Indian link: Cheers to the Pearce family

Sydney: Did you know that a family who migrated from India to Australia have a record of having the most Olympic team representations by one family. So while Olympics dreams are about to start coming true in Sydney for some, for Perth's Pearce family the Games Opening Ceremony will stir up golden memories.

Brothers Mel (70), Eric (68), Gordon (66) and Julian (60) are members of the most successful sporting family in Australian Olympic history. In fact the three eldest were members of the Australian team when the Games were last held in this Island continent: 1956 in Melbourne, which laid the foundation for Australia's hockey success.

The Pearce family migrated from India soon after Independence and Pearce Senior - who worked in the Services - and his two elder sons were already accomplished hockey players when they came to Western Australia.

The three elder brothers of this Anglo-Indian family cannot wait for the Sydney Games to start on Friday. "It's something you never forget," said Gordon, two-time Olympic medal winner. "Melbourne was our first Olympics and the team was untested."

The team finished sixth at the Melbourne Games, (India winning the gold) but the Pearce boys -with the inclusion of young brother Julian - went on to represent the country in various combinations at a further three Olympics.

This week the Pearce brothers caught up with an old friend and opponent of theirs. India's legendary Leslie Claudius, who is passing through Perth on his way to the Sydney Olympics. The Pearce brothers had played in the same era as the Indian great who won three golds and one silver medal between 1948 and 1960.

Gordon played in 1956, 60 and picked up silver in 1968; Melville in 1956; Eric competed at four Olympics and won bronze and silver at the 1964 Tokyo and 1968 Mexico Games. He even carried the Australian flag at the closing ceremony in Mexico. Julian, who missed selection for the Melbourne Games, also picked up medals in Tokyo and Mexico.

If the two Olympic selection of Eric's daughter Colleen are counted, the family has been in a record 13 Games' representations.

A fifth Pearce brother Cec also played for Australia but not at an Olympic Games. Apart from being successful on the field, the Indian born brothers have also had very successful professional careers in Australia.

Gordon pursed a career in the WA State Public Service until 1985 when he was appointed chief executive of the Ministry of the Premier and Cabinet. Melville Pearce owned a successful real estate business for 35 year. Married with four children, he now works part-time as marketing manager for a real estate company.

Eric Pearce is retired and lives in Perth. While in Perth, Leslie Claudius also met another legendary hockey player Kevin Carton whose family also migrated from India and he went on to be Australian vice captain in 1960, the year Claudius captained India to a silver in Rome.

Now 67 years old, Kevin Carton also captained Australia in 1961 and '64. He works for a hotel management company and is Chairman of the Western Australian Tourism Commission.

"It was great to meet up with these champions who came from India and have contributed to the game in this country," Claudius told this correspondent on Monday. "I'm really looking forward to Sydney so Iguess for these blokes it is extra special since they are considered real heroes in this great sporting nation," Claudius said.

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