I had the honor to play 2nd String Football for my Squadron "Foxtrot" in the National Defence Academy🤪. It was the CSM's (Cadet Sargent Major leads the discipline and morale of the Squadron and is a final termer) ploy as he converted 6th String into a dummy 2nd String to meet his strategy for the inter-Squadron competitions.
The match began with Kilo Squadron’s original 2nd string team. The ball remained in Foxtrot half only as both the teams were unequally balanced! Killers got the whiff of our potential, but, we disrupted their game somehow by sliding, tackling and hitting the ball deliberately out of the field. The intensity of Killers was too high and the Fighters were running out of meager ideas about Football. In the National Defence Academy, a Cadet is made to play all types of field games to ensure that they learn these games and be able to play with their troops when they become Officers. This also makes them understand the meaning of team spirit. After all , National Defence Academy's motto is to convert Boys into Men. This is inscribed on a red stone where it is written "NDA- THE MAKER OF MEN".
After about 20 minutes of haggling,the hell broke loose as Killers scored 7 goals in about as many minutes The Referee was a young non- ex-NDA Officer who had just come on a posting and had no experience of how a National Defence Academy Cadet would think🧐.
He could not judge in the first half as to what was happening. The Killers also thought they had a kill but were going slow themselves as they had a comfortable lead. The Officer was by now having a situation as Foxies were shooting long balls and out of the ground. The heat on the ground was making the Officer's throat dry as he was running more than the Cadets and his whistle kept him pumping more breath into its ravines. The game slowed down again but the Officer by now had got the whiff of it. He stopped the game and the second half was only the front and back rolling session on the field and both Squadrons rolled-up and down- Fox for foxing around Kilo and Kilo for not steam rolling and killing Fox🤫.
Suddenly, the Deputy Commandant of the Academy landed on the field and saw the Cadets rolling and the score reading 7-0🤥. The Officer explained to him the matter. The Deputy Commandant just smiled away and said," Even I was a dummy 2nd String player my self and it needs courage to face an original 2nd String! These Foxies will be a tougher lot from now onward. Keep the game on and report the goal margins to me tomorrow". He told the Foxies to score a goal against Killers and promised to visit the team in the Squadron if that happens! He went away and the game started.
Foxies got charged up and the final score read 10-3 in favor of Kilo. The 11 Foxies on ground had a reason to celebrate- the 3 goals against a Goliath Team and a visit by the Deputy Commandant to the Squadron. We also became Footballers as Deputy Commandant visited the Foxtrot Squadron and hailed the Fighter's spirit of the team🦊. He said,"Damn Good Fighters. In the battle you would meet unequal enemies and I am sure that you boys will face them with grit and fight. Great spirit you all exhibited. Keep the fight on.” We all rejoiced and the team went into play more matches with the "Never Say Die" fighting spirit. We lost many matches but the fight remained in all.
Cheers to Football , Footballers and their Fighter's Spirit.
"Enter my portals O glory bound one
Learn to lead I'll make you men
In my dreams the bugle sounds
In my heart hope abounds
Leave my portals live like men
Death or glory it matters none
The hour beckons honour at stake
O valiant sons a mother prays
Lead with vigour straight up front
Rocklike bear the enemy's brunt
I shall write your untold story
I shall uphold your blazing glory
Go my sons the earth beckons
Hear my warriors the oceans call
Soar my eagles the sky is yours
Death before defeat
Death before dishonor
Death with distinction
A mother prays for all your days
Strive and seek victory with grace
A mother prays.
A mother prays."
The match began with Kilo Squadron’s original 2nd string team. The ball remained in Foxtrot half only as both the teams were unequally balanced! Killers got the whiff of our potential, but, we disrupted their game somehow by sliding, tackling and hitting the ball deliberately out of the field. The intensity of Killers was too high and the Fighters were running out of meager ideas about Football. In the National Defence Academy, a Cadet is made to play all types of field games to ensure that they learn these games and be able to play with their troops when they become Officers. This also makes them understand the meaning of team spirit. After all , National Defence Academy's motto is to convert Boys into Men. This is inscribed on a red stone where it is written "NDA- THE MAKER OF MEN".
After about 20 minutes of haggling,the hell broke loose as Killers scored 7 goals in about as many minutes The Referee was a young non- ex-NDA Officer who had just come on a posting and had no experience of how a National Defence Academy Cadet would think🧐.
He could not judge in the first half as to what was happening. The Killers also thought they had a kill but were going slow themselves as they had a comfortable lead. The Officer was by now having a situation as Foxies were shooting long balls and out of the ground. The heat on the ground was making the Officer's throat dry as he was running more than the Cadets and his whistle kept him pumping more breath into its ravines. The game slowed down again but the Officer by now had got the whiff of it. He stopped the game and the second half was only the front and back rolling session on the field and both Squadrons rolled-up and down- Fox for foxing around Kilo and Kilo for not steam rolling and killing Fox🤫.
Suddenly, the Deputy Commandant of the Academy landed on the field and saw the Cadets rolling and the score reading 7-0🤥. The Officer explained to him the matter. The Deputy Commandant just smiled away and said," Even I was a dummy 2nd String player my self and it needs courage to face an original 2nd String! These Foxies will be a tougher lot from now onward. Keep the game on and report the goal margins to me tomorrow". He told the Foxies to score a goal against Killers and promised to visit the team in the Squadron if that happens! He went away and the game started.
Foxies got charged up and the final score read 10-3 in favor of Kilo. The 11 Foxies on ground had a reason to celebrate- the 3 goals against a Goliath Team and a visit by the Deputy Commandant to the Squadron. We also became Footballers as Deputy Commandant visited the Foxtrot Squadron and hailed the Fighter's spirit of the team🦊. He said,"Damn Good Fighters. In the battle you would meet unequal enemies and I am sure that you boys will face them with grit and fight. Great spirit you all exhibited. Keep the fight on.” We all rejoiced and the team went into play more matches with the "Never Say Die" fighting spirit. We lost many matches but the fight remained in all.
Cheers to Football , Footballers and their Fighter's Spirit.
"Enter my portals O glory bound one
Learn to lead I'll make you men
In my dreams the bugle sounds
In my heart hope abounds
Leave my portals live like men
Death or glory it matters none
The hour beckons honour at stake
O valiant sons a mother prays
Lead with vigour straight up front
Rocklike bear the enemy's brunt
I shall write your untold story
I shall uphold your blazing glory
Go my sons the earth beckons
Hear my warriors the oceans call
Soar my eagles the sky is yours
Death before defeat
Death before dishonor
Death with distinction
A mother prays for all your days
Strive and seek victory with grace
A mother prays.
A mother prays."
