After quite a long time, I picked up my badminton racket again and it kinda felt unreal. Life like honestly had moved so fast that I didn’t even realize when and where I left this part of me behind. Badminton had been my favourite sports activity in the past. I had great fun playing it and I always enjoyed being the top student in sports Gala in school times.
Now I am a university student carrying responsibilities,pressure, and expectations along with my books. Somewhere between serious studies,family responsibilities and planning a future,badminton slowly disappeared from my routine. I did not quit it suddenly. I just got so much into studies that I found it waste of time to be playing badminton. With time I just stopped choosing it anymore.
When our university sports gala was announced, something shifted inside me. It was not excitement at first. It was nostalgia. A quiet reminder of who I used to be before responsibilities decided my daily schedule. I remembered how badminton once meant freedom, not competition. That moment pushed me to pick up the rackets once again.I felt an energy even though I wasn’t sure I still belonged on the court.
The first day back was tougher than I expected. My grip felt unfamiliar,my footwork was slow and my stamina was nowhere near where it used to be. Every missed shot reminded me how much time had passed. For a second,I felt like giving up. I thought maybe this hobby belonged to a younger version of me.Maybe to the one with fewer worries and more time.
But as I kept playing with resilience something changed. The sound of the shuttle hitting the racket brought back memories I didn’t know I was holding onto.School days,its small tournaments,parents silently supporting me and friends waiting outside the court. Back then,life was simpler.
Now, standing there as a university student, I realized I had left badminton not because I stopped loving it, but because responsibilities demanded more attention from me.
I wanted to regain my old passion.After classes, I started practicing whenever I could. It was not easy to balance studies, assignments,and training. Some days I was exhausted, mentally and physically.But the court became my escape. For those few moments, I was not a stressed student worrying about grades or the future. I felt alive and was just someone chasing a shuttlecock,breathing freely.
As the sports gala is coming closer,I don’t know what the result be.
Winning would feel great, but that’s not the main thing anymore. What matters is that I found my way back to something I once loved.This moment reminded me that hobbies don’t disappear.They live inside and wait patiently for us to return.
Badminton didn’t just bring back a sport for me.It brought back my confidence, balance and a part of myself I thought I had lost to responsibilities and studies. And honestly, that feels like a win already.
