Sylvanus Dung Dung is among those few sports persons, who neither care about their recognition nor keep around cursing the Government for not recognising them heavily. This Simdega born ace hockey player who has played all three top tournaments of Men’s Hockey - World Cup and Asian Games in 1978 and the Olympics in 1980 - and has bagged Gold Medal in Olympics, remains satisfied and down to earth since he got the news of being selected to be conferred Major Dhyanchand Award this year on August 29 by the President.
Retired from Indian Army and presently associated with Sports Department of Jharkhand Government, Dung Dung spoke with The Pioneer at length about his journey so far. Here are the excerpts:
First of all, congratulations for Major Dhyanchand Award.
Thank you so much.
Does this announcement compensate your disappointment of getting it lateIJ
Not at all. I was not actually disappointed ever. It was me who had not applied for any such award so far. I was little skeptical about my recognition..you know, I won a Gold Medal in way back 1980. More three decades have passed and I was not sure that many know me and would remember me even now. So, I didn’t apply before. Yes, it is true that Government didn’t take initiative to felicitate players like us in this way.
Don’t you think your doubts about your recognition itself tell the story of ignorance of the system in our country for sports players other than cricketIJ
You can’t actually help it. It is the way it has been since long. But I am happy that things are changing now.
So how did you apply this timeIJ
It was not me even this time (laughs). One of my friends and a former Hockey player and Junior Mens Hockey Team Coach BK Bansal contacted me last month that I must apply for the award named after the legend of Hockey (Major Dhyanchand) whom I loved and respected so much, like thousands others. And then, I also thought that Jharkhand was a comparatively new State and it deserved right to bag an award like this being one of the largest supplier of Hockey players of the country. So, the credit goes to Bansal.
Tell me something about your childhood and how did you come into this sportIJ
My village in Simdega (near Ranchi) happened to be one of the most backward villages in those days with no roads and electricity. However, it (Simdega) was very fertile in terms of Hockey, fortunately it still happens to be. So, I started playing Hockey with my friends at an age of 8 or 9. From RC Middle School till 5th standard to Taisen School till 7th Standard and then to St. Merry High School up to 10th Standard, all in Simdega only, we went on polishing our skills. Then I joined Indian Army under Bihar Regiment in 1965.
Do you think players of today get more chance to play in National Team than in those timesIJ
Of course yes. There are ample chances of good players to be selected in National Team these days. Facilities are also there for them.
So, despite having opportunities and facilities, what you think are the reasons of deteriorating performance at international platformsIJ
I must say lack of proper coaching, and dedication. We are very good on papers in many things, but ground reality is totally different. I have been associated with Sports Department of the State for little over a decade by now. I can say that many things need to be streamlined, if we want players to deliver. They can’t perform without sticks, ball and pair of shoes. But we want them to flourish in ‘created’ absence of resources. Sometimes we have wrong coaches, sometimes wrong players.
Any interesting story that you would like to share with our readers from your sports daysIJ
Of course yes! (Chuckles). We were playing fourth and last match against our archrival Pakistan in lahore. We had already lost three, two at our soil and third in Karachi. We played a brilliant game in fourth one and dragged it in our favour at last. And when we returned to our rooms after match, I found beautiful Pakistani girls lying on my bed! Just to hang around me and to know who is this Dung Dung. I still remember that
incident.
What do you think are major steps that government needs to take in order to encourage youngsters towards our National Sport and make them deliverIJ
I believe government will have to bring all its plans to grounds that have been sleeping in files. There are not many grounds of international level in State. Those which exist, are suffering from negligence and administrative disorder. We will have to provide world class facilities, not on papers but in actual terms.
So, you say that government is not doing enough…
I don’t say so. Government is doing enough, but system makes it less.