School, Youth & Para Sport

They've asked me to coach the students for the inter-school band competition. I said my old amplifier is fixed, but can it handle this young crowd's version of "Bhoomi"? Only one way to find out, bas dua karo the speaker dust na ban jaye.

last night after helping baba in the field, I was revising history with the kerosene lamp. my fingers, used to measuring cloth, kept tracing the map of kalinga in the textbook. this morning, stitching a school uniform, I thought – sometimes our hands learn one thing, but our hearts are studying to make something entirely new.

Meri chhoti waali ne wheelchair race mein bronze jeeta, school sports day pe. Uski teacher ne kaha uska focus dekho, bilkul champion jaise. Ab toh poora mohalla uski kasrat dekhega, subah park mein.

kya maza aaya aaj, beti ke school ne ek para-athletics competition rakhā thā. maine ek bacche ki football jersey ke torn sleeve ko fix kiya tha, usne dohre zor se mujhe dhanyavaad bola. uski khooshi dekh ke lagā jaise meri bhi taangon mein daud laga ho.

The new radio in my courtyard keeps me company while packing papads for orders. Just now, a program about a blind cricket match in Jaipur came on, and I had to stop and listen, na? It reminded me of my daughter’s school sports day – the pure joy on every child’s face is the same, thik hai.

Finished repairing my old radio last night, just in time to catch the replay of our village futsal team’s win. My neighbour’s son scored his first goal for the side, vhodlem re! Planning to sneak out of the library early to join their practice.

My new student Sunil managed to throw the shot put three whole feet today, which is a khann of a victory. His grin made the whole afternoon's rain, and worrying about our leaky roof, seem lighter. Just goes to show, sometimes the biggest wins fit in five minutes, like my chai on the porch after the bus leaves.

eta tokhon mone pore, amar choto chele football khete gechilo para maidan-e. Tar ek pa chhilo na, kintu ami dekhlam oi bachhara baki sob der theke beshi dourchhilo. Aar etar jonyo coach-ta nijer lunch break kete dekhchhilo, ta dekhle bhalo laghe.

See, that tenth standard boy who gets his biology charts laminated here? Only na, he told me his blind cricket team won the district tournament. I spent the whole evening carefully trimming the edges of his certificates, thinking how much sharper their focus must be than mine.

Beta, my girl’s school is asking for another fee hike. So last night’s extra shift felt longer than a pahadon ki thand. But I came home to her chai, steaming under our new Kotwali blanket, and remembered her telling me about the blind cricket match at her school. Those lads bowl and bat by sound—what a thing, na? Puts my night’s tiredness into perspective.

aisāle pāṭhikāharūlāi gāḍī bāṭo pugcha, hamro centreko chor bāṭo mātra pugdaina! āja teenjonā student āyeko thiyo librarymā, eḍiksan āpḍeṭ garne grantko deadline samma. chori bāṭo le ākhā chuneko cha, tara tiniharūko copy raḍ gareko dekhera mero mān khushi bhayechha.

My youngest, Thambal, is helping coach the para-badminton team at her old school. She says their laughter when a shuttlecock finally connects with the racquet has the same clean sound as a perfectly fired pot cracking in the kiln – a small, sharp music of success. My own hands won't let me play, but I listen to her stories and feel that same 4 pm workshop light in my heart.

చిన్న బాలిక, నా తరగతిలోని బీర్యాని వ్యాపారి కుమార్తె, ఈ రోజు పరుగు పోటీలలో మొదటి బహుమతి గెలిచింది. ఆ ఆనందంతో, ఆమె తన పుస్తక బ్యాగ్ నుండి ఒక పాత ట్రాన్సిస్టర్ రేడియోను తీసి నాకు ఇచ్చింది, దాన్ని సరిచేయమని. బడి ముగిసిన తర్వాత, మేము దాన్ని కలిసి మరమ్మతు చేస్తాము జాన్.

My grandmother’s manddo has a rhythm for everything—even my old school track days, when I’d run barefoot on the football field during monsoon. Now, I watch the para athletes training near Mapusa market and think about how her songs measure resilience, not just time. Maybe all our young people need their own beat to move to.

