Playing any sport is healthy. Every child, even people of all ages, should indulge in some kind of sport for both physical and mental health. Actor-turned-humanitarian Somy Ali talks about the sport she used to play during her growing-up years. She also shares her opinion on what needs to be done to promote sports in India and why apart from gymming, actors too should play some sport for all-round physical and mental health.

“When I was a kid, we used to watch cricket all the time in Pakistan. My mom was a huge fan of Imran Khan and KapilDev. I would play cricket with my dad’s office staff. But personally, I loved badminton. I took classes and really enjoyed them. Aside from that, since I was tall for my age as a South Asian girl I was always in the netball games, which is the equivalent of basketball in the US,” she adds.
 
As for actors playing sports, that’s not the phase now, according to Somy. “It’s all about how much one can bench and lift, whether one has a six-pack or is trying to get one. Image-based individuals follow trends as they have to be trendsetters. One actor whom I know was big into tennis and an athlete is Deepika[Padukone] and she has the frame and physique to prove it. Sanju [Sanjay Dutt] began the trend of weight lifting after that there was no looking back and now everyone is following the same path. There is nothing wrong with it, but it would be nice to see actors now and then involved in sports publicly too,” says the former Bollywood star.

Sports are a pivotal part of our youth as it keeps them fit and healthy. “It is a roadblock where they are left with no choice when it comes to indulging in bad habits like smoking, trying drugs, and drinking. Given our youth follow every millisecond of what celebrities post, if they see an actor engaging in sports, it would set a great precedent for this generation. Activities and habits are brought forth by famous people, therefore why not show the youth the significance of sports and set a good example for them?,” she ends.

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