MAKING MORE ENEMIES THAN FRIENDS!

The young children I trained became better and better. Suddenly there was a buzz in the air - THAT BASKETBALL WAS COOL! Officers from the PSU, past basketball players and politicos of the game started coming in to give ADVISE. Everyone wanted a share in the WINNING HORSE. Then another thing happened - all HANDBALL players [some of them state, national and international players] wanted to play basketball. Occasionally, cricket and hockey players too wanted to play the game for WARM UP. The game was becoming too popular [READ - MAHAJAN WAS BECOMING TOO POPULAR]. Other coaches didn't like it - though there was a smile on their face when they wished me.

AND SUDDENLY, we started getting interference from the `official' basketball team - which suddenly decided to change its timing to `coincide' with our timing. Old stalwarts of the game - who had been the COACHES during past two decades, who were in the team more for the `LEAVES' they could enjoy than for playing - suddenly united against the common enemy - ME.

I was getting suffocated - when suddenly, another horizon opened up. A leading school of the city asked me to be a part-time coach for their school. FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS GOING TO BE PAID FOR DOING WHAT I LOVED! The news spread fast - according to all I WAS GOING TO BE PAID AN ASTRONOMICAL SUM. This didn't make many people happy. What happened in the school MUST BE A SEPARATE STORY.

To silence all my enemies and FRIENDS [?] TOO - I proposed that we conduct an event called MICRO-OLYMPICS. Every player, coach and administrator would be involved. One thousand children from the neighbouring schools would be invited from standards I to V to participate in FIVE DISCIPLINES - for those interested I shall prepare the technical details and post it later. Suddenly I WAS A HERO - there was unity all around. To make the event successful - everyone pitched in - some joined up to `mock' at what we were doing. But even their eyes popped out in wonder, when the march past of these ONE THOUSAND CHILDREN took place. I was THE CHEF DE MISSION and I behaved like one. It was, the most astounding event of my career.

In the meantime, my basketball boys and girls were growing up - their victories and losses were being hailed. The nine year olds were becoming thirteen year olds and a group emerged from this batch that went on to surpass every one's expectations. Some senior players [GENUINE] started giving these boys and girls tips - and some senior players [NON-GENUINE] started abusing these children by saying YOUR COACH DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BASKETBALL. My non-conventional way of coaching wasn't going well with them. One day, just to spite me, they invited me to play along with them. They were incredulously shocked when I shot FOUR - three pointers to stamp my class. My defense too was impeccable - and instead of making me look like a joker they got mud on their faces. My students cheered me - WE HAD MADE MORE ENEMIES! But we had FRIENDS too.

These FRIENDS made a scapegoat out of me and I finally quit the scene at the PSU. Things were hotting up at the school and that part is next.