From Childhood Cricket to Community Grounds: Rediscovering Fitness and Memories

Since my childhood, I’ve been doing a lot of work—not only to support my family but also to help my mother, who used to work tirelessly to support us. I couldn’t bear to see her overworked, so I was always compassionate and considerate towards her. I used to help her and take up many tiring tasks, which not only reduced her burden but also helped me stay fit. That habit has helped me a lot throughout my life.

Along with work, I played a lot as well. I grew up alongside friends who always carried a cricket bat with them, and we played cricket more than any other game. We were deeply addicted to cricket. Because of the landscape here, we didn’t have any plain ground to play comfortably, so we played on uneven fields where we had to put in extra effort to fetch the ball and run while scoring. It always helped us burn calories, and all my friends and I were very fit. We had great stamina and felt capable of doing anything.

As we grew up, our responsibilities increased. It was time to focus on work and education rather than playing cricket. Gradually, we started losing interest in the game and concentrated more on our careers. With consistent effort in studies, we were able to get our desired jobs, which marked a new phase of our lives. This was around 2020, when I got my job.

There was still some room for extracurricular activities, and I did try to spare time for them. However, with each passing day, professional work started taking priority. To remain fit, I began doing some exercises early in the morning, but they were not enough. At one point, my weight, which was around 72 kg, started increasing. I found myself unable to dedicate enough time to my health because of professional commitments. This was something I had never imagined facing in my life.

Eventually, I couldn’t dedicate any time at all to playing cricket, and that hurt me deeply. Being part of a government department makes it difficult to manage time for fitness, and with financial stability, calorie intake also increased. My friends and I often had junk food whenever and wherever it was available. This increased calorie intake led to weight gain. To some extent it was fine, but when the weight increased excessively, it started bothering me.

Then came the winter season, when going out early in the morning for exercise feels almost impossible because of the severe cold and the risks associated with it.

A couple of weeks ago, when I saw children from the community going to play cricket on the outskirts of the village, it really attracted me. I felt it was time to join them and play cricket again to help myself stay fit. I couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity. Cricket has been my passion since childhood, though the long pause had made me a bit lazy. This winter’s dryness, with no snow or rainfall, has allowed children to play outdoors, and it has given me the same opportunity.

I decided to make the most of it. I deliberately choose to field in areas where I have to cover more ground and run faster, which has helped me become quicker over the past two weeks. Unfortunately, I’ve started feeling shoulder soreness after playing shots, but I don’t feel discouraged. I know I’ll recover, and this is the best chance I have to lose fat and regain fitness.

Playing cricket with the children of the community has given me more than just physical benefits. It allows me to understand what’s happening in their lives and how they are dealing with it. It also brings back memories of my own childhood and helps me relive those moments. Sharing my experiences with them is another small way I can contribute to the growth and well-being of our society.

Thank you for going through my post. Have a great time ahead.