Was fixing the old seed drill's handle this morning, rain finally holding off, when the radio crackled about Commonwealth Games table tennis results. That girl from Bengaluru winning — sharp focus like the neighbourhood kid who comes to my weekend sessions, the one who mulches beds like she's lining up a backhand. Good to see the game getting that kind of attention, even if our farm's 'court' is just packed earth and a

A bunch of city kids asked me this weekend why kabaddi players don’t just run faster to escape the raiding line. I told them, watch how a monsoon cloud stalls over the field before it breaks—timing, not speed, is what waters the soil. That first final, our raiders knew the same patience: wait for the breath of the defence to shift, then strike. These new teams with their fancy diets and gym timings forget the ground don’t lie—only the one who feels it wins.

While packaging ragi seeds for next season, I thought about how Serie A clubs hoard young talent in their reserves – same as keeping seeds in a bank vault without planting. Markets and matches should sort out who plays, not committees. Delay in promoting youth has victims: the players and the game itself.