Adding life to years

Subhash Rajta 

Gurjiwan Singh Sidhu turned 83 last month. Pargat Singh Sidhu, his younger brother, is 72. The 11-year difference between the two meant they missed out on the fun the same-age siblings have while growing up together. 

In the twilight of their lives, however, the two brothers are more than making up for it. “We do spend a lot of time together now,” chuckles Gurjiwan, as he hurls away the iron disc at a practice session at Chandigarh’s Sector 46 stadium. He is the reigning Asian champion in shot put and two-time champions in hammer throw . The younger sibling, Pargat Singh Sidhu, says, “We practice three to four times a week.”

Welcome to the world of veteran athletes, also known as master athletes. Anyone above 35 could participate in various age categories, from the district to the international level. Milkha Singh, India’s legendary athlete, started it in 1978 to help elderly people stay fit. Years later veteran sports isn’t just about fitness. It has acquired a far greater significance — it has become an emotional and psychological anchor for the elderly, keeping them from a sense of loneliness and purposelessness.

Old warriors

Just like the Sidhu brothers, another veteran athlete is Bhopinder Banta Singh. It takes a massive effort not to feel surprised when this elegant lady, with a cheerful disposition and an energetic gait, tells you she is 86. The surprise, however, turns into shock as she brings out a few certificates for her recent feats in the 100m sprint. She won a silver medal in the 85-plus category in the Nationals, held a few months back in Goa. 

For the record, the 86-year-‘young’ lady has been the Asian champion in 100m sprint for the last 15 years. 

But for her, too, sport isn’t just about fitness, or winning medals. It has been a life-long companion she just can’t do without. This companionship began way back when she, as a little girl, would climb trees and swim in the ponds of her village, now in Pakistan, with her siblings. The bond is perhaps at its strongest at the moment when her husband is no more and her children are based in Delhi.

“It’s impossible for me to imagine my life without sport. I would have been miserable without it,” she says, sitting pretty in her cozy Chandigarh home. And when she says she can’t live without sport, she means it. Just a year back, she had to get her knee replaced. Within a year she was up and running. “I am back to playing tennis, have already won a silver medal in the 100m sprint clocking 24 seconds, and have done a bit of snorkeling, too, after the surgery. I will be off to France for the World Athletics in the first week of August,” she smiles. 

Equally addicted to sports is Gurjiwan. “We’ve a house in Kasauli, and he lives there from June to September every year. He takes the iron balls along and keeps practicing there too. Once, he threw the hammer a little longer and smashed the water tank of a neighbouring house,” recounts his son GS Sidhu, laughing. 

Foot loose 

Despite sport being much more than just winning awards and medals for these athletes, they, quite surprisingly, remain fiercely competitive and take pride in talking about their achievements. Moreover, they aren’t content with what they have already achieved; almost everyone has his/her sights fixed on another laurel at national or international level. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to sweat out in the nearby ground and not bother traveling around to compete, especially when they themselves have to take care of much of the logistics? 

Pargat, who, too, has won several medals in shot put at national and international level, solves the riddle for us. “How do you think a child would feel if he’s made to study all through the year, only to be told at the end that there won’t be any exams?” he asks. “Likewise, we, too, feel the need to show what we could do and achieve. It feels nice when someone reads about us and calls to congratulate,” he says. 

For Bhopinder, half the fun of being a sportswoman lies in being able to travel to new places and meeting new people.  “The charm of seeing new places, meeting people is irresistible… you make so many memories. On our first trip to England in 1978, there was some gurdwara sports meet in London. Suddenly, Milkha Singh challenged anyone 50-plus there, men included, to beat me in the 100m sprint. I was horrified, but he told me ‘don’t worry, all of them are drunk, they won’t last 50m’. Thankfully, none took the challenge, and I was declared the winner, got £50 as prize money,” she recalls, laughing.

Joy outweighs pain 

These jovial men and women make it sound like a walk in the park, but it isn’t. There’s always a risk of injury while hurling those iron balls around, or straining those worn-out muscles while sprinting or playing tennis. They aren’t ignorant of the dangers; they just choose to overlook it. “There’s always some niggle here or there, my shoulders keep giving me trouble … but it’s alright, the joy I derive from sport is way too much to bother about all this,” says Bhopinder.

 “Look, you could get hurt anywhere. A few days back I hurt my leg while kick-starting a bike. Here at the ground, we may pull a muscle or two, but sleep soundly at night,” says the younger Sidhu brother. How do your children cope with it? Don’t they get a bit anxious? “They are so used to see me compete and travel on my own,” says Banta Singh. The comparatively younger athletes, too, have their own tales about how the sport is adding life to their years. “I’ve just started competing in 60 plus, thanks to Sidhu sir. Sport has introduced me to so many people in such a short span… I’ve a vast group of friends and acquaintances now; we stay in touch through Facebook, WhatsApp,” says Parminder Singh. For 45-year plus Rajni Bala, a Head Constable with the Chandigarh Police, sport has boosted her self-belief and self-esteem. “Everyone in the department knows who I am, people respect me for my sporting achievements,” says the mother of two. “And it feels really nice when people tell me I look the same as when I joined the department long time back,” she says. The most heart-warming aspect about the veteran athletics is that it’s not confined to only handful people. “It’s becoming quite a rage among the elderly. In the Nationals held in Dharamsala a couple of months back, about 2,500 athletes from across the country participated,” said Manmohan Singh, a recent entrant into master athletics. “We’ve not succeeded in building a sports culture in our country all these years; maybe these spirited men and women will inspire the youth to make sport a part of their lives,” he hoped. Amen.