| Do your kids a favour… take them to watch world-class athletes  Source: PTI For many years, I have complained about India’s lack of sporting culture and how most sports, including golf, have suffered because of it. Last week, I realised something very important when I took my son to watch the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final match between India and Australia at Dubai International Stadium. I am the problem. Or, at least, part of the problem. Here is the context: My son, now 15, was born and raised in Dubai. He has studied in international schools all his life and has a wonderful group of friends from all over the world. Over the years, he has gravitated towards football as his preferred sport. Part of a football academy, his skill levels are quite good, and he has developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the sport. His favourite team is Bayern Munich and if insisted, he can name the starting eleven of the 12th placed team in Serie A. He hardly plays cricket and is mostly unaware of it’s nuances and history. I haven’t forced upon him the sport I grew up playing and loving because I thought that’s what good parents do – they let kids be kids. The same goes for golf. I have access to some of the finest tournaments that are held at our doorsteps in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. However, a golf tournament is usually a 12-hour workday for me, and I have never taken him to watch the sublime skills of guys like Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. So, when we were going for the cricket match, I had trepidations. Was I subjecting my son to eight hours of torture? Will cricket interest him, especially in the absence of basic knowledge of the sport? I wanted it to be a father-son moment, but would he remember it the same way in the future? What followed was a revelation. Shaurya enjoyed every moment of India’s win. He was attentive throughout the match, enthusiastically participated in crowd celebrations (including the Mexican waves), and even made several insightful comments. I had assured him that he could ask me anything he wanted to know about the sport, and there were questions by the dozen. And I absolutely loved his Gen Z comments. When Virat Kohli came to field under our stand and more than 200 people were trying to film him and get his attention, forgetting that the pitch was 50 yards to the right, he said: “Bro has aura!”. When Shreyas Iyer paddle swept Cooper Connolly off successive balls, he was "cold” and Hardik Pandya “had rizz” when he smashed those late sixes. Five days later, he watched the entire final on television – a first for him again! He now wants to play cricket and bowl as fast as Mohammed Shami and hit sixes like Pandya. And it set me thinking… I should have done this before. I should have taken him to watch golf and tennis tournaments. Not because he might become the next Virat Kohli or Tiger Woods, but just so that he has varied interests and probably picks up a few values and skills by starting to play these sports. It also makes me more appreciative of the number of golf parents I have interacted with, especially in a place like India where golf is not as mainstream as cricket. Jeev Milkha Singh and Mr Milkha Singh. Arjun Atwal and Bindi. Anirban Lahiri and Dr Tushar. Shubhankar Sharma and Colonel Mohan. Aditi Ashok and Mash. Rayhan Thomas and John. Kartik Singh and Dhananjay. Avani Prashanth and MS. Zara Anand and Vivek. The list would be very long if I had to name all of them. It’s one thing to get your kids interested in a sport, and a completely different level of commitment – financial, mental and time invested – to provide the necessary ecosystem to become a professional golfer. I know I can never reach the dedication level of these parents. But what I can try and do is make my son interested enough to start playing various sports. And taking him out to watch world-class athletes is definitely the starting point. The Hero Indian Open starts in less than three weeks. Entry is free. How about a walk in the park with your kids? | 
