THE erudite hockey Olympian, Rupa Saini belongs to a Faridkot-based family which has a rich tradition in sports, particularly in Indian hockey. At one time, the Saini sisters dominated women\'s hockey in India and this can be gauged from the fact that three of them- Rupa, Krishna and Prema- turned out for the country in a Test series against Japan in 1970. Rupa, at that time, was a 15-year- old pony tailed girl bristling with youthful exuberance. And it was this young and talented girl who went on to captain the Indian team in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
The list of Rupa Saini\'s achievement is long and impressive. She has donned the Indian colours in the 1974 France and 1978 Madrid World Cups, apart from earning nearly 200 Test caps both in India and abroad.She also played in the 1979 world championships held in Vancouver.
Taking a drive down the corridors of memory lane, Rupa reveals the crests and troughs she had to undergo in her illustrious career. She opined that one of the most happiest moments of her 19-year-long, effervescent career was when she got a chance to play alongside her two sisters -Krishna and Prema- in a five Test match series against Japan in 1970. Playing as a right in, she didn\'t score many goals but learned a lot.
There is a saying that to be an Olympian is to walk with god. And that is precisely why Rupa regards the moment when she was selected to lead the country in the 1980 Moscow olympics as the most happiest one of her life. But that tour was not without its quota of disappointments. Rupa recalls how her team missed a semi-final slot when the Indian\'s played out a 2-2 draw with Czechkoslovakia. She also recalls how she created two openings towards the fag end of the encounter by shredding the defense to ribbons with her deft stick work and uncanny anticipation, but both times the chances went abegging, leaving the Indian\'s in the lurch.
There is always a flip side to a coin. If there are crests in a sportsman\'s life, there have to be troughs too. In a voice heavy with emotion, Rupa recounts each and every moment of 1978 Madrid World Cup match against Japan. The Indians were playing on the astro-turf for the first time ever since it was introduced in world hockey. In a league match against the tough Japanese, Rupa playing as a centre half, got her foot stuck and with the rival custodian lying spreadeagled, she flunked her shot. She managed to get up and with the goaltender still out of place, she unleashed a powerful carpet drive only to see it hit the left post and ricochet out of play. The Indians lost the match and with it a place in the last four.
These days Rupa, having earned a doctorate degree, is employed as a senior lecturer with the Government College of Physical Education in Patiala. She has also been appointed as a manager of the senior Indian team by the Indian Women Hockey Federation (IWHF).
Submitted thru the Net (Olympians relive the peaks and the troughs - Ravi Dhaliwal)
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