"Why We All Secretly Think We Could’ve Gone Pro (But... Didn't)"

 Let’s be honest for a second. At some point in our lives—probably right after nailing a perfect cover drive in gully cricket or scoring a clutch penalty in a sweaty Sunday match—we’ve all whispered to ourselves: “Yaar, I could’ve gone pro.”

Yes, you. Sitting there with your slightly torn gym shorts and a cricket bat that’s now mostly used to kill cockroaches. You, who tells your friends every IPL season, “If I had just one proper coach, bas…” This blog is for you.

The Great Indian Sports Dream (That Mostly Ends in Tuition)

Growing up in India, you either become a doctor, engineer, CA—or get beaten into one of the above by your relatives’ expectations. Sports? Hah! That’s for the holidays, beta. If you tried telling your parents in Class 10 that you wanted to be a footballer, you probably got a long lecture starting with “Pehle boards pass karo.”

Our dreams of making it to the Indian team ended the day we said, “I’ll play after exams.” And those exams never stopped. Ever. Even after graduation, life became one long test you never signed up for.

But hey, we’re not here to cry over spilled protein shakes. We’re here to laugh, because, let’s face it: we were legends in our own heads.

When We Were Kings (Of Local Tournaments)

Every small town and city has its own unofficial Olympics. The “Annual Inter-Mohalla Cricket Tournament,” or the “Housing Society Volleyball League.” And don’t forget the most important title: "Captain of the Colony Team."

You wore your team's jersey like it was the national kit. You sledged opponents with lines that would make even Virat Kohli blush. You walked out to bat to your own imaginary background music. It was drama, it was action, it was desi-level World Cup—but with more chai breaks.

And oh, the uncles. Every team had that one uncle who never played, but always stood with a towel around his neck, shouting, "Oye, straight maar na! Shot selection theek kar!" as if he was Ricky Ponting.

The Gym Phase (Or, “I Lift, Therefore I’m Athletic”)

Post-school, many of us thought that joining the gym would automatically qualify us as “sportsmen.” Bro science was at its peak. We didn’t know if we were training for cricket, football, or Mr. Olympia—but we were sure biceps were important for everything.

Remember that one friend who would wear gloves in the gym like he was going to bat in the Ranji Trophy after deadlifts? Yeah. That was you.

And yes, the protein shake became our new religion. You didn’t even know what creatine was, but you consumed it because “Dhoni bhi leta hoga yeh.”

The Weekend Warrior Era

Fast forward to today. You’ve got a job, a back pain that comes free with adulthood, and a belly that jiggles every time you sneeze. But the dream hasn’t completely died. You’re now a proud Weekend Warrior.

Saturday morning football in turf cages. Sunday evening badminton doubles at the community court. You play like your life depends on it. Your opponents are 17-year-olds in school jerseys, but you dive like you’re playing in the FIFA final.

You limp back to work on Monday, but when your boss asks what happened, you say with a smirk: “Sports injury.”

Why We Still Love the Game

Even if we didn’t “go pro,” sports made us who we are. It taught us teamwork, hustle, the joy of winning, and the frustration of being given out LBW by your biased cousin.

It gave us friends, memories, bruises, stories, and that one medal we still keep in a drawer like it’s Olympic gold.

And now, as fans, we cheer like lunatics, cry when our team loses, and scream “Offside!” even though 90% of us still don’t understand the rule completely.

Final Whistle: You’re Still a Champ

Look, maybe you never made it to Wankhede. Maybe you never wore that blue jersey with your name on the back (unless you got it printed in Karol Bagh). But in your gully, your turf, your WhatsApp group of washed-up athletes—you’re still the GOAT.

So keep playing. Keep watching. Keep pretending your leg pain is from “yesterday’s match” and not from sitting weird on the sofa.

Because sports isn’t just about stadiums and trophies. It’s about passion, energy, laughs, and the occasional pulled hamstring.

And hey—next time your team wins, don’t forget to say it loudly (with your hand on your chest):
“I could’ve gone pro, bhai. But you know… life.