This SHUTTLE is set for take off .....

When one reads many of the popular cricket autobiographies a striking feature among them is the description about growth of the game and the popularity among the masses. Reams have been written  about the nurseries of cricket like the ones in Mumbai - the gardens in Dadar have been witness to countless precocious talents taking their first steps and creating lasting impressions among the passionate eyes that spend evenings aplenty poring through the numerous matches on in the maidans. The goal for those eyes being, catching  a glimpse of the latest whiz kid who's been creating a buzz among the folks who track the game at the grassroot levels ever so closely and to back with stories to be quoted in the future on how - 'I was there when ......... ' 

In many respects this is the core strength of the sport of cricket in India. Whether you have a talent with respect to playing the game or not, there most certainly exists the eye as well as the want to soak in the sport, to identify and judge young talents who'd be tomorrow's big names. When one goes to a 'maidan' on a lazy Sunday morning, there is always an unmistakable buzz in the air when that kid, who's been the subject of many chai time conversations, starts to show off his wares.  It's that want of people, young and old, to spend their leisure time with the game and their keenness to witness the baby steps at the grassroots that sets this sport apart and defines its 'religious' identity in the country.

When it comes to non cricket sports, we may be miles away from reaching that superhighway of sporting devotion. However, slowly but surely there are tiny foundations being laid down with respect to the same in today's times. Badminton today in India is at the cusp of breaking through and achieving universal acceptance across the length and breadth of the country not just as a recreational activity but also one of life's passion and goal in the minds of many a young and old. As is popularly said - there's perhaps nothing that breeds success better than success itself. For the young kid growing up in the country today with a keen eye on the game, to start with, there is of course the legendary status of a Prakash Padukone or a Pullela Gopichand to look up to. Besides these overarching gurus of Indian badminton, there are many heroes who can be seen in action on a very frequent basis either on telly or up close at the nearest tournament happening in the city. The success stories across the various disciplines within badminton today transcends social, economic and ethnic backgrounds, thereby increasing its universal appeal.

Given the traditional sports psyche in India , think it's safe to declare that never before have we witnessed such emphasis being laid on building the foundation for a sport and creating an army of talent. Indian sporting success has largely been defined by those outlier geniuses who took it upon themselves to strive and succeed despite the systemic challenges. In case of Badminton though, it is the focus being laid on building the system and a mass culture within the sport that is defining the unique character that the sport is achieving in India. The number of young kids taking up the sport and achieving successes at a national / global level is an easy barometer to define this stature.

It is a bit difficult to do justice to the young names creating buzz in the badminton scene in the country, given the sheer quantity of talents swarming the sport. There is also the caveat, and a critical one at that, of junior talent not converting at the world stage for a whole host of reasons, as witnessed countless times in the past. However a name that come to mind upfront when talking about the badminton scene in the country deserves a mention here, though this may betray a bias I have for the belief that this kid is one heck of a talent. The boy in question here is the lanky live wire from Andhra - Satwiksairaj Rankireddy. A kid with surely a long winding name, but someone who forces you to etch the same in minds once his talent is witnessed. A little under 2 years still to go for the kid to be eligible to obtain a driving licence, however that has not stopped him from driving his career ahead in the fast track. He powers his game with some hard hitting smashes, probably among the hardest smashers in the country, an uncluttered raw pace and some delightful jaw dropping defence executed through a distinct self defined style. After hitting national stage in the past couple of years by sweeping junior level titles, the kid has started the transition towards International senior level events and the results have been encouraging to say the least so far. His 1st season at the senior level which has yielded 2 International Series titles each in mixed doubles as well as men's doubles and 1 International championship level title each in Mixed n Men's doubles proves that the kid is on the right path with many more to come. A recognition of his talent is demonstrated by the fact that this 16 year old was also catapulted into the senior team for the prestigious Thomas Cup earlier in the year, thereby bypassing many senior contenders in the pecking order. A change of partners has brought about no blips in his galloping moves up the ranking charts and in practically no time the young kid is knocking on the doors  of Top 100 in the world - arguably among the youngest of all time to make the cut. The striking feature of meeting and interacting with him is the honesty that shines through. His off court demeanour which makes him come across as a shy and reserved kid proves to be just the apt veil to hide the on-court aggression and exuberance of youth that's a marked feature of his game. 

