Minding sport as serious business

He started as a footballer, switched to hockey and made his name with his stickwork before stepping into the challenging realm of sports administration. Having turned 65 in July, the former army man still relishes taking up the gauntlet and is now serving as the CEO of Karnataka State Cricket Association. The only constant — from his "exciting and colourful" childhood in his native Suntikoppa in Kodagu district to a hectic life as administrator — has been an unflinching passion for sports, "of any kind". As a kid, Ganesh put football before anythingelse, even studies. "It remains my first love," says Ganesh. "I dreamt ofbecoming a footballer. After joining the Army, an unexpected turn in my life, Iwanted to join the football team. But my small physique didn’t help and Iwas rejected." "Hockey was my next choice. I was fast and myfootball skills were utilized for hockey. Though I hadn’t played the game,I had watched it closely in my hometown where hockey is so competitive that Imight not have even entered the local family tournaments," says he. Thus at age19, Ganesh took to hockey. Though he played only five years ofinternational hockey, Ganesh excelled at it and became the captain as well. Thesummit was the 1973 World Cup, where he led India to the final only to lose toHolland on penalty strokes. Reflecting on that narrow defeat, Ganesh says: "Tothis day, I repent my decision not to have taken the stroke myself... WhenIndian cricket captain MS Dhoni took up the challenge in the World Cup finalagainst Sri Lanka, I became more aware of that lost opportunity." That year hewas bestowed with the prestigious Arjuna Award. Ganesh was also part of thesilver-winning teams at Asiads of 1970 and 1974 and featured in the World XI in1972. After leaving the international circuit, Ganesh lived in Naples for fouryears, playing for Levante Insurance. The year 1978 provided another turning point as he joined as hockey coach at National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala and in 1981, joined the Karnataka government as Special Officer (Sports) during which he pioneered the concepts of Sports School and Sports Hostel. "I wanted to get into player management because players’ issues were not looked into. Indian hockey suffered because of that," he says. "An administrator should understand the difficulties of sportspersons. When a paper comes to me for clearance, I imagine my photo affixed at the bottom and then, it becomes my issue," states the NIS diploma holder. A significantchapter in his career started with his appointment as Deputy Director at SportsAuthority of India (SAI) in 1986. At SAI, Ganesh went on to hold crucial posts,sometimes even simultaneously. "I have always dwelt on the need for a specialcadre in the Civil Services for sports because it needs special training," hesays. In between, he was deputed to coach the national team, mainlyin the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1990 World Cup in Lahore. The debacle inPakistan cost Ganesh his coaching job but that World Cup did throw up someserious impediments. "We played before a hostile Pakistani crowd. Matchesfeaturing us were halted several times due to crowd trouble. Bricks and stoneswere thrown at my players. Also, we were not allowed to watch other matches atthe stadium, citing security reasons and were asked to remain in the hotel. Oncethe tournament director told me that I could pull out of the tourney but wedecided to stay for all our matches. It was a tough yet brave decision," recallsGanesh. A gold eluded Ganesh in Olympics, World Cup and Asiad duringhis playing career but the consolation came in 1998 when India pocketed theyellow metal at the Bangkok Asiad with Ganesh masterminding the triumph as thechairman of the coaching committee. "I thad two conditions: I’d have a sayin the selection of the coach and players and second, I wanted the camp inBangalore under my supervision. During the camp, there was a move from theauthorities to drop Dhanraj Pillay but I resisted it. With the likes of him anda clutch of talented players in the ranks, we triumphed in Bangkok," he recalls.It’s another story that the same set of seniors who fetchedglory were unceremoniously sacked just after the triumph and Ganesh reckons thatit was "an opportunity lost for Indian hockey and the nation hasn’trecovered yet from that setback". Ganesh had to fight against fatein his family life too. His only son, Aiyappa, passed away in 1997 at the age of20. "My wife and I have fond memories of our son. He was suffering frommyopathy. We took him around the world for treatment. But no medicine could havecured the disease. The death came as a blessing because otherwise he could havesuffered a lot," says Ganesh.