‘Little sweet, little sour’- Pakistan hockey coach recalls rivalry with India

Chennai: The rivalry between India and Pakistan is the most desirable showpiece in any sporting event. Like in other sports, hockey has its fair share of iconic India-Pakistan matches that are worth revisiting.

When current Pakistan coach Saqlain Muhammad landed in Chennai after nearly two decades -18 years precise, he was overwhelmed to be back in an old hockey hub of the subcontinent.

“You know, I was here in 2005 and captained the Pakistan team in the Champions Trophy back then. The city has changed so much, and it has changed for good,” said Saqlain as he is back in, now as a coach.

It is not only Saqlain who has returned to the shore of the Bay of Bengal but also international hockey, which has returned to Chennai after a wait of 15 years.

“I have played close to 35 India-Pakistan matches, and I remember all of them, such is the rivalry between India and Pakistan,” Saqlain told The Bridge.

Fierce rivalry

“The 1999 tour remains my finest memory of playing in India. Back then, we played in Bhopal. India scored in the opening minute, and we replied with a score of 5-1. The crowd was appreciative of the quality hockey that we delivered, and it remains a beautiful memory,” Saqlain recalled.

While India-Pakistan matches have always been high-octane, one thing consistent in their rivalry is the intensity of the players.

"Yes, we were fierce competitors. Despite sharing friendship with Gagan Ajit Singh, we had many on-field fights, but later we would hang out in the room,” Saqlain said, putting on a smile on his face.

“We would tackle, tease the opponents and make them angry after scoring goals. Once Jugraj Singh said that we should fight in our rooms as people watch us all the time while on the field,” he added.

Off-the-field camaraderie

While the India-Pakistan rivalry has always been known for blood-boiling on-field moments, there is no scarcity of heartwarming stories.

"We have amazing friends off the field. When we used to play in different countries, Gagan Ajit Singh would get gifts for our families, and so did we,” Saqlain quipped.

One such heartwarming moment came when Saqlain was asked to keep a name for a newly born daughter of one of the Indian players.

"I named Kanwalpreet Singh's daughter. I was the captain in the 2005 series, and he told me that guests are invited to name the children here. I kept her name Rehmat which means the grace of God,” said Saqlain.

"We used to go to their homes, and they used to come to ours during the tours,” Saqlain said as his voice chocked, reminiscing the good days of India-Pakistan hockey, which is now a thing of past due to diplomatic tension between the two nations.

"I think such a series should start again and both teams should start touring each other across sports. I will request both governments to open up their heart a bit and start embracing each other,” suggested Saqlain.

Walking together toward excellence

"Everywhere in the world, there is a partnership. For the USA, there is Canada. For Australia, they have New Zealand. For Germany, it is the Netherlands. They are one for another when it comes to sports,” argued Saqlain.

"I think instead of fighting, we should be supportive of each other's cause,” he added.

"I am saying this from the bottom of my heart. India and Pakistan have immense talents across all disciplines of sports. If we keep our differences aside and work together, I think we will be among the world's best,” he asserted.

Saqlain's words have a might when one considers the rich hockey history of the subcontinent. India and Pakistan dominated world hockey for a better part of the last century, dominating podiums in almost all tournaments before the Europeans and Australians caught hold of them.

"I believe that if we have to grow and develop ourselves, we should do that together like brothers,” he said.

“Be it hockey or cricket, whenever India and Pakistan play, the world watches. So, I think we should play more,” Saqlain added.

An ardent fan of Dhanraj Pillay, Saqlain also hopes Pakistan and India will return to the top echelons of international hockey.

“We are here to watch Dhanraj Pillay. I have told my players that I will take them to meet him. I also want he talks to my players. His words will be a learning curve for my boys,” signed off Saqlain.

For the old hockey romantics, India-Pakistan remains the ultimate rivalry perfectly upholding the Urdu couplet, “Hum hi hum hai toh kya hum hai, tum hi tum ho toh kya tum ho?” translating to "What am I just being me, what are you just being you?"