YMCA Narayanaguda (After School Activities)

It's 6:00 in the morning and everyone is fast asleep, slumbering in their own REM induced dreams. Ah, did I say everyone? Not everyone. I, my dear friends, stand at this very moment in front of the YMCA Narayanguda gate beady-eyed and rumpled clothed here to see what the whole hullabaloo is about. Boy, am I in for a surprise?

This is summer time, which usually means vacations. In my time, vacations from school meant getting up sometime close to noon give or take a few hours - lounge around for a while, eat, sleep and generally put in your best to not take any giant strides in life. What the heck, even the cocks crow at 10:00am during summers.

So imagine my consternation when I see children and adults, of all shapes and sizes, wide awake and playing on the ground here. Children busy doing everything from basketball to volleyball, ball-badminton, karate, tennis, painting, pottery you name it, it's here.

Started sometime in 1912 positively prehistoric, I know YMCA has continuously and unabashedly catered to the sporting needs of generations of "Greater Hyderabadis". Very cosmopolitan and secular in its outlook I found every conceivable vehicle outside the premises: cycles, bikes, cars, even a bullock cart this veritable institution has taken it upon itself to nurture and groom talent from all over the city, and ensure that Hyderabad is an invariable presence on the sporting arena.

And at 100-125 rupees per sport, the price is unbeatable for the kind of facilities and coaching offered. With Narayanguda being the IIT Foundation hub of Hyderabad, with a coaching institute or two in each lane - it's definitely a refreshing change to find young people, both by age and by attitude, doing their thing on the sports field.

Also read: YMCA Secunderabad