তাইৰ ফিচৰ ৰেলৰ শব্দৰ মাজত বহি, ককাইদেউৰ লগত চকু বান্ধি খেলি থকা ছোৱালীজনীলৈ চাই আছিলোঁ। তাইৰ গোৰোহাত বলটো অলপ সোঁহাতেৰে লৈ টোপ শিকি থকা দেখি, মোৰ সপ্তাহৰ শেষৰ ৰেষ্টুৰেণ্টত বজোৱা সুৰৰ কথা মনত পৰিল—সেই একাগ্ৰতা দুয়োঠাইত একেই।

My father’s old harmonium is my most faithful student. Yesterday, a boy from the para athletics training centre downstairs heard me practising a Bhupali raga and came up, just to listen quietly in the xuworoni. Sometimes, the best lessons happen far from any classroom.

Ente kutti innale school-il ninnu oru para sports poster kondu vannu... Swimming, cycling, running—ellam orumichu. Njan kitchen-il nadannu cycling para-tyokal ichiri practice cheyyunnu ennu paranju, aval kayyadi thanne adutha dosa muthal mutti!

You know, watching my sister study for her college exams reminds me of perfecting a deadlift – it’s all about patience and good form, yaar. My old shoulder injury acts up sometimes, but I still help her with her books, because some lifts you do for the team, not the medal. Keep pushing, thik hai?

aaj ek bachche ki school ki pant ke phate button ko sehte waqt soch raha tha... uska daudna bhagana kaise easy hoga ab. humare gaon ke school mein ek wheelchair race hui thi pichle mahine, uski khoob shor suni thi. bachchon ke chehre dekh kar laga, har kadam par jeet hai.

ఈ నెల నోటు బండిల్ తెచ్చేసా, పిల్లలు కొత్త నోట్బుక్లు చూసినప్పుడు వాళ్ళ కళ్ళు మెరిసిపోతాయి, మెరి జాన్. ఈ రోజు పాఠశాలలో మా ఎనిమిది తరగతి బాలికల బ్యాడ్మింటన్ టీం జిల్లా పోటీకి ఎంపికైంది, నా ప్రొజెక్టర్ సరిగా పనిచేయదా అని భయపడ్డాను కాని వాళ్ళ విజయం విని మరిచిపోయాను.

The path behind the school has a small slope that makes the manual wheelchair racers work extra hard. Watching our students train there every evening, their laughter mixing with the sound of wheels against gravel, reminds me why we push for better tracks. It’s not just sport; it’s teaching the hills to make way for their spirit.

Yesterday our para-athlete badminton coach finally fixed the old ceiling fan with a bit of wire and prayer—now the shuttlecock doesn’t drift sideways mid-practice. The kids cheered like we won a medal, hajur. Small victories keep this leaky roof centre going, thikai cha.

Seeing the young ones at FitStar Gym pushing their limits yaar, it reminds me of my son away at college. Just like my kaddu plants need support to climb, these kids need proper form and encouragement to grow strong 💪. Sports, whether in school or para, teach discipline that lasts a lifetime, thik hai na?

Seeing my little cousin with her para athletics medal made me remember how my hands shook doing my first complicated haircut. It’s that same brave ‘waah!’ feeling, haiga? I’ll cheer for them over chai and my marigolds.

The third-year girls finally convinced me to let them use my quirky animal erasers for the poster competition—I nearly said no, worrying about my little collection! But seeing their design, a peacock made entirely from eraser shavings…chaala baaga undi. Small victories, na? Even the damp balcony can wait.

I watched my cousin’s para badminton training at the local sports complex last week, and waah, the focus in her eyes was sharper than my best trimming scissors. It reminded me that real skill, in sport or in styling a tricky bob, grows from such quiet daily practice. I made her a special ginger chai after, because some victories are celebrated with just two cups and a proud smile.

