Patterson's Sports Page

I still remember my school days very well. November 14 was always special, not just because it was children's day but because it was a holiday. Yes, we had to go to school but we were back home soon after some exciting time in school, unlike the usual working days. As a child I always felt special only on this day.

I can never forget the fun I had in school; I'm sure nobody will. Every morning began with a hurry to get to school on time; well dressed yet half asleep.

I was having my daily glance at sports websites. One story immediately caught my eyes and no points for guessing, it was an Arsenal related story.

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry asks the same question that I have been trying to answer from a long time - Can Arsenal find anyone better than Arsene Wenger?

Well, with the six seasons without a trophy critics would certainly feel that its time for a change in manager for Arsenal. Wenger hasn't been using the funds well and he has failed to get results from his extremely young squad.

For once lets assume Arsenal sack Wenger. Now what? Whom do you look for? Bring in any name and ponder whether he can provide the same things that Wenger did. A change in manager would mean a change in the entire system at the club. The Gunners may have to do away with their most impressive style of play, something that the club has been admired for ever since Wenger joined the Gunners in 1996 as manager. The team spirit that is visible in the current squad may vanish too.

I was comparing my photographs of the present with ones of just about three years old. The difference in my stature is easily noticeable. From swollen cheeks to a small tummy, I seem to have gained weight from all the sides. Well, I was pretty aware of this fact from quite some time now.

I often made promises to my myself that I will start working out or join the gym to regain the physique is had about three years. The physique is solely the result of intensive training with Dempo juniors. Now that I don’t train with as much vigour and with my appetite increase without limits, its natural for me to gain weight.

After all the fake promises to myself, I am finally working on it. For the past two day I’ve been making time to play and following that doing much basic exercise to reduce. Fortunately I have not been lazy this time. Usually I give up after working out for a day. This time I’ve managed to take it to three days. Hopefully it will continue regularly.

I’m not at expert at physical exercises so I just follow what I had learned during my playing days. My exercises mostly consist of some abdominal exercises, skipping and push-ups besides regular jogging and sprinting.

Anyone has some more exercises to suggest my? I’ll be more than pleased to accept them. You may feed in your suggestions in the comment box bellow.

Just when I was adapting to a hectic routine, off comes one of my most dreaded enemies - Examinations! I wish I could avoid them. The only good thing about the examination period is that I am relative free compared to the other working days at college.

MCMS at St. Aloysius College, Mangalore keeps me occupied with some work or the other. The daily schedule is so packed that there's no time to breathe. I kinda enjoy it although I am drained by the end of the day. So, examinations actually frees up a lot of my time, giving me the benefit to relax. However, its hard to relax when exams are just a day away. Isn't it? Nevertheless I have mastered the art of not worrying about exams - something completely opposite of what I use to do during my school examinations. All kinds of illness wrapped around me during those days. Thankfully, its not the same now.

Today exams don't bother me even a bit. Instead of preparing for my first paper (Development Communication), I preferred editing a feature story for 'Campus Eye' (weekly campus news bulletin produced by the students of MCMS and telecast by a local TV channel). My mom will kill me if she reads this. Good that she has no access to the internet. Readers kindly keep you mouth shut.

Don't worry, I am not neglecting my studies. I have tomorrow's day to prepare for the paper. Will be busy with my books the whole day. Hope these examinations turn out to be better than the previous.

Happy studying to all in examinations mode. Do well.

To wish me luck, which I will need a lot this time, post in the comment box below. Cheers.

 

Its funny! I usually avoid posting such content...but don't know why I am doing it today. Probably been a tiring day.

Anyways...good night

About a year and a half that I have been studying in Mangalore and all I have been hungry for is - access to television so that I can follow whats making news in the field of sports. I have been so loaded with work that I don't even have time to update this blog. Was fortunate enough to get the time to add this post.

The strict hostel regulations allow me no time to even touch the remote-control of the television. And even if I get to do that, a fleet of students blabber something in Kannada and I understand that they want me to switch to a Kannada channel. That's my fate!

Frustrated enough, I have to rely on the newspapers for news. But somehow I prefer witnessing events by my own eyes rather than the next day's newspaper telling it to me. I have been missing on all the thrills that sports have to offer, be it football, cricket, tennis, F1, MotoGP. It makes me realize how handicapped I am without proper access to the television.

As a sports journalist I definitely want to know beyond whats making headlines. Without viewing sports matches, it is impossible for me to analyze and have my own opinion on various aspects of a particular sport.

I fear this will hamper my aspirations to pursue sports journalism. But I have been trying to at least follow up with sports updates from various social media and sports websites.

Ghosh! never been so frustrated. Hope things get better and the remaining six months of academics come to an immediate end.