"I played alongside Rahul Dravid in school" - Sandeep Somesh recounts epic hockey journey culminating in historic Asian Games gold [Exclusive]

Despite playing cricket alongside Rahul Dravid in school, Sandeep Somesh was more drawn to hockey as a sport. The lad from Bangalore rose to be part of an Indian squad that created history in an otherwise chaotic 1990s with two historic outings in the Sydney World Cup and the Bangkok Asian Games.

Sandeep, who follows the modern game just as closely, performed a fabulous job as a co-commentator alongside Ashley Morrison during the Hockey India League.

During an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, Sandeep shed light on the experience of rubbing shoulders with India legends Dilip Tirkey, Dhanraj Pillay, and Ashish Ballal while also recounting the glory of the unforgettable 1998 Asian Games gold.

Sandeep Somesh was equally fond of both cricket and hockey in St Joseph's Boys High School and recalls the "privilege" of playing alongside Rahul Dravid. Victory in the sub-junior nationals hockey tournament in the 10th standard effectively ended the dilemma of which sport he would eventually pursue as a career.

"At St. Joseph Boys High School, I used to play a lot of cricket and hockey. I used to enjoy playing both these sports. I had the privilege of playing alongside Rahul Dravid on the cricket team. He played on the school hockey team. We played together on these teams all our years in St. Josephs right from the junior level to the senior level," he recalled.

"When I was in the 10th standard we went on to win the sub-junior nationals in hockey. I think that's when the thought came to me that hockey is what I want to play and pursue. And thanks to the sub-junior nationals win in Bangalore, I got to join the SAI Sports Hostel. And I think that's when I decided, let's give hockey a shot and try and make that a career," Saneep Somesh revealed.

Sandeep Somesh joined SAI's sports hostel in Bangalore and thus began a hockey career that saw him rise to make it to the Indian national side. Even as Indian hockey was going through an agonizing phase during the 1990s, a silver lining or two shone through the darkness that engulfed the game.

The 1994 Sydney World Cup is best remembered as a tournament in which Pakistan's Shahbaz Ahmed mesmerized the hockey world with his artistry en route to winning a gold for his country. The Indians, who failed to reach a World Cup semifinal after their gold-medal-winning performance in 1975, registered their best finishes since in 1982 and 1994.

The fifth-place finish at Sydney is all the more significant for the Indians coming on the back of a last-place finish at the 1986 tournament in London followed by a 10th-place finish in Lahore 1990.

"There's no denying the fact that Indian hockey was pretty low during that period. We didn't do too well in the 1992 Olympics or the 1990 World Cup. So, the 1994 World Cup was the next big event. As far as finishing fifth in the World Cup is concerned, I think that still holds a pretty high standing for Indian hockey," the former midfielder observed.

"So, in the sense of the magnitude of the event being the World Cup, when we finished fifth, I think that was very, very credible. I think it was a great team and a great experience. And yeah, I think at that point in time, we were happy with finishing fifth," Sandeep Somesh asserted.

India's best finish at an FIH World Cup since the Sydney edition was when Harendra Singh's team ended in the sixth spot in Odisha 2018.

The Asian Games gold of 1998 proved to be a watershed moment for the sport in India. The Indians, who won the tournament in Bangkok in 1966, had to wait a whopping 32 years to reclaim the gold medal.

Sandeep Somesh was candid enough to admit that not many gave the Indians a chance ahead of the Asian Games following a ninth-place finish in the Utrecht World Cup earlier that year. Tussles between the players and the now-defunct Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) did not help matters as well.

South Korea defeated Pakistan to set up a gold-medal clash with India who got past Japan in the other semifinal. Goalkeeper Ashish Ballal proved to be the hero in the final which had to be decided on penalties after the two teams were locked 1-1 in regulation time and extra time.

"Honestly, when we went into the Asian Games in 1998, we were more optimistic than confident. But then when we beat Korea in the league game, we actually outplayed them and qualified for the semifinals. I think that optimism changed to confidence. And that was a turning point as far as the Asian Games was concerned," Sandeep Somesh said.

"Before we went for the Asian Games, nobody really gave us a chance. Nobody thought we were capable of winning it because there was so much happening in Indian hockey at that time with the federation, and with the players. They had just played the 1998 World Cup and hadn't done too well. Kaushik Sir (MK Kaushik) was brought in as a coach. To come back home with a gold medal after 32 years was absolutely brilliant," Sandeep reminisced.

"We had Dilip behind and Dhanraj in front, what more could I ask for playing in the midfield?" - Sandeep Somesh

Sandeep Somesh was all praise for Dhanraj Pillay and Dilip Tirkey. - Source: Dhanraj Pillay on Meta

In rubbing shoulders with the likes of Dilip Tirkey and Dhanraj Pillay, Sandeep Somesh has witnessed firsthand the ebbs and flows of Indian hockey. Sandeep outlined the vastly contrasting personalities of an ice-cool Dilip Tirkey and a fiery Dhanraj Pillay crediting coach MK Kaushik with some incredible man management.

"Dhanraj Pillay and Dilip Tirkey were no doubt two very different personalities. When Kaushik Sir was the coach, his skill of man-management and how differently he handled Dilip Tirkey as compared to Dhanraj Pillai and Ashish Ballal was great. Each of them had to be handled in a different manner. I think that's why he stood out as a coach and did it so well. And that's why he gave the result that he did," he stated with an unmistakable sense of pride.

"It was just fantastic to play alongside these legends of the game. We had Dilip behind and Dhanraj in front. What more could I ask for playing in the midfield?" Sandeep Somesh declared.

Sandeep Somesh strongly believes that the sport is greater than any individual and credits foreign coaches like Jose Brasa for having changed the mindset of Indian players in this regard.

Brasa guided the Indians to a bronze-medal finish in the 2010 Asian Games and a silver-medal finish in the Delhi Commonwealth Games the same year.

"When Brasa came in as the coach of the Indian team, I think he actually brought about a lot of changes in not only the style of playing but also in the mindset of the players. He actually brought about a shift in how we think and how we play the game. We just carried the same forward over the years. And I think later on, the coaches have reaped the benefits of that. But yes, to me, the sport has always been bigger than any individual," the stalwart noted.

Sandeep Somesh enjoyed his stint as a commentator during the Hockey India League and lauded his co-commentator Ashley Morrison for his vast knowledge about the game and the players.

"I totally enjoyed doing the commentary for the HIL. It was a good experience. I mean, I had done it in previous editions as well in 2012-13 for two years. Doing commentary with Ashley Morrison is such a joy. One, because he lets you come in with your views whenever you have a view. And he's not somebody who wants to dominate the commentary, which is so good. His knowledge about the game, about the players is excellent," he stated.

Sandeep Somesh, who is deeply involved with spreading hockey at the grassroots, continues to contribute to the game he so loves in an unassuming and unpretentious manner - much like he did as a player in the Indian national team.