No More ‘Like Father Like Son’

If Vece Paes’ most momentous playing high remains his being a member of the Munich 1972 Olympic bronze winning hockey team, Leander has achieved mindboggling highs, each of which stands testimony to his greatness. By becoming the oldest player to win a Grand Slam title with his latest men doubles success Leander has proved that he embodies the principles set forth by another Olympic great, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who quite justifiably observed, “Age is no barrier. It’s a limitation you put on your mind.”

One of India's greatest sportspersons, Leander continues to make the country proud with his age-defying masterly acts. He has quite simply out-surpassed his father’s achievements. Ramanathan Krishnan and his son Ramesh Krishnan have both been illustrious tennis players. While Ramanathan was twice a semi-finalist at Wimbledon, Ramesh won the junior’s singles titles at Wimbledon and French Open.

Meanwhile, we also have children whose career choices have been far away from the rough and tumble of sport, notwithstanding the strides the parents’ made. Names that belong to this genre, and which come to mind in a jiffy, are that of Deepika Padukone, Saif, Soha and Saba Ali Khan.

Although, she did flirt with badminton as a youngster following the footsteps of her legendary father, love for the arc lights was irresistible for Deepika, who graduated from modelling to acting with dexterity. Needless to say, she is not doing badly since her memorable debut opposite King Khan. Incidentally, her sister, Anisha, is an avidly promising golfer.

Saif and Soha have followed their mother into Bollywood while the youngest, Saba, is presently a jewelry designer. Of course, there is a distinct possibility that Saif’s son, Ibrahim, may actually go his grandfather’s way if he pursues his cricketing fad to more concrete levels.

Then there is Rajdeep Sardesai, whose father Dilip had a dream series in Ajit Wadekar’s epoch-making 1971 tour of West Indies. Rajdeep began as a cricketer and made six first-class appearances for Oxford University apart from figuring in the combined Oxford and Cambridge team against the touring Pakistan squad in 1987. Having dumped cricket for journalism, he today enjoys a respectable position in the world of broadcast media.

If sport truly runs in any Indian family, it has to be in the household of Dhyan Chand. His brother Roop Singh, like Ashok, played in the Olympics. The other son, Virendra Singh, has been a member of junior India outfits and grand-daughter Neha Singh is also a hockey international.

This is just a cursory overview of such paradoxical instances in India. The broader canvas will depict several names that could be either painfully dismal or exuberantly cheerful. It is time one debates and tries to find an answer to this quixotic irony on why children of world beaters end up second best or as mediocre talents, barring the odd one out.

It is fair enough to presume that one of the significant reasons why children tend to perform to the fullest and justify their status in disciplines of their choice is probably because the surname does not hang on their heads as the Damocles Sword. Even the public expectation is lower, consequent to which there is no ‘extra’ pressure to deliver and uphold any obligated legacy. Left on their own, and devoid of parental and public pressure, they may actually perform better and carve a niche all their own, a la Leander, Jeev and those foraying into tinsel town, politics, trade and commerce.

Here is food for thought from the life of one John, who refused to use his father’s revered surname becomes it had become ‘burdensome’. He often mentioned that he wanted to live on his terms while establishing his own individuality, which was in no way related to cricket.

It was only during the father’s last days, which were compounded by failing health that he reverted to the family name. For the records, this John Bradman was the only surviving son of Sir Don Bradman. However, all said and done, talent cannot be passed on as inheritance; it has to be toiled for.