6 Stages of My Relationship with Sports

My relationship status with sports is complicated. While it has been prolonged, it has never felt profound. I've always been surrounded by sports in some way, but I've never truly been invested in them. To illustrate the varying degrees of my connection with sports, I've decided to outline different phases of my life, each revolving around my experiences with sports.

1. As a Toddler: Like any average toddler, my early years included occasional visits to parks, where I played with other kids and enjoyed the rides. This fun era ended with a disastrous fall from a cane stool, as I was perhaps testing my skills as a budding gymnast. The result? A blood-soaked chin that required seven stitches. That was the end of my dreams of becoming a gymnast.

2. Early Childhood: If cycling can be considered a sport, I certainly have a history with it, too. On the very first day of my training, my foot got trapped in the spokes of the wheel for some inexplicable reason, resulting in another bloody episode and leaving me with a wounded left foot. This foot still bears the mark of that tragic incident.

3. Late Childhood: At around the age of eight, I enrolled in a table tennis camp—not with dreams of reaching the Asian Games, but for general fitness. I completed a year of training, and just as my coach began to consider me for a state-level tournament, tragedy struck once more. This time, it involved my nose. Suddenly, the cartilage in my nose twisted into a position that made normal breathing almost impossible, leading to breathlessness. I had to say goodbye to my table tennis practice and underwent prolonged treatment for that stubborn cartilage.

4. Teenage Years: This was the most active phase of my life regarding sports. I began playing basketball at school, and to my surprise, I managed to perform decently. However, my efforts weren't enough to secure a spot on the school basketball team. Was I devastated? Not at all! I was quite happy to become an integral part of the March-Past Team instead, often proudly carrying the school flag at inter-school events. My brief encounter with swimming was also uneventful. I enrolled with my cousins, who later became graceful swimmers, while I could only manage to float, thanks to a critical ovarian cystectomy.

5. College Days: During college, I developed a passive love affair with sports. After several unsuccessful attempts at it, I found solace in tuning in to various sports through live broadcasts. Whether it was cricket, tennis, or athletics, I didn't miss anything and actively debated with my friends over cricketers. The hottest topic was often the rivalry between Dravid and Ganguly or Agassi and Sampras.

6. Later Phase: After college, during my work life, my engagement with sports shifted to watching sports-based films. I devoured classics like Lagaan, Chak De! India, and Bend It Like Beckham. However, this interest waned until recently, when I watched films like Dangal, M.S. Dhoni, and Mary Kom. Last year, I managed to catch two more sports-based films: Maidan and Chandu Champion. 

This is how my relationship with sports has unfolded over the years, where I’ve remained quite the sport without actually participating in any.

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