Love for hockey still raw in Pramod’s heart

Love for hockey still raw in Pramod’s heart
Twenty-eight years have passed since he last played an international match. But the time he spent with the sport he loved and adored is still fresh in his mind. And as a sense gratitude for the game he loved so much, Pramod Batlaw - an international hockey player who played for the Indian team from 1977 to 1981 - opened a Gurukul for hockey aspirants. Tough beginningNow a successful industrialist, Pramod's devotion to hockey is intact. "I started in 1961 and was extraordinarily fat. I weighed around 119 kg in graduation. But I loved hockey so I started practising it," recalls Pramod. But during the selections in Meerut he was rejected because of his weight. "I was depressed as my weight was the cause of my rejection and the selectors told me that I play well but I do not fit in the health criteria," he said. After being rejected he started rigorous training under SR Ghosh. He lost 44 kg within a period of nine months. That is when he was picked up for the Indian camp in 1976. Source of inspirationDuring the Olympics in 1964, he used to hear commentaries with a hockey stick in hand and enjoy the matches. He was overexcited after India's win. Next day he saw Dhyanchand's photograph in newspaper. "'That's the winner' exclaimed my mom. I asked her how did he come on the newspaper and how can I come on newspaper too? Then she told me that if I work hard and be a winner in life then one day I too will be in the newspapers. I remembered what my mother said. I made up my mind to take up hockey seriously and to see my photograph one day in newspaper. That is when I started playing for the clubs," says Pramod. Lifetime expedition Pramod's father owned a large business empire and always wanted him to join him but Pramod's love for hockey even convinced him. His father gave him five years of his life and that is when Pramod began his career with Pakistan's Kaide Azam trophy. Once a standby in Olympics, he played with the national team for Asiad Games as well. In 1981 he bid goodbye to the game due to his commitment to his father. Now he is a successful industrialist and has been in touch with the game by coaching several keen players. Own basket of thoughts He is disappointed because of the poor performance of the hockey players and the dripping position of hockey in the country. He feels that old players have been neglected and that is one major cause of hockey losing its value. "I guess a little attention would help hockey to bring back its old fame," says Pramod. He feels that even parents should guide their children towards the sport and let them venture into the game. "Sports not only directs your child towards a healthy lifestyle but also inculcates a spirit of competition to work hard and win in life," he added. He thinks that foreign coaches cannot inculcate the same spirit of patriotism and enthusiasm in Indian players. Dedication towards hockeyA hardcore devotee of goddess Durga, Pramod has come up with a hockey academy called Hockey Gurukul and is also running a Hockey Improvement Trust. "Gurukul is a step to improve hockey at the grass roots level. I also plan to involve a lot of old players and organise small tournaments to inspire the players, I hope some day hockey regains its fame in India," he concludes.