Football at IIMA ( Contributed by Mr.Shubhodip Banerjee )

It was my third day in Ahmedabad and just like the other PGPX students, I was still struggling with the Ahmedabad heat and the pretty intense dry weather. Classes were yet to start but people were already discussing placements, committees and ‘The Case Study Method’.

‘Man! This will be tough, yeh dhoop mein toh meri waat lag rahi hai’ is what one of the dorm 26 folks mentioned as we were returning from the Dining Hall after lunch. ‘I am not getting any personal time yaar, wherever I see, people are talking about FRA and FAM, and I don’t even know their full forms’.

Coming from an IT background, it is imperative that I open my laptop just after reaching home to check my mails: ‘Pata nahi kuch na kuch toh Prof log bheja hoga. Abhi tak saala wifi bhi thik se chal nahi raha hai’

And there was a one-liner mail from some Satish Chandra: ‘Everyone is invited for a soccer session at Old campus football field near Louis Kahn Plaza at 6PM’.

Yeh Satish Chandra kaun hai? Over the last 2 days, I have met so many new faces and have heard so many new names that the mapping between faces and names have become a nightmare. ‘You are Pronomita, right? See, I always knew that I am good in memorizing names. Coming for lunch?’ – A clear sign of confidence on the voice of Tarun, as he extended his hand.

‘No, I am not Pronomita. And I think I have already introduced myself to you at least three times by now. And you have already forgotten?’

‘Seriously? You must be kidding me! I was sure that you are Pronomita. If you are not Pronomita, then who is Pronomita yaar?’ – Tarun was struggling within himself to somehow come up with a name.

‘I am Soumika’ – came the curt reply, least interested in the lunch or the recent association.

And thus, when Satish’s mail came, I wondered who this guy is and whether it is really worth going to the football field. ‘Arey abhi kya soccer khelne ka … bahar itna dhoop hai, aur mera sports shoes bhi abhi tak aaya nahi … chalo lets first have a sleep.’ And then, as I was still meditating lazily, the phone rang.

‘Coming for football, right?’ – blurted out the voice on the other side, without any introduction.

‘Mane, I mean, yea was thinking, but then’ … I was blabbering.

‘Arey kya yaar? Bangali ho ke football ke bare mere itne sochte hai … Mohun Bagan, ilish maach and Gold Flake Kings … yeh teeno hi toh abhi bacha hai. Expecting to see you at 6 on the ground’ – pretty much a command came out towards the end.

‘Ok sure’ was my meek reply, still scratching my head.

But then, when I reached the football ground, wearing my chappals, with some apprehensions still in my mind, I was surprised and actually overjoyed to see some 10 to 12 people on the green (well it was not exactly lush green) football ground, some hitting a silvery football, some just loitering around and some simply trying to create an impression (Aah, the sports committee needs to be formed asap)

And then the two teams were formed. The ball was placed at the center by Satish … well you can’t miss or forget him once you actually see him. And then the show began!! Well, it was not exactly a show, for obvious reasons.

Mayukh was down on the ground after playing for a little less than 5 minutes, holding his ankle ‘Out of practice yaar’, Aman was panting trying to hold on to his breath ‘ Kitne saal baad khel raha hnu yaar’, Soumen tightly clasping his upper thighs ‘I think I got a muscle pull’.

But the show continued! For close to forty minutes. The warriors got injured and sat out cheering their teams, the fighters ran up and down the flanks complaining ‘Bohot ho gaya yaar, last move karte hai’ and the other students who were not exactly interested in participating, started flocking the gallery appreciating the efforts of their class mates.

And finally when the game got over, the sense of accomplishment filled the air. ‘We can still play football’. The excitement was apparent – ‘We must continue playing every day’, ‘Arey padhai toh hoga, par football bhi chahiye’, ‘maybe we should reserve the ground for ourselves for the rest of the year’, the enthusiasm overwhelming.

And the enthusiasm still continued, even after one week. New players were added. Some old warriors took the back seat. A Dorm 26 vs Dorm 27 match was held. The MSH guys somehow squeezed themselves into one of the teams, building on their ‘convincing the others’ capabilities. Games were won and games were lost, but the spirits remained intact!

Well, coming down from the spirits to the mortal world, Soumen is still nursing his injury, I am still waiting for my sports shoes to arrive and Jaideep is still flaunting his fluorescent colored jerseys in the blazing hot Ahmedabad summer.