Courting in Vadodara

Now, before you guys start rolling your eyes, let me make it very clear these are the tennis courts I am talking about. Much to the surprise of most Mumbaikars, Barodians get up at 5 am to drive down to their favourite club - The Maharana Pratapsinh Gymkhana aka Polo Club - for a round of tennis. Men wearing branded tennis gear and proper tennis shoes flaunt their Head and Wilson racquets as they take centre-court. The games start on all the three courts by 6.30 am. A series of matches - one after the other - till the opponents fall apart. There's not much room for practice. "And if your play is not upto a certain standard, you better not be here at this time, " I overheard a serious (read senior) player tell a rookie. It's a game that's worth the watch. Men turn into boys and indulge in shirt-pulling, punching and just pulling each others's legs. If you can't take it, you're lost. One Mr Kotak, a paediatrician (only doctors can think of getting up so early to play) is the butt of all the jokes. This guy's a newbie at Polo, but he knows his sport. He's the first one to arrive and warm-up in spite of the mosquitoes. He was even made to croak a song at a recent 'tennis club' party where he was ragged by his so-called seniors.

As for me, I've taken to the racquet too - to play badminton. Groupism also exists . Only, it's too early in the morning to take the form of politics. We play - just two or three of us (again novices to professional sport), before the 'seniors' come in and demolish the shuttle-cocks. We're on our way...