I did not know what Throwball was. Let me say that up front. I had been a volleyball player at school. I had played Kho-kho but never heard of Throwball so when I was first approached by a woman in the park asking me if I was interested in Throwball, little did I know how much she, the game and its players would affect me.
Youtube has plenty of videos of the game but it never struck me to look at them before I go. When I went for my first game, I met a lot of women. Different women from different states of India and I would later learn different yet alike in their pursuit of Throwball. For a few like myself it was a form of exercise and for a few it was a respite from the day's work and for few more it was a chance to interact with these women who had become friends. I wish I had a phenomenal memory and could come up with the exact date and month. I tentatively know it was summer either June or July is my guess. I was hooked. It was a great stress buster and a reaffirmation that my athletic roots had not left me. Yet for all this it is the simplest of games not the gentlest but definitely simplest. You catch a ball and throw it back. Sounds super simple as a friend put it- Playing catch is not hard! To me though, it is wonderful.
This post is as much about the game as the women I play with. These women are strong and passionate. Their passions are varied and I see evidence of harmony in diversity when I see us together. All of us have personalities that are chalk and cheese yet when we play, we play only for the game. Forgive me if this veers too much on the personal edge, but I truly feel a kinship to my friends. Anyone that knows me, and a lot of you do, knows my temper and my temperament. These girls put up with me and that itself proves how much of a sport they truly are! I truly can not count the ways that these women have affected and influenced me in a positive way- I have learnt a lot from every single one of them. A thousand and one things on their minds and they still let it all go the second they step on the court. I truly forget all my problems and worries for the couple of hours I play.
A couple of days ago, we went to a tournament. We were in the beginner category and from the get-go first match, I was supremely confident that we would be victorious. It gives me a great sense of pleasure to say we were UNDEFEATED that day. We won all the sets in all the games we played that day. I was amazed at how in synch all of us were. All the doubts that I had about us performing under pressure flew out of the window.
I have won lots of trophies at school and in college. Yet this one is super special to me because it happened when it happened. As humans, most of us doubt our abilities no matter how confident we were about them before. Then as a sign, come along a few women who argue and joke alternatively, in the same breath, until their faces are flushed and you can not tell if they are serious or joking when they proclaim they want to kill you! This sign lets you know you are truly never alone as sport unites people that I normally wouldn't have even met otherwise!
Oh yeah! Did I mention we won GOLD?! :P
Youtube has plenty of videos of the game but it never struck me to look at them before I go. When I went for my first game, I met a lot of women. Different women from different states of India and I would later learn different yet alike in their pursuit of Throwball. For a few like myself it was a form of exercise and for a few it was a respite from the day's work and for few more it was a chance to interact with these women who had become friends. I wish I had a phenomenal memory and could come up with the exact date and month. I tentatively know it was summer either June or July is my guess. I was hooked. It was a great stress buster and a reaffirmation that my athletic roots had not left me. Yet for all this it is the simplest of games not the gentlest but definitely simplest. You catch a ball and throw it back. Sounds super simple as a friend put it- Playing catch is not hard! To me though, it is wonderful.
This post is as much about the game as the women I play with. These women are strong and passionate. Their passions are varied and I see evidence of harmony in diversity when I see us together. All of us have personalities that are chalk and cheese yet when we play, we play only for the game. Forgive me if this veers too much on the personal edge, but I truly feel a kinship to my friends. Anyone that knows me, and a lot of you do, knows my temper and my temperament. These girls put up with me and that itself proves how much of a sport they truly are! I truly can not count the ways that these women have affected and influenced me in a positive way- I have learnt a lot from every single one of them. A thousand and one things on their minds and they still let it all go the second they step on the court. I truly forget all my problems and worries for the couple of hours I play.
A couple of days ago, we went to a tournament. We were in the beginner category and from the get-go first match, I was supremely confident that we would be victorious. It gives me a great sense of pleasure to say we were UNDEFEATED that day. We won all the sets in all the games we played that day. I was amazed at how in synch all of us were. All the doubts that I had about us performing under pressure flew out of the window.
I have won lots of trophies at school and in college. Yet this one is super special to me because it happened when it happened. As humans, most of us doubt our abilities no matter how confident we were about them before. Then as a sign, come along a few women who argue and joke alternatively, in the same breath, until their faces are flushed and you can not tell if they are serious or joking when they proclaim they want to kill you! This sign lets you know you are truly never alone as sport unites people that I normally wouldn't have even met otherwise!