Having said this, as with any career, more so infact with sports, every incremental jump at the top level is a disproportionate quantum leap. This is a challenge that many a talent have failed miserably in, despite all efforts, in surpassing. Variety of factors namely coaching methods, physical ability, superior competition levels, own drive to succeed and a liberal dose of luck amongst others would play a critical role in making 'tomorrow's champions' become 'today's legends' one day. This is in no way a simple task else we'd never have had that exclusivity associated with the true legends of sports. Talents like Satwik and the scores of others who are breaking through in Indian badminton will do well to constantly remind themselves that the ride's just beginning to warm up and there's many a twist and turn in the path ahead. They may have the basic tools to steer through the course for now but every turn will demand something new of them and they'd need to stay ahead of the road to ensure success justifies their abilities. What works in their favour probably is the timing of their forward strides. This sport in India today has all the heroes that any young budding talent needs to look up to, the basic infrastructure to hone the talents, the ever increasing interest level of the masses and reasonable if not sufficient monetary support to egg on the players. It's time that these talents buckle up for the ride of their lives as this shuttle takes to orbit. There are and will be plenty of eager eyes watching and cheering on at every step.

A new and exciting entrant into a crowded mindspace

One of the few things that can never really run out of being in vogue is the joy and excitement associated with learning and living the intricacies of a new sport. Not quite a surprise then that a sports mad person like yours truly gets to experience this high during an Olympic year! In a daily calendar that mandatorily begins and ends with checking out the latest scores of events happening across the world and dissecting the same with plenty of armchair expert comments through the day, it was inevitable that a new sport would join in the tracking list. The surprise though was the fact that a non-olympic sport actually crept up the mind share charts for me during the year and got me to experience the unparalleled thrill of learning to appreciate a sport. This is a short expression of my thoughts on the beauty of the sport of squash.

My earliest memory of squash as a sport has to do with the childhood days sitting at home alone after school and during vacations with a rubber ball in hand and the wall in front. Most simplistic way to stay occupied playing a sport with self to compete against! No racquests needed, no courts and no nets - Just a deaf ear required to ignore parent's reprimand for spoiling the wall. Obviously rules were self defined and executed, sole objective being to have fun making use of the permanent childhood companion - a ball! As years passed the wall squash ended up as a passing fad and got upstaged in my  sports pecking list by table tennis, volleyball, badminton and the rest. 2016 has resulted in a fair bit of change in that though. Following the ElShorbagys, Gawad, Mathew and Gaultiers of the world on telly has brought the sport quite close to me. Ofcourse nothing beats the experience of watching a sport live right amongst connoisseurs of the game, breathing the same air as the players and feeling the pulse of the moments and this has been the real change in this year. 

Indian Squash Circuit has taken off brilliantly and to have two events close to each other in Mumbai, where honestly for all that we boast of, high quality sports live action is a rarity, has been a revelation. The Otters international couple of months back in Bandra gave an opportunity to witness Joshna Chinnappa's game and the masterclass from the veteran Annie Au. The tenacity of Tesni Evans in her fight given to Joshna as well as the lazy elegance of Abdullah Al-Mezayan who delighted the small gathering with some magical wristy shots remain etched in the minds. Ofcourse Otters was a curtain raiser for the real deal in November at the CCI. A glass court put up at the club with a sizeable capacity crowd witnessing some high quality squash was just what the doctor ordered for the sport to be driven up the popularity expressway in the country. 

Talented people from squash capital of the world - Egypt along with gritty challengers have resulted in some fabulous action lapped up by an excited crowd spanning across age groups 2 years to 75+. Watching the class of Mohammad Abouelghar and Fares Desouky and the never say die determination shown by the Swiss Nicolas Mueller surely ranks among the best squash action that Indian audiences have witnessed live. Personally, given that watching such top class squash action courtside was a first, the nuances and efforts put in the sport are an eye opener! 

A word to appreciate the efforts of the organisers. Ritwik Bhattcharya has been brilliant, constantly on the run through the matches meeting players, officials and working with the technical guys to address issues with the streaming coverage. Despite all the running around, the minute a familiar face is met or even a stranger approaches him for a word, the man is all smiles and courteousness personified! The passion and love for the game that brought him to the top in the country is evident in his efforts to popularise the sport and take the game to the masses further. Ditto for Raj Arora as well. Infectiously passionate about the game and willing to talk about it at lengths. A particularly heartening sight through the course of the tournament at CCI has been the number of young kids present and their unbridled excitement in watching the match and rushing over to meet the players and get an autograph / selfie. The players ofcourse have been more than willing to shrug off the game fatigue and give the kids a moment to cherish. 

Wishing the best to the group in the efforts to build the sport in the country and with myself getting bitten by the bug, can't wait to hit the courts to experience the thrill of this magic ball sport far more regularly.