Adam Antony Sinclair has fond memories of Christmas in Podanur, the Coimbatore neighborhood where he grew up in the 1980s and 90s. It was an innocent age, and at night Sinclair and his friends would go door-to-door singing Christmas carols with the aroma of vindaloo, mince balls cooking in coconut curry and cake wafting out of kitchens.
바카라It was a close-knit community, and everyone who lived there바카라Anglo-Indians, Christians, Hindus or Muslims바카라would welcome us. At Anglo-Indian homes, we바카라d get cake,바카라 says Sinclair, who played hockey for India at the 2004 Summer Olympics at Athens and the Doha Asian Games in 2006.
39-year-old Sinclair, whose paternal grandfather was Scottish, describes Anglo-Indians as 바카라athletic and easy-going.바카라 The community has produced some famous sportspersons, such as the 1983 World Cup hero and now BCCI president Roger Binny, hockey legend Leslie Claudius and athlete Norman Pritchard, regarded as India바카라s first Olympic track and field medalist. However, Pritchard바카라s place in Indian sports history continues to be debated since both his parents were English. And while he developed as an athlete in Kolkata, his entry at the 1900 Olympics held in Paris was, according to many accounts, as a representative of British India.
What is not under debate, however, is the Anglo-Indian community바카라s sporting passion and prowess which seems to have rubbed off on non-Anglo-Indians too.
MM Somaya, former captain of the Indian men바카라s hockey team, grew up on Spence Road in Byculla. The working-class central Mumbai suburb had two 바카라railway colonies바카라 that housed the many Anglo-Indians who worked for the railways. Somaya was thus surrounded by Anglo-Indian children and coaches. His hockey mentor at St Mary바카라s School in Mazagaon was an Anglo-Indian by the name of George Page who had played for the Western Railways. There were several sporting talents from the community on the playground on a daily basis. Coming into contact with people like Page, a jovial old maven of the sport, and competing with Anglo-Indian boys made Somaya realize how much stronger he had to get. He put in the work and went on to reach Olympic heights.
바카라I owe Anglo-Indians a lot for the initial part of my career,바카라 Somaya says. 바카라Playing with them toughened me up. Sadly, many of the players who were really good at the school-level either migrated or couldn바카라t pursue the sport for some reason. But they had such natural athletic ability.바카라
It was common for Anglo-Indian boys to excel at multiple sports, especially athletics. Roger Binny was a javelin thrower before he decided to pursue cricket. He was also good at hockey, discus throw and jumping events. Young Binny was quietly ambitious. Friends and acquaintances recollect him waking up at five every morning for cricket drills in Bengaluru바카라s Benson Town.
We remember Binny today for being the highest wicket-taker바카라18 in total바카라 at the 1983 World Cup and for being a handy batsman. But thanks to his athletic past, he also pulled off some fine catches, like a low caught-and-bowled off Martin Crowe in Australia during the Benson & Hedges World Series Cup of 1985.
The trend of taking up one sport but then making a name in another can also be seen in the case of Leslie Claudius. He was a footballer who, one day, while watching a hockey match in Kharagpur, was roped into the game. The teams had been a player short, and former Indian captain Richard 바카라Dickie바카라 Carr (who was also Anglo-Indian) asked Claudius to join. He went on to achieve such feats at the sport that till date, Claudius is one of only two Indian hockey players to have four Olympic medals, Udham Singh being the other.
Sports and music were choice careers for early Anglo-Indians, Sinclair says. Partly it was because of an inherent Western influence, and to some extent, it was due to their laidback nature that stopped them from pursuing more academic vocations. Thirdly, it was because they were not always well-off. Sports and music gave them outlets for their angst and an opportunity to be good at something.
In Sinclair바카라s case, most of his classmates at Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Coimbatore were well-to-do. Sinclair, the son of an oil-rig worker, was among the few who came from a humble background. But he could still study at the prestigious school because he did not have to pay the fees owing to his Anglo-Indian status.
바카라Till my generation came around, Anglo-Indians did not take life too seriously,바카라 Sinclair says. 바카라We never bothered with saving for the future. We바카라d live in the moment, share whatever we had. Also, everyone had four or five kids. It would be tough for our parents to run a home on one modest salary. In school, we couldn바카라t engage with the rich kids. So sports became our outlet, our source of joy, our chance to do something.바카라
Like Binny, Sinclair had his eyes set on his goal very early. By 12, he had made up his mind that one day he would participate in the Olympics. This determination was nurtured by his school, which had a great sports culture, as well as by his family. The Olympic triple jumper Henry Rebello was Sinclair바카라s grand-uncle. Dinner table conversation was always about sports, says Sinclair.
바카라With so much knowledge and experience of sports in the family, it was easy for me to chart out a course for myself,바카라 Sinclair says. 바카라How to train, and how to train wisely바카라 The roadmap was clear. Everybody would guide me on what had to be done and what had to be avoided.바카라
Making it to the Olympics was a proud moment, even though India did not fare well in Athens. 바카라I did feel like getting to the Olympics itself was an achievement. There바카라s nothing better than wearing the tri-colour on your chest,바카라 Sinclair says. 바카라As a community, too, everyone was happy for me.바카라 But only for a while. It is not the Anglo-Indian way to make a big fuss about things. 바카라After a point, it바카라s like, 바카라Ok, you played at the Olympics, good for you. Let바카라s move on바카라,바카라 Sinclair says with a laugh.
Somaya too has experienced this trait of the Anglo-Indian community바카라of carrying themselves lightly, and of being warm towards everyone.
바카라We were a conservative South Indian family on Spence Road in Byculla,바카라 he recalls. 바카라Some of the names of people in my lane were Melzer, Dunne, Potter. There were Anglo-Indians and Christians. They were outgoing in their personalities. Interactions with them helped us come out of our shell.바카라
One of Sinclair바카라s peeves is the stereotype of Anglo-Indians being irresponsible and wayward. He insists that most of his community members indulge in moderation and would never make fools of themselves. 바카라You will rarely, if at all, see an Anglo-Indian making a scene on the road,바카라 he says. 바카라They will have a drink or two at home, have a nice conversation, and that바카라s about it.바카라
Luckily, stereotypes are melting away in the new world. A higher number of mixed marriages also means that their homes are culturally fluid places. For example, Sinclair바카라s wife Vyshali, an ex-fan of his, is Malayali.
바카라She comes to the church and I go to the temple, there is mutual respect on both sides,바카라 Sinclair says when asked about the cultural assimilation at home. 바카라Our kids go wherever they want to. Everyone is open-minded. They understand that ultimately, it바카라s love and peace that keep the world going.바카라
(This appeared in the print edition as "Fleet of Foot, Free in Spirit")
