It was kids versus dads on Fathers’ Day at JC Park and kids won! Warming Up Kids, a children’s sports group, had held a sports session for father-and-child at JC Park on Saturday in which the kids were grouped into one team and fathers in another. They then competed in obstacle races and even a game of football. 

The obstacle course included running zig-zag, hopping through hula hoops, kicking a ball into a goalpost etc. To make the game fair the dads were given a longer course but the kids beat them anyway. “I will win,” said four-year-old Vedang Shah of AD Block before his race as dad Nitin laughed. “I’m into gymming and my son trains at Warming Up Kids so we are both fit. But of course I hope he wins,” said Nitin. 

Around 15 kids had turned up but a few fathers had to give the event a miss. “My son is out of town so I'm filling in,” said Aryaman's grandfather Naval Kedia of FE Block. Aryaman beat his sporting grandpa. 

There were also two football games. One was a friendly match between white and green teams where every dad-child due was treated as one entity. The dads guided the kids but the kids had to score the goals. The second match was a kids vs dads one that the kids won 5-2. The dads were obviously taking it easy but the kids’ energy knew no bounds. Aryaman scored three goals while Shaurya Choudhry and Anay Bansal scored the others. Anay’s father Amit scored a goal for the adults, while the other was scored by Advay’s dad Shubham Karnani.

“Seeing my son Avik’s fitness level I too am inspired to get into shape,” said Abhiroop Guha, an IT sector employee of Mahavir Vikas. “This is a great way of bonding too.”

Runa Kedia, director of Warming Up Kids, felt children need to be introduced to sports as early as possible. “Kids are being admitted into pre-schools at less than two years of age these days but along with academics their fitness must also be ensured,” said Kedia.