Fun 'n' Frolic

Every Olympic athlete requires a running companion to assist him during training and the heats. This person is technically known as a ‘training partner’. He is the one who assesses competition, strategises and sets the pace for the runner, eventually turning him into champion material.
Today, our star athlete Dilip Babani found his ‘training partner’ (see yesterday’s post) in Tian Serrao. The tiny four-year-old joined forces with the 50-something (pic alongside) from the moment he arrived in the Garden with his gran'ma and got cracking while all others idled away discussing preparations for the Sports Day (see post yesterday): What ‘disciplines’ are to be included for the event? Should non-members also be invited to take part? How do we ensure a level-playing field? Are there enough drinking water and toilet facilities in the wilderness of the national park?
While we got into such pointless hair-splitting, Tian did his warm-up and ran the stretch of the Garden, getting up on a cemented platform and surveyed us from a distance. That was of course, beyond Dilip. So he waited for Tian to get down and then challenged him to a 50 metre sprint. Midway, he gave up. But on Tian’s return, Dilip caught up and matching stride for stride, he finally found his rhythm. At this rate, given Tian’s coaching skills, Dilip has emerged a strong contender for the top IODEX prize.
Jagmohan Papneja added to the air of jollity by informing us that his daughter had been blessed by a baby girl. He shared his happiness with a box of barfis (above left), brought all the way from Ludhiana. He had gone to Delhi to attend a wedding and from there, had obviously extended his trip to Punjab.
Our blessings are with the new-born – and of course, hearty congratulations to the family.
Harish Wadhwa:
* What a coincidence, both sprinters are dressed for the occasion in red and black.
* The Sports Day was the hot topic of discussion with good suggestions pouring in from friends:
a) Cricket and Housie will NOT be played or even allowed.
b) All games have to be traditional which we used to play in our younger days.
c) Games with body contact will not be allowed.(!!??)
d) There will be individual and team competitions.
e) A special 50 metre dash for the age group of 75-plus.
f) Refreshments like milk, Bournvita or Complan would be served during breaks.
More suggestions are welcome, as detailed plans are being formulated for the day.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "On your marks, get set, go... Let's see who reaches the finishing line"!
* Treats as usual -- the reason for our attendance?