Football Memories

 These days, Messi, Kaka, Ronaldo and others seems to have taken the place of Dhoni, Sehwag and Yuvaraj in Indian brains. But it can very easily be guessed that it is all momentary and once the Waka Waka dies down the football greats also go along with it for the majority of Indians. After all we are a country where we idolise our cricket players. One reason why football has not gained popularity throughout India might be because the cable operators stop airing football once the World Cup is over.

I was not a cricket fan anytime. I think the first time I watched a cricket match was in 1996 when Sanath Jayasuriya was sending all the bowlers in the world on a leather hunt. I kept watching then on but never like a crazy bull. I wanted to be a spinner, particularly a leg spinner like Kumble. But I was a complete disaster in the field. I held the record of bowling most number of wides in an over during schooldays. I was neither a good fielder nor a good batsman. I was famous for dropping catches like the dumb in Lagaan, and would get out very easily much to the delight of the bowler. In fact, the best designation I held when I played was that of a joker, one who can bat and field for both the sides, so that I can harm both the sides without partiality.

Indulging in sports has been one of the actions I have done least in life. My only source for the same used to be the physical training hours in schools. Because in my school we were not allowed to play cricket during the physical training (PT) hour, the choice was always football. Now, after saying so much about cricket you must be thinking that I would be a great football player. Na……I was a disaster there too, though not as much as I was in the cricket field. I was never a good dribbler. There were no particular positions, but I usually positioned myself in the midfield or in the backward, trying to snatch the ball from the opponent and pass it on to the forward. I would stand bravely to the take the ball from the goalie’s mighty shot, which used to be my friend Manuel’s. I usually took it with my head on and passed it. We never knew how to play by rules and many a time we would lock our horns, the opponent and one of us, allowing nobody to have the ball. We played without referees, yellow cards and red cards. Fouls were decided among ourselves, so were penalties.

My parents were the sufferers. I never showed any hesitation to face the players head on and many a time I ended up bruising my knees. Bruising apart, I would tear my pants in the course of falling. What, pants…! Yes, we used to play with pants, not in shorts and if we were playing in a free hour we would be playing with leather shoes on.

But then they were good. We used to play them with the spirit, running back and forth across the field. I should specially mention of Anuj and Prateek here, who were great dribblers of the ball those days and Manuel who used to be a great goal keeper.

After the match, which would end with the whistle of the PT teacher, we would be breathing heavily and sweating profusely. We would go, five to ten minutes late, panting to the class, where the next hour’s teacher would be cursing whoever made the timetable. We would hardly listen to the classes thereafter as we would be discussing about the match or nursing our bruises. Today as I watch a football match I reminiscence those days.

So that is it. I will stop this nonsense here. Till next time, bye.