Swag has always been Yuvraj Singh’s middle name. Be it in the dare of six sixes or his eyebrow slit and man bun with a faded buzz cut. When t2oS met him at Taj Taal Kutir in Newtown ahead of the inauguration of YSCE (Yuvraj Singh Centres of Excellence) and Merlin Group’s high-performance centre at Merlin Rise-Sports Republic in Rajarhat on January 13, his white blazer, stylish eyewear and a chunky watch seemed to add to his persona. Swashbuckling and oh-so-sexy! As we chatted, yet another side of Yuvraj’s personality emerged. A ruminative Yuvraj reiterated life’s biggest lesson for us. Life is in the now.
Welcome to Calcutta, Yuvraj! You are looking very handsome, as usual!
Thank you! (I) try my best.
You are here for the inauguration of YSCE (Yuvraj Singh Centres of Excellence) and Merlin Group’s high-performance centre at Merlin Rise-Sports Republic in Rajarhat...
I am here for the opening of our academy with Merlin Rise and we are trying to put (up) a high-performance centre and some training programmes which are going to be great for the future of our kids. (We want to) create a facility where they don’t have to go anywhere. They can probably represent their state. And, they have perfect practice over here.
If you compare the facilities that we had to now, it’s a huge difference. We have been working on the centre for almost five years now. Things are shaping up and in about a year’s time, I think we’ll be ready 100 per cent, with the whole facility.
Is this the first of its kind that you are a part of?
Yes, the first of its kind that I am a part of. We have eight academies, but this is something that Merlin has put their heart and soul into because there is a Michael Phelps swimming academy, a Ronaldinho football academy... some quality academies over there. So, I think it is a huge honour to be a part of those names and build a facility like this.
When you say ‘high performance’, what exactly do you have in mind?
To get the best out of their performance. When you have indoors-outdoors, gym equipment and rehab equipment, boarding facility... you have a place to stay... when we were travelling for our matches, we were always figuring out where we were going to stay the night. There were times when we slept outside the stadium, under the stadium (laughs), we slept in trains where we didn’t have seats. We don’t want this generation to (go through this). A bit of a struggle is important to become a player, but not that much of a struggle. That is what our aim is... to provide a really good centre which has all the facilities.
What do you think the kids of today really need?
The kids’ need their parents’ time. I am not sure if my wife (Hazel Keech) will be proud of that (laughs) because I am always constantly travelling. But children need their parents’ time because they learn from their parents for the first three-four years before they go to school. The upbringing is from home, which goes into school and then you carry on from that. The kid’s mindset has to be happy. I feel education and sport needs to have a balance in every child’s life. I think it’s important for the mind to explore. That’s how we grow up. They need a healthy environment. Our parents tried to do the best for us and we’d do the same.
You have played cricket at the highest level. Do you think every individual should play some sport at some point in their lives?
See, if you look at India’s stats, obviously, India is a very big country... there are 2.5 or 3 per cent people who have any sporting activity. That is a very poor stat, right? That means a number of people are sitting in the office and that’s what they do every day. That’s why I feel, everybody should do some healthy activity in a day, whether you go to the gym or for a walk or play any sport you like, it is important for the mind and body to get out there. Desk jobs can get boring. Find a healthy lifestyle and do an activity. It can be anything. Go out for a picnic. If you want to eat mishti doi (smiles), you can go for a walk and then eat mishti doi.
Also, is a sporting culture important to compete with giants like Australia or Japan?
If you look at Olympic sports, we are getting better and getting medals. Our awareness is getting better and facilities are getting better and that is why we are seeing the results. We have started doing well in other sports. We are a big country. So, why not... if we have the best facilities?
If you look at a guy like Neeraj Chopra, it’s because he has put in a lot of hard work and when you see athletes like that, why cannot we conquer world sports if other countries are doing that? I think it’s all about facilities and getting in the right coaches and that is what we are trying to do with Merlin Group as well... make a centre that everyone is proud of and when people come and look at it, they’d be like, this is where I want to put my child in.
How has your fitness regimen changed over the years? What is the secret to your youthful looks?!
Golf! (Smiles) It is also a hand-eye coordination game. After cricket, we don’t have so much running activity. In golf, you have to walk a lot. It’s not an easy walk. Some courses are up and down. So, you still have to do a bit of fitness to play good golf. That’s what keeps me fit.
Your reel summing 2023 was so heartwarming. How do you view life right now? And, what do you never take for granted?
I think life is less stressful not playing cricket because in cricket, you are always focusing on getting up and performing. Being a parent is a lot of fun, hard work as well, but to see your kids (son Orion, daughter Aura) grow up and have a bit of you is a miracle. Your life starts revolving around them and now I am looking forward to seeing them grow up and have a good life and when they start going to school, I’ll have a bit of time to start working on mentoring and whatever I want to do.
At the moment I am very happy where I am and have no regrets. I want to live in the moment, not the future or past. Life is about living in the moment.
