Maxin Mathew
Bengaluru
An effervescent smile and a bubbly "Hi" greets me as I enter the KSHA hockey stadium. Still unsure whether this is the person I am supposed to meet, I introduce myself, in reply to which a strong handshake lays rest to my misconception. If it's true that looks can deceive, then Pachimanda Shivappa Anupama is a classic example of the adage.
An international female umpire in the gritty world of field hockey, Anupama has carved a niche of her own.
Standing at just about 5"3, in a Melbourne Commonwealth Games sweatshirt, Anupama pictures herself as a coy and reserved woman. But all this undergoes a major metamorphosis once she's at work on the field. "Shy? Me?" She laughed off my observation. "I guess you have to see me more in action during my matches," the 28-year-old said.
Being born and brought up in Coorg, the cradle of Indian hockey, Anupama is an ardent fan of the sport, thanks to her encouraging parents. "Women in sports itself is a big thing to get support for.
Umpiring in gruelling sports such as hockey takes on a whole new dimension. "It's all because of my parents' constant support that I have reached this stage where I can confidently look back and be happy for the things I have been able to do which other women couldn't," she added.
An attacking mid-fielder, Anupama represented Karnataka in the sub-junior and the senior women's National hockey championships. She also played for Mangalore University at the All-India Inter-University championships.
It was during these occasions that she began noticing the umpires. "Apart from being fascinated, I was curious as to how they handle the game. After a few chats with them I was interested in taking up umpiring," Anupama says.
In 2001, she took the KSHA umpiring exam which she cleared with flying colours. And soon thereafter, Anupama was officiating her first match at the Cheppudira family tournament. "It was my first match and I was extremely nervous. It took me a few matches to get more focussed and controlled," she said.
The biggest break in her career came when she was shortlisted by the Federation of International Hockey as the youngest umpire among the top ten men and women in the world. "It took me some time before I could come to terms with what I had achieved. Thrilling, exciting, exhilarating…it was a dream," Anupama reminisced.
Her international stint took shape in 2004, when she was selected to officiate the first Takamadonomiya Four-Nation Hockey tournament at Giffu, Japan. The Korean Television Six-Nation Hockey tournament at Seoul (2005), the Junior World Cup at Chile (2005), the East Asian Games at Macaw (2005), the Commonwealth Games at Melbourne (2006) and the Central American and Carribbean Games in the Dominican Republic (2006) are among the several international tournaments she has stood as an umpire. "Melbourne was really special. It's a big event with renowned sportspersons. It was simply great," Anupama recalled. In the national arena, a crucial decision in the 2005 National women's final between Railways and Haryana saw them being declared as joint winners. Upholding a controversial penalty decision, the Bengaluru lass faced the wrath of the Haryana team who surrounded her on the field in what was a highly-charged up final. "I was right then and I still stand by my decision. I judge by what I see and they (Haryana) were definitely at fault," the Namdhari Fresh employee said.
This year, she officiated as a neutral umpire at the Four-Nation hockey championships at Rotterdam, Holland and Bremen, Germany. "It was a great feeling, seeing my favourite Dutch players in action and officiating it. They were so humble and friendly with me and I had a fantastic time there," Anupama added. Anupama is headed for the Nehru Cup tournament at Punjab in a few days but she has a last piece of advice for aspiring female umpires. "There's definitely a place for women in umpiring and they are as qualified and talented as anybody else. If we provide them with the right opportunities and the right exposure that their male counterparts get, they can work wonders," she signed off.
(Part version of the same article was published in Asian Age a few days back)
(Part version of the same article was published in Asian Age a few days back)
