I always like to write about my past experiences some good some bad long gone I always wanted to write about one of my most memorable badminton tournaments I have ever played. For the most of you who don’t know I use to play professional badminton until a few years ago when I had an injury and I quit. Not that I could not play anymore but I was contented with whatever I had achieved so it was the right time I took academics seriously after all we stay in a country where whatever you do at the end of the day people ask you how well are you educated. I have inherited the sport from my father it’s the greatest gift I have ever got from him.
I remember during my graduation days we had been to Gwalior for a west zone tournament. Since we were previous year’s winners we were to play from the quarter finals as a result of which we reached late we were the last team to arrive at the tournament. We were around 11 players 7 boys 4 girls 2 managers and 1 coach this was my first year at a university tournament. We arrived in Gwalior at 3 AM early morning after an 18 hours journey which was as it is frustrating because as usual the tickets were not booked on time and we had to travel in the general compartment. Pune University was a team which has never received a warm welcome at any tournament and Gwalior was no different. Once we arrived in the early hours there was no one to give us directions or take us to the venue which was mandatory for the organizers to make travel arrangements. Never the less we hired a few rikshaws and reached the venue on our own and made a friend too our first friend in the city of Gwalior his name was Ashok the rikshaw driver. He even gave us a telephone booth no which was closest to the rikshaw stand and assure us even in the weirdest of hours he would be available and was just a phone call away. Well after his kind words what was about to come was way to worse then what we expected we were given a small bungalow to stay which had no beds no mattresses no blankets nothing at all and the lame excuse the people in charge came up with was that the other teams had occupied all the beddings and there no more beddings available. To add to all this chaos the temperature was close to 2 degrees we gathered whatever we had somehow covered the floor and us and tried to nap a few hours of sleep. Those few hours seemed like days and even months every min that was passing by we had sigh of relief that soon it would be morning. As I was trying to sleep just to give my num fingers some relief I put them in my pant pockets and I came across this small chit of paper that my father had handed over to me when I was leaving. It had a number of my cousin sister her husband was in the army and were posted in Gwalior a few months back.
I decided to call them first thing in the morning just to let them know I was in town a courtesy call and it is very true that help arrives when you least expect it. It turns out that my Brother in law was a Commandant in the army and controlled the entire army supply in the whole of Gwalior. As soon I spoke to him on the phone within a few mins there was an army jeep at the bungalow to pick me up I went to his residence and narrated him the entire incident. Before I could finish my breakfast which I took at least an hour to finish as I was dead hungry for almost a day my teammates at the venue were given a new accommodation with new beds nice clean bed sheets and unimaginable pillow covers. When I reached the venue I was shocked to see things change so fast all I could see all my teammates on top of the world and everyone was thanking me it turned out that while I was having my breakfast my brother in law came to the venue fired a few people and things swung into actions the organizers after that gave us the best treatment. Gwalior was a small city and a very big army base most of the government office were controlled by the army the army officers had an upper voice everywhere.
After everything was settled down we played well all our matches were going good and amongst all this there was a small space for a love story too my team captain was hitting on a girl from the Mumbai university team and since we were all from the same circuit their love story was in full swing. Finally there were four teams Pune University, Mumbai University, Nanded University and the strongest team that season Indore University and we had to play a league match in order to decide the top position team. We were strong enough to beat the rest of the teams besides Indore as this time they had come with their MP state team but unfortunately we lost to Mumbai too and there were allegations made by one of our team managers that the Mumbai girls team asked us to throw a match and so the Pune team lost. After such speculations we were in no mood to play our last match against Indore which we were bound to loose and the previous day Indore had thrashed Mumbai so we didn’t even stand a chance against them. All the team members we were upset about the allegations made against us and all of us actually decided to throw the match. Our tail ender’s who all this while were just sitting and warming the benches we decided to make them play the first two singles and the doubles too so that once we loose 3- 0 we wont even have to play the rest. So at the end of the day we would stand in the third position and we were very much contended with it. Just then there was a chaos amongst the coaches our team coach was fighting with the Indore team coach, it started with the badminton court first and then came down to personal reasons the indore coach passed a comment that the Pune players as it stand no chance and the guys had already thrown away the match so they should just pack their bags and head home that way they would not be humiliated. And we didn’t even bother we too were convinced that it would be a good option and we would save time to go around Gwalior. But out coach Mr. BaBa Meher had different plans a small description about baba as we always use to call him he was in his late 50s although he was appointed as our coach he never played professional badminton in his entire career. He was a professional volleyball player and he use to use those terms in badminton too. A total gentleman as he was always use to lead from the front I remember we all use to hate to go for jog in the morning and once to convince us he ran an entire tar ground bare feet which was very motivating. Funny part was he had a remedy for every pain and that was a Banana be it headache, stomach ache loose motions all he use to suggest was banana. Although we all had given up and everyone was least interested as most of us were lying around and not bothered about what was happening he was the only one who didn’t want to return without a fight.
