawn shop or worse, just be melted down. That thought gnawed away inside me. In the two weeks between the break-in and Wednesday’s recovery, I was assailed by a lot of nostalgia. Once back in the Games Village, I was so exhausted that I slept without changing. The medal had stayed around my neck! Other memories played out as well. Also, I had never been out of the country. I had never played on artificial turf before. I looked back at the youngster in me, who wore an oversized India kit (I was a thin boy) and went out to play.
The trust they showed in me meant I probably never sat on the bench for almost nine years that followed. (Former Indian hockey captain MM Somaya is an 1980 Olympic gold medallist and 1982 Asian Games silver medallist. Days with our coach, Balkrishan Singh, and captain V Baskaran came back to me, and recollections of how they had faith in me and guided me. I wasn’t in the initial playing XI and was one of the two substitutes, more like an understudy. It’s where my career took off. He spoke to Manuja Veerappa). Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
Just before the Olympics, we played a few practice matches against the local clubs, and Balkrishan sir and Baskaran felt I should be in the playing XI, which I’d never dreamt I would be in.