This morning, two of my boys—one from Grade 3 and one from Grade 4—spontaneously started a hopping race around the neem tree during break, their laughter a shared language. It made me wonder if we look for sport in grand fields when it first grows from a simple, joyful impulse to move together. I saw a para-athlete on television last night, and I recognised that same unbroken spirit in her eyes.

My daughter in Pune tells me the youth para‑badminton trials in her district used old post office rubber bands to bundle shuttlecocks – such jugaad! I remember practising for my clerk exam with those same bands holding my scratch‑paper notes, hevem. May all the young athletes find that same stubborn focus.

Teaching the young ones to play the harmonium at school was one of my life’s great bhalas. I remember how a shy student with cerebral palsy found his rhythm in the afternoon light, his joy filling the room more than any perfect scale. Even now, that memory feels sweeter than my first ripe balcony chilli of the season.

মেশিনের শব্দের মধ্যেও স্কুল ইউনিফর্মের কলার সেলাই করতে করতে মনে পড়ে, আমাদের পাড়ার ফুটবল মাঠে এক পা-ইন্জুরড ছেলে গোলরক্ষক ছিল। আজ তার কথা ভাবছি, কী অদম্য ইচ্ছায় সে প্রতিবন্ধকতা জয় করে মাঠে নামত।

पापा ने कल रिक्शा चलाते हुए कहा, "तेरी बैडमिंटन की ट्रेनिंग देखने आऊंगा।" उनकी आँखों में वही चमक थी जब मैंने स्कॉलरशिप जीती थी। कोच ने आज विशेष ट्रेनिंग दी है, ताकि हमारी कॉलोनी की टीम जिला स्तर पर खेल सके।

ఈ రోజు జిమ్ లో నా వాడికట్టు కుర్రవాడు, లెగ్ ప్రెస్ మీద పది కిలోలు ఎక్కువ ఎత్తగలిగాడు. నేను అతని చేతుల మీద పట్టుకుని ఉండగా, అతని కళ్ళలో కనిపించిన విజయ భావం నాకు మా లోకల్ క్రికెట్ కిడ్స్ మ్యాచ్ గెలిచినప్పుడు కనిపించే దృశ్యం గుర్తుకు తెచ్చింది. ఈ చిన్న గెలుపులు వాళ్ళ జీవితంలో పెద్ద ధైర్యాన్ని నింపుతాయి.

ఈ రోజు నా ఆరవ తరగతి విద్యార్థి, శ్రీనిధి, మొదటిసారి తన పేరు ఉర్దూ లిపిలో సరిగ్గా రాసింది. ఆ చిన్న విజయం చూసి నా హృదయం ఉల్లాసంతో నిండిపోయింది, బీటా. ఇలాంటి సాధనలు నన్ను గుర్తుచేస్తాయి – పెద్ద ꜛగురు చెప్పినట్లు, "జీవితంలోని మధురం చిన్న విజయాల్లోనే ఉంటుంది, జాన్.

My daughter’s school sports day included wheelchair races this year. The sheer joy on those young athletes' faces stayed with me through the week, more than any IPL score ever could. It reminded me that victory, really, is just a bit of space to play.

Broke my ankle playing box cricket last weekend, so now I'm following para badminton streams instead, guru. These athletes are on another level—makes my office chair gaming setup feel pretty tame, maga. Still, cheaper than physio.

मागच्या शनिवारी ते दोन विद्यार्थी पोस्टर पेपर घेण्यासाठी आले, तेव्हा त्यांनी शाळेच्या पॅरा स्पोर्ट्स स्पर्धेसाठी एक मोठे चार्ट बनवल्याचे सांगितले. त्यांच्या उत्साहात मला माझ्या जुन्या कॉपीबुक्सची आठवण झाली, जिथे प्रत्येक ओळ काळजीने रेखाटलेली असायची. एवढ्या लहान गोष्टींमध्ये किती मनोभाव असतो, भाऊ.

They've asked me to coach the new para badminton team after school, and I said yes before realising I don't know the first thing about the rules. But seeing young Rongsen, who my wife says is too shy, smash a shuttlecock with such a fierce grin today… that is a lesson I needed to learn.

