Mumbai's forgotten Olympian Mary Dsouza Sequeira awaits state honours

On Tuesday Rio Olympians PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik were honoured for their badminton silver and wrestling bronze medals respectively for the first time in Mumbai Sindhus felicitation at the opulent Crystal Room of the Taj was more significant to Mumbai since it was done at the hands of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and initiated by the Maharashtra Badminton AssociationOur Rio achievers deserve the hosannas even the plethora of decorations and while celebrations continue it is also a time for sports bosses to reflect on cases of omission in terms of honours One athlete who sticks out in that missed list is Mary Dsouza SequeiraMary 85 represented India in athletics as well as hockey in the 1950s and is an important part of Mumbais sporting history Indias first double international would not have made it to the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games if not for the Rs 5000 which was raised through a dance in Bandra She also represented India in two hockey World events mdash London 1953 and Adelaide 1956 the year in which she could have made her second Olympic appearance But with no financial backing Mary couldnt make it to the Melbourne OlympicsOnly two female athletes made it to Helsinki Mary and Nilima Ghose and that makes them trendsetters in the sporting world of Indian womenMary won the 200m bronze and was part of the 4x100m relay team which won silver at the inaugural Asian Games in 1951 From 1950 to 1957 she held National records in 100m 200m and 80m hurdles Eddie Sequeira the former middle distance runner who represented India at the 1972 Munich Olympics said he didnt watch Mary run in competitions since he was very junior to her but was fortunate to see her train She used to train very hard She was fast in the truest sense and always wanted to win medals for the country said SequeiraIn 2013 six decades after she kicked off her best sporting years as an India athlete Mary was presented the Dhyan Chand award by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Recallng the function held in the Capital Marys daughter Marissa who is collaborating with her mother on an autobiography says everyone were wondering who this elderly woman was but in Atlanta where Mary is at the moment visiting Marissa she is treated as a celebrityMarys pioneering forays are highlighted by Marissa who said My mum went to the first Asian Games was part of the first female contingent to the Olympics played in the first hockey womens tournament in Folkstone England and the first womens hockey tournament in AustraliaMary Dsouza Sequeira PicMarissa SequeiraRecently Mary got invited to premiere of Race the biographical film on legendary American athlete Jesse Owens who Mary knew Since Mary couldnt travel to Atlanta Marissa and her husband Carl Chinoy attended the function on her behalf One of Marys prized possessions is an autographed photograph of Owens interacting with her on his trip to India in 1955In the evening of her life Mary is content with all what sport has given her However she is not coy to state that she would be thrilled to see Maharashtra nominate her for the Padma Shree award be given the Jeevan Puraskar Given her achievements on the athletic track and on the hockey fields that is not asking for too much We caught up with Mary for a chat facilitated by MarissaExcerptsDid you get a chance to follow Indias 2016 Olympic showI was glued to the TV and my computer I was visiting my daughter and there is an NBC application where one could see the Rio Olympics online It was great as I got to see track events on TV and at the same time I would view hockey basketball volleyball football and pause and go back and forth Modern technology makes it so enjoyable You dont miss anything and I could see many eventsA page from the November 12 1955 issue of Sport amp Pastime magazineTwo Indian women returned with medals ndash badminton player PV Sindhu silver and wrestler Sakshi Malik bronze Your commentI am glad for the two medals but I commend each and every athlete that donned the India colours The motto of the Olympics as Baron de Coubertin the founder of Modern Olympic Games said The important thing in the games is not to win but to take part The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well It is easy for nonathletes to judge but as an athlete one understands the hard work and sacrifice that goes into being the best in your field The competition at the world level is stiff and sometimes you can be the best and expected to win But you choke you have a bad start you get nervous A lot of things happen We are human The biggest regret in my sporting career is not winning the 100m at the 1954 Asian Games in Manila I can recall my sadness and regret even today I had the fastest time in Asia of 123 secs and I was the favourite to win But the Sri Lankan athlete next to me flicked the start twice and was disqualified I got nervous and had a late start and then tightened The officials too were to blame as they had all the fastest runners from all the countries in one heat then the second fastest and then the third This was a disadvantage to all of us in the heats and went unnoticed We went on to win gold in the 4x100m relay with three of the fastest women in AsiaSindhu and