After that what happened I have never seen in my entire badminton career he went to the Indore team coach and challenged him right in front of everyone. And that was not it he put an open challenge he wrote the entire draw the name of the players even the sequence (order) we were gong to play against indore right in front of everyone. Then he challenged the Indore coach that Pune University will defeat them no matter what even if no one trust them he does. A lot of other coaches called him a fool some thought he was stupid and had lost it but there was broad smile on his face and he just went and sat on a chair to watch us play. Everything happened right in front of our eyes we were too shocked as everyone else on the court each player was looking at the each other. For the next ten mins no one spoke to each other but there was just one thought running through every ones mind that when the coach has so much trust on us why we can’t believe in ourselves. Then the captain got up and said lets do it once and for all within a few mins the entire team was ready for a fight. This tie was going to be best of 5 single singles then a doubles again a singles and the last doubles again. I played the first singles although it was no match cause the player I was playing against was 6 years elder to me he was a more seasoned player then I was and the names were also inter changed before the match once the indore coach had seen our draw he defeated me in straight games but the entire match lasted 1 hr and 45 mins. The next singles was more entertaining our player lost the first game 15 – 3 but in the second game while playing the Indore player pulled a ham string and our player beat him the second game and even won the deciding game. So now we were leveled with Indore in terms of match points it was again my turn to play doubles we were playing against Indore best doubles pair but right from the start me and my partner never gave them a chance to think and before they could get their thoughts together the match was over. We beat them in an unbelievable 12 and half mins which is the shortest time for any match. Now we were leading 2 -1 the next singles was played by my captain he put hi heart and soul in the game there were at times when we thought he won’t last anymore and we had lost his singles but he proved us wrong and we won that singles too. As soon as we won that singles all of us ran to the court and were jumping with joy cause we had won the match we beat Indore 3 -1 just then baba walked on the court and said I dint make a fool out of myself for this there is one more match left we have to win that too. The last doubles was again played by our captain all exhausted and tired he managed to pull that doubles too. The entire Indore just sunk in silence they didn’t know what had struck them our joys knew no bounds we were on top of the world and had created the major upset of the day.
Now there was a tie between Pune Indore and Mumbai as each had lost one match and it came down to match points where we had out done everyone else and from no where Pune University won the gold medal. After the match the Indore team coach came to our coach and gifted him a pen and said you are the only one who knows how to use this well. That day I understood the real importance of a team and even saw a team standing up for one cause. I will never forget that night nor the people that witnessed that match that day.
In the midst there was one more incident that happened which I cannot miss on one night prior to this match I wanted to go to my sisters place to stay and the coach won’t allow me and he even warned me that if I was not with the team in the morning he won’t let me play and that all of us had to get up early at 6 for a training session. I went to my captain for advice he asked me not to worry and that I should go to my sister’s place he even assured me that the coach won’t come to know about my absence and the training won’t start without me. I had the least idea what he was up to after my night stay at my sister’s place when I reached the venue everyone was fast asleep and the even the coach was not to be seen around. The reason was that my captain had had locked the coaches room from outside at night and it was opened only once I came back and the coach didn’t even notice I was out all night.
Well I will carry all these memories the rest of my life. Now that I have stopped playing professional badminton memories still remain and badminton still runs through my blood.
