ASIAD 1982 (9th Asian Games 1982) was unveiled on the afternoon of 19th November 1982 at the spanking new Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. 33 Asian countries participated in 21 sports.
It's unbelievable that on yesterday, 40 years have gone past since 1982-11-19.
It was on that date 40 years ago that Baba, Na Kaku (uncle) and me reached New Delhi from Asansol by 81Up Airconditioned Express (renamed, Purva Express years later) to spend a fortnight of fun, masti, stadium hopping and food with Sejo Kaku (another uncle of mine), kakima (auntie), cousins Tito (Arnab) who was still in school and Tina (Tulika) who was a kid then, at their place in Rajouri Garden.
Almost a month prior to the Opening Ceremony, train tickets for the onwards and return journeys were booked. Tickets for every event of the Asian Games were in huge demand. I used to stand for hours in long queues outside SBI branches in Asansol and Kolkata to procure as many games tickets as possible. My uncle who was employed with CPWD in Delhi also managed to procure quite a few tickets. Unfortunately, we couldn't procure even a single ticket for the opening and closing ceremonies 😩.
Typical of the Congressi era, tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies vanished within 2 hours of commencement of sale. Almost immediately thereafter, the same tickets were sold in the black market at a huge premium.
Before setting off for Delhi, baba got me bunches of printed maps of Delhi in B&W and colours. Computers and internet were practically alien topics in India four decades ago. I was only 20 but had mugged up the geographical location of every single stadium, the bus routes, bus terminus, names of every major road and intersections in the Capital.
Our return ticket was by 82Dn on the closing day of the games on 4th December 1982. Before returning to Asansol we managed to squeeze a day out to visit Faridabad where two more of my cousins were settled. Two STUDDS helmets with IS specifications, a black one for Baba with bubble visor and a short peak and another grey one for Na Kaku with the same configuration were bought directly from the STUDDS factory in Faridabad on that very day. I still remember that each of those helmets with accessories were procured at a princely sum of Rs.75 in November 1982.
P.S: Both helmets are still in use till date. My Na Kaku (uncle) had presented his helmet to my daughter about a decade ago.
It's unbelievable that on yesterday, 40 years have gone past since 1982-11-19.
It was on that date 40 years ago that Baba, Na Kaku (uncle) and me reached New Delhi from Asansol by 81Up Airconditioned Express (renamed, Purva Express years later) to spend a fortnight of fun, masti, stadium hopping and food with Sejo Kaku (another uncle of mine), kakima (auntie), cousins Tito (Arnab) who was still in school and Tina (Tulika) who was a kid then, at their place in Rajouri Garden.
Almost a month prior to the Opening Ceremony, train tickets for the onwards and return journeys were booked. Tickets for every event of the Asian Games were in huge demand. I used to stand for hours in long queues outside SBI branches in Asansol and Kolkata to procure as many games tickets as possible. My uncle who was employed with CPWD in Delhi also managed to procure quite a few tickets. Unfortunately, we couldn't procure even a single ticket for the opening and closing ceremonies 😩.
Typical of the Congressi era, tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies vanished within 2 hours of commencement of sale. Almost immediately thereafter, the same tickets were sold in the black market at a huge premium.
Before setting off for Delhi, baba got me bunches of printed maps of Delhi in B&W and colours. Computers and internet were practically alien topics in India four decades ago. I was only 20 but had mugged up the geographical location of every single stadium, the bus routes, bus terminus, names of every major road and intersections in the Capital.
Our return ticket was by 82Dn on the closing day of the games on 4th December 1982. Before returning to Asansol we managed to squeeze a day out to visit Faridabad where two more of my cousins were settled. Two STUDDS helmets with IS specifications, a black one for Baba with bubble visor and a short peak and another grey one for Na Kaku with the same configuration were bought directly from the STUDDS factory in Faridabad on that very day. I still remember that each of those helmets with accessories were procured at a princely sum of Rs.75 in November 1982.
P.S: Both helmets are still in use till date. My Na Kaku (uncle) had presented his helmet to my daughter about a decade ago.
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* Timeless fond recollections
* Recollections
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