Former India hockey player Edgar Mascarenhas Sr made some startling revelations about what Team India had to encounter during the 1990 FIH Hockey World Cup in Lahore (February 12-23). At a hockey seminar organised by the Sports Journalists` Association of Mumbai (SJAM) at Don Bosco High School, Matunga, on Wednesday, Edgar explained how an apprehensive Team India approached the tournament given the political tensions between India and Pakistan were at their peak then.
“As soon as we landed in Pakistan, we were escorted by an army of gun-toting soldiers to a separate, secluded exit, where we were handed our bags and taken straightaway to our accommodation. No meeting or greeting anyone, we were strictly told. There were a lot of protests from the locals about our participation in the tournament there which we did not know about,” said Edgar, a stylish and attacking midfielder, who played over 90 internationals.
“A month before the World Cup, we played the Asia Cup final at the National Stadium in New Delhi, where we lost to Pakistan and though the highly passionate Indian crowd got after the Pakistanis during the game, immediately after their win, they also sportingly gave them a standing ovation. But when we went to Pakistan for the World Cup the following month, I saw something I`ve never seen in my life. It was quite tense to play that tournament. We managed somehow,” added Edgar.
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India fared rather poorly in the 12-team competition. They began with a 1-1 draw against the Soviet Union before going down 3-5 to Argentina, 1-2 to France and 3-5 to the Netherlands and 2-3 to Australia to finish last in their six-team pool with just one point.
Edgar added the team hardly stepped outside for any practice sessions. “We couldn`t leave the hotel, we couldn`t go out to practice. We were actually under house arrest because the threat perception was so high. We had two bodyguards outside each room. So we did our stretching and all at the hotel itself. Even at the stadium, throughout our matches, we had a lot of things happening in the background,” explained Edgar, who however went on to give full marks to the Pakistani authorities and players. “The authorities went out of their way to look after us and ensure we were safe. The Pakistani boys would often come to visit us in our rooms and ask if we needed anything. They were very friendly, helpful and hospitable. That was the good part of that tour,” concluded Edgar.
