DEFINING MOMENT

The journey started way way, way back when I was just 8, studying in Baldwins High School, Bangalore, the quaint convent school just opposite the Military school on Hosur Road. It was a school cricket match and of course a large part of me wanted to be there but… but hey even at 8, nothing was impossible so I rallied around the troops, all of 6 of us and hatched a simple plan. We would bunk. I mean it was far more important than that silly class we were to attend. After all we did have the rest of our lives to catch up. Different matter that I am still catching up and I would dare guess that my friends are too.

Anyway back to the story so we decided to head out to school like always and then suddenly took a sharp detour to the venue of the match. We had a great time, our team won but then we were confronted with the bigger challenge of sneaking back to school. I must admire our guts for being brave enough to be able to face guaranteed consequences when we got back to school today, tomorrow or whenever. During those moments the world welcomed yet another sports addict who even today refuses to watch a match recorded and will do whatever it takes to watch his favourite team live in action. More about that later…..

The consequences were of course painful.  We sneaked over the school wall but how the hell were 6 kids expected to get into class without being a caught but you know how we are at 8 right, foolish and optimistic. Wonder where that attitude goes as we get older… our sports master was waiting for us, as though he knew that we would be coming, cane in hand and the rest is history. Whack, whack, whack, that day as you can see is firmly imprinted in my mind and will stay with me till I die!!

Well that was not the end of the agony. I still had to face the mother and the father who I hoped would be little more sympathetic to me, that poor 8 year old. My mum says that managed to hide those tell-tale marks on my hand and she only found out when at a parents meeting soon after.  She of course then asked me what happened and I had to tell her, I think she understood and felt that I had got my punishment – capital punishment was not to her liking but well at least I did not have to face anymore pain.

We were heroes in school, all of us and it seemed all worth it.  Of course we never did it again, but when you get whacked like that, the sting stays forever..

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF A SPORTS ADDICT

The world of a sports addict is a tough and unforgiving place. There is room only for winners and that makes it even more challenging because in most sports there is one winner and one loser always.  And if there isn’t then there is a strange sense of emptiness.  So what is this world like? Let me attempt to illustrate and believe me these are all things that I believe in and fight against all the time.

1.       Is a world without time zones

2.       Is a world where there is only room for winners

3.       Where tears flow from the eyes of 60 year old babies and 5 year olds for different reasons.

4.       Where watching and playing sport is the centre of everyone’s life, everything else is worked around it.

5.       Where there is the highest rate of divorces and consequently almost everyone is single. The ones who are not, you guessed right, have been lucky enough to marry an addict themselves.

6.       Where there is a thriving pub and sports bar culture since it is a sure shot way of making money. Everyone drinks when they win and drink when they lose!!!

7.       Where the newspapers that have the highest circulation are the sports tabloids and no one really cares what is happening with elections in UP or the US or for that matter what the state of the Euro Zone is.

8.       Where the player is treated like god even if he just a kid playing lower division matches.

9.       Where even the lowest division matches have half the neighbourhood out cheering the kids or adults.

10.   Where flash football matches or basketball match ups take place in the middle of the road and all else stops.

I am getting goose pimples even as I write this, I mean what a world…where there is a strange sense of tranquil and peace, where you kind of live your existence till the next game, the next win, the next loss, the next home game, the next away game….

Does this world exist? Well, I think it does all over the world in pockets and the attempt of this blog is to get people from across countries, languages, ages to comment and share their anecdotes. Maybe one day in the not too distant future we can all meet under one roof to celebrate this brotherhood. Maybe the Bernebaeu or Old Trafford or Eden Gardens Kolkata or wherever we can find space to accommodate all of us brothers and sisters.

Before I leave let me give you a sneak peek into my life. I will wake up at any time of night, anyplace to watch a live ManU game. I have brought a hotel down in Singapore at 2 a.m because they did not show a champions league game live and the TVs broke down.  I have knocked on friends doors at 2.30 a.m. to ask if I could watch a live game with them.  I mean come on.

But guess what, I am happily married to the same woman and credit more to her than to me and have  a 10 year old daughter who is also training to be a Man U fan !! I have left the choice of being a sports addict or not to her, that is the least I can do. I am a new age parent you see who wants to give his daughter the freedom to do what she wants as long as it is around sport !! I wish.