Long long ago, yet not so long ago a piece of history was written. Well, not so much a legend that lives on in the hearts of people for generations to come, but nevertheless a story worth telling on my blog. It was the winter of 1999. It was a big day. For all the sports lovers out there, indeed, it was a culmination of all the sweating out and competing of the last month. All the team games had completed and all the shields won. They were yet to be handed over to the winning teams of course. That was part of the valedictory function.
The three day athletic meet was coming to an end. Now S. K. C. H. (Sri Kumaran Childrens' Home) had three different streams, State board, I. C. S. E. and C. B. S. E. streams. So as you might expect, there was a healthy rivalry between the three streams. Although academically, ICSE was the clear winner, when it came to sports, it was another story altogether. The ultimate test of superiority was the 4x100m relay race that took place between the three streams just before the valedictory with the chief guest looking on. The entire school was watching.
Junaid Khan was soaking in the electric atmosphere. This was his final year in school. This was his day of glory. He was quite attractive; sharp nose and jaw, centre-parted slick hair, athletic build; all the girls were already swooning over him. Not that he was complaining at all. After all, he was a gifted athlete. He was part of the his house team in the team events which they had mostly won. And he had struck gold in all the sprint and field events. It was not too much to say that he was the star of the event. Later on, he would be receiving a sportsman of the year award from his stream from the chief guest too. He was flexing his biceps now and then just for effect. State board had retained the relay gold for the last three years and so it would be this year too. Could it be otherwise, when he was the anchor of the team.
The girls' relay was first. Of course, state board won that. He walked upto the girl's team and congratulated them nonchalantly.
"Junaid! Thanks so much! All the best to you", crooned the girls team.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. He didn't need it anyways. But he went there just so he could hear the words coming out of the cute anchor of the girls team. He would flirt with her later.
"Boys teams! Get ready for the relay!", screamed the physical instructor.
Nobody fooled around with the instuctor. He was one with a foul mood most of the time. Junaid got into position at the final leg after a small ritual of shaking his team's hands and a round of masculine back patting going all around. All the drama was actually for the benefit of the audience gathered around the track. Primary, middle, secondary school kids, his friends, parents, dignitaries- they were all eagerly watching.
He started checking out the other two teams. He was upbeat about the whole thing. Taking it pretty casually. The CBSE chap had taken his position and was looking ahead nervously. No sweat, he was no problem. Then the ICSE anchor walked in. A thin wiry bespectacled youth. He didn't even look like a tenth grade guy. Eight grade looked about right for him.
'Huh? This was their best runner, common don't insult me.' he thought to himself. Then the lad removed his track pants and tees. The lad was now dressed in sky blue sports sleeveless and matching shorts. Printed in Bold white capitals across the chest was the word 'YUVA'. A roar went down the crowd. Just in time, Junaid noticed the spikes on the lad's feet. Something wasn't right. Why was this chap dressed so meticulously when he himself was only in casual shorts and tees?
And then something dawned upon him. But he had no time to react. The whistle was blown and the first leg athletes were off the starter blocks so to say although there were no blocks here. Now the crowd was going berserk. Some of the guys were even running along the track inside the field and following the race along with the runners. Baton to second leg. CBSE was slightly ahead. Second straight was tight, but the state board lad did a good run and equalled the CBSE chap by the beginning of the third leg. ICSE was lagging behind badly what with a very poor first leg. Second leg could just about maintain the gap without lagging behind further.
Third leg was on now. His third sprinter was sprinting along nicely. CBSE was close behind. The ICSE third leg was a chap named Balajee, running quite hard and covered up some gap. Come to think of it, Balajee was ICSE's best. Now, why was he in third leg? No time to think now. Junaid started off on a jog in the relay zone and took the baton at 35% full speed. He looked back to see the CBSE guy just starting off. The ICSE dude was still 15 metres behind at least and yet to start.
Junaid turned ahead and concentrated on finishing the race. He would put atleast twenty metres ahead of the second team. It would be a deserving victory. Behind him, the ICSE lad started off on a slow sprint and picked up the baton in his right hand. Then the lad started accelerating at a shocking speed. Within twenty metres past, he was at full speed and approaching him at an alraming raet. By seventy metres, a blue streak just whooshed past Junaid. And Junaid could only sprint on and look ahead in despair as the blue streak crossed the finish line almost a full ten metres ahead of him! The ICSE lad had a tough time hitting the breaks and almost collided with a kid standing a few metres from the finish line. The crowd was pouring into the tracks now. It had gone wild. But not the state board crowd that he had expected. It was the ICSE crowd mobbing the ICSE anchor. Even the physical instructor had a smile on his face. The ICSE teachers were also walking up to congratulate him too. Junaid was embarrassed.
Oh hell, what the heck, it was not so bad. He had just been beat by one *****, the new legend of SKCH. He was a budding junior state level athlete in the making and had trained in 100 metres sprint for almost two years. Junaid walked up to the lad and shook his hand meekly. He got a shy smile back in return.
The lad went to on win the silver in the relay of The Junior National Championships two years later as well as breaking the 100 metres national record at the All India ICSE Sports meet. But no victory was sweeter than the one in 1999 at school with the entire school watching on!
