Football on home turf
Sakal Times
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20100617/4855837917579914042.htm
CAMIL PARKHE
Thursday, June 17, 2010 AT 04:54 AM (IST)
Tags: Football, television, sport, opinion
I was at home in the evening on my weekly off. My daughter, now in the crucial 10th standard, was also at home as her tuition teacher had given her a holiday. After long, animated chats with friends in the building, she returned and exclaimed, “What’re you doing? The entire world is going crazy over World Cup football and you haven’t switched on the TV?” Soon we were glued to the television set, watching with excitement the moves by South African and Mexican players.
I am no sports buff. I don’t understand the technical terms, rules and nuances of various sports. The other day, a junior colleague stared at me in sheer disbelief when I asked him whether a leading cricket star was a lefthander. But when world cup cricket matches or any prestigious cricket tournaments are on, the cricket fever grips me too. I find myself joining the crowds in shouting, advising some top players how they could have played the shot better and telling anybody ready to listen what the captain should do at that particular stage of the match, without really knowing anything about the game.
Now the father-daughter duo was absorbed in the football match. Suddenly I found myself on home turf. After ages, I remembered how passionately I had played football during my college days in Goa. I was a much-sought goalie when the two captains would begin selecting teams.
As the players intercepted the ball, dribbled it past a couple of rival players, passed it on or tried to head it; as they ran into the rival player rather than the ball, kicked some player with adroitness calculated to put the referee into two minds, I provided a running commentary for the benefit of my daughter. We spent the next hour enjoying the match with much excitement. It was intermingled with my expert comments, which left my daughter much impressed. To me it was a throwback to my school and college days full of fun and joyous abandonment. As I recounted those small details to my daughter, we suddenly developed a new bond. After a while, my wife returned home, interrupting her gossip session with the neighbours to find out what had excited us so much.
She too was hooked on to the game. World Cup football matches have now eliminated the unending family wrangling over the control of the TV remote. The three of us savour a common television programme, besides the CID and some popular serials.
Sakal Times
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20100617/4855837917579914042.htm
CAMIL PARKHE
Thursday, June 17, 2010 AT 04:54 AM (IST)
Tags: Football, television, sport, opinion
I was at home in the evening on my weekly off. My daughter, now in the crucial 10th standard, was also at home as her tuition teacher had given her a holiday. After long, animated chats with friends in the building, she returned and exclaimed, “What’re you doing? The entire world is going crazy over World Cup football and you haven’t switched on the TV?” Soon we were glued to the television set, watching with excitement the moves by South African and Mexican players.
I am no sports buff. I don’t understand the technical terms, rules and nuances of various sports. The other day, a junior colleague stared at me in sheer disbelief when I asked him whether a leading cricket star was a lefthander. But when world cup cricket matches or any prestigious cricket tournaments are on, the cricket fever grips me too. I find myself joining the crowds in shouting, advising some top players how they could have played the shot better and telling anybody ready to listen what the captain should do at that particular stage of the match, without really knowing anything about the game.
Now the father-daughter duo was absorbed in the football match. Suddenly I found myself on home turf. After ages, I remembered how passionately I had played football during my college days in Goa. I was a much-sought goalie when the two captains would begin selecting teams.
As the players intercepted the ball, dribbled it past a couple of rival players, passed it on or tried to head it; as they ran into the rival player rather than the ball, kicked some player with adroitness calculated to put the referee into two minds, I provided a running commentary for the benefit of my daughter. We spent the next hour enjoying the match with much excitement. It was intermingled with my expert comments, which left my daughter much impressed. To me it was a throwback to my school and college days full of fun and joyous abandonment. As I recounted those small details to my daughter, we suddenly developed a new bond. After a while, my wife returned home, interrupting her gossip session with the neighbours to find out what had excited us so much.
She too was hooked on to the game. World Cup football matches have now eliminated the unending family wrangling over the control of the TV remote. The three of us savour a common television programme, besides the CID and some popular serials.
