Guwahati: Google Paul Collingwood, and you will see numerous links on the former English skipper who led his country to their first World Cup title in 2010. And rightly so. While there may be many “Paul Collingwood” on the planet, the English cricketer is the most famous one.
And that is the problem with namesakes: you are unlikely to find other Paul Collingwoods because one has all the attention.
But one person seeks to change that, or at least modify the search engine a little. A cyclist, bearing the same name, from India’s most far-flung territory of Car Nicobar. Yes, there’s a Paul Collingwood in India. The 19-year-old is one of India’s top prospects in a sport dominated by the Islanders and, to some extent, a handful from the Northeast.
On the sidelines of the recently-held National Track Cycling Championships at the Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE), Sonapur, a group of teenagers from the Island were soaking in the winter sun when this scribe forwarded a handshake to one cyclist. The entire group stood up in unison and introduced each other before the conversation turned into a friendly chat over the next four days of competition. The bonding over the course of the four days somehow worked, with the shy Paul eventually opening up.
And no, it’s not about the most obvious question about his name or if his dad’s a cricket buff…because he isn’t, and Paul has no idea how his family came up with the name. Paul is fed up with the question though.
Well, then what next? Let us go back to where the love for cycling started.
Paul’s tryst with cycling began with his dad’s bicycle that Jacob used to travel 10 km a day to reach his BSNL office at Car Nicobar, situated around 270 km from Port Blair, and home to at least 25 track and road cyclists, starting from the late 1980s.
Jacob is employed as a security guard at the state-run telecom giant’s office and runs his family of four on a meagre salary of about Rs 15,000, which Paul claimed isn’t even regularly paid and on many occasions, the family had to seek help from the neighbours to make ends meet.
“The struggle was real, and that is how we (me and my brother) understood the value of every penny. Our father never misses a day at work, but the salary is sometimes paid after two-three months of work. It was difficult for us to sustain, and thinking of a career in sport was always a distant dream,” recalls Paul.
Paul remembers the day in primary school when he was given the option to choose between football and cycling, and he raised his hands in both disciplines before opting for the second. His cousin’s choice of sport influenced his decision.
“I picked cycling as my brother used to be a cyclist, but had to quit the sport due to some issues,” he recalled.
“I started with an old Polygon cycle, and 5-6 cyclists used to train on the same bicycle, and each trainee would complete a run on the track and wait for their turn to ride the cycle. It was a very old cycle and past its prime. Also, due to coastal winds, some cycle parts had gone rusty,” he recalled.
Call it the influence of Car Nicobar’s cycling environment or an urge to emerge from poverty-stricken life and support his family. Paul took up the sport after watching the pioneer of the Island’s sport — Deborah Herold, winning two gold medals at the Track Asia Cup in 500m time-trial and team sprint events.
And very soon he was spotted during a talent hunt programme in 2016, and the youngster did respond to the faith by sizzling at the junior national championships. But more than the colour of the medal, the satisfying part for Paul was the cash reward of Rs 15,000 – his first earning.
“I shared a major part of the reward with my parents and bought myself a touch screen mobile phone with whatever amount was left. There was a sense of inner satisfaction, and the award motivated me to work more on my skills.”
“In 2019, I got the first opportunity to represent India and returned with a bronze in team sprint from South Korea. I wasn’t satisfied with my performance but I was happy to find myself on the podium in a foreign country,” he said.
And on return, he surprised Jacob by buying him a motorbike to reduce his workload.
“I was pained at his plight. It gets tiring for him to pedal 10 km each day in the scorching heat which could affect his health, so I bought him a bike. In Andaman, it’s almost double the cost if you compare the prices of the same vehicles in mainland India,” he narrated.
Come 2023, Paul has his eyes on winning a medal at the Asian championships next year to keep himself in the hunt for a selection berth in the team for the world championships. “I have participated in the Junior Asia Cup, but have yet to take part in the event after moving to the senior category. So the primary goal is to take part in the Asia Cup, and qualify for the World Championship,” he said.
EASTMOJO PREMIUM
Help sustain honest journalism.
But for now, his main focus is on taking up the offer from the Services and reducing the financial burden on his parents.
“Papa said kuch bhi ho naukri toh lena hai, naukri main hai (Whatever it takes, can’t let the opportunity slip. Job is a primary requirement). I got him a bike but he still prefers to ride his old cycle. When I earn, I hope he takes a break from work for some time,” hopes Paul, as he looks forward to 2023 as a year of opportunities!
Also Read | ‘Substantial improvement’ in Rishabh Pant’s condition, says close family aide