A promise kept: Anand honours his word to Parrikar, brings home another gold

Ponda: Six years ago, P Anand made a tryst with destiny. Goa’s most accomplished taekwondo player and winner of two gold medals in two different editions of the National Games, while receiving the Dilip Sardesai award for sports excellence in 2017, Anand made a pledge to then chief minister Manohar Parrikar: “Sir, I’ll win the gold for Goa.”

Six years later, he redeemed the pledge when at a packed Indoor Stadium at Ponda, where he grew up learning the sport, Anand defeated India international and Karnataka’s R Pritam in the over 87kg men’s final to win gold.

It was a medal truly etched in gold for Anand, as he entered Goa’s record books by becoming the only Goan player to win three golds in three different editions of the National Games—2011 (Jharkhand), 2015 (Kerala) and now, 2023 (Goa).

“I would like to dedicate this award to the late Manohar Parrikar sir,” Anand told TOI after his spectacular triumph. “When I won Dilip Sardesai award, I had promised a gold medal to Goa. At that time, I was very fit, but the Games got so much delayed. I had to win gold.”

At 33, Anand was out of competitive taekwondo for five years. He had taken to coaching four years ago in Gujarat, and forget a medal, even competing in the National Games at home seemed like a huge ask.

Anand made the assurance assuming that the National Games would be held in 2017 or at worst, the next year. But the multidiscipline sporting event kept getting postponed. Fed up, he took up a coaching assignment with the Sports Authority of Gujarat. And when the dates were confirmed, he returned home to honour a promise.

“This gold medal really means a lot to me. I’ve had to make a comeback after five years and the game has really evolved so much, the rules have changed. I really struggled to get this gold. I have practiced very hard. Working as a coach and training to win gold isn’t easy. I’ve struggled to balance both,” said Anand.

Anand wasn’t in top shape but with plenty of experience under his belt, he knew how to approach each time. Against Mohammed Amir from Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals, he raced to an early lead and then protected himself to make it to the last-four stage.

In the semi-finals, Bihar’s Vivek Prakash kept him on his toes. Anand adopted a safety-first approach, winning the first round by a single point. More importantly, he didn’t allow his opponent to score. In the second, backed by the home crowd, he took an adventurous approach and settled the game with a 8-0 win.

The final was the toughest.

Up against the might of a player who’s represented India at the world championships, Anand knew he could hardly afford to make a wrong move. One slip, and he would be out of the contest.

He took his opponent by surprise when he scored three points in the first 30 seconds, then held on for a 3-2 win in the first round. In the second round, it was a neck-and-neck battle before Anand sealed it with an adventurous kick.

The crowd was on its feet to applaud the champion. Anand took a minute to appreciate the support and then screamed in delight.

“This was a really big challenge for me,” said Anand. “I want to thank my parents, friends, teammates and the association. They have really supported me and helped me at each and every step. Also, thanks to the SAG for providing us with all the necessary equipment and help.”

On the sidelines, coach Sunil Sharma—himself a double gold medal winner for Goa at the National Games in 1994 and 1999—could not control his tears.

After all, Anand had delivered what he promised to Parrikar who was no longer alive to see him deliver his promise.

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