Tribute to Sandeep Michael

I caught up recently with Vineeth Michael to talk about his brother and his memories.

Between Versailles, France 1979 and Bhubaneswar, India 2021, there were 10 Junior Hockey World Cups. Indian Men’s best finishes were champions (2001, 2016) and second place (Milton Keynes, 1997). Between Karachi, Pakistan 1988 and Kuantan, Malaysia 2015, there were Junior Asia Cups. India won on three occasions (Karachi, 2004; Hyderabad, 2008; Kuantan, 2015), two-second place finishes (Singapore, 1996; Kuala Lumpur, 2000), and three two third-place finishes (Karachi, 1988; Malacca, 2012). And between 2011 and 2019, there was ten Sultan of Johor Cups. India won twice (in 2013 and 2014) and second on four occasions (2012, 2015, 2018, and 2019).

On the other hand, the Women’s Junior Hockey Team had silver (Bangkok, 2012) and four bronze medals finishes at the Junior Asia Cup (Kuala Lumpur 1992, 2000 & 2008; Hyderabad, 2004). In addition to this, I had a third-place finish at the Junior World Cup in Monchengladbach, Germany 2013.

One such kind soul is the protagonist of this article, Sandeep Michael. He had a great knack for scoring goals from any position on the field and was a good part of successful Jr Hockey India Teams. He first played in the Under-18 Asia Cup at Ipoh, Malaysia. In the 2003 Junior Asia Cup, he was the ‘promising player of the tournament. In the years 2002 and 2003, Sandeep was part of the gold and bronze-medal-winning Indian Development Teams at the Akbar-el-Yom Cup Competition.

Ravi: Firstly, thank you for giving your valuable time to The Sports Column. Let’s begin by having you tell us about your family background and what were your earlier memories growing up with your brother.

From 2004 (photo, Santosh Bane)

Vineeth Michael: My parents are from a sports background – my father represented Karnataka volleyball, and my mother is a national-level Kho-Kho player. She was the recipient of the Kempegowda award and wanted her children to bring up to the international level.

My parents started their life in quarters (Firmly known as the BEL colony). Life went on while Sandeep was already born. When my parents learned that Vineeth was in the womb, they realized they needed to move forward as the family was growing, and my mother couldn’t pay attention to the children. Then my parents moved to a new house in another lane in the same colony. Sandeep became a famous kid in the blocks for his dimple cheeks and smile.

Years passed slowly, and my parents one day decided to put us in the summer camp for us to learn the value of discipline, punctuality, universal brotherhood, and important traits in life only sport can teach. Hockey was chosen for its fitness and its tiring work ethic. With his focused involvement, Sandeep eventually fell in love with the sport. Very soon, he was selected to the sub-junior Indian coaching camp and excelled in every match he played. His hard work and dedication motivated him to join the Sports Authority of India (Bangalore). He was then shortlisted to represent the Central of Excellence team (COE). From then on, there was no looking back, and he achieved every game he played.

In Senior India Colors, Sandeep is best remembered for his goals against Bangladesh, Pakistan, and South Korea in the 2003 Hockey Asia Cup, Kuala Lumpur, 2003. Unfortunately, we lost this talented and loved center forward due to a neurological illness in 2018.

Ravi: Your father, John Michael, played state-level volleyball, your mother, Alamelu, was a track-and-field athlete and a kho-kho player, and you represented Karnataka in the 2002 Sub-Junior Nationals. Can you tell us about how the role sports have played in your family and the culture at home? 

Vineeth Michael: When we sit together, Regardless of the sport we represent or represented. We always complement and appreciate all efforts and discuss the shortfalls to achieve better in the future. Not only share our thoughts but respect the inputs and consume for our betterment.  We, as a family, criticized cricket to the core just because we were all from different sports backgrounds. And, at times we used to get into group discussions, and the topic was “why hockey is not given the same importance as cricket even though hockey is our national sport”. Of course, that did not hamper us from following the Indian cricket team with heart and pride.  

Ravi: Was hockey Sandeep’s first love, or did he excel in any other sport in school? 

