Destined to Fail

FITNESS MYTHIC HERO OF THE MONTH

- Shobhna Deepak

Sweat dripped from my forehead, trickling down to the tip of my nose and pooling on the floor beneath me—a small but stark reminder of the intense pressure I was under. I lifted my gaze from the floor, first to my coach, who was meticulously discussing our next strategy. Then I glanced at my teammates, whose eyes gleamed with the hope of securing the much-anticipated win. Finally, I took in the sight of the crowd, cheering us on as we faced our rival college in this crucial Kabaddi match, currently tied at halftime.

“Focus, Abhi. Focus!” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It’s never easy to concentrate when everyone sees you as the last hope. After all, I am the son of the legendary Arjun Singh, our college alumnus and the most successful Kabaddi captain in history.

My father left behind a powerful legacy of consistent victories. He was undefeated throughout his time, dismantling every opposition strategy as if it were child's play.

Everyone assumed I’d be a natural, as if I had absorbed all the strategies and skills while still in my mother’s womb. The weight of their expectations bore down on me, creating immense pressure to live up to his legacy.

My captain, Yudi, snapped me out of my thoughts. “Abhi, let’s go!”

As the second half progressed, we struggled to make a significant impact. The opposing team worked together so seamlessly that breaching their defence seemed nearly impossible. They had managed to reduce our numbers from seven to five players, while we hadn’t managed to touch a single one of theirs.