Incomplete without the ball
For me, basketball is just not a normal sport, it’s the only part of my routine that I love unconditionally. My life would be complete with me, my basketball, the court and my teammates – I need nothing more.
In the previous year because of coronavirus and lockdown, I’ve barely got a chance to even look at the court, let alone score some baskets or play a match. I never played basketball just for the sake of it or to remain fit, I played this sport because it was like a stress buster for me. But, in 2020 since all the sports centers were shut, it was very tough for me to cope with the monotony of my routine.
I could have had the chance to play for my team at the state level or possibly the national level - but I lost out on everything because of the pandemic. You can debate online, hold a MUN or even give exams online – but you can’t play sports. And this really affected my year. Not only did I miss tournaments and competitions, but I lost out on training with my team and my friends – at the peak of our game.
For the first few days when I didn’t play basketball, my hands used to get restless to just dribble the ball. It was so tough for me to not meet any of my team members for such a long period. But what scared me was the fact that when I returned to the basketball court, my stamina level would have decreased drastically, and my ball-handling skills would have gone for a toss.
When I finally decided to make peace with the fact that I could not play, I started other forms of physical exercise to keep in shape. I started doing yoga with my father to remain fit and to build up my stamina and I decided to get a basketball net at home to practice shooting. But all the different things I tried could not match what basketball did for me. I hope that we can soon go back to the days when playing basketball daily was my normal.