Maro, paisa khaya hai. Things like that.

• But the theory was: ‘Paisa khaya.’

Yes, that I’d been bribed.

• I think there was a price fixed — one lakh per goal or something?

Yes, one lakh rupees for each goal. Not actually true, but they said things like that. And the media added a lot of fuel to the fire. They said a CBI inquiry was on against me. Even when I was talking to friends in the customs department, where I worked, they would say I was being chased everywhere by the CBI. They would say, ‘Hamarey upar bhi aa jayega (We will be targeted too).’ My life became hell. I even thought of committing suicide. Then my family decided to get me married in 1983. But people’s anger hadn’t diminished. They put out the lights at my marriage reception. Someone took out the main fuse, they removed the main switch. And it was friends with scooters and motorcycles who provided light for the ceremony by turning on the headlights. And this is a fact. It can be confirmed.

• One year after the Asiad final.

Wherever I went, people would knowingly or unknowingly introduce me as, ‘Mr Negi, man of seven goals.’ That was a blot on my life and mind. It was very sad.

• Frankly, on Astroturf seven goals can be scored once the defence cracks up, because it is such a fast surface. After that particular game, we’ve scored seven now, we have conceded six or seven goals many times against Australia, Germany, Spain.

... contd.