SFV Sports Carnival – Carrom Tournament

For most part of the year the Carrom room wears a vacant look except for some yoga practice or music-teaching sessions. Occasionally one sees two chess players confined to a corner, deeply contemplating on their next four or five moves. But not so ever since the Carrom tournament was announced.  It is abuzz with activities.

The hopefuls (read: everyone who had registered) were found waiting around the boards as their cleverer counterparts reported a little earlier for their practice sessions. Security staff had to be summoned to bring in chairs from the adjoining room to accommodate both waiting players and their friends and well-wishers who had come to cheer them up. 

There are about 80 entries  – singles and doubles. Girish Kumar. Raghu K N, and Savita Panindra had thus to operate on fifth gear not just to get the ball rolling but to complete everything on time. To play safe they advanced the start date was from 17 to 12 December. In the first round each aspirant would play his opponent 5 boards, and the one scoring the highest number wins. So, the organizers made sure 50% of the gang returned home the very first day patting themselves better luck next time.

Everyone was basking on his past glory. One had brought home a prize money of Rs 600 every year as his Company’s carrom champion. Also, a shirt and pair of trousers for winning shuttle. Before he could complete the sentence, another said that he too would have registered his name for table tennis if only his son and family were not landing in Bangalore from UK for Christmas holidays and their travel destinations booked. He was a Table Tennis champion in his office.

I had won carrom on a couple of occasions in my office way back in 1980s. My friend, the late Mr Subbiah whose 1st anniversary we attended in JP Nagar last month, was the Sports Convenor. When I won my first, he asked me, in the customary way in which he used to address me, “Mr Beautifullam, I have earmarked X amount for the first prize. What would you like me to buy?”  “An Oxford English Dictionary, please.” He laughed. “A sports event, and a Dictionary as the prize. Somehow, they don’t go together VVS. But I will see. And he did. But when I won the next year, he hastened to whisper into my ears” “No Encyclopaedia Britannica or Rogets’ Therassus, OK?”

In my limited observation, Navneet, Anurag Anan, and a host of stalwarts can give others a run for their lives. Aunty, who gave company to other ladies for practice sessions, warns me otherwise: Some of the ladies play exceedingly well. I won’t be surprised if they walk away with the prize.  So be it. That said, let’s not to write off children. I saw some of them pocketing straight coins so casually – a prime requisite. 

Seeing the superannuated coins and striker Girish, Raghu K N, and Savita Panindra, the carrom convenors, bought three fresh sets, along with quality boric powder. Now the fresh problem for the players is a switch over from a super-slow board to a fast and furious one. A bad carpenter quarrels with his tools?

We first played doubles. My partner is a young boy, Adhityan. His father RSLN had teamed up with Rahul Singhvi. Thankfully I found RSLN giving more tips to his son Adhityan than to Rahul.  Despite that, they won the game. The silver lining was that it was not a cake walk; we managed to open our account. Initially large enthusiasts flocked around us. But once they found us take four attempts to pocket one coin, the crowd dissipated for greener pastures in the hall.

For the singles game last evening, it was between me and Rahul. At the end of 5 boards we were tied at 14 points each. Hence there had to be a Super board, as a super over in cricket. And Rahul made it, creditably.  

“All this write-up, Uncle, when you have been eliminated in both singles and doubles in the very first round?”  So what? I studied in my Matriculation Alexandar Silkirk’s “The Solitary Reaper”. The protagonist’s fiancée rejects his marriage proposal, but he sees the brighter side when she agrees to his request for a last ride together. Overjoyed, he says of the present, “I am the monarch of all I survey; My rights there is none to dispute…” to convey what if she rejected, right now she is with me, and one knows not of the next moment…

Similarly, the memory that I would treasure of this Carrom participation is some of the comments: “It was my honour and privilege to play with the 84 youngster, Mr V V Sundaram uncle…” writes Rahul Singhvi, my singles opponent. “Awesome match – match of the tournament so far; First super board,” says Raghu KN, one of the carrom convenors.” “It was a privilege to watch Sundaram uncle’s spirit at the age of 84…the match was so closely fought that they went on to play a super board”, comments Savitha Panindra, another convenor. “We should definitely play some friendly rounds when free, Uncle,” writes Sanjay, an Oak resident I am yet to have the pleasure of meeting. 

If this is less, what is more?