All round ability

Jamsheed Hormusjee won the All Round Men’s Championship Trophy for the fourth year running at the Annual Indoor Games organized by the Zoroastrian Club, Secunderabad from May 29 –June 10, 2010. Nadene Vakeel won the All Round Ladies Championship Trophy. Hormusjee secured the honor by virtue of his victories in badminton singles and mixed doubles and runner up positions in table tennis singles and doubles and badminton doubles. On an earlier occasion too he had been crowned All Round Champion, making it a grand total of five Championships for him.

Vakeel picked up the title because of her wins in badminton mixed doubles and runner up positions in the singles and doubles finals. In table tennis, Vakeel stood second in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles. "This year the participation was on a larger scale. It was great to see new youngsters exhibiting their talent,” states Hormusjee. "There is a good fight in each event but the sporting spirit is strong. You don’t feel bad even if you lose,” Vakeel remarks. What made the tournament more interesting and entertaining this year was the crowd, with larger numbers present to watch the matches and cheer, asserts Hormusjee. "For about 10 days a year we are together for four to five hours a day so this tournament gives us a good opportunity to get to know each other,” adds Vakeel.

Hormusjee has been the captain of the Zoroastrian Club Secunderabad cricket team for the last four years. "I am proud to captain the team that won the 23rd Jiji Irani cricket tournament held in Jamshedpur in October 2009. Cricket has been part of my life ever since I was young. I just loved the game and used to jump at every opportunity to play!” declares Jamsheed whose father Jehangir was also a good sportsman in his young days. "He is the main person to motivate me to go and win in different sports,” says the 28-year-old who has done his masters in business administration and is at present working in a multinational company in the human resource department.

Vakeel’s sphere of sports covers badminton, table tennis, carom, snooker, swimming and cricket! "Years ago, when I was in the ninth standard I was the only girl in the Parsi cricket team and used to attend team practices. I even took part in a couple of games,” she says. Badminton gives you a very good workout, she notes, as does swimming which she loves as a summer sport, helping to tone all the muscles. A bad bout of typhoid has not dampened her spirit, though it did prevent her from taking part in many events at last year’s Indoor Games as the doctor had advised rest for six months. "Sports makes you enthusiastic. I like keeping myself fit,” says the 27-year-old graphic designer.