Maliks medals apart Indias Olympic show was dismal Would you put that down to a lack of encouragement by our officials and governmentTodays athletes have much more than I did by way of funds endorsements and prize money when they return I almost did not make it to the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki as I came from a family of 12 children and my parents could not afford the Rs 5000 In 1952 that was a big sum of money Friends and well wishers came to the rescue A dance was held at St Andrews in Bandra to raise funds for me I was a teacher at St Josephs Convent at the time and was only 21Mary Dsouza Sequeira in her glory days as an India athlete and hockey player PicsMary Dsouza Sequeiras personal collectionWhat were the hurdles athletes like you faced in those daysThere was corruption regionalism favouritism even in my day I was supposed to go to the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 and held the Indian record at that time I was in top form having played hockey at a tournament in Australia I was visiting my brother in England when the Bombay Athletic Association chief told me that they were not sending a female contingent to the Olympics as the government would not fund it Hence I stayed on in England only to discover that the official sent his one daughter to compete and the other one as the manager We have some great former athletes like Adille Sumariwalla who are part of administration now and it is beneficial to have people like him who have players interests at heartAre you surprised that India has fallen to such depths in hockey a sport you excelled in Why do you think we dont match up to other teamsField hockey has changed dramatically It is played on Astro turf and the rules have changed For one the AsianIndian style is not conducive to Astro turf It favours the Western style of hit and run It is a much faster turf Moreover it is expensive to get and maintain Mumbai and major cities have a lack of open grounds and facilities Colleges and schools cannot afford Astro turf Build and the results will comeMary Dsouza Sequeira with legendary American athlete Jesse Owens during his India visit in 1955Are you disappointed that Maharashtra has not honoured you and that fact that the Central government appreciated your contribution to Indian sports very lateI was born and bred in Bandra It is sad that my state of Maharashtra has not given Indias first double International ANY recognition I applied for the Jeevan Puruskar award and have not got a response It would like to receive this honour while I am alive and not posthumously I served my country and state as an amateur and is it too much for the state to recognise me Women who went as substitutes in the team have got awards but not me I have no political influence I am grateful to the Centre for recognising me so my kids and grandkids can feel proud of meTell us about your friendship with Jesse Owens What sort of a man was heJesse Owens was a great athlete and a kind generous person who came to India in 1955 and shared his skills with us His movie Race shows the hardships he encountered to get to where he did My daughter Marissa and her husband Carl Chinoy went to the premier of Race in Atlanta hosted by USA Track and Field USATFAnother great Olympian who helped me was Harrison Dillard He gave me his starting blocks at the 1952 Olympics as I did not have any We too have a movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and one on boxer Mary Kom Kids of today should be inspired by these kind of Bollywood movies which are an integral part of India todayWhats your autobiography going to be likeI am writing a memoir on my life and sports in India with my daughter Marissa It addresses some of the cultural and social issues that I faced as an athlete Yes we have cultural issues but the brave and beautiful women of India have always risen to the challenge They often do jobs take care of their families and perform as athletes They are the true heroes of modern IndiaWhat changes would you like to see in Indian sport and what have you observed about the American sporting culture which produces resultsIn USA there is no Sports Minister no governing body I see the commitment that my daughter Marissa puts into her kids lives My grandson Darius Chinoy runs track so she became a USATF official to volunteer instead of sitting on the sidelines She was an athlete herself and became a USATF coach although she does not coach her son so that she can be better informed She became president of the High School Booster club to raise funds for the school and track amp field athletes Parents and grandparents are the kids greatest cheerleaders and support in the West My parents did not see me run or play hockey even once In my time we had difficulties at various levels but one thing that stood out was that the journalists always came to my help be it to raise funds or report on my success The reporting was fair and not sexually biased I got adequate headlines as my male counterparts The media published pictures to prove I was the winner when there was a cheating scandal and when I was being prevented to go to the Nationals So be supportive of our athletes a spirit of cooperation instead of criticism of our athletes will help Dont forget India gave the world the Asian Games I pray for my country that the best is yet to come