For Dilip Tirkey, India`s highest capped hockey international with 374 matches so far, Olympic Games has been a story of so near yet so far. In his 13-year-long international career, the Orissa and Air India full back won many laurels for the country, but never an Olympic medal despite participating in three successive Games from 1996 to 2004.
Respected as one of the all-time great defenders of the game, Tirkey, 31, missed another Olympics as India failed to qualify for the first time in 80 years. An Arjuna and Padmashree awardee, Tirkey gives a first person reminiscence of his Olympic experience.
ATLANTA (1996): Being the baby of the team, I was not conscious of the greatness of Olympics. Played three matches, mostly as a substitute to captain Pargat Singh and Anil Aldrin. India started campaign with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Argentina but rallied well, under the guidance of coach Cedric D`Souza to stake claim for a semifinal berth. A draw against Germany would have seen us through. But we lost the do-or-die duel 1-2 and finished eighth eventually. Met many stars including Monica Seles, the then queen of tennis, my second favourite sport after hockey.