@!ex$$w0r!d™ ©

Sport has been a major part of my life right from my childhood days.Though i was not necessarily a good sports person then , it made me strive harder to become one if at all it had any influence on me.Circumstances when combined with opportunities and luck moulded me into someone who is not all that bad on the field.It is football that associated me with sport.More importantly it has taught me values in life,little more than what my parents,teachers,friends & religion had to offer.

I was never someone whom you could associate with football.I had poor stamina(took 20 minutes to complete 3 kms a few years back),a body which was hardly flexible,i hate working out and i could add on.Moreover i am still a poor dribbler with a hopeless first touch & a left foot which seldom makes sense.But what helped me was a strong right foot which caught the all important eyes of my coaches.I was lucky enough to create a good first impression with my limited skills which opened doors for me.Anyone who follows football would know if at all i could fit into a team it was only as a defender and a defender i am(though i prefer scoring goals which was not to be).Having played as a mid fielder for my school being a defender in the college was a kind of demotion for me,though forced to be one i know it's a better choice since it suits me the most.Now i know that "force which controls the universe will give each of his creations the right place under the sun".

Going back to my school days i still remember each moment of winning our first trophy,but strangely thats one day which i don't really cherish.Though it sounds strange that indeed was a nightmare.During the final we were leading 2-0 in the second half & we made it 3-0 with a contiguous penalty.Moments later the score board read 3-2 and a clear foul of yours truly inside the box was not given.We went on to win the match but yeah it should have been 2-3 if there was justice in sport.My opponents rightly protested after the match which marred our celebrations.Their faces instilled in me-"Don't accept something which you do not deserve" though me and my team were helpless in the said case.But sportsman spirit is a virtue as well & my opponents would do well to remember that , ie to show "dignity in defeat".

My college debut would make for a different post altogether but i would briefly explain it here.As i mentioned earlier my uncanny knack of making that first impression which counts covered up for the poor football i followed up with.Also being a 1st year student at that time made me even more unpopular among my team mates.Yeah i admit i stood in the way of my more talented seniors but that's something which i couldn't control.So finally when the team had to be selected there was a hot debate on my selection.The coach preferred me but the captain voted for my 2 years senior Surya(we are very good friends now).In the end i got the nod.When the jersey's arrived it was one short and no prizes for guessing who the sufferer was.That was insulting to be honest because when i eagerly went to receive my jersey i had to return empty handed.Therefore i had no hope of sitting in the bench,let alone playing.Fortunately or unfortunately(i am not sure)our team played bad and in an inconsequential match when i was actually one among the spectators i was forced to make my debut(borrowing a jersey).Thing's are rosy now though, for i never had to miss a match since.I could have easily been convinced to stop playing then,but i am happy i chose to fight adversity.

Being a committed cricket fan & someone who loved challenges i was always attracted to the art of sledging(Though i love Sreesanth for he is a mallu).Last February during another tournament we had to meet the tournament favorites in the semis.I was all charged up for the match & ironically i had to mark their star striker.We had struggled to reach the semis depending on other teams to pave our way.Moments into the match the star striker(i ll call him DP)asked me-"Which team did you lose to?".I innocently gave the answer but little did i realize the psychological impact that it had on me.His cute little tricks followed when he proved i was a cheater,useless good for nothing soul ,what more even a dyslexic.I retorted with BC,MC,BKL,BK the ever so reliable 4 letter word and a little bit of Harbhajinism.DP scored a goal though he ended up in the losing side after a shoot out.We were first to embrace each other after the match taking this incident in our stride.But my character left a lot to be desired.DP didn't resort to a single unparliamentary word.It made me think and hopefully will change for the better.

Though i am not that eye catching player there were a couple of instances when i really caught some eyes(Yes just a couple).I made 2 top class saves as a defender.I call it top class because nobody would have complained if it had gone in.Many people came and congratulated me and obviously i felt much more than just good.Though didn't show it out since i am not that expressive the thought that i did something spectacular was lingering around in my mind.When i was browsing the net afterwards i happened to read a quote from my favorite footballer and one of the world's best FABIO CANNAVARO,he said-"spectacular saves are made by ordinary defenders,good defenders foresee the challenge and makes an easy save".

Well i was not heartbroken but believe me "sport is a great leveler and more so a great teacher".