The tales of camaraderie between Indian and Pakistani sports activities individuals off the sector are heartwarming, regardless of the continued political tensions between the 2 international locations. These tales transcend boundaries and showcase the deep bonds fashioned via the love for the game.
One such story includes Waseem Ahmed, the previous Pakistani captain, and Baljeet Singh Saini, India’s former attacking midfielder.
The story is a testomony to bridging gaps and fostering connections that transcend borders. Curiously, it additionally includes Peshawar crockery and Banarasi sarees, including a contact of cultural richness to the connection.
Ahmed, who holds the report for probably the most worldwide caps (410) for Pakistan, now resides in Melbourne, Australia.
Since 2015, he has been related to the Southern United Hockey Membership, the place he brings his experience as a player-cum-assistant coach, imparting the quintessential Pakistani aptitude to the group.
In the meantime, Saini, who has additionally had a stint because the coach of India’s junior girls’s group, divides his time between India and the US, the place he has settled along with his household.
“Our fiercest rivals on the pitch are Pakistanis and our greatest buddies off the pitch in worldwide hockey are Pakistanis as nicely,” Saini had advised Timesofindia.com throughout a dialog.
Ahmed’s response from Melbourne arrange the nostalgia.
“Badi dosti hai (we share a powerful friendship),” mentioned Ahmed over the telephone when Timesofindia.com rang him in Australia for an interview a couple of years again.
In 1998, throughout India’s tour of Pakistan, a memorable sequence unfolded, when Ahmed, who had made his debut simply two years prior, was establishing himself as a key participant within the midfield
The sequence consisted of eight matches, evenly cut up in a home-and-away format between the 2 international locations.
“Dilip Tirkey (Man of the Sequence) and Baljeet Saini had been kids like me,” Ahmed recalled. “We had Shahbaz senior and junior with us, and Tahir Zaman. We gained the primary two matches in Peshawar and Rawalpindi. In Lahore, they defeated us, after which in Karachi as nicely. Public began throwing stones at us,” Ahmed recalled.
In Peshawar, Saini wished to take house a memento. That is when he stepped into the Pakistani camp.
“Saini got here and mentioned I need to purchase a dinner set. It (crockery) is kind of well-known there (Peshawar). It was a couple of 70-80 piece dinner set,” Ahmed advised TimesofIndia.com.
“He (Ahmed) should not have advised you that he gifted me that,” Saini revealed so as to add extra heat to the story. “Our friendship grew and we now have stayed in contact ever since.”
A couple of years later, when Ahmed’s sister was getting married, the Pakistani midfielder contacted Saini as he was on the lookout for some Banarasi sarees — a standard Indian apparel that’s well-known in Pakistan as nicely.
“We had a team-mate at the moment, Anurag Raghuvanshi, who was from Banaras. I reached out to him to get the sarees after which despatched these to Waseem,” mentioned Saini. “After that, he even visited me in Jalandhar.”
One such story includes Waseem Ahmed, the previous Pakistani captain, and Baljeet Singh Saini, India’s former attacking midfielder.
The story is a testomony to bridging gaps and fostering connections that transcend borders. Curiously, it additionally includes Peshawar crockery and Banarasi sarees, including a contact of cultural richness to the connection.
Ahmed, who holds the report for probably the most worldwide caps (410) for Pakistan, now resides in Melbourne, Australia.
Since 2015, he has been related to the Southern United Hockey Membership, the place he brings his experience as a player-cum-assistant coach, imparting the quintessential Pakistani aptitude to the group.
In the meantime, Saini, who has additionally had a stint because the coach of India’s junior girls’s group, divides his time between India and the US, the place he has settled along with his household.
“Our fiercest rivals on the pitch are Pakistanis and our greatest buddies off the pitch in worldwide hockey are Pakistanis as nicely,” Saini had advised Timesofindia.com throughout a dialog.
Ahmed’s response from Melbourne arrange the nostalgia.
“Badi dosti hai (we share a powerful friendship),” mentioned Ahmed over the telephone when Timesofindia.com rang him in Australia for an interview a couple of years again.
In 1998, throughout India’s tour of Pakistan, a memorable sequence unfolded, when Ahmed, who had made his debut simply two years prior, was establishing himself as a key participant within the midfield
The sequence consisted of eight matches, evenly cut up in a home-and-away format between the 2 international locations.
“Dilip Tirkey (Man of the Sequence) and Baljeet Saini had been kids like me,” Ahmed recalled. “We had Shahbaz senior and junior with us, and Tahir Zaman. We gained the primary two matches in Peshawar and Rawalpindi. In Lahore, they defeated us, after which in Karachi as nicely. Public began throwing stones at us,” Ahmed recalled.
In Peshawar, Saini wished to take house a memento. That is when he stepped into the Pakistani camp.
“Saini got here and mentioned I need to purchase a dinner set. It (crockery) is kind of well-known there (Peshawar). It was a couple of 70-80 piece dinner set,” Ahmed advised TimesofIndia.com.
“He (Ahmed) should not have advised you that he gifted me that,” Saini revealed so as to add extra heat to the story. “Our friendship grew and we now have stayed in contact ever since.”
A couple of years later, when Ahmed’s sister was getting married, the Pakistani midfielder contacted Saini as he was on the lookout for some Banarasi sarees — a standard Indian apparel that’s well-known in Pakistan as nicely.
“We had a team-mate at the moment, Anurag Raghuvanshi, who was from Banaras. I reached out to him to get the sarees after which despatched these to Waseem,” mentioned Saini. “After that, he even visited me in Jalandhar.”
