He doesn’t remember why he took to badminton while in school days while others his age pursued games like football and basketball. What Apinder Sabharwal knows is that he is right on top of the world right now, having been chosen as a court umpire for Athens, while he will leave for on August 9. When the 34-year-old Delhi Audit employee boards the Athens-bound flight, he will become the first from Delhi to make it to the Olympics. The dream started taking concrete shape last year, when the Asian Badminton Confederation (ABC) chose Sabharwal as an official during the pre-Olympics at Athens. At the time, he seemed content with the ‘‘call from the Greek gods’’ and went to Athens. ‘‘I must have done a decent job and today I have been rewarded for it,’’ feels the former Delhi state captain. Simply put, Sabharwal is elated with the course his career has taken. ‘‘In India some think that being a line judge is an inferior job. It is the most difficult job, but if you enjoy the game, any job is easy and I love this job the most.’’ The big problem a line judge faces — that makes his job difficult — is that the concentration required drains you. Sabharwal clarifies this, adding that if a judge gets too engrossed in the game, ‘‘that’s where one could lose concentration’’ and commit serious mistakes. But a line judge is the boss and it’s seldom that his judgment is questioned. ‘‘There is no bias involved. Nor is there any vested interest. You’re judged by your own level of concentration and wisdom. Of course, one tends to get nervous in international events such as this. But I think I can overcome the initial hiccups, thanks to yoga and workouts.’’ While in Athens, Sabharwal will have the company of experienced Gursharan Singh of Punjab, the only other Indian official selected. The 54-year-old veteran, talking to The Sunday Express from Sangrur, felt happy to have been selected. ‘‘I have umpired in the world championships in Sweden, Spain and Glasgow and several ABC championships all over Asia. But somehow I haven’t had an opportunity to go to the Olympics. Wahe guru ke kripa se, I’ll now umpire at Olympics, one year before I retire.’’ As for Sabharwal, with one dream taken care of, post-Athens, he will be working towards accomplishing his other goal: an IBF accreditation. But it is not easy to get it, he says. First, he will have to get a certification from the ABC and conduct several matches before he will be considered for the IBF panel. Maybe a flawless performance at Athens will help. And maybe he’ll be hoping the tournament doesn’t have excessively fascinating play, seeing that his biggest worry is losing concentration because of a particularly engrossing duel.
