I am accompanying a contingent of 392 athletes representing Kerala to compete in the National Masters Games in Vadodara (Gujarat) in February 2020.

Masters Games are for veterans and competitions are for older age groups in brackets of five years, like 50 to 54, 65 to 69, 74 to 79 etc.

The events include athletics, swimming, and various popular group games like football, volleyball, hockey and skill events like archery, shooting etc.

This is a great opportunity for sports people to continue the preparations and training for top honours.

There’s in fact world championships and world records for each age group for various items.

Absolutely a golden opportunity for keeping fit and achieving dream honours.

Masters Games are also for those who think that they might have lost out in the prime age sports leading to Olympics.

I am one of them! A great sports enthusiast, I took the ‘little bit of everything’ route rather than concentrating on one event and to get specially trained on that.

Perhaps I did think that I should have been super trained in one of them.

That’s when I heard about the Masters Games. It covers almost all (if not all) sports events and there are State level, National level and International level competitions for age groups in steps of 5 years from 30 onwards till 80 plus.

And surprise, there’s even World Records for the individual items.

I am a Master now and a Sportsman again!