Indian judokas richer by Islamabad experience

“To be honest none of us were really keen about going to Pakistan. It wasn’t a major tournament — only Afghanistan,Bangladesh,India,Nepal,Pakistan and Sri Lanka were taking part,and just the week before we had gone,Osama bin Laden was killed in Abottabad. Once we were told about about the federation’s decision to go,we decided to abide by it,” says 27-year-old Anita Chanu,a competitor in the 63 kg category. “At the same time many of us were curious about the fact that we have heard so much about this country,but no one of us has got a chance to see it,” she adds.

Once they landed at Karachi,en route to Islamabad,the team found out that their manager had not yet arrived. Official sanction for his tour had not come through and he would arrive later. Dwarka resident Yashpal Singh,at 33,the senior most member of the squad,decided to take over. “I told my colleagues that since was an unfamiliar country,from now on we were all going to stick together,” he recalls

Whatever fears the players may have had going in however was replaced soon by dull and boring melancholy. “At first we were worrying about security,but with security people following your every move even to the toilet,you start to wish you could move around a little more freely. Compared to the Japanese,Chinese and South Korean’s,the competition in Pakistan wasn’t tough at all,it was everything else that was difficult,” says Yashpal.

Holed up in hotel

The judoka’s got used to a prisoner like experience although a comfortable one and spent most of their time trying to liven things up. “When we were at the venue,we would all stay till our bouts finished,and once back in the hotel,we wouldn’t leave. We would all be in one room and cracking jokes and watching movies on cable. Many of the other country’s players were also stuck at the hotel,so we got along really well,” says Gomti Chanu,who like Anita trains at the CRPF camp in Najafgarh.

But when the players thought that at least on the final day,they might do a bit of sight seeing,they got up to news that 70 people had been killed in an attack on a police camp. “We weren’t allowed to leave the hotel that day. We went for an official dinner in the evening at Rawal lake,but even from there we were asked to leave early because the officials over there were once again getting worried about our safety.

Despite coming back with a bagful of gold medals,Anita and the other judokas who returned last Saturday still felt slightly let down. “We were uncertain but we all decided to go to Pakistan thinking we will get a good look at a country we are always fighting with. But all we got a look at was through our bus window,from our hotel to the competition venue. Still it is better than coming on the news as a tragedy piece ourselves,” laughs Anita.