I took to sports as fish do to water and by the time I had reached double digits, sport was an integral part of my life. The Cricket World Cup 1983 was the first major tournament that left a lasting impression on me.
India Champions of the World
Glued to our black & white EC TV, I watched with sheer joy as Yashpal Sharma and Sandeep Patil led India to victory over England in the Semi-Finals and an extraordinary victory in the Final, made India Champions of the World. Mohinder Amarnath’s all round performance, Balwinder Sandhu knocking over Gordon Greenidge, an exceptional catch from Kapil Dev to dismiss Viv Richards, Jeff Dujon’s ineffectual fight back and eventually the final wicket of Andy Roberts is still fresh in my memory.
The Triumph of Belief
The victory was even sweeter as India was not even given a chance, and as such was not expected to win. All eyes were on the mighty West Indies, Australia and the hosts England, but India played with such gumption and belief that they triumphed and made the media eat their own words. In those times, newspapers were the most effective medium of information, analysis and criticism. India’s victory was well covered in the newspapers but still, it could never reach that crescendo, which is much the rigour these days, with an ever-growing gigantic social media.
An Inspired Generation
This victory quite understandably inspired a generation to take up cricket seriously as a profession. Shivaji Park, where I played a decent amount of cricket in my school days began filling with every other child trying his hand at the sport. Several clubs and coaches mushroomed in the aftermath of the World Cup and though I can speak about Mumbai only, I am sure this phenomenon had engulfed the entire nation.
Finding Serious Talent
I remember quite distinctly how children virtually hounded their parents to buy cricket kits and get them enrolled in any of the clubs and coaching academies around. Whether they had the skill or the aptitude for the sport was irrelevant. Even parents took pride in their children wearing white uniforms, carrying a heavy kit and slogging it out in the nets post-school, learning the nuances of the sport. Many got bored soon though, and after spending a good amount of their father’s money, called it quits. However, amongst all this rumpus, a horde of talent was unearthed, which eventually laid the seeds for India to become one of the strongest cricketing nations in the world.
A Paradigm Shift
Sporting success always leads to a paradigm shift in society and this is exactly what happened in 83. Parents in particular began taking Sports seriously and some far-sighted ones backed their children to the hilt. That shift has taken a major tectonic reposition now, which can be seen not only in Cricket but also in other sports. Our stupendous performance in the ongoing Asian Games is proof enough and there is no denying that India is emerging as the new Sporting Hub of the world.
With the World Cup starting tomorrow, no wonder we are one of the strong favourites to win it.
Lets Wish the Blues..the very best !!
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