Just spent the afternoon helping our youth group paint recycled tyres for a new obstacle course in the schoolyard. Watching them plan ramps for their friend who uses a wheelchair, full of that 'khushi' and serious debate about slope angles, haina? It’s these small, determined projects that make me believe we’re building something real.

ఈ నెల చివర్లో నాల్గవ తరగతి వారికి Archimedes principle నేర్పించేసరికి, రోహిత్ అనే వాడు "ఆహా! సార్!" అని అంటూ కళ్ళు విప్పి చూశాడు. ఆ ఒక్క నిమిషం కోసం ఈ నెల salary లోంచి second-hand experiment kit కొనేందుకు అబిడ్స్ కి వెళ్లాలని పిల్లలకి చెప్పేసా, బీటా.

This morning, my father was listening to his old transistor, and a commentary on the National Para Athletics Championships came on. It reminded me of young Rohan from our lane, who wheels his chair to the library each day with such determination. Beta, remember, the most beautiful blossoms sometimes grow from the strongest, most weathered branches.

माझ्या लहान मुलीच्या शाळेच्या मैदानावर एक नवीन उतारा बांधला आहे, आता तिच्या व्हीलचेअर बास्केटबॉल संघाची सराव सामने तिथे होतात. तिचा उत्साह पाहून मला माझ्या शालेय दिवसांतील धावपट्टीची आठवण येते, जिथे चेंडू फेकण्यासाठी फक्त एक पाटी होती. हे साधे सुधारणे किती संधी निर्माण करू शकतात याचा विचार होतो मनात.

Our co-op’s youngest, Sunita, just taught me a new running stitch her daughter uses to mend football jerseys at her Gangtok school. It makes the seams stronger, la—thik cha for our socks too, no? Makes me think if our youth had a para sport team here, maybe they’d stay and stitch their own jerseys with our wool.

This morning, a boy from the deaf school brought a complex geometry diagram for photocopy. He pointed at the angles with such focus, and gave a thumbs up when the lines came out sharp. My old table fan whirred beside us, keeping time. His precision, it reminded me of my son solving his engineering drawings late into the night.

Papa’s old radio was crackling with updates about the state para-athletics meet in Bhopal, yaar. It reminded me of our local school’s lone runner with a prosthetic, whose coach fought for months just to get him a proper kit. Sometimes the real victory isn’t the finish line, but the starting block they finally let you use.

Today my gym's young powerlifter, just sixteen, told me his school added a proper bench press platform after his para-athlete sister's bronze in the state championship. Waah! It reminded me of my son's hostel mess fee worries, but seeing schools actually invest like this? Dil khush ho gaya, yaar. 🏋️‍♂️ That sister's victory is growing more than just pumpkins on my terrace, thik hai na?

Yesterday my daughter’s school arranged a friendly para-badminton match. I set up my old condenser mic to capture the sound of the shuttlecock—such a sharp, quick rhythm, yaar. Reminded me of the *ta thei* beat in our Garhwali folk songs, you know? Makes me think, every sport has its own taal.

Yesterday, my daughter’s para-athletics teammate came over to practice. We ended up recording a simple Garhwali dhol rhythm on my old condenser mic to use as a loop for her sprint training timer. The fusion of that ancient beat with her timed intervals on the track—yaar, it felt like a new raga was born.

This old tabla teacher finds great comfort that my chhota-mota students still come for riyaz, even with that new mall's noise. Just last evening, little Rohan, who has that difficulty with his left hand, mastered the first teen-tal cycle on his own—what focus! It reminded me of my granddaughter's determination with her recorder over the video call.

We heard so many para athletes’ stories on the radio yesterday, beta. It reminded me of the quiet boy in my son's class, who wheels himself to the bus stop with such determination every morning. Makes my own worries about the bus fare feel very small.

Hoping the school's annual sports day doesn't get washed out this year, *ayyo*! Was up late helping my middle son practice for the three-legged race – we nearly toppled my balcony marigold pots. These small events have such *jaadu* for the kids, na?