Player Of the Tounament || Why Football is my Favorite sport ?

If you’ve read my previous posts, you’d know what football means to me and how deeply I love the game. Playing football is far more exciting and interesting than just watching it. Football is my favorite sport because every player gets a chance to play. At the end of the game, no one complains about not getting a turn to prove themselves, unlike cricket where someone might say they didn't get to bat and therefore couldn't enjoy the game. In football, everyone participates, the ball reaches everyone, and the best players dominate the game with their agility, power, and reflexes. Not just football, but every sport tests your mental and physical levels. To be good at sports, you must have to be not only fit physically but as well as mentally sharp. Understanding the game, teamwork, different strategies, and quick reflexes are very essential.

People who know me, often ask me how I manage to play football in the scorching sun, its so hot, and I tell them that true football enthusiasts don't care about the weather or wait for the right time. Be it the sun, night, darkness, noon, evening, or rain, these things truly don't matter to us. We just want to play and find peace in it. Football is like an addiction for me.

At our university, we have many sports like volleyball, cricket, badminton, tennis, and table tennis. But I have always participated in only one – football. I have been playing football since my first year, representing my batch. By the second year, I became the captain of my team. Recently, we had an unofficial tournament organized by the seniors. Since we didn't have a proper field at the university, we booked a small futsal ground outside. Many people find futsal more interesting than football, and I prefer futsal too because of my lower stamina. Anyway, our one-day tournament had been pending for many days. Twelve teams participated, including five from our university and others from different medical colleges. I was the captain of my football team. Also the each team could have a maximum of 10 players. The joining fee to participate in the tournament, for each team was 5000 rupees (100 steem), with the winning team receiving a prize of rupees 15,000 (300 steem) and will get their joining fees, 5000 back. The second-place team would get 5000 rupees and their entry fee refunded, while the third-place team would only get their participation fee refunded.

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As I mentioned earlier that this was a one-day knockout tournament. Our first match was against the fourth-year seniors from our very own university. To be honest, they weren't very good players and didn’t play good, so the match was easy for us, and we defeated them 7-1 in 20 minutes. After that, we had to wait for about 40 minutes, during which we planned our next strategy. Our next match was against the second-year students from Jinnah Sindh Medical University, who were quite good. We managed to beat them 5-3, with me scoring two goals and providing two assists. Generally, I assist more than I score because I am not a striker but a playmaker. I consider myself the game maker of my team, as I don't think anyone else in the team can assist or cross-pass as well as I do (Hahahaha Flexing). Our strikers heavily depend on me to set them up for goals.

It was during this match that my shoes tore apart. I tried to wear my friend’s shoes, but they didn’t fit me well, so I had to play barefoot. The scorching heat and constant running with high pace, stopping instantly, and sprinting caused my feet to blister and bleed. Despite the pain and bleeding, we managed to beat them 5-3.

Now again, we had to wait for 20 minutes before our semi-final match against the fifth-year seniors from our university. They were very strong and It was a tough competition, and the game ended in a 2-2 draw. We had to play for an additional 7 minutes during extra time, in which we scored two goals and won 4-2.

Finally, we reached the final match. By this time, we had played three matches in three hours, and we were all exhausted. My stamina was completely drained. For the final, we had a half-hour break before starting the game. Out of the 10 players on our team, three had left, so we had no substitutes. If anyone got tired, they had to keep playing. We conceded two goals early in the match, which lowered our morale. We tried our best to equalize by halftime but ended the half 3-0 down. In the second half, despite our efforts, we couldn't score, and we lost the match 5-2. I still regret that match, thinking if I had pushed a bit harder, I could have proven myself as both a captain and a player. But I tried my best. We had no substitutes, and we were all exhausted. My team played exceptionally well, and I am very proud and impressed by them.

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We received 5000rps as a prize and got our participation fee refunded. We celebrated with burgers on the way back, but I forgot to take pictures. Many people were sad to see us lose because we had played extraordinarily throughout the tournament but lost in the final. The next day, the seniors decided to award me the "Player of the Tournament" title because I scored seven goals and provided countless assists across four games. I also had the most successful passes. They gifted me a football and gave medals to our entire team.

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Football has taught me that the most important things needed are teamwork, leadership, communication along with a good stamina, physical fitness and courage. I hope my entire team has learned the same and that we can improve our performance and support each other in the future. I hope you enjoyed reading this post about my football tournament. If yes, let me know in the comments. Thankyou.

regards
@abdu.navi03