New Face New Force: “God is with Rao, he is smiling with him”

Life has changed for this new face of Indian hockey in two days. One day he was dejected that his team was not given permission to play in the World Hockey Series. Next day, just because he did not play WSH, he was called to attend Olympic preparatory camp.

The story of PT Rao is fascinating.

“I gave off my goalkeeping kit when I didn’t the permission to play in World Series Hockey,” recollects PT Rao, one of the Indian team goalkeepers here in Doha, “but life changed for me, the next day when I got a call from the Indian team for the camp.”

Years 2010 and 2011 brought in a lot of hope for Rao. He earned appreciation from all quarters being the custodian for Army Red – the fiercest team of the Army — in that spell.

Hailing from Hyderabad, PT Rao has debuted for India at the age of 34 at the Champions Trophy earlier this month, something that is unusual in the annals of Indian hockey era.

Rao has something to motivate all along.

He witnessed the big-time Netherlands goalie Guus Vogels — who was 34 then — at the 2010 Hockey World Cup in Delhi was a huge inspiration. That, for him, has been a huge motivation in his life to keep continuing his efforts.“If he can give a world class performance at that age, I can also do it,” says Rao with a tinge of moisture in his eyes.

And as you get to know more about Rao, you realize he is a team man to the hilt. He wants the team to win the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy at Doha, “It doesn’t matter which goalkeeper is on the field. I just want the team wins. Even in the past, I have never even thought to myself that if a current goalkeeper gets injured, I will get a chance.”

Rao remains modest and rates another goalie in the team PR Sreejesh far more superior to him.
Indebted to the support he has got from everyone, he remains humble, “Support of the team, coaches and the support team in incomparable to anything. If your colleagues and compatriots encourage you, you can reach the skies or else you are nowhere close to a good performance.”

And had it not been the strong push of his colleagues Mahadik, SV Sunil and Ignace, Rao wouldn’t have gathered the courage to reach the Indian camp on the designated day. He always remained uncertain how he would fare amongst the stalwarts and much younger generation Hockey players. However, once he stepped on to the turf, the whole world dare not come inside the Hockey turf – he left it all outside.

When asked what is so special in him, he proudly claims, “The day I miss saving goals and don’t see the ball very well, I signal the bench that it’s time to put on the other goalkeeper for the rest of the match.”

Rao is aware that it wouldn’t be a very long road with the Indian team, the focus being on younger goalkeepers, but he is positive that whatever opportunity comes his way, he is hungry to show his mettle to the world. This mental strength comes from strong family backup in form of his brother, PV Sathyanarayan, and Aunt Sara, who is more than a mother to him.

Rao, an avid facebook chatter, likes to read the gossip of Bangalore Times, hears Shaan’s songs, carries the latest mobile phone model (like other Indian players) and has a sweet tooth. Nowadays, he misses eating his favorite delicacy, BadamBurfi. He has to keep up his fitness – he lost around 10 kgs weight to make it to the final 18– and sweets is a ‘no’ in the ongoing times.
So, what message does he read from his miraculous entry into the Indian team? – He smiles and says, “God is with Rao, and yes, he is smiling with me.”

Witnessing the passion and commitment of this ‘not-so-young’ player, one hopes that this relation with God keeps going the way it is going now.