As teams ‘duel’ at SAG, NEHU SAI turns into mini South Asia

SHILLONG: The spirit of South Asia was on display at the NEHU, SAI Special Area Games which was abuzz with activity and excitement not just on the badminton courts but in the jam-packed galleries which brimmed with a small but vociferous crowd.
Competing with the crowd and joining them at times were the non-competition players of various countries sitting on the opposite side of the spectators’ gallery.
The home crowd put their vocal chords to the test early on in the day cheering for the stars of Indian badminton P.V. Sindhu and Ashwani Ponnappa who hit the court against Nepal in the opening match of the morning session.
As the two shuttlers – Sindhu, who recently became the first women’s singles player to win two Malaysia Masters GPG title, and Ponnappa made light work of their unfancied opponents from Nepal – the chants of “India, India” and even “Sindhu-Sindhu” reverberated across the indoor sports hall and only grew louder with time.
The morning session also saw full attendance from the crowd which had come to see the famed Indian women’s team in action. The fans reveled as the Indians went through the routine, beating their opponents in straight games.
Interestingly, once the Indian side was done with the match, the spectators put their weight behind any side playing Pakistan.
The small Maldives contingent was fiercely backed by the crowd during a women’s team encounter with Pakistan even though it went down 0-3 eventually.
The men’s team event, scheduled for the post lunch session, added to the enthusiasm at the NEHU, SAI sports complex.
Simultaneous games meant that each side was backing its own as the names of all South Asian countries echoed within the indoor hall.
The epic game between Sri Lanka’s Sachin Dais and Pakistan’s Murad Aliq took the energy levels within the hall to newer heights. The Lankan contingent was vocal and so were their Pakistan counterparts.
However, as Dais gained upper hand during his 25-23, 15-21, 21-15 win, chants of “Sri Lanka Sri Lanka” echoed from every corner. The Indians too pitched in for their southern neighbours. Eventually, the Lankans had the last laugh.
There was emotion, energy, cheerfulness and at times despair in the stands. However, despite the fierce contests, all along, an inherent bonhomie was apparent in the atmosphere in NEHU, SAI complex.
It was a perfect setting for a “South Asian family”, reveling and engaging with one another through sports thus championing the very cause that was the motivation behind the hosting of the Games.