Leander Paes recalls how 1996 Olympics bombing changed him as a player
Indian legend Leander Paes is about to appear in his record seventh Olympics at Rio, but few have been as life altering for him as the 1996 Games in Atlanta. He won his first Olympic medal in that event, yet, it was the Centennial Park bombing which changed him as a person and made him more focused.
The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta were marred by a bombing on July 27. It caused two deaths and wounded 111 people, although the Olympics went ahead as planned. In his book, My Olympic Journey, which is co-authored by sports journalists Digvijay Singh Deo and Amit Bose, Leander Paes wrote about the struggle and chaos that engulfed the park after the bomb went off, and how he had to literally beg a security official to get in.
“My parents, my team and I were all inside the park when it happened. We were about 30-40 feet away and we were rattled by the vibrations. Chairs and tables had fallen all around us, and my ears were ringing. I struggled with my hearing for the next twenty-four hours.
“... when I reached the entrance to the Village, the gate had shut. I pleaded with the guards to let me in and showed them my credentials. I told them my parents had gone home and public transport had been shut down. I had nowhere to go. The poor guards were only following orders not to allow anyone in and they asked me to find another gate that might be open.
“I sprinted all the way to the next gate but got the same result. I kept running around for the next twenty minutes, going from one gate to the other, and it was probably at the fifth gate that I managed to literally beg the guard to let me in. I told him I had been at the park when the bomb went off, and he was really humble and sweet, and had the presence of mind to let an Olympic athlete in.
“I slowly walked all the way back to my apartment block, gathering my thoughts and returning to the state of mind I had created for myself. I was very lucky to make it through Centennial Park that day, and I know there is a God above who has always showered his blessings on me all my life.
“That incident made me more focused. I had a determination that went beyond what had propelled me when I just played for myself. I actually believed I could beat Andre Agassi in the semifinals,” Paes wrote, reported the Hindu.
Paes went on to become the first Indian since 1952 to win an individual medal at the Olympics, and yet, amid all the celebrations, he did not forget about his opponent in the bronze medal playoff, Fernando Meligeni, and went ahead to comfort him for his loss.
“Every single day, I played with a purpose and things fell into place.
“I grew up a lot that day. I knew I was mentally tough, and that day was not about tennis, it was about the mind and the body. The first thing I did after winning was to run and give Fernando the longest possible hug as it was his dream that had been shattered.
“He was from Brazil, I was from India and we had few chances to win Olympic medals then. I knew the burden he would live with for the rest of his life. I spent a lot of time with him and his team.
“It took me around three days to get the medal off my neck. I shared it with the rest of the Indian contingent and was amazed at the euphoria a single medal can bring to an entire apartment block. Almost everyone came to congratulate me, and the biggest hugs came from my friends in the Indian hockey team,” Paes added.
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