Short Bio of Nandan Bal:
Nandan Bal has several honours and awards to his credit:
- winning the national championships in India
- being ranked among top 200 players around the globe
- representing India in the Davis cup for 11 long years
- being the Indian Coach for the Davis cup till very recently
- bagging the Shiv Chattrapati award for excellence as player
- and Dadoji Kondeo award for excellence as coach, Govt. of Maharashtra!
But he believes that one of his most enduring victories is inspiring fitness and the love for sports with his two daughters, successful in their own right today. He is passionate about fitness and sports and believes that a family that plays together stays fit together!
Father's day is never done, and here he talks about the responsibility of fathers towards encouraging play and sports.
Over to Nandan...
If there is one thing that life has taught me, it is the fact that all education is not obtained in schools and colleges.
I have been a traveling sportsman from the age of 12, and today I can say with certainty that what I am is not just due to the education system.
The fact that I have seen life through the eyes of someone who has stayed fit and been a sportsman to the core all his life has been a greater factor.
Education gave me a formal degree, which I suppose one requires to move ahead in life.
However, it was my informal education through my sports travel that taught me how to deal with the many curveballs that life often throws at me (and everyone else).
What is the importance of sports in life?
First and foremost, the single biggest reason to be in sport is to be fit for life, to be healthy for life.
The last thing you want is to be in ill health during the golden years of your life when all you want is peace and relaxation.
My simple suggestion: involve your child in sport starting at a very young age, and you will never have to worry about their being sick when they want to enjoy their retired life with their family around them.
Today it is sad to see children in front of a laptop, TV or cellphone especially in the evenings when they could be out in the glorious outdoors building upon their health and fitness. The rule in my house was always, “EVENINGS HAVE TO BE SPENT OUTDOORS.”
Being in sport and being fitness-conscious will imbibe in you some incredible qualities which will never let you down in life.
Sports teaches you to have a big heart, think big, and never fret about the small issues and niggles in one's life.
You learn to dream big, and you also learn to develop the conviction to chase your dreams and achieve them.
Being in sport has helped my daughters acquire a number of qualities which I seriously doubt they would have earned with just formal education.
They have learned to accept accolades with humility and defeat with grace. They have mastered the virtues of discipline and punctuality.
Being self-reliant, resourceful and self-confident (not to be confused with arrogance), is second nature to them.
They have learned to be a “team person” and when necessary have learned to be a leader in their team.
Most importantly they have learned to stay calm in dealing with any adversity that life throws at them.
Finally, I will also add that being a sportsperson opens doors for you anywhere in the world because the world always loves a sportsperson.
I am glad that both of my daughters have decided to be fit, healthy and sporty. I know this is the one decision they will always be happy about.