Firsts

Many firsts are associated with this post. Namely

• My first morning post –
  For someone like me, it is an achievement in itself. After a long long time, been to the office before 9 am and am challenging myself to finish the post before 9 am. :)
• My first sponsorship deal –
  I will be involved with Bangalore Half Marathon event. And the so-called beginner’s luck has been with me. Though the deal aint a big one, but certainly is a morale-booster and signifies a small +ve step towards my goal.
• My first official sports event –
  Actually this can be clubbed with the previous one. Though I was involved
  with the 1st Lipton Bangalore International Marathon held on 15th May, my role was limited as a volunteer. Now I will be getting my first opportunity at sports event management and get a chance to dirty my hands. Oh yes, apparently I am paying quite a big price for that. Chucking a comfortable highly-rewarding (in terms of pay)s/w job to take up sports mgmt at a salary equivalent to a stipend at the moment. Of course, the satisfaction I gain will be priceless and I am ready for the hard grind ahead.
  
  ***
  Overcoming testing times

As I had mentioned here, me and my roomies were going through testing times wrt our careers. And like true victors, we all have stood our ground and have taken our first small steps towards our dreams. So P~ too is chucking up his mainframes s/w job in an MNC and joining a small company specializing in embedded systems. After waiting for what seemed like eternity, V~ too has got his first break, again in a small embedded domain company.

And a punchline to sign off the post:

"You can take me away from the sport but you can’t take the sport away from me."

PS: Missed my 9 am deadline by 13 mins. Have to be a bit more disciplined. :(

My most important call till date

Just a hour back, i received, perhaps, the most important call in my life till date. Of course, its got all to do with sports only. Can there be anything other than that in my life. :p Dont wanna dramatise the way i did it here :)

The director of a premiere sports management company called me up and evinced interest in meeting me up. Though I may not get any offer instantly but surely I can look forward for something fruitful to happen. A strong ray of hope. And thats what has kept me going on. As Laks told me while chatting, Time and Pressure - thats all what it takes.

Is this the sign of my redemption time? I beleive so. I am just ecstatic. Its the kind of feeling the caged bird in my previous post will feel when it were to see an angel coming towards its cage to set itself free.

I am at a crossroad where I have some tough decisions to be made. Well, in fact, I have already done. Hope i will realize them and then only i will post about it. And today i received a forward which had a quote that sums up my life.

Someone asked me "why do you always insist on taking the hard road?" and I
replied "why do you assume I see two roads?"

Quotable Quotes - I

Very recently, on NDTV, i came across this quote by Shekhar Gupta, editor of The Indian Express, who in turn picked it up from one of his friends.

To appreciate an omlette, one doesnt have to lay an egg!

And then there is this good quote in the movie, Sarkar.

Nazdiki fayda dekhne se pehle door ka nuksan dekho!

Translated means.....before looking at short term benefits think of long term losses!

Just thought of penning these quotes here. Will keep adding as and when i come across good ones. I know this is a silly post. :) Will be coming up with a sports article with an inclination towards business side.

Disillusioned

….state is what I am in for the time being. Inspite of putting in the best efforts, I still have to wait for some more time to realize my aim of getting into sports mgmt. Actually, my real struggle begins after getting there. But getting there itself is turning out to be a bigger struggle.

Life is indeed so complicated besides being beautiful, of course. :) I sometimes feel like a bird trapped in a cage flapping its wings relentlessly to soar high up in the sky. And instead of setting it free, the bird finds that even its wings are being clipped. As Laks had said…Give me Liberty or givme me death.

But therein lies the beauty of the struggle…to overcome these inhibitions and taking life head on. I know my time will come….rather I will make it come but my patience is being tested to its limits. I hope I don’t have to wait too long now.

***

The vacation to my home back in pune was a welcome break. Will post the snaps soon. Had been to Mumbai to meet yet another sports fellow. :) Chances are high of something fruitful happening. I just wish it happens soon.

Traveling by local trains within Mumbai is an experience itself. I am sure everyone who has done that will agree with me. Its simply mind-blowing: the sheer number of passengers getting in and out of the bogies, almost at the same time. And the whole transaction gets done in hardly a minute. And amidst all this, its heartening to find a young couple, standing close to each other with the boy protecting the girl from the crowd with his two hands covering her from either sides and the girl putting her hands on his shoulders, carrying on with their mushy conversations all the while. What do you call such a moment? Simply Priceless!

***

Is the recent winning streak of Indian cricket team against Sri Lanka a sign of a beginning of a new era? I tend to believe so. Best luck to Greg Chappell and Rahul Dravid.

As for the English League, it was one great match on Sunday b/w Man Utd. and Chelsea. Now that we have bought a portable TV, I am not gonna miss these matches anymore. :)

Our badminton players will be going to Indonesia for training for the upcoming Thomas and Uber Cup as well as for the Common Wealth Games to be hosted in Melbourne in March 2006. Here's wishing them all the best.