Most of us, myself included, would not even have heard of young Vijay Kumar. After this afternoon none of us will forget him. A bolt from the blue silver medal in the 25 metre pistol event. Subedar Vijay Kumar Sharma, displaying all the calmness and discipline of an army man, shoots silver bullets out of his smoking gun to land an unexpected heaven sent medal for India. The heavenly 16 Dogra Regiment man displays a cool as a cucumber and cold as ice demeanour through his medal winning performance and afterwards too. Shabash Subedar.
News of the Subedar's silver comes to me at a most opportune time. The India v Germany hockey match has just finished, I rise from my seat but my spirits sink. India have again been outplayed. The Indians blunder in between bouts of pristine hockey, Coach Nobbs gets his tactics and playing 11 for the day wrong and Germany romp home with a 5-2 verdict.
My new found Indian friend in the chair next to me, Dr Deepak, is still seated and pouring over his iPad. "We've got a silver," Dr Deepak suddenly proclaims. My sinking spirits are shaken from their slumber. "A silver Dr?" I query more in disbelief than elation. Vijay Kumar jee triggers an osmosis within me. From sinking spirits of reasons hockey and Saina Nehwal's loss in the badminton earlier in the day, my low lying emotions permeate through the membrane of an Indian triumph and generate an instant elation. The day has turned the corner. I walk back from the hockey stadium with a spring in my step, my mind blanking out the darker memories of the hockey I had just been witness to.
On the way out of the Olympic park a cheerful English lady, Jo, accosts me. "Can I please have a photograph with you and your flag? I supported India at the hockey just now and want to send the photograph back to my team in India," Jo explains. We click a few snaps together and I discover she's from Goldman Sachs and manages an IT team of Goldman's in Bangalore. We exchange email ids and I am again off on my way, imagining silver bullets buzzing all around me. Well done Subedar Vijay Kumar Sharma. May the Indian Army immediately give you two promotions!
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| I click the Olympic Stadium as I walk back from the hockey. Athletics action had just commenced a few hours back. |
When I reach home my spirits are lifted even more. We watch Vikas Krishnan in the 69 kgs class box his way into the quarter finals. Soon Rati informs me that the women's singles final will be between Serena Williams and Sherapova; the mens's doubles finals will have the Bryan brothers and the effervescent French duo of Lladro and Tsonga. Couldn't ask for more. Tomorrow Rati and I will be there in Wimbledon's Centre Court to watch these two finals. The mind boggles!
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| The India London 2012 Olympics pin-up badge. This particular one belongs to our badminton singles quarter finalist, Parupalli Kashyap. |