Living the Dream: My Autobiography

Dr. M. P. Ganesh’s autobiography is a must read for all hockey lovers in the country and abroad. His meteoric rise from holding the hockey stick for the first time to rising to dizzy heights. The right winger like none was the Captain of the Indian team in the 1973 World Cup. His is an astounding story which should inspire all and sundry. India lost to Netherlands in that final, missing a penalty stroke in the sudden death period. Had that been scored, India would have won the World Cup for the first time ever. Ganesh’s name would have been etched in gold. But fate willed otherwise. Was there a conspiracy to deny him personal glory and the country the first World Cup? Ganesh has penned down his lucid thoughts and pondered over all the reasons for that defeat. Yet, Ganesh made it to the World XI. He was also part of two Asian Games, two World Cups and one Olympic Games. Invariably, he never returned empty-handed.

His tenure as a professional with Italian club Levante HC, his marriage to Prema, whom he had not even seen before it was fixed, his son Ayyappa, his struggles in life, coaching India to the Olympic gold in 1980, becoming a super-efficient sports administrator for 25 years and eventually getting back to where it all began - Kodagu. Ganesh has described all this and more in inimitable fashion.