Sandeep Michael (photo courtesy Bharatiyahockey.org)

Vineeth Michael: Sandeep was offered a role to play as Hero in the Kannada film industry by our beloved late S.Ramesh. However, Sandeep’s vision was to put Hockey on top of the table being the national sport, and he had already crafted his future goal. Sandeep always used to say that he will play an integral part in making Indian hockey a great sport to watch and encourage kids by being a role model. This confidence seeded the madness and zeal to represent India at some point. At the same time, during his schooling days, he was awarded as best all-rounder sportsperson for many years during his academic at SJIHS Bangalore.

Ravi: Can you tell us who were the initial coaches and managers that supported Sandeep at the domestic level and what tournaments you both played in before your brother would it to the national team?

Vineeth Michael: Every coach and manager part of BCYA (BEL Colony Youth Association) that supported him at the domestic level tournaments as his role models. We’ve both represented a grade tournament such as – the Nehru cap in Delhi, Murugappa Cup in Chennai, Bombay gold cup, Mumbai, Surjit cup, and Karnataka super division league.

Ravi: Rajinder Singh gave Sandeep his debut when he substituted him for Dhanraj Pillay in a senior-level tournament in Australia, in 2003. Can you describe that special day for you and your parents? 

Vineeth Michael: That was the peak and success where his zero angle goal and his performance in the overall tournament made Dhanraj Pillay voice his appreciation towards Sandeep Michael in the press conference held in Bangalore on the day of his arrival from Australia. During this period, we were connected only through telephone during the same time when my father was hospitalised due to cardiac arrest with multiple blockages for more than 15 days. We did not reveal this to Sandeep, keeping in mind that he is creating history and achievements and did not want to deviate from his focus. We tried our best to balance the happiness of his success with the trauma of the situation at home. During the press conference, Sandeep was eager to see my father and demanded his presence, which led us to reveal the situation and take him to the hospital directly from the press conference. After the discharge of my father from the hospital, we cherished his success and achievement through news articles and comments given by Dhanraj Pillay. Unfortunately, the streaming of the match wasn’t available for us to view. However, that zero-angle goal my brother scored will always be an emotional favourite.

Ravi: How do you see hockey evolving in Karnataka and our country? How was the support system, and what kind of support (technically, emotionally, and financially) did you and your brother receive from your state Karnataka and the Indian Hockey Federation?

Vineeth Michael: In recent past years, we’ve seen many players representing our state that eventually proves their interest and passion for the sport. We’ve also seen some great achievements at the international level while have influenced the country with great pride and attraction towards our national sport. We can’t be more thankful for the support rendered by our Hockey federation to fulfill individual and state pride. We’ve received 100% support from our Karnataka State Hockey Association (KSHA), now known as (Bangalore Hockey Association – BHA), from all perspectives.

Ravi: In the last decade, Hockey has changed a lot from a two halves game to four quarters one. How do you see this metamorphosis? Do you wish to see any new changes or rules brought into the game going forward?

Sandeep Michael (photo courtesy Deccan Herald)

Vineeth Michael: The decision of the four quarters vs two halves was a great move, keeping in mind the advantages that the teams can make the best use of to make the game more intense. As a player, this transformation contributes to planning strategy, fitness, and the opportunity to come back and perform better. IMHO, as the interest in the game gets evolving, any changes that we unanticipated are to craft the game for the betterment of the sport.

Ravi: Today, we see very few dribbling skills like Dhanraj Pillay, and so do the body feints like the great Shahbaz Ahmed. Why do you think this is happening in the modern-day game? Has it got anything with the coaching techniques? 

Vineeth Michael: There is nothing to portray negatively about the coaching techniques however, given the rapid and intense current atmosphere of the game, it demands the players for minimal contact of the ball with the stick.

Ravi: Unfortunately, many Indian players hide/fake injuries and either ruin their careers or bring a detrimental name to the federation. You must have surely come across many talented athletes who went the wrong way. Can you tell us about your views on this and players who lost their valuable careers? How do you see this in the present-day hockey culture?

Vineeth Michael: We’ve seen this happening in the past, but I do not foresee this getting cultivated in the modern days. I am confident of this for the very good reason that we’ve evidenced the transformation of technology and how these technologies have been brought into the games itself is an eye opener for anybody to hide/fake their injuries that could ruin their careers.

Ravi: Did Sandeep’s Junior Asia Cup teammates stay in touch over the years before he passed? Who were his good mates in the Senior India Team? 