The three day athletic meet was coming to an end. Now S. K. C. H. (Sri Kumaran Childrens' Home) had three different streams, State board, I. C. S. E. and C. B. S. E. streams. So as you might expect, there was a healthy rivalry between the three streams. Although academically, ICSE was the clear winner, when it came to sports, it was another story altogether. The ultimate test of superiority was the 4x100m relay race that took place between the three streams just before the valedictory with the chief guest looking on. The entire school was watching.
Junaid Khan was soaking in the electric atmosphere. This was his final year in school. This was his day of glory. He was quite attractive; sharp nose and jaw, centre-parted slick hair, athletic build; all the girls were already swooning over him. Not that he was complaining at all. After all, he was a gifted athlete. He was part of the his house team in the team events which they had mostly won. And he had struck gold in all the sprint and field events. It was not too much to say that he was the star of the event. Later on, he would be receiving a sportsman of the year award from his stream from the chief guest too. He was flexing his biceps now and then just for effect. State board had retained the relay gold for the last three years and so it would be this year too. Could it be otherwise, when he was the anchor of the team.
The girls' relay was first. Of course, state board won that. He walked upto the girl's team and congratulated them nonchalantly.
"Junaid! Thanks so much! All the best to you", crooned the girls team.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. He didn't need it anyways. But he went there just so he could hear the words coming out of the cute anchor of the girls team. He would flirt with her later.
"Boys teams! Get ready for the relay!", screamed the physical instructor.
Nobody fooled around with the instuctor. He was one with a foul mood most of the time. Junaid got into position at the final leg after a small ritual of shaking his team's hands and a round of masculine back patting going all around. All the drama was actually for the benefit of the audience gathered around the track. Primary, middle, secondary school kids, his friends, parents, dignitaries- they were all eagerly watching.
He started checking out the other two teams. He was upbeat about the whole thing. Taking it pretty casually. The CBSE chap had taken his position and was looking ahead nervously. No sweat, he was no problem. Then the ICSE anchor walked in. A thin wiry bespectacled youth. He didn't even look like a tenth grade guy. Eight grade looked about right for him.
'Huh? This was their best runner, common don't insult me.' he thought to himself. Then the lad removed his track pants and tees. The lad was now dressed in sky blue sports sleeveless and matching shorts. Printed in Bold white capitals across the chest was the word 'YUVA'. A roar went down the crowd. Just in time, Junaid noticed the spikes on the lad's feet. Something wasn't right. Why was this chap dressed so meticulously when he himself was only in casual shorts and tees?
And then something dawned upon him. But he had no time to react. The whistle was blown and the first leg athletes were off the starter blocks so to say although there were no blocks here. Now the crowd was going berserk. Some of the guys were even running along the track inside the field and following the race along with the runners. Baton to second leg. CBSE was slightly ahead. Second straight was tight, but the state board lad did a good run and equalled the CBSE chap by the beginning of the third leg. ICSE was lagging behind badly what with a very poor first leg. Second leg could just about maintain the gap without lagging behind further.
Third leg was on now. His third sprinter was sprinting along nicely. CBSE was close behind. The ICSE third leg was a chap named Balajee, running quite hard and covered up some gap. Come to think of it, Balajee was ICSE's best. Now, why was he in third leg? No time to think now. Junaid started off on a jog in the relay zone and took the baton at 35% full speed. He looked back to see the CBSE guy just starting off. The ICSE dude was still 15 metres behind at least and yet to start.
Junaid turned ahead and concentrated on finishing the race. He would put atleast twenty metres ahead of the second team. It would be a deserving victory. Behind him, the ICSE lad started off on a slow sprint and picked up the baton in his right hand. Then the lad started accelerating at a shocking speed. Within twenty metres past, he was at full speed and approaching him at an alraming raet. By seventy metres, a blue streak just whooshed past Junaid. And Junaid could only sprint on and look ahead in despair as the blue streak crossed the finish line almost a full ten metres ahead of him! The ICSE lad had a tough time hitting the breaks and almost collided with a kid standing a few metres from the finish line. The crowd was pouring into the tracks now. It had gone wild. But not the state board crowd that he had expected. It was the ICSE crowd mobbing the ICSE anchor. Even the physical instructor had a smile on his face. The ICSE teachers were also walking up to congratulate him too. Junaid was embarrassed.
Oh hell, what the heck, it was not so bad. He had just been beat by one *****, the new legend of SKCH. He was a budding junior state level athlete in the making and had trained in 100 metres sprint for almost two years. Junaid walked up to the lad and shook his hand meekly. He got a shy smile back in return.
The lad went to on win the silver in the relay of The Junior National Championships two years later as well as breaking the 100 metres national record at the All India ICSE Sports meet. But no victory was sweeter than the one in 1999 at school with the entire school watching on!
7 comments:
put ur fu$^ng name on it man..
there's no need to be this humble..
@ loocious
Well people who know the story will know who it is anyway.
good man....
When you remember things you did well... you feel good. BTW can i continue.......?
That humble bespectacled fellow went to a prestigious university and met some assholes and finally became a asshole himself.... [:)]
@mojo rising
Well I'm not repenting that I became one. Thanks man, for your help!
"The lad was now dressed in sky blue sports sleeveless and matching shorts."
did you use one pair for the last 6 years??
I was there and witnessed history taking shape.
@anand
Lol man... I wouldn't call that history taking shape. But thanks for the compliment :)
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