What the coach said

Many years ago, I ran across a small news item on the sports page of the Times of India. "South Korean coach praises Indian team", the headline read. Below it were a few lines of print that I shall paraphrase from memory.

A South Korean women's basketball team, visiting India, had just played a game against an Indian women's team. It ended with a score of 200 - 27 (or thereabouts). In case you hadn't guessed, it was South Korea that administered the thumping. It was after this game that the Korean coach praised the Indian team.

And why did he praise a team that his team had just walloped so thoroughly?

"I had expected to win the game 200 - 0," said the coach. "But they got 27 points. They played well."

I swear this is true. Well, maybe the numbers are a little off, and the quote too. But this was the gist of it. I have spent upwards of too many years regretting that I didn't clip out this item and save it.

But why, you may ask, have I remembered it now?

Well, on the sports page of DNA (December 7), I found a bit of news about a scheduled cricket match between Rizvi Springfield School and Yashodham School. The Yashodham team did not turn up for the match. That prompted this quote from Raju Pathak, the Rizvi Springfield coach:

I feel bad not because we may miss out on the semis but because they didn't let us do anything. All the teams scored heavily against this team and more than anything my boys lost a chance to perform.

I don't know. It reminded me of that South Korean coach.