The world of sports is fascinating and extraordinary. It is the world of the youth. And no one really knows when youth comes into one's life and when it fades away. Even great players like Prakash Padukone, by the time they reached their thirty-fifth year, began to think that it was time to give new buds a chance. The field of sports is best suited for the young, full of dreams and hopes.
The idea of retiring from active sports life began to cross the mind of this legendary figure. Family responsibilities were now demanding more of his time. He had seen the world... shown much to the world... now, the desire to spend time with his family and the thought of giving his constantly hardworking body some rest started to emerge.
The serene moments in a cold country like Denmark thrilled him when, after rigorous practice, he would return home in the morning and on the winding black stone road amidst snowy paths, he would see someone strolling with his cotton-flower-like daughter in a pram. While caressing his daughter, he would place his racket in the pram and enter the apartment with his daughter in his arms. With a cup of coffee made by his wife, Ujjwala, in one hand and his daughter in the other... his wife would watch him as she took the baby, and Prakash, forgetting his fatigue, would take a sip of coffee. His daughter’s big eyes seemed to say something about her future to her parents from that very moment.
That home, like a landscape, would ask Ujjwala, "Is this home, this city, this country not yours? Will you go back?" And the melancholy of the season would dissolve into the fog.
Prakash soon withdrew from the dazzling world of active sports and competition. However, the fame he had earned wasn’t going to fade away so easily. Consequently, Prakash Padukone was one day made the President of the Badminton Association of India. This was a recognition of his reputation. It was a tribute to his relentless hard work. Congratulations began to pour in.
Now, a new kind of responsibility, with a different kind of bustle, surrounded him. As a child, he had often seen his father, who served as the Secretary of the Mysore Badminton Association, deeply concerned about the future and issues of the sport and players. Drawing from his own experiences, Prakash began making efforts to enhance the state of the sport.
However, it’s probably true that the playing field and the administrative field of sports don’t have the same nature. In sports, you aim to win yourself, while as an official in a sports association, you have to pave the way for others to win.
Nevertheless, he was Prakash Padukone—the well-wisher of the sport! He worked with new ideas and intentions for the betterment and popularity of badminton in India.
Like how both teachers and students work hard, but once successful, the student moves to the next level, while the teacher remains at the same spot. For a person like Prakash, who was used to winning, this was a new experience. But for someone who had fought his struggles alone and carved a special place for himself on the world’s highest stage, being bound by government policies and rules soon became tiresome.
After some time, Prakash resigned from the position of President of the Badminton Association of India. His children were growing up. They had been blessed with another daughter, and this small family constantly reminded him that now he had to play on a different kind of court, where on one side were he and his wife Ujjwala, and on the other were their two beloved daughters.
They settled in Bangalore because the children’s education had to begin. As the century neared its end, the young children began to understand that they weren’t ordinary kids, nor had they opened their eyes in a simple household. They were part of a family of a world champion, with a glowing history and the best wishes from around the world. Whether at school or home, their friends always reminded them that they were special and had to achieve something significant in life.
The house was filled with world-class trophies in every corner, shelves stocked with numerous gold and silver medals, and a collection of photographs of their father with famous personalities from around the world. This constantly reminded the children that it was now their turn to inherit and safeguard this legacy. This awareness planted golden dreams in both daughters' minds from a young age.
Ujjwala, though a homemaker who had never held a job or pursued a career, came from a disciplined family background and never left any stone unturned in managing an ambitious family. Ujjwala’s father was a firm believer in British discipline, and he had instilled these values in his daughter. As a result, Prakash’s family was bound by strict discipline and routine from the very beginning. This punctuality in their daily life was visible throughout their lives. Prakash, being a world-class athlete himself, was used to living a balanced and disciplined life, and his wife’s disciplined upbringing only enhanced this.
One of Prakash’s school friends had told him an interesting story in his childhood, which left a deep impression on his mind. The story went something like this:
In a famous club, two friends used to meet every evening for a little chat and light drinks. One day, when the second friend arrived, he found the first sitting there, sad and gloomy.
“Hey, what happened? We come here to laugh and be happy, not to sit with a long face!” said the friend.
The first friend then explained his sadness. He said, “My son was selected from his school to participate in a sports competition abroad.”
“That’s great news! What’s there to worry about? When will he go?” asked the friend.
“He’s already come back!” replied the sad friend.
The friend was surprised and asked, “Oh, did he lose? No problem. It’s a matter of pride that he went abroad at such a young age to compete. Winning and losing are part of the game.”
The friend then said, “He didn’t lose. He became the champion.”
“Hurrah! So why are you sitting with a long face?” The friend patted him on the back.
Then, the gloomy friend revealed the real reason for his sadness: “Ever since my son came back after winning, he hasn’t listened to a word I say. Whatever I say, he does the exact opposite.”
“Oh!” said the friend, raising his beer glass, and said, “Cheers!”
