With their hermetic coaching and journey schedules, it’s a uncommon sight to see high athletes throughout sports activities underneath the identical roof. The Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) felicitation programme for the Commonwealth Games medallists this week offered that window. At ease after finishing their Games duties, athletes could possibly be seen of their pure non-serious selves. Once the information cameras went off, there was loads of banter, bonhomie and jaw-hurting jokes exchanged between them.
Mizoram’s teen weightlifting star Jeremy Lalrinnunga walked in direction of a few reporters ready for him sporting a smile and nodding his head. “Haven’t we spoken already before? Ab kuchh naya kahan se produce karun. Sab khatam ho gaya (It’s the same story. What else do I tell you that I haven’t spoken about yet?)” he requested.
But the 19-year-old settled down and defined his roadmap to the Paris Olympics for which he must placed on one other six kilograms because the 67kg class, wherein he received gold in Birmingham, isn’t a part of the 2024 Games. He questioned if that may give him a possibility to tuck into some pork. “I think the dieticians will decide,” he mentioned.
Hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh took further effort to cross the athletes’ space, cordoned off by bouncers, and have a fast chat together with his journalist mates. Returning after a 0-7 thrashing by the Australians within the CWG ultimate, he warned in opposition to congratulating him on the silver medal. “Why congratulate us? We didn’t win this. They gave it to us,” he mentioned. “Here’s the silver medal. Please keep it with you for the rest of the programme. Just return it to me later,” the seasoned ’keeper joked.
𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 ‘𝟮𝟮 💜#TeamIndia medallists at @birminghamcg22 🇮🇳🙌#EkIndiaTeamIndia | #B2022 pic.twitter.com/ZqY1fid7m5
— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) August 13, 2022
In one other nook of the corridor, excessive bounce bronze medallist Tejaswin Shankar was nonetheless attempting to regulate his apparel together with his high pocket preventing for room. He needed to stuff within the medal, his cellphone and different belongings there since “his” sherwani-like coat, the official apparel, didn’t have facet pockets. Technically, it wasn’t even his. A final-minute entrant for the Games, Tejaswin’s official apparel hadn’t arrived but. He was handed a wrestling federation official’s coat who didn’t make it to Birmingham.
“The issue was, it was huge on the sides and the sleeves reached my elbow,” says the 6’ 4’’ Tejaswin. “I was asked to take it to the official kit providers and get it altered. They had to reduce 12 inches in the waist area which meant the pockets had to be chopped off,” he defined.
Memorable expertise
One athlete who had no complaints about his apparel was triple bounce silver medallist Abdulla Aboobacker. He was so impressed by the easy but elegant navy blue sherwani that the 26-year-old Kozhikode native plans to put on it at his marriage ceremony. “Ee suit addipoli aanu (This suit is amazing). I will go home and keep it safe for my wedding,” he mentioned.
A galaxy of ⭐️🌟💫#TeamIndia‘s medallists at @birminghamcg22 are all set for the felicitation ceremony by @WeAreTeamIndia 🇮🇳🥇🥈🥉
Tell us which of the #B2022 athletes you possibly can spot right here 👇👀 pic.twitter.com/sJ1ZGWZ6EI
— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) August 13, 2022
The ever-smiling Avinash Sable, who returned with a historic steeplechase silver from Birmingham, was in no hurry to go away the corridor. Even because the resort employees have been dismantling the ramps and different short-term set-ups, he selected to hold round to fulfil each single selfie request. He even had the persistence to accommodate video calls from just a few followers, presumably resort employees members. “Can you take out the medal? It was silver, right? I want to screenshot it,” a fan requested over one such name. Sable obliged with out hesitation.
“I actually like it. This is the only time they can meet me, so I understand,” he says. The soft-spoken Maharashtra athlete is a really reserved individual. But on uncommon events when he does open up, he speaks his coronary heart out. From insightful race evaluation to his disinterest in Twitter to an ungainly dialog with a TV journalist, Sable was within the temper to share. If time just isn’t a constraint, Sable by no means turns down an interview request. But a day again, he did his greatest to evade an “unprepared” TV reporter.
“Ek channel wale aye the aur puchhe aapke koi medal hai (A TV reporter asked me if I had won any medal),” says Sable. His historic silver, the place he ended Kenya’s anticipated podium sweep, is undoubtedly one of many best performances within the historical past of Indian sports activities. So, when such a query was thrown at him, Sable was left baffled.
“Even before I could reply, he said ‘don’t worry, next time you will definitely win a medal.’ I thanked him for his good wishes. He may not be a good journalist but insaan to achha tha (he was a good person),” Sable noticed the brighter facet of the awkward dialog.
Meanwhile, Jeremy, in all probability in a rush, had left behind his cardboard cheque within the corridor. A short while later when he was knowledgeable about his lacking property, the teenager was in no hurry to retrieve it. “No problem, you can keep it,” he joked as he left the foyer strolling with a rapper-like swag.
