never give up

Have you met Iqbal Khan? He is a deaf-mute boy from a remote village in India, but that hasnt stopped him from dreaming big. He wants to play cricket, in the Indian team, and that too as a fast bowler. Given that at any time only eleven players make the team, his chances of doing so are around one in a hundred million. And it is not helped by the fact that he is too poor to afford proper gear or a good coach, his handicap makes him dependent on another to communicate and his parents aren't too spportive of the idea of he taking all his time to play cricket. Add to that all the politics in team selection, it seems impossible that he will fulfill his dream. Maybe one of us would have given up, or would have advised him to go back to the fields.

Iqbal keeps trying, and keeps converting his setbacks into oppurtunities. When he is forced to work by his father, he starts getting up early and playing in the night. When he is thrown out of the academy by his coach, he finds himself a better one. The herd of buffaloes that he has to graze, is not a distraction, but becomes an important factor in him learning his skill. We cannot deny that he has the talent or the drive, but we have to salute him for his hard work, his perseverence and a never-give-up attitude, which will stand him in good stead later on in life.

We all are much luckier than him, born with a silver spoon in our mouth. But somehow we manage to squander away all the oppurtunities that have been given to us, not realising their value untill it is too late. It is those who realise the value of every chance given to them, and are determined to make the best of them who are really successful in real life. Unfortunately it takes us a long time to grasp this reality and we are left thinking of what-ifs. It is true that every individual is born with the same amount of talent, skill or ability - call it what you may. What sets the winners apart from the losers is the drive to succeed, the ability to have a goal and to focus towards it and the willingness to adapt to a bad situation and use it as an advantage.

And yes, Iqbal did make it to the national team in the end, and we wish him all the best in the future.