Vineeth Michael: All players were in good connection with Sandeep and had mutual respect with senior players like Dhanraj Pillay to the junior players. Everybody liked him and were well-wishers is what I recall through our conversations the most cherishable moments that Sandeep used to share were the Junior Asia cup tournament he represented as captain, and at the victory, he had the signatures of all his teammates on his jersey.

Ravi: Has anyone from Hockey Karnataka or Hockey India reached out to you and your family after Sandeep passed away? I mean, like inviting you to the state level, national level, and international tournaments happening in India?

Vineeth Michael: Unfortunately, we weren’t invited to the state-level, national-level, and international tournaments that happened in India. However, we are very thankful to Mr. Leo Devadoss from One team, One dream (OTOD) for inviting my mother as a guest to the 2nd senior Hockey carnival tournament organized at KSHA this year.

Ravi: We are currently in a day and age of franchise tournaments. Premier Hockey League (PHL) happened between 2005 and 2008, and we had Hockey India League from 2013 till 2017. Your take on this, and how the ever-growing finances of the modern-day marketed sport? 

Vineeth Michael: PHL was the game changer of all times in the history of hockey that brought in the craze and popularity of our national sport. We are at that age of marketing to capture the market I believe from the hockey standpoint, this sport deserves more attention and importance.

Sandeep Michael (photo courtesy Sportskeeda)

Ravi: Do you, as a player and fan of hockey, have any favorite tournaments and a favorite ground (domestic and international)? 

Vineeth Michael: Every game I played against my brother representing the state was always special, most memorable, and a favorite that I will live with those memories for the rest of my life. Nehru cap in Delhi, Murugappa Cup in Chennai, Bombay gold cup in Mumbai, Surjit cup, and Karnataka super division league. When it comes to the locations I’ve played, I would like to stick to the roots where we were groomed. BEL sports club, SJIHS grounds, Shanthinagar hockey stadium, and Kengeri SAI.

Ravi: I hope your family is recovering from Sandeep’s loss and are mentally strong in doing so. If I may ask, what do you and your parents think was your brother’s major highlights/achievements in his career? 

Vineeth Michael: There is no question of recovery. With Sandeep leaving us, we as the family had to go through a lot of emotional trauma, and within two years of losing him, my dad left us in Covid wave two. I can only pray to god this time to give us the strength to live with the happy memories we’ve had together.

Ravi: Can you tell us a bit about what you do these days and about your role as a sports minister? 

Vineeth Michael: In the immediate days of Sandeep’s playing career with the India Team, he introduced a club named Vidyaranyapura Hockey Club (VHC). With continued effort and struggle, Sandeep received moral support from his childhood buddies, who were part of his initial days at his first summer camp. At the time, I was extremely grateful to them. Furthermore, he was abdicating all financial responsibilities on his own. Many years later, the team made it up to the ‘A’ division league and stayed there for a couple of years, participating in many local and outstation tournaments throughout the state. For all his hard work and involvement in building this team, with gratitude and to keep my brother’s achievements alive, Mr. Kannan Krishna Murthy (Hon’ble Secretary of Karnataka State Hockey Association, previously KSHA and currently known as BHA), recommended and fulfilled by renaming Vidyaranyapura Hockey Club to Sandeep Hockey Club (SHC).

After my brother’s death, my father and I took over the responsibilities of driving the team spirit to retain and secure the 4^th place on the podium in the ‘A’ division in 2019. During this phase and pandemic situation, I lost my great support and the pillar of the family and the club (SHA) secretary, who was my father, Mr. John Michael, due to COVID in May 2021.

I’d like to thank Mr. Kannan Krishna Murthy, who was our shoulder to cry on when we needed it and has been like family to us, guiding, holding our hands, and advising. Even before my father’s demise, he was one of the great guardians of our family.

Ravi: I understand how tough it is for your family to lose Sandeep at a very young age, but how are you all keeping his memory alive? Are there any new ways in which you wish to remember and celebrate his life ahead?

Vineeth Michael: Losing my brother so early in his and our lives left a huge void and hole and surely, impacted our family. To keep his emotions and physical presence among us alive, we have my brother’s mementos and photographs from his life in our house. My family is thankful to Mr. Ramesh Parameswaran (ex-Indian Hockey Coach) for organising a one-day friendly tournament for children in our neighbourhood in 2019. On the occasion, we gave away certificates, mementos, and key chains to 100 children.