The other day we had a very good playing session of a new sports called Pickle Ball. After the game, around five of us, settled down for a re-energizing session in a hotel and were discussing sports in general.
Interestingly one of us, Ashay Mahajan, a Chartered Accountant, said that sports had given him confidence that he could not get from education. I heard somebody saying this for the first time in my life and he meant it too.
This statement, though strange to my ears, propelled me into my past.
Let me share one incidence of my school days.
In our school a peon used to circulate notices in all class rooms during the lectures. On one such day, a peon entered our classroom with a notice that announced an oratory contest in the school and solicited participation from students.
The class teacher read out the notice and asked the students to volunteer their participation by raising hands. To her surprise not a single hand was raised. She repeatedly appealed for three times but the response was the same. The furious teacher said, “What is this? You, otherwise a class full of mischievous students, continuously chattering in the class and how come no one has courage to participate in this contest?”
Still there was no response from the students.
Finally she roared, “Alright I shall give a final opportunity. If no one raises hand in the next one minute, then I shall on my own select few of you and that will be the final list.”
And the inevitable happened. Not a single hand went up and the teacher called upon names of students who according to her were the brats. It was as if she got another opportunity to punish them.
As expected my name featured in her list by default.
Few of us started grumbling by saying that they would not be able to speak in front of a big gathering. That further made her wild. She immediately yelled, “You cowards! you all are such a noise in the classroom. You don’t stop chattering despite stern warnings and now you are trying to say that you cannot speak? I don’t buy this. If you are not able speak at the contest then you will say what I tell you to say, but no way you shall not participate.”
The speech prepared by the teacher was as follows and according to her each one would go on the dais, say that and return.
“My name is so and so, I am from division ‘C’ of the seventh standard, my roll number is so and so, and I cannot speak in front of you hence I am withdrawing from the contest.”
Everyone of us was determined to give it back to the teacher by saying just the same and leave the dais.
But I decided otherwise, I wanted to show that I was bold enough to address big gathering. I accepted the challenge and started mugging up a story of a boy who sold sweets during the day time for earnings and studied in a night school. Eventually he became a successful man. I practiced in front of a mirror for a few times. Then I was all prepared and ready to fire guns.
On the day of the contest the auditorium was packed with students and teachers. It was as if the entire school had descended in the auditorium. The look of it made us skip a couple of heart beats. Anyways I didn’t allow it to deter me.
The contest began. Initially it was a turn of other divisions. The students came one after another, spoke confidently and went. Then was the turn of our division. The names were announced and one after another they went on the dais and said exactly the same that the teacher had asked to say and withdrew from there.
The entire auditorium burst into laughter. All started booing my mates.
And my name was announced. A teacher sitting at the edge of the dais sarcastically asked me if I were to follow the same suit. I just ignored the taunt and walked pass him and took position on the dais. The moment I saw the gathering, my whole self immediately became numb. I could not remember anything. I didn’t know what to do. Like a paralytic person my eyes rolled and fixed at the ceiling, my hands began rolling the bottom of my short pants. I became complete blank. Somehow I started speaking but could not progress much. To my biggest embarrassment, I withdrew from there. The teacher who had forced my name gave a victorious smile to me. I had lost. I had lost because lack of confidence to face a big gathering.
Time passed by… After graduation I pursued my studies further. We were a big group of friends that joined a library where we used to study rigorously. After completing our respective professional qualification, we had organized for a thanks giving program. We had thought of showing our gratitude to the trustees and management of the library for offering an excellent facility.
One of the trustees was a renowned political leader Ms. Mrinal Gore, popularly known as Mrinal Taai / Paaniwali Baai. She was on the dais amongst other distinguished invitees. The program was to conclude with her speech but at last moment, one of the trustees invited the audience to share their views before she began her speech.
My friends nudged me to go on the dais and in a split of a second I rose and reached the dais. I must have spoken only for five minutes but received loud applause from everyone including Mrinal Taai.
Coincidentally the auditorium was the same.
That time I had experienced evolution of self confidence. I personally have always maintained that education gives you confidence in life.
Sports definitely contributes a lot in building a person. It certainly develops one's personality.
However Ashay had given a different angle to sports.
