I Am An Addict

I laughed when I thought about how it all began. It has been a long and bizarre journey for a thin 12 year old girl who hated all activities surrounding sports! The running, kicking and chasing in football and tennis left me breathless, bugged and even more hungry! (I tried playing both football and tennis but I didn't fare well).

My parents were worried about my lack of interest in anything that required laws of motion and after much deliberation, brought in a sporty uncle to share his troubled thoughts! He was entrusted with the monumental task of introducing me to the joys of sports and badminton became my preferred option! I was introduced to my first coach Mrs. Sonali Sehgal, of whom I have very fond memories.

Bingo!! Badminton had caught my fancy instantly, mainly because I had to stand in a place and run around. Could it get any better? I don't think so. For all my laziness, the desire to make a name like the next Saina Nehwal stayed with me. At the young age of 14, I absolutely loved being known! I was here, daydreaming day and night of signing autographs, cutting red ribbons at departmental stores etc. Then, there was this newspaper clipping I had when I was in the tenth grade and I was so excited that, for months, I carried that little clipping everywhere I went!!

My wildest dreams did not take me to how it did all eventually unfold... Me? A state level badminton player? A tall, thin girl whose sporting ambitions are motivated by just running around don't think about winning medals or becoming state level champions. At 13, my ambition was to become a district level and even this was mostly motivated by having found a legitimate reason to skip schools and tuitions! Of course the downside was training through a blistering 45 degrees summer, my only cover being the tent at the local gymkhana. In retrospect, I'm happy that I learnt to brave the harsh summer.

After spending six months playing badminton I had a situation--one which has not diminished even 15 years later that I had fallen irrevocably in love! I know now that I will have to get admitted in a rehabilitation centre if I leave playing badminton but this addiction to juggle with the shuttle cock is a peculiar but compelling one! Ironically, I have spent these 15 years running 10 km five times a week only to juggle around with the shuttle cock.

I have to thank my parents for finding the perfect sport for me and pushing me into it. Their support in victory and more than ever, in loss has been invaluable. They have provided with a very positive environment which has been crucial for me, the realist who sees things with all the rosiness removed! In sport, this can be dangerous as, when competing at the highest levels, truckloads of insecurities set in and support is vital. Their belief in me was the key to my achievements as a badminton player.