So the date is 17th September 2021, the venue is a local ground here in Jalandhar. The idea came to us a month before that date. We were sitting in our office early in the morning discussing ways to connect with our audience and how we can do more to implement our vision. If you’ve been following us for a while, you probably know that we believe in the concept of sustainability and intervening fitness and lifestyle. Our CEO, Harman had just come back from his workout at his CrossFit gym and as a part of that workout, is a version of touch handball designed to engage people in physical activity in a fun and safe way. So he told the team about it and voila, we thought why not collaborate with the CrossFit gym itself and have our very own tournament. It’ll help us talk and communicate with our audience and also create an environment for friendly competition. So the groundwork was set, we spoke to CrossFit Inquilab which is the gym that we tied up with and set the ball rolling.
We are a relatively small organisation trying to reach to people and make them understand what the concept of sustainable fitness as a lifestyle. Reaching out to the masses online is great and we try to keep our message simple and clear, but we do not get to know if the end result you know. We don’t get to see if you as a reader and us as a brand are connecting. So we need to keep our feet on the ground and communicate with our audience and see the result in person.
The aim was to get about 12 teams in the beginning . A small and attainable goal of getting 60 people together and having the tournament. Seemed realistic and feasible at that point.We shared the invites via our social media platforms and word of mouth. In under 2 days, we had already surpassed the target of 60 people we set. We were frankly surprised by the overwhelming response. The 12 teams got filled up lightening quick with more and more people contacting us from different parts of Punjab even after the first 12 teams were decided on. And we loved it. So we decided to extend it to 16 and draw up the fixtures, and made it an open event where friends and family can come and watch free of any charges.
So everything came together and the date arrived with the expectation of 80 people with about 20-30 people expected as guests. Our first teams started arriving and there was a sense of excitement in the air. Our very first event, we would be lying if we were not excited like little children are on Diwali. The reporting time was 5 and every team was checked in and the rules were explained by us and Crossfit Inquilab. The first matches started and we were expecting light and friendly competition, but turns out our athletes are much more fierce and competitive than that. It was pleasantly surprising and it was not just those two matches, but literally every match. All we can say is that it was just pure awesome to see. We did not have a stipulated age, so people of all ages were competing with each other and you as a bystander would not even realise that there is an age difference metaphorically speaking.
The tournament chugged on, teams started getting knocked out but no one seemed to leave. Amidst us getting busy with the handling of the games, what we did not realise is that about 200+ people had showed up. There were families with kids having picnics on the sides, people mingling with each other and finding teams to support and just having a field day. It was a big get together and even though it was supposed to be this small scale event, it became much more than that. And we realised is that is exactly what we wanted. Yes, there were prizes people were competing for, but that was not the only motivation, the motivation was also there to enjoy yourself while being physically and mentally active. And that is our vision of sustainability that we are trying to impart. That it does not always have to be a burden to incorporate fitness into your lifestyle, but rather a sustainable activity you should be comfortable with.
In the end the tournament ended and we had the prize distribution for the top three teams which included gift hampers from us and Crossfit Inquilab. Everyone went back home with their time well spent and we went back home with the motivation to do events like these more often. And we intend to. So if you have reached this part of this story, then this is the announcement of us doing more and more events in the future so gear up !
In the meanwhile, practice sustainable fitness activities and make the most out of your life. Cheers !
