Three brothers from India have been moving around their huge country lending support to the West Indies men and women's team at the ICC World T20.
The three–Hansdeep Singh, Jasmeet Singh and Mandeep Singh are in love with West Indies cricket, so much so that Hansdeep was nearly beaten once after he showed up at an Indian game supporting the West Indies team.They have even faced verbal abuse from their countrymen who have labelled them "traitors."
Hansdeep decided to follow the West Indies women's team, while Jasmeet and Mandeep have been following the men's team around India, showing their support.The three brothers are living in different parts of India but were born in Durg, a small community in the Northern Chandigarh State.
Since Hansdeep lives in Chennai, it was easy for him logistically to support the West Indies women's team at their matches, while Jasmeet, who lives in Pune, and Mandeep, who remains at their native Durg, have been meeting up to attend West Indies matches and make their voices heard.
Hansdeep, speaking to the T&T Guardian, said: "My family has been supporting the West Indies for generations now. My uncles used to gather around a small radio to listen to commentary of West Indies cricket while playing cards. They never grew tired, they used to wake for the entire night, once West Indies were playing.
"I started following the West Indies since 1990. I was seven when I got my first cricket kit and I remember I took a sticker and wrote Lara's name on it and place it on my bat. West Indies team comes before India anytime for us. I remember nearly getting beat up by a mob after I was supporting the West Indies in a match at Chennai's Chepuk Stadium. On another occasion, there was a verbal fight at Nagpur between us and the Indian supporters, as West Indies were doing well and we were there making noise for our team.
"All my school mates hate me all the time for supporting Windies over India during matches. Words like traitor was used and I was not pleased at this. I never allow them to pressure me as one cannot explain the feeling I got when West Indies won. Even up until now, although being a mature person, my eyes still get wet when the West Indies win.
"When they are not doing so well, I don't break the TV but I am always making noise and commentating, saying what they should and shouldn't do."
Hansdeep said his family's love for West Indies cricket and Brian Lara goes beyond the boundary.His father once wrote a poem about the master batsman and Hansdeep was able to get Lara to sign the paper on which it was written.
Hansdeep said since the advent of Facebook, he has gotten even closer to West Indies cricket by making friends with fans like Marsha 'Windies' Baptiste and Veshma Bhimsingh, and his hope is to one day bring his brothers to the West Indies to show their continued support for the Caribbean team.
THE POEM
'You are just like a lion
Your name is Brian
You are a great
Your team is also great
Your name is substitute
for word cricket
Everytime you play
for peace
You are citizens of mighty West Indies
You are the first man standing at best
players queue
All records are nothing
in front of you'