Joaquim Carvalho, who was a part of the Indian hockey team at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, narrates his experience
Participating in the Olympics is what every sportsperson dreams of. Big or small, male or female, every person hopes to be a part of this extravaganza.
The 1984 Olympics were such a dream for me. Time just flew at the event and I did not even realise when and how it came to an end!
The Games Village was an exciting place to be in. We could interact with players of other nationalities and meet new people. I even exchanged badges with other players. In fact, by the end of the Games, I had a huge collection of them! There was a feel-good atmosphere in the village.
The crowds were very warm and hospitable. Sport lovers, then, used to respect Indian hockey players a lot and would turn up in large numbers for all our matches. They egged us on till the end of every match. What made the Games all the more special was my wife’s presence. Though we could not spend a lot of time together, it felt good to know that someone so close to you is just around the corner. It was very disappointing to miss out on a medal. That year, India and Australia were the favourites to win the gold medal. But both the teams faltered. Great Britain proved to be the obstruction in our path. Our team that year had some terrific players like Zafar Iqbal. To not win a medal was an extremely bitter pill to swallow but such things happen in life.
The Olympics are an event where more than winning, what matters is participating. One cannot describe the feeling, the emotions, in words. It’s phenomenal!
As told to Malini Banerjee
